Firefighter Killed as Out-of-Control Blaze Sends Northern Californians Fleeing

An erratic and fast moving fire in Shasta County turned deadly as thousands of residents were sent fleeing for their lives late Thursday night after the blaze jumped the Sacramento River and sent a wall of flames into Redding.

A contract firefighter operating a bulldozer was killed in an active part of the fire and several firefighters and residents were injured, Cal Fire officials said.

“This fire is making a significant push into the northwestern part of Redding,” Cal Fire Unified Incident Commander Chief Brett Gouvea said in a news briefing late Thursday. “We ask everyone to heed evacuation orders and leave promptly. This fire is extremely dangerous and moving with no regard with what’s in its path.”

Read more at the San Francisco Chronicle

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