California: About 2,000 people living in Northern California have been ordered to evacuate after a massive wildfire dubbed the 'Kincade Fire' exploded in size overnight.
More than 500 firefighters, backed by more than 50 engines, eight air tankers and three bulldozers, have been deployed to battle the wildfire.
Cal Fire incident commander Mike Parkes said that the blaze is expected to grow beyond its currently estimated 10,000 acres.
Read more: 100,000 people evacuated as Los Angeles wildfires rage
"While the conditions are better,'' Parkes said, "because of the terrain, the fuel conditions we're still experiencing and the heat and the lower humidity than we normally have at this time of year, the containment is still very challenging.''
While two buildings have been damaged due to the fire, there were no immediate reports of casualties or injuries, fire officials added.
Evacuations have been underway in various regions across the state since the beginning of the fire on Wednesday night.
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The fire was reported to have started near the Geysers Geothermal Plant, the world's largest geothermal field, but their officials were yet to ascertain it.
The flames had spread to 0.8 sq.km within 20 minutes and scorched over 3.4 sq.km by Thursday evening.
Aerial video showed that some outdoor structures were damaged and the flames were dangerously close to homes in some areas. At least one home appeared to be on fire.
Hundreds of firefighter from Los Angeles County and Orange County were battling the blaze with four air tankers.
The fire came amid red flag warnings issued for some areas in Southern California due to extreme wildfire risk.
