REDDING, Calif. (Reuters) - A fast-moving wildfire, fueled by high winds and extremely dry vegetation, has consumed 20,000 acres in one northern California county, forcing at least 1,000 people to evacuate and causing the death of one volunteer firefighter, officials said Sunday.

Tammy Hay of the California Department of Forestry said the towns of Bella Vista, Millville, Jones Valley and Palo Cedro north of Redding were under evacuation orders because of the blaze, which started Saturday and has already destroyed dozens of homes.

``We have a really widespread area of evacuation,'' Hay said. ``We still have active fire in there and we're not going to let anybody back in until its safe.''

The fire had consumed an estimated 20,000 acres in Shasta County and was only about 20 percent contained as of Sunday morning.

At least 1,000 people had moved through a temporary evacuation center by Sunday morning, and more were expected during the day, Hay said.

Officials said one volunteer firefighter, 44-year-old Karen Savage, was killed Saturday when she was hit by a fire truck as she was battling the flames.

California Gov. Gray Davis issued a statement praising Savage and the other volunteers on the fire lines.

``Her selfless and heroic response to the call to the fire line is indeed a profile in courage,'' Davis said.

Hay said weather conditions remained daunting for the estimated 900 firefighters struggling to contain the blaze, with extremely low humidity, hot temperatures, and gusty winds helping to fan the flames.

``It's not looking real good,'' Hay said. ``The winds are picking up again. Our humidity is down to single digits. That really is terrible.''

Elsewhere in northern California, other wildfires were also burning Sunday, including a grass and brush fire that had consumed more than 3,000 acres in Yolo County and another, smaller blaze near the city of Fremont on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay.