Quick-moving wildfire scorches historic California Gold Rush town, burns multiple homes
Fire grows to more than 6 square miles, forces evacuations in Chinese Camp; no immediate reports of injuries
TUOLUMNE COUNTY, Calif. — A quick-moving wildfire scorched thousands of acres and burned multiple homes Tuesday in Chinese Camp, a historic Gold Rush-era town, officials said.
The blaze rapidly grew to about 6.25 square miles (16.1 square kilometers) and forced the evacuation of the town and surrounding highways, Cal Fire said. The fire remained uncontained Tuesday night and there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.
At least five homes were burning in the rural community, which contains a mix of freestanding and mobile homes, fire officials said. Outside one residence on Tuesday evening, seven people worked together to move large tree branches away from a house and shoveled sand onto flames in an effort to keep the fire from spreading from a neighboring property. They continued for about 30 minutes until firefighters arrived. An RV on the property was damaged by the blaze.
Cal Fire said crews were battling the fire and managing evacuations as the incident developed. Authorities closed sections of highways near the area to protect the public and allow emergency vehicles to move freely.
Chinese Camp was settled around 1850 by Chinese miners during the California Gold Rush and later became known for its historic ties to that period. Local officials said the community’s age and its mix of older structures and mobile homes added urgency to evacuation and protection efforts.
The cause of the fire had not been determined Tuesday night, and investigators were expected to examine the scene once it was safe to do so, Cal Fire said. Firefighters continued to work to establish containment lines and protect threatened structures.
California has experienced multiple large wildfires in recent years. State and local agencies have increasingly focused on mitigation, preparedness and rapid response as crews confront fast-moving blazes that can threaten rural communities and historic sites. Emergency officials urged residents in threatened areas to follow evacuation orders and to avoid driving near the fire to reduce risks to themselves and responders.
Local and state agencies planned to provide updated information as containment efforts continued and more resources were mobilized to the area.