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Tag: 6-5 fire

  • Chinese Camp residents face devastating loss after fires

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    Residents of Chinese Camp are facing immense loss after fires destroyed their homes and belongings. Polina Ken, a Cambodian refugee who has lived in Chinese Camp for 10 years, described the moment she first saw the destruction. “The first time I see this my knee was shaking almost like I don’t know how to stand,” she said. Ken, who raised two sons on her own and now lives alone, finds losing her home unbearable. “The thunder came so loud,” she recalled. Her once-blooming garden is now covered in ash”My plants all burn out,” she said. “Everything burned.”Ken chose to live in Chinese Camp because of its history, which she says remains despite the destruction. “All of them burned down. Nothing left. Anybody that comes to take a picture, they call it ghost town, because nobody is here,” she said. Despite the loss of buildings, Ken believes the town’s history endures. “Buildings gone, but the history is still here,” she said. She now hopes to save up for a mobile home to rebuild her life once again.Roxanne Pfeiffer, a single mother with an 8-year-old son, is also starting over after the fire left little behind. “I have nothing else other than this,” Pfeiffer said, referring to her son’s tricycle, a sign of their former home. Having escaped an abusive relationship, Pfeiffer moved to Chinese Camp seeking safety, only to face new challenges. “I left with the shirt on my back that time. Now left with the shirt on my back again,” she said.Pfeiffer lost cherished memories of her mother in the fire. “My mom passed away, so I had a lot of memories from her. It’s all gone, though,” she said.She was waking up from a nap when the fire approached her property. “I saw a little, little smoke, but it was far away and in no time, it was here,” Pfeiffer said.What used to be a boat and a car are now melted by the fire. “I was like, oh, I’m just going to grab a couple of things. Let’s get out of here. I’m going to be back later. Well, I am back, but not in the condition I wanted,” she said. With no insurance, her future is uncertain. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said. While she and her son made it out of the fire alive, they are still looking for their cat, Peanut, and have set up a trap to hopefully find him and bring him home. Pfeiffer expressed gratitude to the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort for housing them for the past few days.Robert Patrick and his wife, Maryanne Martinez-Patrick, lifelong residents of Chinese Camp, stayed behind during the evacuation order. “The fire came through and wrecked everything,” Robert said. “The fire is closer. I can hear it, I can see it and then all of a sudden it was just too late.” The couple has been sleeping in a tent on their property since the fire erupted. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. I had a best friend that lived right up the street,” Robert said. Maryanne, whose grandmother was a historian in the town, expressed her sorrow at the loss of the town’s historic buildings. “I’ve been here my whole entire life. I grew up in that house right over there,” she said. “Everything’s always been the same out here. It’s been constant until now and it’s just so, so sad to see it all gone, all those old buildings.”Maryanne mourns the loss of family heirlooms and antiques. “Everything that I inherited from them, all of the antiques, all the antiques and so heartbreaking to know that they’re all gone now, it’s almost like they were never even here. That’s how hot it burned,” she said. Despite the devastation, the residents of Chinese Camp are determined to rebuild their lives and preserve the town’s history.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    CHINESE CAMP, Calif. —

    Residents of Chinese Camp are facing immense loss after fires destroyed their homes and belongings.

    Polina Ken, a Cambodian refugee who has lived in Chinese Camp for 10 years, described the moment she first saw the destruction.

    “The first time I see this my knee was shaking almost like I don’t know how to stand,” she said.

    Ken, who raised two sons on her own and now lives alone, finds losing her home unbearable.

    “The thunder came so loud,” she recalled.

    Her once-blooming garden is now covered in ash

    “My plants all burn out,” she said. “Everything burned.”

    Ken chose to live in Chinese Camp because of its history, which she says remains despite the destruction.

    “All of them burned down. Nothing left. Anybody that comes to take a picture, they call it ghost town, because nobody is here,” she said.

    Despite the loss of buildings, Ken believes the town’s history endures.

    “Buildings gone, but the history is still here,” she said. She now hopes to save up for a mobile home to rebuild her life once again.

    Roxanne Pfeiffer, a single mother with an 8-year-old son, is also starting over after the fire left little behind.

    “I have nothing else other than this,” Pfeiffer said, referring to her son’s tricycle, a sign of their former home.

    Having escaped an abusive relationship, Pfeiffer moved to Chinese Camp seeking safety, only to face new challenges.

    “I left with the shirt on my back that time. Now left with the shirt on my back again,” she said.

    Pfeiffer lost cherished memories of her mother in the fire.

    “My mom passed away, so I had a lot of memories from her. It’s all gone, though,” she said.

    She was waking up from a nap when the fire approached her property.

    “I saw a little, little smoke, but it was far away and in no time, it was here,” Pfeiffer said.

    What used to be a boat and a car are now melted by the fire.

    “I was like, oh, I’m just going to grab a couple of things. Let’s get out of here. I’m going to be back later. Well, I am back, but not in the condition I wanted,” she said.

    With no insurance, her future is uncertain.

    “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said.

    While she and her son made it out of the fire alive, they are still looking for their cat, Peanut, and have set up a trap to hopefully find him and bring him home.

    Pfeiffer expressed gratitude to the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort for housing them for the past few days.

    Robert Patrick and his wife, Maryanne Martinez-Patrick, lifelong residents of Chinese Camp, stayed behind during the evacuation order.

    “The fire came through and wrecked everything,” Robert said. “The fire is closer. I can hear it, I can see it and then all of a sudden it was just too late.”

    The couple has been sleeping in a tent on their property since the fire erupted.

    “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. I had a best friend that lived right up the street,” Robert said.

    Maryanne, whose grandmother was a historian in the town, expressed her sorrow at the loss of the town’s historic buildings.

    “I’ve been here my whole entire life. I grew up in that house right over there,” she said. “Everything’s always been the same out here. It’s been constant until now and it’s just so, so sad to see it all gone, all those old buildings.”

    Maryanne mourns the loss of family heirlooms and antiques.

    “Everything that I inherited from them, all of the antiques, all the antiques and so heartbreaking to know that they’re all gone now, it’s almost like they were never even here. That’s how hot it burned,” she said.

    Despite the devastation, the residents of Chinese Camp are determined to rebuild their lives and preserve the town’s history.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • TCU September Lightning Complex: Lightning-sparked fires force evacuations, destroy structures

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    TCU September Lightning Complex: Lightning-sparked fires force evacuations, destroy structures

    WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS. AND THAT BREAKING NEWS IS OUT OF CALAVERAS AND TUOLUMNE COUNTY. RESIDENTS ARE EVACUATED AS FIRE CREWS BATTLE THE TCU SEPTEMBER LIGHTNING COMPLEX. WE SEE SOME OF THE VIDEO HERE BEHIND US RIGHT NOW. NOW THE COMPLEX IS MADE UP OF AT LEAST NINE FIRES THAT HAVE BURNED MORE THAN 12,000 ACRES IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY. EVACUATION ORDERS STRETCHED FROM THE DON PEDRO RESERVOIR UP THROUGH CHINESE CAMP TO MONTEZUMA AND YOSEMITE JUNCTION. WARNINGS SHOWN THERE IN YELLOW INCLUDE QUARTZ SOUTH OF JAMESTOWN. NOW ANOTHER PORTION OF THE LIGHTNING COMPLEX IS BURNING IN CALAVERAS COUNTY, JUST NORTH OF ANGELS CAMP. HERE’S A LOOK AT THE EVACUATION AREA RIGHT HERE. ORDERS RIGHT NOW. MARKED IN RED. THEY RUN FROM VALLECITO TO MURPHYS, WHILE AREAS IN YELLOW. THOSE ARE WARNINGS, MEANING RESIDENTS SHOULD BE READY TO LEAVE AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE. WE DO HAVE TEAM COVERAGE THIS MORNING. MELANIE WINGO GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT THE AIR RESOURCES THAT FIRE CREWS ARE USING. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST OPHELIA YOUNG KEEPING AN EYE ON AIR QUALITY AS SMOKE DRIFTS FROM THOSE FIRES AS WELL. MIKE TESELLE IS IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY. THAT’S WHERE FLAMES HAVE RAVAGED A HISTORIC TOWN. WHILE TRAFFIC BRIAN HICKEY IS MONITORING THOSE ROAD CLOSURES THROUGHOUT BOTH COUNTY BUT COUNTIES. BUT LET’S BEGIN WITH THE VERY LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HOW THEY’RE IMPACTING CONTAINMENT EFFORTS WITH METEOROLOGIST TAMARA BERG, ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER CONDITIONS IS TO DO A LITTLE SHOW AND TELL. I’M GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH A REWIND HERE OVER THE LAST 30 MINUTES. THIS IS COMING IN FROM. SONORA WEST, AND IT’S ACTUALLY LOOKING DOWN THE HIGHWAY 108 CORRIDOR AND OFF TO THE WESTERLY DIRECTION. AND THIS IS AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 2400FT. SO THE SONORA WEST CAMERA SHOWS YOU NOT ONLY JUST A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE, BUT THESE SMOKY SKIES HERE AROUND SONORA. AND AT LEAST YOU AREN’T SEEING FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT ANY MAJOR HOTSPOTS CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW AROUND THE TCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX INCLUDE WIND SPEEDS OUT OF THE NORTHEAST 5 TO 10MPH, SO THEY’VE BEEN PRETTY LIGHT IN THESE OVERNIGHT HOURS. TEMPERATURES CURRENTLY IN THE LOWER 70. SO IT’S BEEN QUITE MILD. HUMIDITY HAS BEEN ABOUT 50%. AND THE AIR QUALITY SO FAR WE’RE GOING TO HEAR MORE ON THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED UNHEALTHY IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THERE ARE PARTS OF CALAVERAS AND TUOLUMNE COUNTIES. SO THE WIND FORECAST FOR THE MORNING AGAIN, PRETTY LIGHT, PRIMARILY EAST TO NORTHEAST. BUT NOW THAT THE SUN IS COMING UP, THOSE WIND CONDITIONS ARE GOING TO CHANGE. MOVING TO MORE OF A SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION DURING THE DAYLIGHT AND CHARGE UP A LITTLE BIT IN THAT 10 TO 15MPH RANGE IN ANGELS CAMP CHINESE CAMP AREA AND IN THROUGH COLUMBIA. SO THAT WILL MEAN SOME CHANGEABLE AIR QUALITY AS WELL, ESPECIALLY AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS ACROSS THE REGION. TODAY, TEMPERATURES DOWN. THAT’S GOOD NEWS. ALONG THE FIRE LINES, WE’RE LOOKING AT MID 70S WITH STORMS STAYING TO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA TODAY, ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF TAHOE. SMOKY SKIES, LOW 90S IN THE FOOTHILLS WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 90S ACROSS THE VALLEY. COMING UP IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES, I’LL WALK YOU THROUGH THE EXTENDED FORECAST, NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT IS 703 RIGHT NOW. LET’S GET A CHECK OF THE HIGHWAY CONDITIONS WITH BRIAN. THANKS, TAMARA. START HERE ALONG HIGHWAY 50, COMING IN THROUGH WHITE ROCK ROAD. YOU CAN SEE THERE TRAFFIC IS CRUISING. WE’RE REALLY NO TROUBLE HERE IN THE 50 CORRIDOR. 80 COMING IN. JUST SOME MINOR DELAYS THROUGH GREENBACK. BUT OTHERWISE OVER THE TOP. ALL CLEAR AND JUST A MINOR SLOWDOWN. GETTING ON TO THE CAUSEWAY AS YOU’RE MAKING YOUR WAY NORTHBOUND ON 99. SEEING SOME HEAVIER TRAFFIC HERE AT FLORIN ROAD. AND THAT ALL STARTS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BACK TOWARDS MACK. YOU START TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF SLOWING, BUT RIGHT AT FLORIN YOU CAN SEE SOME RED ON THE SPEED SENSORS THERE, BUT THAT’S IT. NO INCIDENTS. AND IN STOCKTON WE’RE ALL CLEAR AS YOU HEAD EAST THOUGH, UP INTO THE COMPLEX FIRES THERE. THEY’VE GOT 120 AND 49 CLOSED JUST OFF OF 108 TOWARDS CHINESE CAMP WITH FIRE ACTIVITY IN THAT AREA. SO AGAIN AVOID THAT FOR NOW. 80 A 12 MINUTE RIDE OUT OF ROSEVILLE, 50 OUT OF FOLSOM LOOKING AT 16 MINUTES, 99 TO 12 MINUTE RIDE FROM ELK GROVE I5 11 MINUTES BACK TO YOU, BRIAN. THANK YOU. AS RESIDENTS DO LEAVE THEIR HOMES, OFFICIALS ARE NOW OPENING EVACUATION POINTS IN CALAVERAS COUNTY. A SHELTER HAS BEEN SET UP AT BRET HARTE HIGH SCHOOL THAT’S IN ANGELS CAMP ON MURPHYS GRADE ROAD. THEY’RE ACCEPTING PETS. THEIR LIVESTOCK CAN BE TAKEN TO THE CALAVERAS COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS ON FROGTOWN ROAD IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY. RESIDENTS CAN GO TO THE SONORA SENIOR CENTER THAT’S ON GREELEY ROAD. THEY’RE ACCEPTING PETS AS WELL. LIVESTOCK AND OTHER LARGE ANIMALS CAN BE TAKEN TO THE MOTHERLODE FAIRGROUNDS ON SOUTH GATE DRIVE. KCRA 3’S MIKE TESELLE JOINS US NOW LIVE WITH AN UPDATE FROM WHERE HE IS. MIKE. OF COURSE, WE KNOW THE SUN IS UP NOW AND THAT DOES GIVE A BETTER IDEA AND A BETTER LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVERNIGHT. YEAH, AND WITH THE SUN UP OVER THE HORIZON, WE ARE GETTING THAT BETTER LOOK OF THE DAMAGE. HERE WE ARE STANDING ON RED HILL ROAD JUST TO THE WEST OF HIGHWAY 120, AND THE SCENE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. JUST EVERY DIRECTION YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF DESTRUCTION, A LOT OF DESTROYED HOMES. THIS AGAIN, A LOOK FROM RED HILL ROAD. IF YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH CHINESE CAMP ALONG RED HILL ROAD, MAIDEN CURRY, WASHINGTON, MAINE, THOSE ARE ALL THE CROSS STREETS WHERE WE’RE SEEING DAMAGE LIKE THIS THIS MORNING AS WE’RE GETTING THIS FIRST DAYLIGHT VIEW. NOW, I CAN TELL YOU JUST UP THE ROAD, A HOME AT THE 13 500 RED HILL, UNTOUCHED BY FLAMES. SO THAT HOME SAVED. AND THEN A LITTLE FURTHER UP THE ROAD, THE CHINESE CAMP SCHOOL, THAT ONE ALSO SPARED FROM ANY DAMAGE. BUT IT IS JUST OFF OF 120 UP TO THAT POINT OF 13 500. RED HILL, WHERE THIS IS THE SCENE, MANY STRUCTURES LOST. WE DON’T HAVE A FIRM COUNT AS OF NOW, BUT CLEARLY DOZENS OF STRUCTURES BURNED IN THIS FIRE. NOW, THIS IS YOUR DAYLIGHT. LOOK, LET ME GIVE YOU A QUICK LOOK OF WHAT OUR CREWS SAW WHEN THEY WERE HERE LAST NIGHT. A MUCH MORE ACTIVE SCENE AS FAR AS FIRE ACTIVITY. AND THAT FIRE ACTIVITY. UNFORTUNATELY, BURNING HOMES AND DOWNING POWER LINES. WE’VE SEEN MULTIPLE POWER LINES DOWN ALONG THIS ROAD AS WELL. NO HOMEOWNERS IN THIS AREA RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS AN EVACUATED AREA. SO AGAIN, IF WE CAN COME BACK OUT HERE, LIVE OUR FIRST DAYLIGHT, LOOK AT SOME OF THE ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT AREAS OF THIS SIX FIVE FIRE HERE ALONG RED HILL ROAD. AND THEN AGAIN, AS WE REPORTED EARLIER THIS MORNING, COMING IN ON 120, WE SAW A COUPLE OF HOMES AND STRUCTURES ALONG 120 THAT WERE BURNED COMING IN FROM THE NORTH. SO CLEARLY A LOT OF DAMAGE DONE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS SPECIFICALLY IS THE SIX FIVE FIRE OF THAT COMPLEX. WE WERE ALSO IN THE TWO THREE DROVE PAST THE TWO THREE COMPLEX. THAT’S WHERE WE SAW SOME ACTIVE FLAMES ON THE HILLSIDE THIS MORNING. BUT AGAIN, THOSE RELATIVELY WERE CONTAINED, JUST KIND OF MOVING SLOWLY DOWN THE HILLSIDE. AS FOR THIS AREA, WE HAVEN’T REALLY SEEN A WHOLE LOT OF ACTIVE FIRE HERE THIS MORNING. JUST A WHOLE LOT OF DAMAGE DONE BY THAT ACTIVITY YESTERDAY INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF THIS MORNING. LIVE IN CHINESE CAMP, TUOLUMNE MIKE TESELLE KCRA THREE NEWS. AND OF COURSE, MIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WATCHED THESE KIND OF INCIDENTS HAPPEN BEFORE AND YOUR HEART JUST BREAKS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE DEVASTATION FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THOSE AREAS. AND JUST THE RECOVERY IS GOING TO TAKE WEEKS, MONTHS, MAYBE EVEN YEARS AS WELL. WE’RE GOING TO CHECK BACK IN WITH YOU THROUGHOUT THIS HOUR AND KEEP US UPDATED, OF COURSE, ON WHAT YOU’RE SEEING OUT THERE. MEANTIME, IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY, THE BLACK OAK CASINO IS WORKING TO HELP THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. THEY SAY ANYONE WHO IS UNDER A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER CAN STAY WITH THEM FOR FREE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHOW YOUR CALIFORNIA ID IT DOES HAVE TO LIST. YOUR ADDRESS IS IN THE EVACUATION ZONE. THE SEPTEMBER LIGHTNING COMPLEX, ALSO IMPACTING AIR QUALITY IN THE MOTHERLODE KCRA 3 METEOROLOGIST OPHELIA YOUNG. JOINING US NOW WITH THE LATEST ON THIS. AND OPHELIA, WE KNOW THAT AS THE WINDS SHIFT, PEOPLE WITH ALLERGIES WILL DEFINITELY BE AFFECTED BY THIS. YES. IF YOU HAVE RESPIRATORY ISSUES, DEFINITELY A GOOD DAY TO STAY INDOORS. WE ARE TRACKING THE RETURN OF SOME ONSHORE WINDS, WHICH IS BOTH GOOD AND BAD. IT IS GOOD BECAUSE IT DOES BRING IN SOME COOLER AIR WHICH WILL HELP OUT FIRE CONDITIONS AND FIREFIGHTERS. BUT IT’S BAD BECAUSE THE VARYING AND SHIFTING WINDS WILL POSE SOME CHALLENGES AND WILL EVENTUALLY DRIVE UP SOME AIR FROM THE SOUTH, WHICH DOES INCLUDE SMOKE FROM NOT JUST ONE, BUT SEVERAL FIRES THAT ARE BURNING AND ALSO SOME FIRES IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. HERE’S A PHOTO OF THOSE SMOKY SKIES SHARED YESTERDAY FROM TIFFANY OF, IN HER WORDS, THE DRAMATIC FIRE SKIES OVER MURPHYS, ANOTHER ONE OF THE SUN GLOWING THROUGH THE SMOKE AS A PLANE PASSES OVERHEAD BY JAMIE LANE. FOOTHILL RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT TO WALK OUT TODAY TO MORE OF THE SAME UNHEALTHY AIR, WHICH IS CURRENTLY WORSE. AS YOU CAN SEE IN TUOLUMNE AND CALAVERAS COUNTIES. THOSE AREAS ARE NOT ONLY BEING DEALT SMOKE FROM LIGHTNING FIRES THAT BROKE OUT YESTERDAY, BUT THE ONGOING GARNETT FIRE FURTHER DOWN SOUTH IN THE FOOTHILLS OF FRESNO COUNTY. SMOKE DRIFTING NORTH, COMBINING WITH THE SMOKE FROM THE SEVERAL VEGETATION FIRES THAT SPARKED YESTERDAY. THOSE WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTH WILL DRIVE ALL OF THAT SMOKE NORTH, WHILE THE DELTA BREEZE WILL BE LIGHT BUT STILL PUSHING IT FROM THE VALLEY, BUNCHING IT UP IN THE FOOTHILLS. ESPECIALLY TONIGHT, MORE SMOKE WILL WAFT BACK AND FORTH FROM THE VALLEY TO THE FOOTHILLS TOMORROW, DEPENDING ON FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS. OF COURSE, THE SMOKE FORECAST MODEL THEN THINKING THE SMOKE WILL MOVE UP INTO THE SIERRA, WILL BE MORE CONCENTRATED THERE ON FRIDAY. SO HEADS UP FOR FOLKS WHO ARE HEADED TO OR ARE IN THE MOUNTAIN. OF COURSE, THIS FORECAST CAN CHANGE VERY QUICKLY WITH A FEW MORE STORMS FORECAST FOR THE SIERRA LATER TODAY. TAMARA BERG WILL HAVE MORE ON THAT LATER ON IN THE SHOW. FOR NOW, WE’RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE DESK. MIKE AND BRANDI, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT. AND OF COURSE, DURING FIRE SEASON, HAVING A GO BAG READY CAN REALLY MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE WHEN DISASTER STRIKES. OFFICIALS RECOMMEND HAVING ESSENTIALS READY LIKE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. PRESCRIPTIONS OR MEDICATIONS, A CHANGE OF CLOTHES, EXTRA EYE GLASSES OR CONTACT LENSES, A FIRST AID KIT, A FLASHLIGHT, A BATTERY POWERED RADIO WITH EXTRA BATTERIES, AS WELL AS CHARGERS FOR ANY ELECTRONICS. NOW, PET OWNERS SHOULD ALSO HAVE LEAS

    TCU September Lightning Complex: Lightning-sparked fires force evacuations, destroy structures

    Updated: 7:52 AM PDT Sep 3, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Evacuations remain in effect after a series of fires sparked by lightning started in two Northern California counties.While Cal Fire, the state’s fire management agency, has not reported structure damage, KCRA 3 was able to visually confirm several structures either destroyed or damaged in the historic Tuolumne County gold mining community of Chinese Camp.TCU September Lightning Complex acreage, containmentThe series of fires, grouped together by Cal Fire as the TCU September Lightning Complex, has collectively burned at least 11,977 acres as of 7:42 a.m., up from the 9,383 acres reported at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday.Earlier Wednesday morning, Cal Fire listed the acreage at 12,473, but numbers can change with better surveying and mapping of the burn area. At least nine fires comprise this complex. Of the nine, the two largest ones are the so-called 6-5 Fire in Tuolumne County that sparked near the Don Pedro Reservoir and the 2-7 Fire that started near Highway 4 and Milton Road in Stanislaus County. Cal Fire listed the cause of both fires as lightning.Both of those fires are among many given similar names after thousands of lightning strikes hit parts of the Central Valley, Sacramento Valley, and the Foothills. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office on Tuesday afternoon said that in the first two days of September, California had recorded 9,619 lightning strikes.On Wednesday, the governor’s press office said it announced the state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The state plans to use that funding to ensure enough resources are being put toward the 2-7 Fire.The KCRA 3 weather team anticipates more thunderstorm activity in the Sierra, especially south of Tahoe, on Wednesday.As of Wednesday, there is no known containment around the fire. Containment measures how much of a perimeter crews have established around a burn area to help prevent flames from continuing to spread. It does not actually measure how much of a fire has been extinguished.Wildfire conditionsOn Wednesday morning during the 6 a.m. newscast, KCRA 3’s Mike TeSelle was at Chinese Camp and noted that fire activity had moderated in comparison to conditions on Tuesday. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in extinguishing the flames.TeSelle also noted that among the buildings destroyed is the town’s historic post office, which has been standing since 1854. See when TeSelle featured Chinese Camp in his Explore Outdoors series in the video below.TCU September Lightning Complex evacuations, shelter informationEvacuation orders and warnings are in place for both the 2-7 and 6-5 portions of the complex. With evacuation orders, you are lawfully required to immediately leave. You are not required to leave under a warning but are recommended to be ready to do so in case conditions become dangerous.See an interactive map below for evacuation orders and warnings in Calaveras County for 2-7.Find a map of evacuations in Tuolumne County for 6-5 here. We also have them listed below.6-5 evacuation ordersChinese Camp TownSix Bit Ranch RoadSix Bit Gulch RoadRed Hill RoadDon Pedrro Dam RoadOld Don Pedro Dam RoadMenkee Hess RoadAll roads East of Highway 108 from Junction 59 to Highway 49Both sides of highway 120 from Chinese Camp to Highway 120 BridgeRojo Shawmut Road6-5 evacuation warningsAll Areas from Bell Mooney & Jacksonville RoadWest to Highway 49 and Highway 108 South to Old Jacksonville RoadShelter informationEvacuees seeking shelter or looking for a place to take their animals can go to the following locations based on county.Calaveras CountyBret Harte High School: 323 South Main Street, Altaville, CA 95221Calaveras County Fairgrounds Livestock Evacuation Center (Livestock only): 101 Frogtown Road, Angels Camp, CA 95222Small, domestic pets can also be taken to Bret Harte High SchoolTuolumne CountySonora Senior Center: 540 Greenley Road, Sonora, CA 95370Pets are allowed at the Sonora Senior Center, and animal control is on scene assistingAir quality in parts of Northern California is also experiencing unhealthier levels. Check air quality in your area with the interactive map below.This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as we work to gather more details.| MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alertsCal Fire wildfire incidents: Cal Fire tracks its wildfire incidents here. You can sign up to receive text messages for Cal Fire updates on wildfires happening near your ZIP code here.Wildfires on federal land: Federal wildfire incidents are tracked here.Preparing for power outages: Ready.gov explains how to prepare for a power outage and what to do when returning from one here. Here is how to track and report PG&E power outages.Keeping informed when you’ve lost power and cellphone service: How to find a National Weather Service radio station near you.Be prepared for road closures: Download Caltrans’ QuickMap app or check the latest QuickMap road conditions here.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    ANGELS CAMP, Calif. —

    Evacuations remain in effect after a series of fires sparked by lightning started in two Northern California counties.

    While Cal Fire, the state’s fire management agency, has not reported structure damage, KCRA 3 was able to visually confirm several structures either destroyed or damaged in the historic Tuolumne County gold mining community of Chinese Camp.

    TCU September Lightning Complex acreage, containment

    The series of fires, grouped together by Cal Fire as the TCU September Lightning Complex, has collectively burned at least 11,977 acres as of 7:42 a.m., up from the 9,383 acres reported at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday.

    Earlier Wednesday morning, Cal Fire listed the acreage at 12,473, but numbers can change with better surveying and mapping of the burn area.

    At least nine fires comprise this complex. Of the nine, the two largest ones are the so-called 6-5 Fire in Tuolumne County that sparked near the Don Pedro Reservoir and the 2-7 Fire that started near Highway 4 and Milton Road in Stanislaus County. Cal Fire listed the cause of both fires as lightning.

    TCU September Lightning Complex Fire live updates on Sept. 3

    Both of those fires are among many given similar names after thousands of lightning strikes hit parts of the Central Valley, Sacramento Valley, and the Foothills. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office on Tuesday afternoon said that in the first two days of September, California had recorded 9,619 lightning strikes.

    On Wednesday, the governor’s press office said it announced the state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The state plans to use that funding to ensure enough resources are being put toward the 2-7 Fire.

    The KCRA 3 weather team anticipates more thunderstorm activity in the Sierra, especially south of Tahoe, on Wednesday.

    As of Wednesday, there is no known containment around the fire. Containment measures how much of a perimeter crews have established around a burn area to help prevent flames from continuing to spread. It does not actually measure how much of a fire has been extinguished.

    Wildfire conditions

    On Wednesday morning during the 6 a.m. newscast, KCRA 3’s Mike TeSelle was at Chinese Camp and noted that fire activity had moderated in comparison to conditions on Tuesday. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in extinguishing the flames.

    TeSelle also noted that among the buildings destroyed is the town’s historic post office, which has been standing since 1854. See when TeSelle featured Chinese Camp in his Explore Outdoors series in the video below.

    TCU September Lightning Complex evacuations, shelter information

    Evacuation orders and warnings are in place for both the 2-7 and 6-5 portions of the complex. With evacuation orders, you are lawfully required to immediately leave. You are not required to leave under a warning but are recommended to be ready to do so in case conditions become dangerous.

    See an interactive map below for evacuation orders and warnings in Calaveras County for 2-7.

    Find a map of evacuations in Tuolumne County for 6-5 here. We also have them listed below.

    6-5 evacuation orders

    • Chinese Camp Town
    • Six Bit Ranch Road
    • Six Bit Gulch Road
    • Red Hill Road
    • Don Pedrro Dam Road
    • Old Don Pedro Dam Road
    • Menkee Hess Road
    • All roads East of Highway 108 from Junction 59 to Highway 49
    • Both sides of highway 120 from Chinese Camp to Highway 120 Bridge
    • Rojo
    • Shawmut Road

    6-5 evacuation warnings

    • All Areas from Bell Mooney & Jacksonville Road
    • West to Highway 49 and Highway 108 South to Old Jacksonville Road

    Shelter information

    Evacuees seeking shelter or looking for a place to take their animals can go to the following locations based on county.

    Calaveras County

    • Bret Harte High School: 323 South Main Street, Altaville, CA 95221
    • Calaveras County Fairgrounds Livestock Evacuation Center (Livestock only): 101 Frogtown Road, Angels Camp, CA 95222
    • Small, domestic pets can also be taken to Bret Harte High School

    Tuolumne County

    • Sonora Senior Center: 540 Greenley Road, Sonora, CA 95370
    • Pets are allowed at the Sonora Senior Center, and animal control is on scene assisting

    Air quality in parts of Northern California is also experiencing unhealthier levels. Check air quality in your area with the interactive map below.

    This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as we work to gather more details.

    | MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alerts

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • 6-5 Fire: Evacuation orders, warnings issued in Tuolumne County

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    6-5 Fire: Evacuation orders, warnings issued in Tuolumne County

    Updated: 3:18 PM PDT Sep 2, 2025

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    Evacuation orders and warnings are in effect for parts of Tuolumne County after a fire sparked Tuesday morning.The so-called 6-5 Fire sparked at 10:34 a.m. along Old Don Pedro Road at Big Cree Court, south of Jamestown, Cal Fire said.As of 2:03 p.m., the fire has burned at least 200 acres, Cal Fire said.Evacuation orders are in effect for Sixbit Gultch Road, evacuation maps by Cal Fire said. When an evacuation order is issued, residents are lawfully required to leave immediately due to threatening conditions.Warnings are also in effect for the communities of Keystone, Chinese Camp, and the area surrounding La Grange Road and Old Don Pedro Road. You are not required to immediately leave under a warning but are recommended to be ready to do so at a moment’s notice in case conditions become dangerous.See the evacuation maps here.This 6-5 Fire is one of many similarly named fires that sparked Tuesday as a series of lightning strikes hit the region, likely being the cause behind many of the fires. The one that has burned the largest amount of acres so far is the 2-2 Fire, which has burned more than a thousand acres so far.Air quality in parts of Northern California is also experiencing unhealthier levels. Check air quality in your area with the interactive map below.This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as we work to gather more details.| MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alertsCal Fire wildfire incidents: Cal Fire tracks its wildfire incidents here. You can sign up to receive text messages for Cal Fire updates on wildfires happening near your ZIP code here.Wildfires on federal land: Federal wildfire incidents are tracked here.Preparing for power outages: Ready.gov explains how to prepare for a power outage and what to do when returning from one here. Here is how to track and report PG&E power outages.Keeping informed when you’ve lost power and cellphone service: How to find a National Weather Service radio station near you.Be prepared for road closures: Download Caltrans’ QuickMap app or check the latest QuickMap road conditions here.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    CHINESE CAMP, Calif. —

    Evacuation orders and warnings are in effect for parts of Tuolumne County after a fire sparked Tuesday morning.

    The so-called 6-5 Fire sparked at 10:34 a.m. along Old Don Pedro Road at Big Cree Court, south of Jamestown, Cal Fire said.

    As of 2:03 p.m., the fire has burned at least 200 acres, Cal Fire said.

    Evacuation orders are in effect for Sixbit Gultch Road, evacuation maps by Cal Fire said. When an evacuation order is issued, residents are lawfully required to leave immediately due to threatening conditions.

    Warnings are also in effect for the communities of Keystone, Chinese Camp, and the area surrounding La Grange Road and Old Don Pedro Road. You are not required to immediately leave under a warning but are recommended to be ready to do so at a moment’s notice in case conditions become dangerous.

    See the evacuation maps here.

    This 6-5 Fire is one of many similarly named fires that sparked Tuesday as a series of lightning strikes hit the region, likely being the cause behind many of the fires. The one that has burned the largest amount of acres so far is the 2-2 Fire, which has burned more than a thousand acres so far.

    Air quality in parts of Northern California is also experiencing unhealthier levels. Check air quality in your area with the interactive map below.

    This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as we work to gather more details.

    | MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alerts

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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