Quick-moving wildfire scorches historic California gold mining town, burning multiple homes
TUOLUMNE COUNTY, Calif. (AP) — A quick-moving wildfire burned homes in a California Gold Rush town settled around 1850 by Chinese miners who were driven out of a nearby camp and the blaze grew without containment on Wednesday.
The fire rapidly expanded to 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) in size, forcing the evacuation Tuesday of the Chinese Camp Town and surrounding highways, according to CalFire, the state’s chief fire agency. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.
It is one of several fires called the TCU September Lighting Complex, which has burned more than 19 square miles (50 square kilometers) in multiple locations in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties as of early Wednesday with no containment.
At least five homes were burning in the rural town, which has a mix of freestanding and mobile homes.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/quick-moving-wildfire-scorches-historic-051225834.html
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Latest status report (top one listed here as of September 3, 2025 at 9:09 AM )
https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/9/2/tcu-september-lightning-complex/updates
This series of fires within CAL FIRE/Tuloumne-Calaveras Unit contains 22 distinct fires that occurred around the time of a lightning storm that passed through the area. Multiple ground and air resources have arrived, totaling 634 personnel. Additional ground and air resources are on order and will be engaged on the fire lines as soon as they arrive. The fire has exhibited active runs in critically dry tall grass, brush, and timber fuels. The terrain is challenging to access, requiring fire crews to hike in by foot to many remote locations. A number of structures have been damaged or destroyed, and a Damage Inspection Team is on order. Weather conditions continue to be a challenge to crews as gusty winds remain in the area from nearby thunderstorm cells.
Multiple communities continue to be at risk, including ancestral tribal lands, and evacuation orders and warnings remain in place. Type 1 CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 6 has been ordered, with transition of command expected later today (9/3/2025).
The TCU September Lighting Complex consists of:
1-2 Fire: 20 acres
2-2 Fire: 3,463 acres / Visit the 2-2 Fire information page
2-3 Fire: 150 acres / Copper Cove Ct at Obyrnes Ferry Rd, Copperopolis
2-5 Fire: 5 acres
2-6 Fire: 5 acres
2-7 Fire: 458 acres / Visit the 2-7 Fire information page
2-8 Fire: 499 acres / Visit the 2-8 Fire information page
4-5 Fire: 3.25 acres / McCormick Meadows, South of Arnold
5-2 Fire: 15 acres / Lyons Bald Mountain Rd, Sonora
6-2 Fire: 884 acres / Old Don Pedro Rd, West of Jamestown
6-3 Fire: 5 acres
6-5 Fire: 6,473 acres / Visit the 6-5 Fire information page
From the incident map
https://www.fire.ca.gov/
