Wildfires ravage historic gold rush town in Northern California
A cluster of lightning-sparked wildfires is tearing through Northern California’s Gold Country, destroying homes and historic landmarks in the tiny town of Chinese Camp, once a thriving Gold Rush-era settlement of Chinese immigrants.
Nearly two dozen fires have burned through 13,000 acres across Tuolumne and Calaveras counties since Tuesday, fueled by high winds and dry conditions. More than 600 firefighters are battling the blazes, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Chinese Camp, home to fewer than 100 residents, was hit especially hard. Dozens of homes were lost, along with two historic buildings, including a stagecoach stop. A nearby hilltop cemetery was scorched, though the adjacent 1854 church was spared. Other landmarks — the Chinese Camp Store and Tavern, the post office, and the pagoda-style public school — also survived.
The entire town remains under mandatory evacuation orders, along with several nearby communities. Shelters have been opened for residents and livestock.
Governor Gavin Newsom pledged state and federal resources to fight the disaster, calling it a “growing lightning complex fire” threatening the Sierra Nevada foothills.
So far, officials report no casualties, but the full scale of property damage and displacement is still being assessed.
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