A cluster of lightning-sparked wildfires has torn through parts of Northern California, forcing thousands to evacuate and leaving a historic Gold Rush settlement in ruins.
Nearly two dozen blazes, ignited by a lightning storm on Tuesday, have burned more than 13,000 acres of grass, brush and timber across Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
The remote village of Chinese Camp, a town of fewer than 100 residents on the western Sierra Nevada foothills, was among the hardest hit. Once home to thousands of Chinese labourers during the mid-19th century mining boom, the town saw dozens of homes destroyed, a Reuters journalist reported from the scene.
Two historic buildings, including a stagecoach stop, were reduced to ash, while flames scorched the hillside cemetery. The 1854 church survived the blaze, as did three other landmarks â the Chinese Camp Store and Tavern, the post office and the townâs distinctive pagoda-style public school, CalFire spokesperson Jaime Williams said.
It’s not clear yet whether the town’s handful of Gold Rush era structures – including an old post office built in 1854 – were damaged in the fire that erupted Tuesday and continued burning without any containment.
Governor Gavin Newsom said California was deploying âall available resources â including support from our federal partners â to fight this growing lightning complex fire.â More than 600 firefighters were on the ground, backed by evacuation shelters for residents, as well as facilities for livestock and pets.
No deaths have been reported, but the scale of property damage remains unclear. Electricity crews are working to restore power to communities after flames downed poles and transformers.
The 22 blazes, grouped under the TCU September Lightning Complex, are the largest of a dozen wildfire incidents recorded across the state this week. They remain far less deadly than Januaryâs Los Angeles fires, which killed 31 people and destroyed nearly 16,000 homes.
Additional reporting by agencies.
