Blaze in Chinese Camp – a town settled around 1850 by Chinese miners – was caused by lightning, authorities say
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 sq miles (26 sq km) 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 sq miles (50 sq km) 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.
