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 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 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.

Outside one house on Tuesday evening, seven people quickly moved large tree branches away from the structure and shoveled sand onto the fire in a desperate attempt to keep the blaze from spreading from the house next door. They worked for about 30 minutes until firefighters arrived. An RV on the property was damaged by the fire.

Fire officials have requested additional resources such as fire engines, dozers and an aircraft.

The blaze, known as the 6-5 Fire, was caused by lightning, according to CalFire. It is one of more than a dozen blazes that erupted Tuesday across California, according to CalFire.

Thousands of Chinese came to California during the Gold Rush and faced persecution that included an exorbitant Foreign Miners Tax designed to drive them away from mining.

Chinese Camp Town, about 57 miles east of Stockton, was settled by Chinese miners after they were driven out of a nearby camp, according to Visit Tuolumne County. Originally called Camp Washington, its name was soon changed to reflect the thousands of people from China who settled there.