A Chinese Camp town was ordered to evacuate in Tuolumne County, Northern California, after a 6-5 fire moved through houses on Tuesday afternoon (US local time). The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Department said that they had received information of multiple blazes after rough and stormy weather passed through in the early hours.
The blaze engulfed almost 5,500 acres of dry land in Tuolumne County until late Tuesday afternoon. California and Tuolumne County firefighters are at the scene and responding to the situation. As per local media reports, the blaze upgraded to 6-5 fire caused 'a lot of destruction' and burned down buildings, homes and other structures in the historic Gold Rush town of Chinese Camp.
Also Read | Chhattisgarh: Massive Fire Breaks Out in Seven-Storey Babylon Tower in Raipur.
Fire broke out at several places in California on Tuesday morning amid a burst of dry lightning. According to the Cal Fire's Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit, more than a dozen fires were seen in the foothills.
The 6-5 Fire was burning near Old Don Pedro Road on Tuesday afternoon, and residents in all of Chinese Camp, a tiny hamlet originally established as a settlement during the Gold Rush, were ordered to evacuate. The community is along Highway 120, a main route from the Bay Area to Yosemite.
Evacuation orders were also issued for Six Bit Ranch Road, Red Hill Road, Menkee Hess Road and Don Pedro Dam Road. The fire was burning south of Highway 120. The south side of Highway 120 from Chinese Camp to the Highway 120 Bridge was ordered to evacuate, as was the east side of Highway 108 between J59 and Highway 49.