Wildfires Spread Across Calaveras and Stanislaus Counties
A major wildfire situation has been unfolding in Calaveras County, where what’s being called the 2-7 Fire has grown to burn about 1,300 acres near Vallecito. Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued, reaching into nearby Murphys, as crews continue to fight the flames. The fire started around noon on Tuesday and is one of several blazes sparked during a round of lightning storms that swept across Northern California earlier this week.
According to Cal Fire officials, this blaze is part of the September Lightning Complex, which includes at least nine separate fires burning a combined 7,700 acres. None of them have been contained as of Tuesday evening. The urgency has been stressed by Cal OES fire chief Brian Marshall, who reminded residents that if an evacuation order is received, it should be taken seriously. As he put it, leaving right away could mean the difference between life and death.
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In Calaveras County, evacuation orders are currently in effect for several zones, including CCU-133-B, CCU-134, CCU-134-C, CCU-134-D, and CCU-134-E. Evacuation warnings remain for zones such as CCU-114 and CCU-115. An evacuation shelter has been opened at Bret Harte High School in Altaville for residents and small pets, while livestock is being directed to the Calaveras County Fairgrounds in Angels Camp.
Meanwhile, another fire—dubbed the 2-2 Fire—ignited earlier Tuesday morning near Highway 4 and Milton Road, west of Copperopolis in Stanislaus County. That fire forced highway closures as it quickly spread across both sides of the roadway. At last update, it had burned over 3,400 acres. Cal Fire later grouped this fire, along with others such as the 2-3 and 2-4 Fires near Copperopolis and Sonora Road, into the broader TCU September Lightning Complex, which has already scorched more than 9,000 acres in total.
These fires are being fueled not only by dry conditions but also by lightning strikes. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office reported that in just the first two days of September, more than 9,600 lightning strikes were recorded across California. Those storms have been pushing through the Valley, foothills, and into the Sierra, leaving firefighters scrambling to keep up with flare-ups in multiple counties.
Cal Fire has been using retardant drops and ground crews to slow the spread, but no containment has been reached yet. The fires have knocked out power for some residents, with PG&E confirming outages for over 5,000 customers at one point. Air quality in parts of Northern California has also dropped into unhealthy ranges as heavy smoke drifts through the region.
For residents, the immediate focus has been on safety. Shelters are open, highways are being closed where necessary, and people are being urged to prepare emergency kits and defensible space around their homes. While the exact cause of each fire is still under investigation, officials say lightning is suspected in many of the cases. For now, the situation remains active and dangerous, with crews working around the clock to get control.
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