Gann Fire live updates: Black smoke visible as blaze grows to 3,760 acres

Plume of black smoke visible from fast-moving fire

11:45 a.m., Aug. 4

Hot temperatures and low humidity continue to fuel the Gann Fire in Calaveras County, which has grown to 3,760 acres with no containment as of 11:16 a.m., according to Cal Fire.

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Video footage from AlertCalifornia’s live cameras shows a plume of black smoke blowing near the Bear Mountain communication towers. A map from AirNow also shows moderate air quality for some surrounding areas, such as the unincorporated area of San Andreas. 

No structures have been threatened or destroyed as of Tuesday afternoon, and air tankers are flying over the blaze “as conditions allow,” according to Cal Fire. The evacuation orders for nearby communities have been updated, and the latest information can be found on the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page.

Blaze surges quickly to 3,000 acres amid evacuation orders

10 a.m. Aug. 4

The Gann Fire burning near the central Sierra Nevada foothills has continued to expand Tuesday morning, reaching 3,000 acres as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to Cal Fire. It is at zero percent containment, and conditions are “changing quickly,” Cal Fire said in its latest update. 

Air crews are on the scene to assist firefighters on the ground, Cal Fire said, with approximately 254 total personnel assigned to the blaze. Several evacuation orders are still in effect for the surrounding areas. An evacuation map can be found on the Genasys webpage and on the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. 

Fire explodes overnight in Calaveras County 

5:40 a.m., Aug. 4

Amid hot and windy weather, the Gann Fire in Calaveras County exploded to 1,800 acres in a matter of hours late Monday. It is currently 0% contained.

The fire started around 5:30 p.m. Monday near Hogan Dam Road and Gann Road, just south of New Hogan Lake. The area where the fire is burning is largely rural, located about 30 miles west of the town of Murphys. The fire burned 310 acres by 8 p.m. and then exploded to 1,800 acres by 11:30 p.m. The cause is under investigation.

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Mandatory evacuations are in effect. A map of the latest evacuation orders can be found via Genasys. An evacuation center is open at the Jenny Lind Community Center on 189 Pine Street in Valley Springs.

Night-flying helicopters were deployed to do drops overnight, when the weather is cooler and drops are more effective. A “significant amount of resources” were being sent to the area to fight the blaze, Cal Fire said. Late Monday, the fire was “actively burning toward the 2020 Walker Fire burn scar,” Cal Fire said. That fire burned around 1,400 acres.

Overnight, the Gann Fire grew to 2,100 acres. “There’s still a moderate rate of spread and 0% containment however, additional resources are still responding to the area for dayshift,” Cal Fire said Tuesday morning. Hot temperatures are expected again Tuesday, with highs near 99 degrees. Winds are expected to be calmer, though, with west-southwest winds of 6 mph in the afternoon. Aerial firefighting resources were back in the sky early Tuesday morning. 

Complicating matters Monday, KCRA news crews saw a pickup truck crash into a parked fire engine that was fighting the blaze. California Highway Patrol officers had to clear the crash so fire engines could continue to get through the area. 

You can monitor the fire on live cameras from AlertCalifornia.