2 Houses Burned, 300 Evacuated as Mother Lode Area Fire Chars 400 Acres

A wildfire that burned two homes near this Mother Lode town grew quickly to 400 acres Tuesday, causing evacuation of 200 to 300 homes in an area of four square miles.

Afternoon temperatures were near 100 degrees, and the fire spread fast and jumped forward--or spotted--with the wind.

But about 350 firefighters, eight aerial tankers and a helicopter appeared to be making progress against it as the day ended. They worked in a holding pattern to try to protect the small acreage ranches, cabins and plush homes in the region as the blaze turned the night sky into a bright orange glow.

“We’re really slowing the fire down,” state Department of Forestry fire boss Bob Monsen said shortly before dusk. “The problem is islands of vegetation burning out near homes.”

Three firefighters were treated for minor injuries. Centers to receive the evacuees were set up here and in Railroad Flat.

Monsen said, “We’re trying to keep the fire out of the Mokelumne River drainage. If it gets down there, we really have a mess.”

He said that from the canyon, the fire could move down hill toward Mokelumne Hill or up hill toward Glencoe.

Monsen said California 26 and 49 were closed because of the fire.

Department of Forestry spokeswoman Annette Shimer said the blaze was burning in rolling Calaveras County terrain covered by grass, brush and trees.