"Megablaze" devastates Chinese Camp, CA [View all]

Last edited Wed Sep 3, 2025, 06:21 PM - Edit history (1)

CHINESE CAMP (Tuolumne County) — The storm that charged up the middle of California on Tuesday unleashed wave after wave of lightning strikes on the state’s Gold Country foothills, leaving behind at least 22 wildfires that raced through more than 12,400 acres prompting evacuations and devastating the historic Tuolumne County town of Chinese Camp.

The several blazes, treated as a single, large wildfire called the TCU September Lightning Complex, ignited in multiple locations across Calaveras and Tuolumne counties Tuesday, with 0% containment as of Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire.

The monsoon-fueled storm unleashed more than 10,000 lightning bolts across the sky — the equivalent of 3 trillion volts of electricity — from Santa Barbara to Sacramento, with little to no rainfall. The Central Valley foothills bore the brunt with more than 6,200 strikes hitting the ground. The dry lightning came in waves over several hours, each interval offering a display of bright bolts and booms nearly nonstop.

SNIP

The first fires were detected shortly before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, with smoke visible on weather radar above Chinese Camp not long after that.

Link (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/tcu-september-lightning-complex-chinese-camp-21028551.php

Check out China Camp on Google Maps. Lot of overgrown brush and trees and some failing, dry-rotted structures. I'm sorry for folks who lost their homes and businesses, but "fire-wise" recommendations are there for a reason. I was forced to spend over $6000.00 last year on order of the insurance company. Basically, they said to "cut down the overgrowth or we won't renew you."

I try to fill my yard waste bin every week with dead leaves and grasses and trimmings from trees and bushes. Pain in the butt, though I sleep better at night.