Lightning sparks Sierra wildfire complex, Chinese Camp evac

A fast-moving wildfire ignited by lightning scorched thousands of acres across the Sierra Nevada foothills on Tuesday, destroying homes and forcing evacuations in several small communities including the historic Gold Rush town of Chinese Camp and areas along Highway 4. The blazes were part of a multi-fire outbreak that officials said erupted after a barrage of lightning strikes swept the region earlier in the day.

Cal Fire identified the outbreak as the TCU September Lightning Complex, comprising multiple fires in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. Officials issued evacuation orders for parts of Vallecito, Douglas Flat, Murphys and Chinese Camp, and for a less populated area near Don Pedro Reservoir. County emergency maps and public warning systems listed evacuation zones and updates, officials said.

The largest and most destructive of the fires, known as the 65 Fire, was blamed on lightning and remained uncontained late Tuesday. Cal Fire initially reported the 65 Fire at about 2,955 acres, while other field estimates and news accounts placed its size near 6.25 square miles, roughly 4,000 acres. Reports on structures lost also varied; Cal Fire spokeswoman Emily Kilgore confirmed...