Gann Fire tops 9,000 acres in Calaveras

CAL FIRE said Wednesday the Gann Fire in Calaveras County had grown to 9,363 acres and was 10% contained by late morning as crews fought the blaze near Valley Springs. The fire started at 5:27 p.m. on Monday near Hogan Dam Road and Gann Road, according to the agency. Evacuation orders and warnings remained in effect across a broad area near New Hogan Lake, and local schools closed for the day because of smoke and air quality concerns. Governor Gavin Newsom also secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help suppress the fire, CAL FIRE said. ### How big was the fire by Wednesday? CAL FIRE listed the Gann Fire at 9,363 acres and 10% containment in an 11:18 a.m. update on Wednesday. The agency said the incident was under unified command with the CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit and the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office. myMotherLode reported later Wednesday that the blaze’s acreage had surged to more than 9,000 acres as officials continued assessments. (fire.ca.gov) Earlier Wednesday coverage from CBS Sacramento put the fire at 7,052 acres with 10% containment, showing how quickly the footprint expanded over the course of the day. ### Which areas were under evacuation orders? CAL FIRE said evacuation orders were in effect Wednesday for zones CCU-109, CCU-110-A, CCU-130-B, CCU-139, CCU-140 and CCU-147. (fire.ca.gov) Evacuation warnings were issued for zones CCU-110-B, CCU-111, CCU-131, CCU-148 and CCU-153. A 3:09 p.m. update split zone CCU-110, leaving CCU-110-A under an evacuation order and reducing CCU-110-B to a warning, according to CAL FIRE. (mymotherlode.com) The agency said the Valley Springs Veterans Memorial at 189 Pine Street was open as an evacuation shelter for residents and small pets, while the Calaveras County Fairgrounds in Angels Camp was taking large animals. ### Why were schools closed? (fire.ca.gov) CBS Sacramento reported that all Calaveras Unified School District campuses were closed Wednesday because smoke from the Gann Fire was affecting communities across the county. District officials said they made the decision after monitoring changing winds, wildfire smoke and air quality through Tuesday. (fire.ca.gov) The district said it would evaluate conditions daily before deciding on school operations for the rest of the week, CBS Sacramento reported. KCRA also reported Wednesday that school closures were in place as smoke affected nearby air quality and evacuations remained in effect. ### What were firefighters doing to slow the spread? (cbsnews.com) CAL FIRE said a firing operation began Tuesday night and was expected to continue Wednesday. The agency described that as a tactic to remove unburned fuel to help contain the fire and warned that additional smoke could be visible during the operation. The same incident page said direct line construction would be the focus of Wednesday’s firefighting efforts. (cbsnews.com) CBS Sacramento reported that night-flying helicopters supported crews overnight after firing operations along the western edge of the blaze. ### Where did the fire start and what happens next? The fire began Monday evening near Hogan Dam Road and Gann Road southeast of New Hogan Lake, according to CAL FIRE and CBS Sacramento. (fire.ca.gov) CAL FIRE said the cause remained under investigation as of Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday’s official updates remained posted on CAL FIRE’s incident page and through Calaveras County evacuation channels, which listed active zones, shelter locations and animal evacuation details. (fire.ca.gov) Calaveras Unified School District said it would reassess conditions before announcing whether campuses would reopen on Thursday.