Quick-moving wildfire scorches historic California gold mining town, burning multiple homes

TUOLUMNE COUNTY Calif AP A quick-moving wildfire burned homes in a California Gold Rush town settled around by Chinese miners who were driven out of a nearby camp and the blaze grew without containment on Wednesday The fire rapidly expanded to square miles in size forcing the evacuation Tuesday of the Chinese Camp Town and surrounding highways according to CalFire the state s chief fire agency There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths A residents works to stop flames from a burning home from spreading to a neighboring house as the - Fire burns through the Chinese Camp society of Tuolumne County Calif on Tuesday Sept AP Photo Noah Berger A firefighter battles the - Fire burning through the Chinese Camp locality of Tuolumne County Calif on Tuesday Sept AP Photo Noah Berger Layne Smith left clears vegetation to stop flames from spreading to his home as the - Fire burns through the Chinese Camp society of Tuolumne County Calif on Tuesday Sept AP Photo Noah Berger Flames consume a garage as the - Fire burns through the Chinese Camp public of Tuolumne County Calif on Tuesday Sept AP Photo Noah Berger Residents work to stop flames from a burning home from spreading to a neighboring house as the - Fire burns through the Chinese Camp region of Tuolumne County Calif on Tuesday Sept AP Photo Noah Berger Show Caption of A residents works to stop flames from a burning home from spreading to a neighboring house as the - Fire burns through the Chinese Camp society of Tuolumne County Calif on Tuesday Sept AP Photo Noah Berger Expand It is one of several fires called the TCU September Lighting Complex which has burned more than square miles in multiple locations in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties as of early Wednesday with no containment At least five homes were burning in the rural town which has a mix of freestanding and mobile homes Related Articles Survivors of Maine mass shooting and casualties relatives sue US administration alleging negligence In the modern day in History September Treaty of Paris ends Revolutionary War Disney to pay million fine after FTC says it allowed details collection on kids Google avoids breakup in search monopoly matter but judge orders other changes in landmark ruling Firefighters question leaders role in Washington immigration raid Outside one house on Tuesday evening seven people hastily moved large tree branches away from the structure and shoveled sand onto the fire in a desperate attempt to keep the blaze from spreading from the house next door They worked for about minutes until firefighters arrived An RV on the property was damaged by the fire Fire administrators have requested additional support such as fire engines dozers and an aircraft The blaze known as the - Fire was caused by lightning according to CalFire It is one of more than a dozen blazes that erupted Tuesday across California according to CalFire Thousands of Chinese came to California during the Gold Rush and faced persecution that included an exorbitant Foreign Miners Tax designed to drive them away from mining Chinese Camp Town about miles east of Stockton was settled by Chinese miners after they were driven out of a nearby camp according to Visit Tuolumne County Originally called Camp Washington its name was soon changed to reflect the thousands of people from China who settled there