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- Cal Fire reported the Gann Fire burned over 10,000 acres and destroyed seven structures.
- Fire crews reached 26% containment after strengthening lines and a firing operation.
- One firefighter has been injured in the process, Cal Fire said.
A person was found dead inside a burned home as the Gann Fire continued to tear through western Calaveras County, where the wildfire has burned more than 10,000 acres, destroyed at least seven structures and injured a firefighter, officials said Thursday.
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The body was found inside a burned residence in the 4600 block of Jaquima Drive, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities have not identified the person. A spokesperson for the Calaveras County Coroner’s Office said details would be released after the body is identified and next of kin have been notified. The Sheriff’s Office said it was investigating the cause of death and its relationship to the fire and could not immediately provide additional details.
Fox 40 reported that the victim was a 70-year-old woman, who did not evacuate from the area of the fire.
The death marked the first reported fatality from the wildfire, which had burned 10,372 acres and reached 26% containment Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire. Officials said at least seven structures have been destroyed, and one firefighter has been injured.
Containment of fire improved overnight
Despite what firefighters called challenging conditions, crews as of Thursday morning had reached 26% containment on the blaze, Cal Fire said.
After the fire sparked from a piece of equipment about 5:30 p.m. Monday, it quickly expanded to more than 6,000 acres within the first day, according to Cal Fire’s logs. The fire continued to grow and was mapped at 10,372 acres as of Wednesday afternoon.
Overnight, firefighters increased containment from 19% to 26% by strengthening control lines and conducting a firing operation, Cal Fire said. The agency said dry fuels and temperatures above 100 degrees continued to challenge the firefighting effort.
Sacramento Bee reporters on the scene saw evidence of properties burned by the fire. On Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the fundraising website GoFundMe provided links to pages raising money for two families who reported losing their homes in the flames.
The wildfire is the fifth-largest in California this year, according to Cal Fire data. Officials said 67 crews, more than 2,700 firefighters, 12 helicopters, 247 fire engines, 46 dozers and 25 water tenders were assigned to the fire.
Firefighters will also get help from FEMA after Gov. Gavin Newsom secured a federal grant Tuesday morning that his office said would support the firefighting effort by improving access to resources.
Evacuation orders and warnings still in place
The Gann Fire prompted evacuation orders and warnings throughout the area that remained in place Thursday morning, though many were removed or downgraded as of about 1 p.m.
Evacuation orders, which mean there is immediate danger and residents must leave, previously stretched toward multiple unincorporated communities in the western part of the county, but now only include zones that directly border the fire, including one that extends south near Carmen City.
Here are the evacuation order zones, as announced by the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office:
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- CCU-109
- CCU-130-B
- CCU-139
- CCU-147
Evacuation warnings, which mean there is potential danger and residents should prepare to leave, encompass Felix and Salt Spring Valley Reservoir to the south and head northeast toward the unincorporated community of San Andreas. The evacuation warning zones that nearly extended into the heart of Angels Camp were removed Thursday afternoon.
Here are the evacuation warning zones:
- CCU-110-A
- CCU-139
- CCU-147
An evacuation center has been established for residents and their pets at the Valley Springs Veterans Hall, 189 Pine St., in Valley Springs, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office. Avery Middle School, located at 4545 Moray Road in Avery is also open, though it is not equipped to handle pets, according to the sheriff’s office.
Livestock can be evacuated to the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, 2465 Gunclub Road, in Angels Camp, the sheriff’s office said.
If residents need help transporting livestock, the Sheriff’s Office said they can call 209-419-2000, which will connect them to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office assistance efforts.
The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office also said the following roads are fully closed:
- Pool Station Road at Riata Way
- Hogan Dam Road at Hunt Road
- Bear Creek Day Use Area at Hogan Dam Road
Arrest made in connection with fire
Cal Fire on Monday arrested a Valley Springs man in connection with the fire after investigators determined he recklessly caused the fire while operating equipment that could spark near vegetation, according to a Wednesday news release.
The man, Herbert Wayne Smith, 65, was booked on suspicion of unlawfully causing a fire that burned structures or forest land, according to jail logs.
Smith was later released after posting $20,000 bail Tuesday, according to a jail official.
Investigators alleged Smith operated the tool without clearing flammable vegetation around his work area and without having firefighting tools on hand, both of which are required by law.
In an interview Wednesday with KCRA 3 in Valley Springs, Smith expressed remorse, saying he did not intentionally start the blaze.
Smith told the station the fire started while he was using a saw to gather scraps to sell for money to pay for a birthday dinner with his wife.
“I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened,” Smith said, according to KCRA 3. “That was never my intent. I was just out there trying to get some money together, and it turned into this.”
Charges had not yet been filed in Calaveras Superior Court as of Thursday morning. Cal Fire said Wednesday that it had submitted the case to the Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office.
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This story was originally published August 6, 2026 at 10:59 AM.