By admin 
Fire season across Northern California is shifting into another gear as the Gann Fire burns 35 miles east of Stockton and smoke from wildfires in Oregon and Washington will continues to drift into the region.
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As of late Wednesday morning, the Gann Fire in Calaveras County has grown to just over 9,000 acres — nearly doubling in size over 24 hours. It is thriving in a dry environment with no recent fires, so it has plenty of unburned fuel to stay hot amid 100-degree temperatures through this week.
The fire is 10% contained, with evacuation orders issued for rural areas in near San Andreas, Copperopolis and Rancho Calaveras.
Wildfires in Oregon and Washington are raging across the Pacific Northwest. Some of that smoke has now moved south towards California, with most of it arriving via the Pacific Ocean. For Sacramento and the Central Valley, that smoke will be carried by the Delta breeze each evening and during the overnight hours.
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The smoke will not severely impact air quality as there is not very much of it. Places like Sacramento, Modesto and Fresno should continue to see air quality index values between the “good” and “moderate” stages — resulting in occasionally hazy skies around sunrise and sunset.
That will not be the same pattern for the Sierra. Due to the growing Gann Fire, much of the Sierra foothills will experience unhealthy AQI values over the coming days. Values between 100 and 200 are likely for places in Tuolumne, Mariposa and Calaveras counties, meaning that the air will be unhealthy for the week ahead — especially for those with asthma or other conditions who are more sensitive to dips in air quality.
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This story was originally published August 5, 2026 at 11:45 AM.