Northern California Gann Fire Burns 9,363 Acres; More Than 1,400 Under Evacuation Orders
The Gann Fire raging east of Stockton has reached 9,363 acres as of Wednesday afternoon.
The fire has forced evacuation for 1,473 residents, according to a press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. Another 1,400 are under evacuation warnings.
Fire crews have contained only 10% of the blaze, which ignited near Hogan Dam Road and Gann Road in Calaveras County on Monday evening.
Over 1,500 personnel are fighting the fire with helicopters, engines and dozers, according to Ricardo Coronado, a Cal Fire spokesperson. Coronado described the terrain as “steep and rugged,” surrounded by brush and woodlands, making it difficult to contain the fire.
“Aerial resources are very vital when it comes to responding to these fire incidents,” Coronado said.
Coronado said he believes more resources should be coming in from across the state as fire continues spreading northeast, with smoke settling near Valley Springs and Copperopolis in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
An evacuation shelter has been opened at Valley Springs Veterans Memorial. This shelter accepts small animals, with another animal shelter at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds.
Schools across the Calaveras Unified School District are closed Wednesday, according to the district’s Facebook page. This closure comes less than a week after schools opened for the 2026-27 school year.
“Based on current air quality conditions, the ongoing impacts of wildfire smoke, and the potential for conditions to change rapidly as winds shift, we believe closing all schools is the safest course of action,” wrote Kassie Meeks, Calaveras Unified School District superintendent.
On Tuesday, Newsom announced that California secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to mobilize additional resources for the fire.
That same day, California deployed personnel to support ongoing firefighting efforts in both Oregon and Washington.
The Fire Management Assistance Grant allows local, state and tribal agencies responding to major disasters to apply for a 75% reimbursement of fire suppression costs — including field camps, tools, equipment use and other supplies. According to the California Office of Emergency Services, this is California’s third grant in 2026.
Coronado said that there have not been any injuries reported and that a team has been ordered to go out and assess areas for potential building damage.
He also urged those impacted by the fire to continue checking the Calaveras County Sheriff’s social media accounts for the latest information.