Gann Fire (Calaveras County): Evacuation Zones, Shelters, and What to Do Now

Gann Fire (Calaveras County): Evacuation Zones, Shelters, and What to Do Now

Last verified against CAL FIRE incident reports on August 6, 2026 (CAL FIRE update of Aug 5, 10:13 PM PT). Fire conditions change hour to hour — always confirm with the official sources linked below before acting.

The Gann Fire started in the late afternoon of August 3, 2026 (around 5:30 PM) near Hogan Dam Road and Gann Road in Valley Springs, Calaveras County, California. As of the latest CAL FIRE incident update it has burned 10,373 acres and is 19% contained. CAL FIRE has determined the cause as equipment use, and an arrest was made on charges related to recklessly causing a fire. Seven structures (homes and commercial buildings) have been destroyed and one firefighter injured. The fire is being managed under a unified command of the CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit and the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office, with roughly 1,600 personnel, 50 engines, 16 dozers, 16 hand crews, and air tankers assigned. On August 4, Governor Newsom announced federal assistance (a Fire Management Assistance Grant) to support the response.

Gann Fire Information Line: (209) 754-5527

Official sources — check these first

• CAL FIRE incident page: fire.ca.gov Gann Fire — acreage, containment, evacuation zones, and official status reports.
• Your evacuation zone: look up your address now at protect.genasys.com (Genasys Protect — the zone system Calaveras County uses; the CCU-### zones below come from it) or via the county's Know Your Zone page.
• Calaveras County Sheriff's Office: sheriff.calaverasgov.us — current evacuation orders and warnings, and where to sign up for county emergency alerts.
• Road closures: Caltrans QuickMap for state highways; local closures are posted by the Sheriff.
• CAL FIRE TCU on social media: Facebook and X/Twitter.

Evacuation orders and warnings (as of Aug 6)

An evacuation ORDER means immediate threat to life: leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access. An evacuation WARNING means be ready to leave at a moment's notice — leave early if you have children, elderly family members, medical needs, or large animals.

• Orders (leave now): zones CCU-109, CCU-110-A, CCU-130-B, CCU-139, CCU-140, CCU-147
• Warnings (be ready): zones CCU-110-B, CCU-111, CCU-131, CCU-148, CCU-153

Zones change — the list above is a snapshot, not a substitute for the live map. Plan two ways out of your neighborhood tonight, in different directions; foothill roads close fast and the obvious route may be the one that's blocked.

Shelters

• People: Jenny Lind Veterans Memorial District Hall, 189 Pine Street, Valley Springs, CA 95252 (Red Cross-operated — water, meals, and support) — small pets accepted.
• Large animals: Calaveras County Fairgrounds, 2465 Gun Club Road, Angels Camp, CA 95222.
• Ranchers needing access to livestock behind closure lines: see the Sheriff's Ranch Pass program.

If you are under an evacuation order

1. Leave immediately. Do not wait to see flames — most wildfire deaths happen to people who delayed, and do not stay to defend your home with a garden hose.
2. Take the 6 P's: People and pets; Papers (IDs, deeds, insurance policies); Prescriptions (meds, glasses, hearing aids); Pictures and irreplaceables; Personal computers/phones and chargers; Plastic (cards) and cash.
3. If time permits: close all windows and doors (leave them unlocked for firefighters), shut off gas at the meter, leave lights on so crews can see the house through smoke, and move flammable furniture away from windows.
4. Drive with headlights on, windows up, vents on recirculate. Follow posted routes — do not trust GPS shortcuts through closed roads.
5. Text, don't call: networks jam. Designate one out-of-area contact for the whole family to check in with.

If you become trapped: call 911 and say exactly where you are. In a vehicle, park in the largest cleared area you can find (parking lot, plowed field, wide gravel area), away from vegetation; close windows and vents, get below window level under a blanket, and stay in the car — it protects you from radiant heat far better than being on foot. On foot, get to any large area with nothing to burn (ballfield, rock outcrop, the "black" that has already burned) and lie face-down in a low spot.

If you are under a warning (or nearby)

• Pack the car now and park it facing out. Keep the fuel tank at least half full — gas stations lose power too.
• Sign up for Calaveras County emergency alerts via the Sheriff's office, and keep a battery radio for when cell service drops.
• Locate pets' carriers and halter/trailer large animals early — animal evacuation takes far longer than you think. If you must leave animals, never leave them tied or crated.
• Photograph or video every room of your home now, including closets, garage, and outbuildings. This 10-minute walkthrough is the single most valuable thing you can do for a future insurance claim.
• If anyone in your household depends on powered medical equipment or refrigerated medication, don't wait for an order — relocate on the warning. Tell the shelter staff on arrival; shelters can accommodate medical needs but need to know.

Power outages and generators

Fire areas lose power without notice, from burned lines or utility safety shutoffs.

• Check your utility's outage map, and charge everything (phones, power banks, medical devices) while you have power.
• Never run a generator, camp stove, or charcoal indoors or in a garage — carbon monoxide kills quietly. Generators go outside, at least 20 feet from windows.
• A car and an inverter can keep phones and a CPAP going overnight; run the engine outdoors only.
• Keep fridge/freezer doors shut. After an outage, discard perishables above 40°F for 2+ hours — when in doubt, throw it out.

Smoke: protect your lungs

Smoke from the Gann Fire affects a much wider area than the flames. Check current air quality at AirNow.gov or the Fire & Smoke Map.

• Cloth and surgical masks do not filter wildfire smoke. Use a snug-fitting N95 or P100 respirator.
• Keep indoor air clean: close windows, run AC on recirculate, use a HEPA purifier or a DIY box-fan filter.
• Children, pregnant people, seniors, and anyone with heart or lung conditions should treat "Unhealthy" AQI as an evacuation trigger of its own.
• Chest pain or trouble breathing in smoke is a 911 call, not something to wait out.

The paperwork that pays later

• Do not clean up or discard damaged property before your insurer documents it.
• Notify your insurance company as soon as you evacuate — most homeowner and renter policies pay Additional Living Expenses (ALE) (hotels, meals, fuel, pet boarding) during a mandatory evacuation, even if your home is untouched. Keep every receipt from the moment you leave.
• California law gives wildfire victims specific protections after a declared disaster, including advance payments on ALE and contents without a full inventory. Questions or a dispute with your insurer? The California Department of Insurance consumer hotline is 1-800-927-4357 (insurance.ca.gov).
• If federal assistance is opened to individuals, register at DisasterAssistance.gov — insurance first, FEMA second (FEMA does not duplicate insurance payouts). Low-interest SBA disaster loans are often the largest source of federal rebuilding money, and you don't need to own a business to apply.
• Lost documents in the fire? IDs, deeds, and vital records can all be replaced — start with the DMV (ID/license), the county recorder (deeds), and CDPH vital records (birth/marriage certificates). Fees are commonly waived in declared disasters.

Watch out for the second disaster: scams

• Price gouging is illegal during a declared emergency in California — raising prices on hotels, gas, food, or building materials more than 10% can be reported to the Attorney General.
• After the fire, unlicensed "contractors" and door-to-door "public adjusters" swarm burn areas. Verify any contractor at cslb.ca.gov and never pay large sums up front (California caps contractor down payments at $1,000 or 10%, whichever is less).
• FEMA and CAL FIRE never charge for inspections or applications. Anyone asking for money "to process your claim" is a scammer.

Returning home — only when officially reopened

• Wait for the Sheriff to lift the order. Re-entering a closed zone is unlawful and dangerous.
• Watch for hazard trees, hot ash pits, smoldering stumps, and downed lines — treat every wire as live. Wear an N95, gloves, long sleeves, and sturdy boots; wildfire ash is toxic, especially where structures burned.
• Photograph all damage before touching anything, then file your claim and request a complete copy of your policy (not just the declarations page) in writing — insurers must provide it free.
• Discard any food exposed to heat, smoke, or a power outage, and follow any "do not drink / do not boil" water notices — melted plastic pipes can contaminate wells and mains with benzene. If you're on a private well in a burned area, have the water tested before drinking.
• Check propane tanks, and have the utility restore gas — don't relight it yourself.
• Burned hillsides shed water: the first big storms after a fire bring debris-flow risk below burn scars. If you live downslope, take winter storm warnings seriously for the next year or two.

Taking care of yourselves

Losing normal life to a fire — even temporarily — is genuinely hard. If you or your kids are struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call/text 988) and the Disaster Distress Helpline (1-800-985-5990) are free and 24/7. Check on elderly neighbors, and accept help when it's offered.

About the live alert panel on this page

The alert feed below shows recent official public-safety alerts, with alerts near the Gann Fire grouped first, refreshed automatically. It is a convenience layer — for evacuation decisions, rely on CAL FIRE and the Calaveras County Sheriff directly.