Governor Newsom Proclaims Emergency Over 10,300-Acre Gann Fire

California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency for Calaveras County in response to the rapidly expanding Gann Fire. The wildfire, which ignited on August 3, 2026, just before 5:30 p.m. near Hogan Dam Road and Gann Road in Valley Springs, has scorched more than 10,300 acres. The emergency proclamation authorizes the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and state agencies to coordinate multi-agency response efforts, deploy critical emergency management support, suspend standard public contracting rules, and expedite resource access for containment and recovery operations. Prolonged hot temperatures and low humidity continue to drive extreme fire behavior and threaten vital transmission lines across Northern Calaveras County. The wildfire has forced the mandatory evacuation of 1,473 residents, with an additional 1,400 people placed under evacuation warnings. Evacuation shelters have been established at the Valley Springs Veterans Memorial and the Calaveras County Fairgrounds to accommodate displaced residents and animals. Schools across the Calaveras Unified School District remain closed due to heavy smoke and shifting air quality risks. Authorities confirmed that one fatality occurred after a body was discovered inside a burned home in Angels Camp, marking the state's first wildfire-related death of the year. The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, county coroner, and Cal Fire law enforcement are leading an active investigation into the death. Additionally, Cal Fire investigators arrested 65-year-old Herbert Wayne Smith of Valley Springs on suspicion of recklessly starting the fire. Investigators determined that spark-producing equipment was operated near dry vegetation without proper brush clearance or nearby firefighting tools, causing the