A wildfire is raging to the west of Yosemite National Park, and now, it has leveled parts of Chinese Camp, a historic gold-rush town. Founded in the 1850s by Chinese miners who traveled to California during the Gold Rush, the town still had original buildings standing, like the post office, until the fire ripped through this week.
Reports suggest the 170-year-old post-office building now has a collapsed roof and “significant fire damage” to the outside of the structure, according to local news station KSEE. The Red Cross has set up an evacuation center nearby to get residents of this small town out of harm’s way.
[RELATED: Grand Canyon National Park Shares Post-Fire Photos and Assessment]
The TCU September Lightning Complex fire is currently burning across three central-California counties: Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne. The fires started on the afternoon of September 2 after lightning struck. So far, the blaze has burned 13,790 acres and is 15% contained.
See photos of the devastation after a wildfire raged through a historic gold-rush town in California here:
For anyone traveling to Yosemite National Park, road closures due to the wildfire may complicate your trip. Check updates from Caltrans District 10 for the latest.
UPDATE: #calfiretcu2025septemberlightning Yosemite Junction remains closed, and State Route 120 is now closed between Chinese Camp and Jacksonville Road.
Use https://t.co/KHwTwDD4mo for the latest https://t.co/TOz3Lpmquz pic.twitter.com/DRzfgjErTt— Caltrans District 10 (@CaltransDist10) September 3, 2025
This situation is ongoing, and details may change.
Header stock image by Per Breiehagen/Getty Images