Gann Fire, Valley Springs, California

True view Fire view

⟷

True view (left): as the eye sees it.
Fire view (right): infrared (SWIR), sees through smoke and brings out the heat.

🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 brown = already burned
🟠 orange = fire right now

Drag to compare: normal photo on the left, heat brought out on the right.

Green: vegetationBrown: already burnedOrange: fire right nowSentinel-2 · Copernicus

Key facts

Source: NIFC

Location6 miles southeast of Valley Springs, CA

What's burningTall Grass (2.5 feet)

How it's behavingMinimal, Long-range SpottingSmoldering — Burning without flame, in the ground or in roots. Can flare up days later.

ComplexityType 1 IncidentOfficial scale from 5 to 1: a Type 1 is the most complex in the country.

JurisdictionSan Andreas Fire Protection District, City of Angels Camp, Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District, Mountain Counties EMSA, PG&E, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Cal OES, Copperopolis Fire Protection District, California Valley Miwok Tribe, Calaveras Band of Miwuk Indians, CHP, CalTrans. · Private land

Cost so far$37.4 million

Glossary: what each term means

Minimal

Barely moving. Low, thin smoke.

Smoldering

Burning without flame, in the ground or in roots. Can flare up days later.

Creeping

Moves slowly, hugging the ground.

Moderate

Spreads with low, steady flames.

Active

Spreading evenly and steadily, with visible flame.

Extreme

Fast and unpredictable.

Running

Runs along the ground much faster than a person walks.

Flanking

Grows along the sides, not head-on.

Backing

Moves against the wind or downhill, which makes it slower.

Crowning

Climbs into the treetops and jumps crown to crown. It can't be attacked from the ground.

Short Crown Runs

Climbs into the crowns in bursts and drops back down.

Torching

Whole trees flaring up like torches.

Isolated Torching

Single scattered trees flaring up whole, like torches.

Group Torching

Whole clumps of trees flaring at once.

Spotting

Wind carries embers through the air and starts new fires ahead of the front: that is how a fire jumps a road or a firebreak.

Wind Driven Runs

The wind pushes it in long runs in one direction.

The ones marked ● are the behaviors that make a fire harder to stop. They are not a warning or an instruction: they are the description written by the agency in charge. For decisions, always follow your emergency services.

The story so far

Burning across Calaveras County in California, the Gann Fire near Valley Springs consumed 10,339 acres over a 79-day span after starting on August 4, 2026, averaging an approximate daily growth of 131 acres per day. The incident has now ended, with suppression efforts reaching 100 percent containment. During its progression through tall grass measuring 2.5 feet on private land, the fire exhibited minimal, smoldering, and long-range spotting behavior.

A massive interagency response involving 689 personnel managed the Type 1 Incident. Participating organizations included the San Andreas Fire Protection District, City of Angels Camp, Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District, Mountain Counties EMSA, PG&E, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Cal OES, Copperopolis Fire Protection District, California Valley Miwok Tribe, Calaveras Band of Miwuk Indians, CHP, and CalTrans. The total cost to suppress the fire reached about $37.4 million, specifically amounting to 37,402,244 USD.

This fire occurred within the region's typical fire season, which runs from June to October. Across the country, a broader context of 3,430,104 hectares burned so far in 2026, marking a figure that is 37% below the two-decade average.