Wildfire forces evacuations in Yosemite gateway town

Key Points:

• The Dove Fire near Sonora in Tuolumne County rapidly grew to 166 acres by mid-afternoon Sunday, prompting mandatory evacuations in multiple neighborhoods and evacuation warnings for downtown Sonora.
• Over 225 Cal Fire personnel, including air tankers, a helicopter, engines, and bulldozers, were deployed to contain the fire, which was later reported to be spreading at a moderate rate and holding within containment lines.
• The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office established evacuation centers for residents and animal shelters for pets and large animals, while multiple road closures were implemented to aid emergency response efforts.
• Weather conditions included temperatures in the low 90s with gusty winds up to 20 mph, which were expected to continue until sunset before cooling overnight, raising concerns about fire behavior.
• The cause of the fire remains unknown, and it comes less than a year after a significant lightning-caused fire affected nearby Chinese Camp, another gateway community to Yosemite.