Tuttletown, CA—The Tuolumne County Fire Department and CAL FIRE TCU have released a recap of the Tuttle Fire and warned the public about how one spark can ignite a wildfire.
As reported here on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the Tuttle Fire ignited around 1:15 p.m. in the 20600 block of Tuttletown Road off Highway 49 in the Tuttletown area. The flames spread to a nearby home while threatening others, prompting evacuations. TCFD gave a wrap-up of the blaze, noting that first on the scene was CAL FIRE TCU Baseline 4, who happened to be working in the area. They arrived to find a half-acre vegetation fire burning at a moderate rate of spread in the grass and brush, with multiple structures threatened.
“The fire was extinguished quickly due to the close proximity of Columbia Air Attack Base, aggressive firefighting by ground resources, and evacuations taking place by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office,” state TCFD officials.
Within about 20 minutes of the crews’ arrival, the flames’ forward spread was stopped at an estimated two acres in size, and the house fire was knocked down shortly after that. Crews remained at the scene, extinguishing hot spots and strengthening containment lines for hours while assisting homeowners with retardant removal. Assisting resources included CAL FIRE TCU, Twain Harte Fire, Tuolumne Rancheria Fire, and Mi-Wuk Fire, which were thanked for providing water tenders and a hand crew.
CAL FIRE reported the cause was under investigation, while TCFD officials did not reveal the cause but added this warning: “Please remember to exercise extreme caution when operating vehicles near dry grass. With fire season in full swing, low fuel moistures, and elevated temperatures, this combination continues to make our county vulnerable to ignitions.”
CAL FIRE added these tips:
- A mower blade hitting a rock, a tow chain dragging on pavement, or a hot vehicle parked in dry grass can all spark a wildfire. With summer heat drying out grass and other flashy fuels, one preventable accident is all it takes.
- Use a weed eater with a plastic blade to cut weeds, brush, and grass.
- Do yard work before 10 a.m. in the morning or in the evening when the temperatures drop.
Both remind the public that all residential burning has been suspended for all elevations since June 15th, 2026, until precipitation returns at the end of the fire season.
They advise, “About 95% of wildfires in California are human-caused. Help prevent the next one.”
