Calaveras Supervisors Hear About Gann Fire Response

Published Aug 11, 2026 11:54 am

CAL Fire's Kevin Bohall speaks to the Calaveras Supervisors.

San Andreas, CA — The board of supervisors in Calaveras County ratified an Emergency Declaration related to the 10,300-acre Gann Fire near Valley Springs.

The fire ignited on Monday, August 3, and there is 90% containment as of today.

Calaveras Sheriff Rachelle Whiting, who serves as the Office of Emergency Services Director, praised the local collaboration among various agencies. She signed an Emergency Declaration on Tuesday, August 4, shortly after the fire started intensifying near more populated areas, spreading on the north and south flanks, and moving into the Circle 20 subdivision.

She told the supervisors today, “Not only was this (singing declaration) to notify the governor about our situation and ask for additional resources, but this act unlocks extraordinary legal powers, waives some bureaucratic rules, and opens the door to vital state and federal disaster assistance.”

Kevin Bohall of CAL Fire was the Incident Commander during some of the early stages, when the fire really started to take off and create challenges.

He told the board that the dry fuel conditions were in the top three percent of what has been witnessed over a 20-year period, which he stressed was “obviously going to be conducive to fire growth.”

In addition to the unfavorable conditions, it was a remote area with difficult terrain.

He added, “The Bear Mountain range, specifically, is one of the remote areas in Calaveras County due to the fact that it is unimproved, it is an area with a lot of rangeland, and historically doesn’t have a lot of fire history.”

Bohall stated that firefighters made an aggressive attack early, but they didn’t get the normal “humidity recovery overnight” (which traditionally helps with fire suppression)

He says, “As the fire grew throughout the days, we worked with local landowners, the local agencies, and we made the best suppression effort that we could that was going to mitigate the incident the quickest, and not put values at risk (life and properties) when we didn’t have to. Obviously, some of those values at risk were impacted. There were some tragic losses, but we tried to minimize it.”

Bohall praised the collaboration with the sheriff’s office and various other agencies. Calaveras Consolidated Fire and Copperopolis Fire were also involved with the decision-making/strategizing.

The emergency declaration was ratified, 5-0.

Sheriff Whiting added that the fire caused at least $7.1 million in damages to homes and other structures. The sheriff’s office alone has an extra $199,000 in unanticipated overtime expenses/fuel costs.

The full declaration is below: 

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF CALAVERAS STATE OF CALIFORNIA August 11, 2026 Resolution  No. (ID # 9334) A RESOLUTION RATIFYING THE SHERIFF’S DECLARATION OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE AUGUST 2026 GANN FIRE IN CALAVERAS COUNTY

WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 8630 and Calaveras County Code Chapter 2.72 empower the County’s Director of Emergency Services to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency as defined by California Government Code Section 8558 when the Board of Supervisors is not in session; and

WHEREAS, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors was not in session and could not immediately be called into session; and

WHEREAS, the August 4, 2026 Proclamation of Local Emergency by Sheriff Rachelle Whiting, the Calaveras County Director of Emergency Services pursuant to County ordinance and the Board-adopted Calaveras County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan, may be ratified, and as necessary reaffirmed, by the Board of Supervisors pursuant to applicable laws; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Whiting found that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property arose within Calaveras County, caused by the Gann Fire which began on or around the 3rd day of August 2026, and such impact and damages exceed available County resources; and

WHEREAS, the wildfire event impacted County infrastructure and services, and the power grid, and required the provision of additional public safety and emergency services throughout the County; and

WHEREAS, the Sheriff found that these emergency conditions are beyond the immediate control of local resources, services, personnel, equipment, and facilities.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED that the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors ratifies the August 4, 2026 proclamation by Sheriff Rachelle Whiting, County Director of Emergency Services, and declares that a local emergency now exists in Calaveras County pursuant to Government Code Section 8630 and other applicable laws; and the County of Calaveras requests all available response and recovery assistance from the State of California and its agencies as deemed appropriate by the Governor of California, including funding under the California Disaster Assistance Act and Federal Stafford Act; and

IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that during the existence of said local emergency the powers, functions, and duties of the Sheriff, acting as the Director of Emergency Services, and the emergency organization of the County shall be those prescribed by State law, and by ordinance and resolutions of this County approved by the Board of Supervisors, and by the Calaveras County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan, as approved by the Board of Supervisors; and

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a copy of this declaration be forwarded to the Governor of California with the request that he proclaim the County of Calaveras to be in a state of emergency; and Packet Pg. 156719 IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that Sheriff Whiting is hereby designated as the authorized representative of the County of Calaveras for the purpose of receipt, processing, and coordination of all inquiries and requirements necessary to obtain available state and federal assistance; and  IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Calaveras County Sheriff, and any other law enforcement personnel providing mutual aid, be authorized to evacuate all persons through evacuation warnings and orders as prescribed by law to protect life.