Aero Fire Contained A Day Earlier Than Anticipated

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Copperopolis, CA – The Aero Fire that forced hundreds of Copperopolis residents from their homes has been contained one day earlier than estimated by CAL Fire.

State fire officials had called for the full containment of the blaze by Friday, June 28th, as on Wednesday (6/26) the containment had reached 98%. The fire burned 5,284 acres along Rock Creek Road and Highway 4 north of Copperopolis. Three structures were destroyed, and one was damaged. At the height of the fire, over 3,600 structures were threatened by the flames; residents closest to the fire were forced to evacuate their homes for five days; and over 6,000 PG&E customers were without power in the area. Tuolumne County residents along O’Brynes Ferry Road were also put on evacuation warnings. A section of Highway 4 was closed for two days, and other roadways in the area remained closed for over a week. Luckily, there were no fatalities.

As reported here, the fire started around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, June 17th. The flames quickly spread, and by the first night, 1,525 acres had burned. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, per CAL Fire.