In a recent government meeting, officials detailed the rapid response to a significant wildfire incident that prompted thousands of evacuations and the establishment of emergency shelters. CAL FIRE requested an incident management team around 5:10 PM, marking a critical point in the response efforts. By 5:35 PM, officials estimated that 5 to 10% of the evacuees would seek shelter, leading to the activation of additional resources from Tuolumne and San Joaquin Counties.

At 5:40 PM, a local state of emergency was declared to facilitate resource allocation and address the needs of residents potentially without power. By 5:42 PM, approximately 6,000 residents had evacuated from the affected zones. The meeting highlighted the urgency of the situation, with officials noting that the fire had reached dangerously close to Copper Elementary School.

As the situation escalated, requests for shelter activations from neighboring counties were received at 6:35 PM. The San Joaquin Fairgrounds was opened to accommodate an additional 50 residents, with gratitude expressed to local emergency services for their support. Throughout the evening, officials monitored the inflow of evacuees at various shelters, including Mark Twain Elementary and the Valley Springs Veterans Hall, which collectively housed around 100 individuals at their peak.

By 6:45 PM, the number of evacuated residents had surged to nearly 5,000, with over 38,100 residents and structures reported as threatened by the advancing fire. The meeting underscored the critical nature of the emergency response and the ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of affected communities.