Wildfire Forces Evacuations Near Sonora as Crews Fight to Contain Growing Blaze

Evacuations are underway outside Sonora as firefighters battle a wildfire that's growing fast. The Dove Fire sparked Sunday afternoon near Highway 108 and Mill Villa Road, and Cal Fire says it's already burned 223 acres in Tuolumne County. The fire is only 1% contained as of the time of writing.

Cal Fire ordered mandatory evacuations for several neighborhoods, including Dove Lane, McKibbon Drive, Golden Dove Lane, Crooked Lane, Southgate Road, Stockton Road, Silver Pine Lane, and the stretch of Washington Street from Lowe's to Hospital Road, along with the north side of Mono Way and The Silos area. Anyone in those areas is being told to leave immediately.

Evacuation warnings, meaning residents should be ready to leave and those needing extra time or with pets and livestock should go now, are in effect for nearby communities. That includes the stretch of South Washington Street to Barretta Street, Martha Lane, Outlook Drive, South Stewart Street, South Shepherd Street, South Beretta Street, the section of Washington Street from Highway 108 to the Red Church on Shell Street, and Beretta Street from Washington/Restano/Mono to Lyons Road.

People displaced by the fire have a few places to go. The Tuolumne CRC, at 18241 Bay Ave in Tuolumne, is set up as an evacuation shelter. For pets, there's a temporary animal shelter at Animal Control, 10040 Victoria Way in Jamestown. Large animals and livestock can be taken to the Posse Grounds at 19130 Rawhide Road, also in Jamestown.

Cal Fire says the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Crews were working through the night to slow its spread as residents continue to leave the area.

For real-time updates on containment and evacuation status, residents can check Cal Fire's incident page at fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/7/26/dove-fire.