Firefighter sustains injury in road accident during efforts to control wildfires ignited by lightning strikes in Northern California.

In the heart of Northern California, a series of wildfires collectively known as the TCU Lightning Complex Fire have been causing destruction and chaos over the past few days. The fires, which began on Tuesday night due to over 17,000 dry lightning strikes, have been burning through Calaveras, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties.

One of the most devastating fires within the complex is the 6-5 Fire, which has ravaged the historic gold rush town of Chinese Camp. Founded by Chinese miners in the 1850s, the town has been reduced to ashes, with the fire burning 6,984 acres as of Thursday and remaining 0% contained. The 6-5 Fire has also destroyed or damaged structures throughout the town, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.

At least 11 areas threatened by the 6-5 Fire are currently under mandatory evacuation orders, including the entire town of Chinese Camp, which has a population of less than 100 people.

Another significant fire within the TCU Lightning Complex is the Blue Fire, located in Siskiyou County, near the Oregon border. The Blue Fire, started by lightning on Aug. 26 in the Klamath National Forest, has burned 2,055 acres as of Thursday and remains 0% contained.

The TCU Lightning Complex Fire has also taken a toll on the brave men and women fighting the blaze. On Thursday, a firefighter was injured when a fire engine overturned along a road in the fire zone. The condition of the injured firefighter was not immediately disclosed.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) is responsible for coordinating the response to the TCU Lightning Complex Fire across the three Northern California counties. The fires have prompted evacuations in Calaveras, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus counties, and as of Thursday, the fires combined had destroyed multiple structures.

One of the smaller fires within the complex is the 2-8 Fire, which has burned 1,333 acres in Calaveras County. The 2-8 Fire had 15% containment as of Wednesday, due to the efforts of multiple air tankers, helicopters, and fire crews on the ground.

Resident Randall Hoffman described the devastation to Chinese Camp as "Armageddon" and estimated that 95% of the town was lost.

The TCU Lightning Complex Fire was 15% contained on Wednesday night, but there were individual fires within the complex that remain 0% contained. Mandatory evacuation orders remain in place for the Blue Fire.

As the fires continue to rage, the community and the firefighters fighting them remain in our thoughts. We will update this story as more information becomes available.