CHINESE CAMP, Calif. (KFSN) -- A wave of lightning strikes ignited dozens of wildfires across Tuolumne and Calaveras counties this week, leaving behind a trail of destruction in the historic town of Chinese Camp.

Once a bustling Gold Rush settlement founded in the 1850s by Chinese miners, Chinese Camp now lies in ruins-its centuries-old structures reduced to smoldering rubble, charred vehicles, and scorched earth.

A thick cloud of smoke continues to hang over the area, a haunting reminder of the town's sudden devastation.

"This is a lot of history that was lost," a CAL FIRE firefighter said. "It never gets easy coming up and seeing someone lose their home."

Randall Hoffman, a homeowner in the area, narrowly escaped the flames.

"I ended up coming home just in time to soak down in fron

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