Gann Fire evacuees recount fleeing from homes as fast-moving flames grow in Northern California

A towering plume of smoke stretched across the sky Tuesday as the fast-moving Gann Fire forced residents from their homes near Valley Springs in Calaveras County.

For Mary Anne and Glenn Meeks, the fire's rapid growth left little time to prepare.

"This big flare came up, and by then I didn't know what to pack," Mary Anne Meeks said.

The couple spent the night at an evacuation center in Valley Springs after flames moved to within a few miles of their home.

Glenn Meeks said he first realized the fire was nearby when he heard California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) aircraft overhead.

"We heard the Cal Fire planes, and we know that sound," he said. "So I walked out onto our deck, and I looked, and the smoke plume was like right there."

As the fire grew, large pieces of ash fell around their property.

"We had tons of big, huge ashes last night falling all over our cars and all over our decks," Mary Anne Meeks said.

The Gann Fire began Monday evening near Hogan Dam Road and Gann Road, on the southeast side of New Hogan Lake. Cal Fire said the wildfire grew rapidly, prompting evacuation orders and warnings in areas near New Hogan Lake.

By Tuesday evening, the Gann Fire had grown to more than 6,400 acres with no containment reported. The cause remains under investigation.

The Meeks said they had a wildfire evacuation plan, but putting it into action was more difficult than expected.

"Twenty years, you kind of get lackadaisical. You're like, 'Ah, it's not going to happen,' " Glenn Meeks said. "Then all of a sudden it happens, and you're in panic."

The couple has four cats. As they rushed to leave, they could find only three.

"One was hiding, so we had to leave her," Glenn Meeks said.

They packed what they could, including pet food and supplies from their refrigerator and freezer, before heading to the veterans hall in Valley Springs, which has been operating as an evacuation shelter.

Bruce Olson, chairman of the Jenny Lind Veterans Memorial, said residents and local organizations quickly stepped up to help evacuees by donating food and water."You're just hoping for the best for everyone involved," Olson said.

"When a situation like this comes up, they pull together and try to help their neighbor, help out the community," he said. "That small-town feeling brings out the best in people."

As firefighters worked to slow the fire's spread, Glenn Meeks urged residents to take evacuation orders seriously.

"You need to really pay attention to these evacuations," he said. "Don't shrug them off because it could be the difference between you surviving and not surviving."

The Calaveras Unified School District announced schools would close Wednesday because of changing winds and concerns about air quality.