Family relieved to find home still standing after Gann Fire in Calaveras County
By Esteban Reynoso
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CALAVERAS COUNTY, Calif. (KCRA) — A Calaveras County family received confirmation that their home survived the Gann Fire after reaching out to the KCRA 3 newsroom for help.
Mark Lytal called the newsroom to ask for assistance in checking on his aunt and cousin’s home, which is located in the evacuation zone.
“They can’t relax. They’re stressed,” Lytal said.
He explained how quickly the fire spread, leaving his family little time to react.
“My cousin and his mom were right about where it started, and it moved so fast, they didn’t have time. They thought, let’s wait it out, wait it out. But there was no chance,” he said.
The family grew increasingly worried after seeing homes and buildings destroyed by the flames.
“You wanna think positive because it may be there. The thing is, if not, you can’t do anything about it. The stress you’re already in, the stress my aunt and cousin are already in, it’s not gonna help them. So they could use some positive encouragement,” Lytal said.
The Gann fire remains active, with Cal Fire using 16 bulldozers to fight the flames.
The KCRA 3 news team visited the property to check on its condition and shared the update with Lytal.
“Just made my day, and everyone else’s day. Awesome!” Lytal said.
The family was relieved to learn that the home, built by Lytal’s uncle 50 years ago, was still intact.
“My uncle built that by hand. Years ago, 50 years ago. So that house means something to me,” Lytal said.
However, the family is still searching for their cat, which they let out during the fire in hopes it would find safety. A KCRA 3 news team looked around the property but did not find the cat. They left fresh water in case it returns.
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