2023 CAL Fire Year In Review And Tuolumne County December Fire Calls

Sonora, CA – CAL Fire releases its 2023 year in review, and Tuolumne County Fire Department (TCFD) has a breakdown of its emergency responses in December.

Last year, CAL Fire law enforcement officers investigated suspicious fires, leading to 111 arson arrests. That is a 51-incident drop from 2022, which had the highest number of arrests at 162 dating back to 2016, as can be seen in the chart.

“Given that most wildfires in California stem from human activities, these arrests play a crucial role in mitigating the risk of large-scale, human-induced wildfires in the state,” according to CAL Fire officials.

The public is urged to report suspicious fires by contacting the Arson Hotline at 800-468-4408.

Another chart provided by Cal Fire breaks down the total number of responses, including wildland fires, medical aids, rescues, and hazardous material spills, for each month last year. In December, crews answered a total of 51,323 calls, bringing the annual total to nearly 595,000 responses throughout the year. The month with the most calls was July, with 53,611.

TCFD also put out its December call totals, showing 815 incidents during the month, with medical aids the highest, making up 560 of the responses, and vegetation fires the least, with just 11 incidents. The Jamestown station took on the most calls at 170, with the Pinecrest station handling just 5.

Significant events during the month included a structure fire on Merrell Road in the Groveland area, where a two-story home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Crews were able to keep the flames from spreading to nearby vehicles and vegetation.

Another incident involved a three-vehicle crash on the Highway 108 Bypass near the Hess Avenue exit. The CHP was forced to shut down that section of the roadway for about 45 minutes due to the wreckage and debris that were blocking the entire highway, as earlier reported here. Two people were injured in the collision.

Click here to review TCFD’s December stats.