Butte Fire Empties Sierra Towns, Leaving Door Open For Looters

MURPHYS (CBS13) — The town of Murphys is one of the most well-preserved historic gold-mining towns in the Sierra, but even with Monday's wetter weather, the streets remained empty as the Butte Fire raged nearby.

Locals say they've never seen Main Street so desolate.

"We rely on the tourism in this town," said clothing store owner Susan Sianni. "It's how we live."

Most of the stores and restaurants in the historic town are closed until the smoke finally clears.

There have been reports of looting throughout the area hit hard by the Butte Fire.

An Oakland man was recently arrested when after he was spotted climbing out of a broken window of an evacuated home in the town of San Andreas. Investigators say they found evidence he was in the process of stealing from the home and that the car he was driving was also reported stolen.

Very few stores reopened on Monday after several days of being forced to shut their doors, but to no customers.

"This is a big percentage of my business this time of year and without being open—just no income," Gianni said.

She gutted her store, Shirt Tales, in anticipation she may never see it again.

"I just couldn't sit home thinking if Main Street Murphys burns down and I did nothing to help myself and my customers and my store," she said.

The few who are around are evacuees who can't go home yet, or fire crews from out of town coming off 24-hour shifts fighting the fire on the front lines.