Buying a Home in Calaveras County, CA: the 2015 Butte Fire & Mining Disclosure

Between a confirmed mining-operation disclosure statute and the 2015 Butte Fire footprint, Calaveras County has two real hazard categories worth checking before you buy.

Calaveras County, anchored by San Andreas and Angels Camp, is another Mother Lode Gold Country county along Highway 49, with historic mining, growing wine tourism around Murphys, and direct, significant wildfire history from the September 2015 Butte Fire.

What’s the transfer tax in Calaveras County?

Calaveras County's documentary transfer tax is the standard statewide rate of $1.10 per $1,000 of consideration, with no city-level add-on.

Angels Camp — the county's only incorporated city — is a General Law city charging the standard $0.55 city-share rate on top of the $0.55 county rate, with no additional local surcharge, per the statewide rate survey effective December 1, 2025. Example: a $280,000 sale works out to $308 total transfer tax.

How much of Calaveras County did the 2015 Butte Fire affect?

The Butte Fire burned September 9 – October 1, 2015, across Amador and Calaveras counties, consuming 70,868 acres and destroying 921 structures (549 homes) with 2 fatalities — one of the more destructive wildfires in the Sierra foothills in the past decade.

If you're looking at forested or foothill property in Calaveras County, especially areas that fell within or near the Butte Fire's footprint, check current CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps and treat insurance availability as an early part of your due diligence.

Are abandoned mine workings a real disclosure concern here?

Angels Camp and San Andreas were significant Gold Rush towns, and Calaveras County maintains its own certified surface mining ordinance (Ordinance No. 2571, certified by the State Mining and Geology Board on 11/10/1999) governing reclamation of mining operations in the county.

Separately, California Civil Code §1103.4 (as amended by SB 110, effective January 1, 2012) requires a seller's Natural Hazard Disclosure package to include a "Notice of Mining Operation" if the property lies within one mile of an active mining operation reporting to the state's Office of Mine Reclamation under Public Resources Code §2207. This covers active, reporting operations — not informal historic mine workings — so ask separately about any known abandoned shafts or tunnels on or near a specific rural or older in-town parcel.

Disclosure landscape

Fire Hazard Severity Zone status should be checked per-parcel via current CAL FIRE maps, especially near the 2015 Butte Fire's footprint.
Civil Code §1103.4 requires a Notice of Mining Operation disclosure for property within one mile of an active, state-reporting mining operation — ask separately about informal historic mine workings, which this statute does not cover.

Frequently asked

Did the 2015 Butte Fire burn near Angels Camp or San Andreas?

The fire burned across Amador and Calaveras counties, consuming 70,868 acres and destroying 921 structures. Check current CAL FIRE hazard maps for a specific property and treat insurance availability as an early due-diligence step, especially near the fire's historic footprint.

Is there a city transfer tax add-on in Calaveras County?

No — Angels Camp charges the standard city-share rate with no local surcharge, so total transfer tax anywhere in the county is the standard $1.10 per $1,000.

What is the Murphys area known for?

Murphys has developed a growing wine-tourism economy alongside its historic Gold Rush character. Confirm Williamson Act contract status before assuming unrestricted development rights on vineyard or rural agricultural land there.

Sources

This is educational guidance, not legal advice. Consult a California real estate attorney for legal questions specific to your transaction.