MIDDLETOWN: The number of homes destroyed by a fire in the Gold Rush country of the Sierra Nevada foothills has risen to 233.

The blaze in Amador and Calaveras Counties has charred more than 112 sq. miles and was 40 percent contained on Tuesday. It is still threatening another 6,400 structures. Forecasters say Northern California weather conditions are changing and the area could see some precipitation Wednesday.

Residents cried as they walked through the rubble of their homes while others shared amazing stories of survival as more people returned to their houses Tuesday and surveyed the twisted metal and smoking ruins left behind by a devastating California wildfire.

Gary Herrin sobbed as he walked through what had been his childhood home in Middletown.

“Yep, grew up here, was able to walk to school from here. Many friends lived close by,” Herrin recalled, looking around. “There’s a lot of good people here, but it’s a ghost town now, it’s really eerie.”

His brother had been living in the home and members of his extended family resided nearby.

“I go to my brother-in-law’s house, my niece’s house, and there’s nothing, nothing, ashes,” Herrin said.

A number of people saw the devastation for the first time since the massive flames sped Saturday through rural Lake County, less than 160 km north of San Francisco.

Aided by drought, it has consumed more than 269 sq. km and was 30 percent contained.

Fire investigators working to determine what caused the massive blaze have narrowed their focus to an area in the community of Cobb, where the blaze was first spotted, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant. What sparked the blaze remains under investigation, he said. Authorities say 585 homes were known to be destroyed, and the number was expected to increase. Another 9,000 structures remained threatened.