Mariposa County resident John “Jack” Welch has agreed to pay $950,000 to settle a claim against him by the federal government for damages resulting from a 2016 wildfire that burned nearly 100 acres of national forest land, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced Monday. According to the settlement, federal...
Flaming Ping Pong Balls are Latest Weapon in Wildfire Battle
Firefighters battling the massive Creek Fire have added a unique new tool to their arsenal. Flaming ping-pong balls, also known in the firefighting trade as Delayed Aerial Ignition Devices, are being used to clear brush and other "ground fuels" to help bring the fire under control. Balls Dropped by Helicopter in...
Ecologist Says the USFS Needs To Get Out of the Way in Wake of Massive Fires
After nearly three weeks the Creek Fire continues to burn and is now the largest single wildfire in recorded California history at 291,426 Acres according to CAL FIRE. The USFS is still estimating full containment won't be reached until October 15th. Madera County Supervisor Tom Wheeler says he knows why the...
Creek Fire: ‘We Didn’t Used To Have These Kinds of Fires.” Logger Blames Poor Forest Management
Loggers blame politicians. Politicians blame climate change. President Donald Trump claims that California doesn't know how to manage its forests. While the finger-pointing goes on, Mother Nature doesn't care. Listen to this article: California has set a record with 2 million acres burned this year, and the Creek Fire rages...
Wildfires Force Temporary Closures of Southern, Sierra Nevada National Forests
The U.S. Forest Service announced Monday afternoon that it is temporarily closing the Southern and Sierra Nevada National Forests in California because of the rapidly expanding wildfires. The temporary closures became effective at 5 p.m. Monday. Randy Moore, the regional forester, said in a social media video that the closures were...
Fire Roaring Through Northern California Triples in Size
REDDING — An explosive wildfire that closed down dozens of miles of a major California freeway nearly tripled in size overnight, just weeks after a nearby blaze that left neighborhoods in ruins and killed eight people, officials said Thursday. The fire that erupted Wednesday afternoon and devoured timber and brush...