A long-running plan to build a community of 19,000 homes on vast Tejon Ranch along Interstate 5 south of Bakersfield has been halted by a judge who cited high wildfire risk. Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff on Tuesday rejected Los Angeles County’s approval of the developer’s environmental impact report, effectively...
Southern California Wildfire Triggers Evacuation Orders
FALLBROOK — A wildfire on the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base in northern San Diego County triggered evacuation orders early Thursday as Santa Ana winds brought dangerously gusty and dry conditions to Southern California. Evacuation orders were issued for about 7,000 residents on the west side of the community of...
Whack and Stack: PG&E’s Toppling of Trees Creates New Hazards
Kristi and Brian Anderson have some thoughts about how the first year of California’s “get-tough-on-utilities” approach to preventing wildfires is going: Badly. Very badly. The Andersons, who live in Bonny Doon, nestled in the mountains near Santa Cruz, lost their home four months ago in the CZU Lightning Complex fires. But their...
Wildfire Destroys, Damages 20 Homes in Reno Neighborhood
RENO, Nev. — A fast-moving wildfire driven by strong winds destroyed or damaged about 20 homes in a Reno neighborhood and forced the evacuation of hundreds more on the edge of the Sierra Nevada foothills, authorities said Wednesday. It was one of several blazes burning near the Nevada-California border. Preliminary...
These Cameras Watch for California Wildfires. They Also Offer Amazing Scenic Views.
As the threat of wildfires has grown to a staggering level in California, so has its network of high-tech cameras watching the backcountry to spot the first outbreak of flames and help firefighters battle them until they are contained. As winter arrives, they are also offering some spectacular scenic views...
California Braces for Renewed Fire Threat From Windy Weather
SAN FRANCISCO — Dry, windy weather posed an extreme wildfire risk Wednesday in Northern California, where massive blazes already have destroyed hundreds of homes and killed or injured dozens of people. The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for extreme fire danger from 5 a.m. through Friday morning. With...
Hot, Dry Conditions Continue to Stoke Glass and Zogg Wildfires
SAN FRANCISCO — Flames devoured swaths of brush and trees in Northern California on Wednesday amid unseasonably hot and dry weather. High winds that spread new fires this week in the Napa and Sonoma wine country and in a far northern area of the state were reduced to breezes, but...
Dying Winds Give Crews Hope in Northern California Fires
SAN FRANCISCO — Easing winds gave California firefighters a break Tuesday as they battled a destructive wildfire that was driven by strong winds through wine country north of San Francisco and another rural blaze that killed three people. Breezes replaced the powerful gusts that sent the Glass Fire raging through...
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...
Firefighter Who Died in Blaze Was on Elite Hotshot Crew
A California firefighter killed while battling a blaze in the mountains east of Los Angeles was identified Tuesday as a member of an elite Hotshot crew dedicated to fighting wildfires. Charles Morton, 39, a San Diego native, was a 14-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service and a squad boss...