Cal Fire News

Southern California Firefighters Battle Three Wildfires amid Hot, Dry Weather

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (AP) __ Firefighters were battling three separate brush fires in blistering heat and low humidity in sparsely populated, hilly areas southeast of Los Angeles. Nearly 1,000 homes were under evacuation orders, but there were no immediate reports …

Sheriff: Two Dead in Northern California Wildfire

WEED, Calif. (AP) — Two people have died in a blaze that ripped through a Northern California town, said Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue. LaRue shared the news of the fatalities Sunday afternoon during a community meeting held at an …

New California Wildfire Strands Fourth of July Revelers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters in Northern California were battling a fresh wildfire that broke out Monday east of Sacramento at a recreation area packed with Fourth of July revelers and forced a number of evacuations. As the fire quickly …

California Fire Threat High Despite Progress Near Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — California could be on track for one of its worst fire seasons ever as hotter, drier conditions across the north raise the threat of new fires or existing ones flaring into dangerous life, officials …

Crews Battle to Protect Lake Tahoe Region From Wildfire

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters faced a critical day in efforts to prevent a massive California wildfire from reaching the Lake Tahoe resort region Saturday, hoping to take advantage of calmer winds before hot, heavy gusts return. The …

Insurance at Peril For Many in California’s Risky Fire Areas

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As California’s wildfire season looms, threatening once again to break records for destruction, tens of thousands of rural homeowners risk facing the flames without enough insurance to rebuild if their homes burn. Insurers have been taking …

Private Firefighters Fuel Tensions While Saving California Vineyards and Mansions

ST. HELENA, California — Last October, firefighter Ryan Bellanca and his crew battled to keep the raging Glass Fire from devastating an upmarket Napa Valley vineyard. But Bellanca wasn’t working for any fire department. He owns a private company that …

California Wildfires Are Huge This Year, But Not Deadliest

SAN FRANCISCO — With months still to go in California’s fire season, the state has already shattered records for the amount of land scorched in a single year — more than 4 million acres to date, with one blaze alone …

Power Company Plans Series Of Shutoffs To Prevent Wildfires

LOS ANGELES — One of California’s largest power companies announced Saturday it plans to temporarily shut off power to residents of 16 counties and a tribe to prevent wildfires sparked by electrical equipment. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said it …

Desert Communities Told to Evacuate as Winds Stoke Flames

JUNIPER HILLS, Calif. — Strong winds stoked a wildfire burning for nearly two weeks in mountains northeast of Los Angeles, prompting authorities to issue new evacuation orders for desert communities that lost some homes a day earlier. Meanwhile, officials were …