California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection News

California Wine Country Fire Began Near Damaged PG&E Tower, 2,000 Flee

GEYSERVILLE, Calif. — A wind-driven wildfire that forced some 2,000 people to flee homes in Northern California’s wine country on Thursday erupted near the base of a damaged high-voltage transmission tower owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Co, utility and …

Goals to Fight Fire with Fire Often Fall Short in US West

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — The thick scent of smoke hung in the midday air when a trail along the Kings River opened up to an ominous scene: flames in the trees and thick gray smoke shrouding canyon walls. …

Here’s How a Bird Started a Fire at a California Solar Farm

It may be safe for a bird to land on a wire, but not on two of them at once. The June 5 blaze at a California solar farm that scorched 1,127 acres started when a bird flew into a …