The Latest News and information about California Fires

On Thursday, November 18th, an outdoor storage yard caught fire, leaving one man gravely injured and a woman dead. The man had been looking for the woman in the flames, but neither he nor the firefighters who arrived on the scene were able to locate her until the fire was out, around 8:30 PM. Her location was deep in the fire area before the firefighters arrived. 

People who frequented the storage yard reported the man and woman had been living there for years. A man who worked across from the storage yard claimed it was poorly managed and likely full of fire hazards. The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Fire Investigation Task Force was called to investigate the fire's origin on Thursday night. Though the cause of the fire remains unknown, the flames were fueled by vehicles, propane tanks, and cans of paint.

At 11:08 AM on November 10th, the Yager Fire sparked in Humboldt County near Carlotta. Closing parts of Highway 36, the Yager Fire spread through 60 acres of land. By 5:30 PM on November 11th, the fire was 100% contained. There are no reported injuries resulting from the Yager Fire. 

On November 3rd, dangerous weather conditions in Napa County evacuated 24 residences. There are no reported injuries from this fire, but one house was so completely consumed by flames that firefighters felt it was unsalvageable and focused their efforts elsewhere. 

The day before the fire broke out, the National Weather Service issued Lake County, Napa County, and the Sonoma County area a Fire Weather Watch predicting drier humidities and strong winds from the North. These weather conditions are firefighters' greatest fear, as winds from the North typically carry hotter and drier temperatures with them. 

In an effort to keep forests healthy, Calfire encourages Californians to buy their firewood locally. Teaming up with the California Task Force, Calfire began their public outreach campaign in September with the goal of informing campers, wood cutters, arborists, and the general public about the risks of using transported firewood.

Firewood transported over long distances may contain insects or pathogens that are unfamiliar to the territory where they are purchased. These life forms are invisible to the naked eye, so it is impossible to distinguish a harmless log from a potentially detrimental one. Introducing an invasive species into an environment can be very damaging, both environmentally and economically, because the environment does not have the natural defenses needed to fight off pest attack. 

Calfire's campaign is taking many approaches to deterring this issue, which has increased in recent decades due to heightened globalization. By surveying campers' knowledge of invasive species in areas affected by the invasive beetle species likely introduced to San Diego County by out-of-state firewood, Calfire hopes to gain feedback that will help them target their long-term audience as effectively as possible. The campaign also includes hanging informative firewood posters in campgrounds and parks, mailing pamphlets to industry professionals, and distributing informative frisbees and playing cards to campers.  

Heat exhaustion and hyperthermia are potential killers for firefighters braving wildfires on a hot day. Firefighters often need to be helicoptered out of the midst of a wildfire because they are suffering from one of these ailments. This potentially devastating risk that firefighters face daily has undergone recent studies, but unfortunately the study's findings are going unheeded, leading to a Texas firefighter's preventable death.

Firefighters are taught excessive hydration will prevent heat exhaustion, but this is not actually the case. Dr. Ruby's recent study states that even if a person is hydrated, they may suffer from heat exhaustion if their work rate is too high. Work rate is the true potential killer, not dehydration. Even though taxpayers paid for this study, the results are being kept from the public. Why this is the case is unclear, but hopefully the results will be shared with firefighters before anyone else suffers a preventable end. 

On Friday October 21st, a 100-acre fire spread in San Bernardino County on Yucaipa Ridge. This wildfire was dubbed the Mill Fire for its short distance to the Mill Creek ranger station. Though the brush fire shut down a section of Highway 38 around noon on Friday, the highway re-opened around 7:00 PM the same day. The U.S. Forest Service announced the fire was fully contained on Sunday. No buildings were endangered by the Mill Fire. 

Innovative iPhone applications have changed the way people connect with the world, but surprisingly they have also changed the way firemen interact with fires. Providing digital resources to firemen on the move, new firefighting applications help firefighters save lives amongst all the confusion of tumultuous flames. 

Launched on October 1st, FireWhat is but one of the many iPhone applications serving the firefighting community. Its launch date coincided with the beginning of the Great Fire, helping firefighters at a pivotal time. Thanks to this new technology, firefighters have access to residence and escape route locations, as well as pre-arrival information. Additionally, this app provides firefighters with satellite imagery, street maps, topographical layers, hot spot tracking, resource information, evacuation information, and live weather reports. 

The staff at FireWhat works diligently to provide firefighters with the most up to date and useful lifesaving tools this day in age can provide. An MIT graduate and two firefighters sought to create this start-up company in order to innovate a technology-deprived industry, providing a professional platform for inspiring for the best emergency service system possible. 

Volunteers in Prevention, also known simply as VIP, has made outstanding progress since its inception in 1980. With an annual budget of $270,000, this innovative program uses citizens and public service groups to spread fire safety awareness in high risk California locations. 

The VIP Program was initially founded with the goal of reducing man-caused fires by 10 percent per 100,000 people. The targeted areas were Lake Napa, Shasta, Nevada, Yuba Placer, Amador El Dorado, Santa Clara, Riverside and San Diego. Since 1980, the program has expanded to over 21 CAL FIRE units. There are approximately 2,500 VIP's throughout California, averaging over 60,000 volunteer hours a year. 

By annually holding and participating in fairs, displays, and parades, the VIP program has reduced child caused fires by 50 percent. Additionally, volunteers are trained to teach homeowners how to make their homes fire safe. This one-on-one instruction makes the increasing populations living within California wildlands a little bit safer from the realistic threat of fires. 

To find out more about becoming a VIP, contact your local CALFIRE unit. 

Ignited October 12th at 11:45 AM, a five-acre grass fire is dangerously close to the Escondido Zoo Safari Park. Burning just east of the zoo near Cleveger Canyon, the fire grew considerably in under an hour's time. A hellicopter, bulldozer, and multiple airtankers are currently battling the flames.

As of noon, no structures are immediately endangered, including the Zoo Safari Park. However, the afflicted area is surrounded by a slope. This condition combined with the Santa Ana winds blowing the fire east towards the Zoo may make the fire hard to contain. 

Named "The Great Fire" by firefighters on the scene, this recent fire began on October 1st and has since scorched 2,000 acres near Julian. Firefighters from as far as Northern California have come to battle the fire, which is currently 75% contained and covering very steep terrain. Thanks to favorable weather conditions and the efforts of over 1,500 firefighters, CAL Fire expects to reach full containment by Thursday. 

In response to the fire, 25 houses were evacuated and Highway 78 at Wynola was closed over the weekend. 1,100 homes in Shelter Valley, Kentwood #1 and #2, Whispering Pines, Pine Crest Campground, Banner, KQ Ranch, and Harrison Park were notified to prepare for evacuation as a precaution. As of yesterday morning, these restrictions were lifted.