wildfires

READER’S EDITORIAL: BRING BACK ALARM SIRENS TO ALERT SAN DIEGANS DURING EMERGENCIES

By Alicia A. Degracia

August 22, 2023 (San Diego) --  With what happened in Maui,  I wonder if San Diego can reinstate the alarm system they had back in the’40s,‘50s, ‘60s into the early ‘70s or so. That was an alarm that was installed on top of telephone poles. They were installed during World War II in case of an attack. These alarms would be tested once a month on the first Monday of the month at noon.  It was just testing and people  knew it.  These could be solar-powered.

This could save a lot of lives, especially when people don’t have their phones on, or the power is off during an emergency, or worse yet, in the middle of the night. We can’t rely on power 100%.


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FROM THE FIRE CHIEF’S CORNER: COMING TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SOON—WILDFIRE SMOKE!

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

July 16, 2023 (San Diego) -- Wildfires are increasing everyday and will increase as we start to peak in our year-round wildfire season. Even if your home is not in the path of a fire, you can still be affected by smoke particles released into the air from wildfires.


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FROM THE FIRE CHIEF'S CORNER: WILDFIRE SAFETY

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna
 
July 2, 2023 (San Diego) - Wildfire season is upon us.  Before a wildfire threatens your area, here are some ways you can help prevent wildfires in your home and community.

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IN THE LINE OF FIRE

An in-depth look at wildfire preparedness and those who stand in harm’s way

Story and photos by Josh Stotler

Photo:  flames race up hillside off Highway 94 in Dulzura

June 12, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) -- As the longer, warmer days of summer approach, San Diego braces for an all too familiar phenomenon: wildfire. According to Cal Fire, eastern San Diego County experiences an average of 192 wildland vegetation fires per year, burning 5,843 acres -- and that number is increasing with each new season. Thankfully, 95% of these incidents are contained at 10 acres or less, a target that local and state fire agencies strive to uphold. The thought of wildfire often strikes fear in the hearts of those who live in our backcountry and urban interface, where rural areas meet urban ones. This zone grows larger every year, as San Diegans build further and further into the eastern parts of the county.


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AG PASS OFFERS HELP DURING DISASTER: COUNTY EXPANDS ELIGIBILITY

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Ramona grasslands

April 5, 2023 (San Diego's East County) - Disasters and wildfires threaten lives and businesses in San Diego County each year.  Often, people are forced to gather up their most important possessions and evacuate to safety.  But commercial livestock operations may be too large to evacuate all their animals immediately and need to return as quickly as possible to care for animals. Farmers also must abandon their operation, leaving crops and critical infrastructure unattended for extended periods.  Now, operators can apply for an Agricultural and Livestock Pass (Ag Pass) program to return to an evacuated area to help when the threat diminishes.


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FROM THE FIRE CHIEF’S CORNER: WILDFIRE EMBERS – DANGER!

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

October 3, 2022 (San Diego) -- We are about to step into the height of fire season as Santa Ana Winds will soon be blowing. During wildfires, winds can send embers flying well over a mile on and into unprotected combustibles and openings around your home.


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BOARD VOTES TO OVERSEE GRANT PROGRAM TO HARDEN HOMES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  County Fire inspectors examine a home's exterior looking for fire vulnerabilities.

June 14, 2022 (San Diego) - The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to establish a Home Hardening Program as part of a state pilot program to encourage homeowners to create fire-resistant homes.


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LOCAL MEDIA'S ACCESS TO BREAKING NEWS THREATENED BY ENCRYPTED POLICE RADIOS

By J.W. August, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo by Robert Gehr

April 3, 2022 (San Diego) - For editors and reporters, access to the police scanner is a critical — and immediate — news source when covering breaking news, be it a massive fire raging through a community or rescue workers trying find a child swept away in a creek.

That access is being threatened in California now that dozens of law enforcement agencies, including the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, have made the decision to fully encrypt their communications, based on a directive from the agency whose statewide computer network provides criminal histories, driver records and other public safety information.

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AUDIT: CALIFORNIA UTILITIES AREN’T DOING ENOUGH TO REDUCE WILDFIRE THREATS

By Julie Cart, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  Camp Fire via U.S. Forest Service

March 27, 2022 (San Diego) - As record-breaking drought fuels another potentially dangerous wildfire season, the state auditor reported today that state officials are failing to hold California’s electric utilities accountable for preventing fires caused by their equipment.


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SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK WRAPS GIANT TREES, STRUCTURES IN FOIL AS FLAMES APPROACH

By Miriam Raftery

September 18, 2021 (Sequoia National Park) – Two wildfires, the Colony and Paradise fires, have merged into one dubbed the KNP Complex Fire. Estimated at 18,000 acres, the blaze has been burning for a week inside Sequoia National Park and has now reached the edge of a historic grove of ancient giant redwoods. 


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COUNTY RESIDENTS ASKED TO TAKE PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFF SURVEY

By Miriam Raftery

July 3, 2021 (San Diego) -- The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services is asking all County residents to fill out a survey about the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program.  The SDG&E program to shut off power during high fire-risk conditions has sparked controversy across the backcountry among residents left without electricity to power their homes, businesses, wells pumps, and other vital needs. The deadline to complete the survey is July 13.

The survey asks residents whether they received adequate notification of such outages and whether they experienced financial losses, among other details – the first step toward documenting impacts of the program and potentially leading to changes.


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CDFW INITIATES MASSIVE WILDFIRE PROTECTION EFFORT AT WILDLIFE AREAS, ECOLOGICAL RESERVES STATEWIDE

Source:  California Department of Fish and Wildife

CDFW photo:  heavy equipment is deployed to create fire breaks on CDFW wildlife areas in Merced County.

July 1, 2021 (San Diego) - The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has undertaken the largest wildfire protection and resiliency effort in its history, working to safeguard nearly all of its wildlife areas, ecological reserves and the surrounding communities from wildfire ahead of peak wildfire season this summer and fall.


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FLYING DRONES NEAR WILDFIRES IS ILLEGAL AND DANGEROUS

 

Source: Cal Fire and San Diego Sheriff

June 18, 2021 (San Diego) -- As we enter our summer fire season, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) are reminding the public, it is against the law to fly a drone near or over a wildfire. Firefighting aircraft could be grounded, disrupting critical fire operations. Time is of the essence. 

Click on the video to watch.


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THE AIR SAFETY CRISIS FROM CORONAVIRUS AND TOXIC WILDFIRES PARTICLES

HEPA filters and high-fit/high filtration masks provide dual benefits

By Devabhaktuni Srikrishna

May 26, 2021 (San Diego) -- In 2020, wildfires accounted for as much as half the fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5) on the west coast and fire season is expected to be even more severe in 2021. While all smoke inhalation is bad, wildfire smoke is particularly dangerous due to the combination of chemicals it contains, including toxic gases and particulate matter from trees, homes, vehicles and industrial facilities. Recent research suggests risks from wildfire-specific PM 2.5 on respiratory health may be much worse than from other sources.


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FIREFIGHTERS SWIFTLY HALT FIRE IN LAKESIDE

By Miriam Raftery
 
Photo, left, by Carol Foster
 
May 15, 2021 (Lakeside) – Forward spread has been halted on the #Shauntau Fire, which started near Shanteau Drive and Flinn Springs Road in Lakeside this afternoon.

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BATTERED, BURNED BUT ALIVE; TIME WILL HEAL PARK'S WOUNDS, BUT IT NEEDS BIG MONEY TOO

By Julie Cart, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  A view of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Boulder Creek on April 22, 2021. Most of the park burned in 2020's CZU Complex wildfire. Photo by Max Whittaker, courtesy of Save the Redwoods League

May 9, 2021 (Boulder Creek, Calif.) - In the annals of California history, no one has ever had to put a broken state park back together. There’s no guidebook, no rules. So now state officials and conservationists are attempting a complex and extraordinary Humpty Dumpty project: The reawakening of Big Basin Redwoods State Park.


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GOVERNOR NEWSOM, LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ANNOUNCE EARLY BUDGET ACTION FOR WILDFIRE PREVENTION

Source: Governor’s Office
 
April 8, 2021 (Sacramento) -- Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) today announced a $536 million funding plan to help improve California’s resilience to wildfires. They released the following statement:

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KEEP YOUR FAMILY, PETS SAFE WHEN USING GENERATORS DURING POWER OUTAGES

Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

Photo: Creative Commons by NC-ND via Bing

November 20, 2020 (Sacramento) – As California continues to recover from wildfires, FEMA urges everyone who experiences a power outage to be safe when using portable generators.


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CALIFORNIA PROTECTS HOMEOWNERS FROM HAVING FIRE INSURANCE DROPPED - AGAIN

The areas given protection include these zip codes near the destructive Valley Fire in San Diego’s East County:  91901,  91905, 91906, 91914, 91915, 91916, 91917, 91935, 91962, 91963, 91978, 91980,  92021, 92019, 92021, 92040, and  92154.

By James Bikales, CALmatters

CalMatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  A firefighter hoses down a burning home to help stop the spread of the fire to nearby homes in the Skyhawk community as the Shady Fire burns in Santa Rosa, on Sept. 28, 2020. Photo by Dai Sugano, Bay Area News Group

November 12, 2020 (Sacramento) - As this year’s historic wildfire season winds down, Californians living in fire-prone territory got temporary relief from another threat: they can’t lose their homeowners’ insurance policies for another year.


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TWO FAST-MOVING WILDFIRES FORCE 160,000 TO EVACUATE IN ORANGE COUNTY

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  An Orange County Fire Authority truck races by a burning hillside. Courtesy OCFA

October 26, 2020 (Orange County) - Wind-driven wildfires triggered evacuations of more than 160,000 people in Orange County and severely injured two firefighters Monday, as thousands of residents endured a second day of precautionary power shutoffs.


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COUNTY DEBUTS LIFE-SAVING KNOX BOX PROGRAM

 

By Jose Eli Villanueva, County of San Diego Communications Office

October 24, 2020 (San Diego) - County emergency responders have a new tool to help keep homeowners in unincorporated areas safe during a wildfire or medical emergency. It’s called a Knox Box and when it comes to being prepared for disaster… this may be just the key.

Contact us to see if you qualify.

Call:  858-974-5744 

Email:  FireCRR@sdcounty.ca.gov 

Visit:  sandiegocounty.gov/sdcfa 


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RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL DISASTER AID AFTER FIRES

Source: FEMA

Photo:  Valley Fire, by Ron Kasper Dronesystems

October 23, 2020 (San Diego) -- The FEMA Individuals and Housing Program is available to all eligible renters and homeowners in Fresno, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, Napa, San Bernardino, San Diego, Shasta, Siskiyou and Sonoma counties, which are covered in the Oct. 16, 2020, federal disaster declaration. Federal monetary awards may help pay for temporary housing and other needs not covered by insurance. The initial rental award is for two months and may be reviewed for further assistance. 


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STATE INSURANCE COMMISSIONER HOLDS INVESTIGATORY HEARING OCT. 19 ON INSURANCE COST AND AVAILABILITY AFTER WILDFIRES

Source: California Dept. of Insurance

 

Photo: Creative Commons via Bing

 

October 16, 2020 (Los Angeles) -- With devastating fires continuing to burn across California, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is convening an investigatory hearing to initiate a series of regulatory actions that will protect residents from the increasing risk of wildfires. Commissioner Lara is taking action to stabilize the insurance market while protecting lives and homes, reducing catastrophic wildfire losses and increasing transparency for consumers. 


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READER'S EDITORIAL: ACTION NEEDED TO CUT CARBON USE, ADDRESS WILDFIRES FUELED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

By Susan Tamura, San Diego
 
September 15, 2020 (San Diego) -- With California wildfires in the forefront, it is readily apparent that climate scientists' predictions of drier conditions in the West are coming to pass.  Wildfires and their smoke are not new to us; it's their ever-increasing magnitude that will test our resilience.

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SDG&E HOLDS DRIVE-THROUGH WILDFIRE SAFETY FAIRS

By Miriam Raftery

July 28, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – With fire season around the corner, SDG&E has announced a series of drive-through Wildfire Safety Fairs.  You can get a free emergency preparedness backpack and/or bucket, plus learn how to protect your family and property at upcoming drive-through wildfire safety fairs hosted by SDG&E.  The backpack includes a solar hand-crank radio, solar cell phone charger, 150 watt power inverter for plugging items into your car to charge, flashlight, 2.5 gallon water bag, first aid kit, toilet paper, face mask, insulated lunch box with reusable ice packs, glow stick and more.  

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AHEAD OF PEAK FIRE SEASON, GOVERNOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES MORE FIREFIGHTING SUPPORT AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In early season fires, major changes to emergency operations and sheltering have been made to protect firefighters and evacuees

Source: Governor’s Office

July 13, 2020 (Sacramento) – Governor Gavin Newsom visited McClellan Air Force Base on July 9 to highlight the state’s wildfire mitigation capabilities and discuss new efforts to protect emergency personnel and evacuees from COVID-19 during wildfires. 


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SIRENS, TEXTS, EVEN CHURCH BELLS: CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE ALERTS AND EVACUATIONS STILL AD HOC

By Julie Cart, CALmatters

CALmatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  Residents evacuating from the Holy Fire near Lake Elsinore in 2018. Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG

November 21, 2019 (San Diego's East County) - When a fast-moving wildfire marched toward the town of Paradise more than a year ago, few who lived there were aware of it. Even though the community used the CodeRED automated emergency warning system, less than 40% of residents subscribed to the alerts.


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TRUMP THREATENS TO END FEDERAL AID TO CALIFORNIA TO FIGHT WILDFIRES—AFTER OFFERING RUSSIA HELP TO STOP WILDFIRES IN SIBERIA

Critics accuse President of putting partisan politics above saving lives and aiding disaster victims

By Miriam Raftery

Updated 9 p.m. with comments from Alpine Fire Chief Paskle

 

Photo screenshot off NBC video:  Easy Fire started near the Ronald Reagan Valley in Simi Valley and threatened homes in Ventura County

 

November 4, 2019 (San Diego) – Days after California Governor Gavin Newsom praised the federal government for its rapid response to catastrophic wildfires and power outages affecting millions of our state’s residents, President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to cut off all future federal funding to California.  


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REPORTER OFFERS TIPS FOR WHAT TO DO DURING OUTAGES AND WILDFIRES

By Leslie Wolf Branscomb
 
October 30, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) - I hate to have to post this again, but here is my advice to all living in areas that might have fires in this next week. Based on personal experience (having been evacuated) and years covering fires for the Union-Tribune. 

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TRIBAL MEMBERS LAUNCH FIRE RELIEF DRIVE TO AID SURVIVORS OF FIRES IN MEXICO

By Miriam Raftery

October 28, 2019 (San Diego) – The Kumeyaay (Kumiai) tribal nation spans both sides of the border.  “Baja California Kumiai communities impacted by fires are in need,” writes Grace Sesma, who along Martha Rodriguez has established a Kumiai fire relief donation drive.  Donors can give money or donate items at several drop-off points on Native American reservations in San Diego’s East County.


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