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Tag: Wildfire

  • Warning issued as entire state faces wildfire risk

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    Special weather statements from the National Weather Service (NWS) warned that the entire state of Maine was at an elevated risk of fire danger on Monday.

    “Our primary time for wildfire risk would usually be in the spring,” NWS warning coordination meteorologist Louise Fode told Newsweek. “Fall can be a secondary time for wildfire risk, in particular, in years like this when we’ve had a drought.”

    Why It Matters

    The NWS has issued special weather statements warning of elevated fire danger across every region of Maine on Monday. These warnings come during a period of persistently dry weather, accompanied by gusty winds, which significantly increases the risk of uncontrolled wildfire spread. The advisories emphasize the importance of increased personal responsibility in preventing wildfires, which can spread rapidly across dry grasses, leaves, and brush, endangering communities and first responders throughout the state.

    What To Know

    The NWS Gray and Caribou offices reported that, throughout Monday, a combination of very dry air and breezy southwest winds would elevate the wildfire risk in Maine.

    Relative humidity values were forecast to drop to between 20 and 35 percent in the afternoon, depending on the location. Concurrently, southwest winds of 10 to 15 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 25 mph in some regions, were expected to further dry the fuels, creating conditions where fires could ignite and spread rapidly.

    The risk covers both western Maine, including towns such as Farmington, Lewiston-Auburn, Portland, Rockland, and Bridgton, as well as northern and eastern Maine, encompassing communities like Allagash, Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Bangor, and Bar Harbor.

    “Extra caution should be taken to prevent wildfires,” the NWS advised in its bulletins issued early Monday morning.

    Warm conditions raise the risk further. Already, Caribou has broken a 79-year-old daily temperature record.

    “75 degrees in Caribou Maine at this hour already breaks the previous record for this date which was 74 set back in 1946,” NWS Caribou posted on X.

    Officials urge residents and visitors to take preventive actions, including consulting with local fire officials before conducting any kind of open burning and strictly complying with state or local fire regulations. The NWS also underscored the danger of unattended campfires and stressed the importance of ensuring that all fires are fully extinguished before leaving a site.

    The dry and breezy weather system is forecast to persist through the afternoon and is expected to weaken only with the onset of evening, as wind gusts diminish and relative humidity increases. The warnings issued by both Gray and Caribou NWS offices reiterate that even small sparks under these conditions could cause rapid fire spread. Residents in affected areas, including major population centers, as well as rural and forested communities, should exercise caution around any sources of ignition.

    The risk of wildfire danger is expected to lessen by Tuesday night, as a cold front is forecast to bring lower temperatures and rain.

    What People Are Saying

    NWS Caribou in a post on X in the early morning hours on Monday: “Record breaking warmth expected today with sunshine, a southwesterly breeze, and inland highs in the low to mid 80s. Very warm again Tuesday.”

    NWS Gray in a post on X: “A cold front will bring widespread rain Tue night into Wed. Most of the area has high odds of seeing between 0.5-1.00″. This will be followed by cooler temperatures and another stretch of dry weather through the rest of the week.”

    What Happens Next

    Elevated fire danger is expected to subside as rain enters the area on Tuesday. However, the ongoing risk of wildfire highlights the importance of continued vigilance until a sustained period of wetter and less windy conditions returns to the state. Maine residents are strongly encouraged to check with local fire officials and follow all current fire advisories and restrictions, especially regarding outdoor burning. The NWS will continue to monitor fire weather conditions and issue updates as necessary.

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  • Second life for California trees burned in wildfires

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    Second life for California trees burned in wildfires – CBS News










































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    From the ashes of January’s Los Angeles wildfires, a story of renewal. Carter Evans shows how a new program is using destroyed trees to rebuild.

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  • Two mountain lions that were found malnourished and alone as cubs are released back into the wild

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    Two mountain lions that were orphaned as cubs have been released back into the San Diego County wilderness.

    The cubs, which were found malnourished earlier this year, were trapped by the UC Davis California Carnivores Program and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the San Diego Humane Society. They were taken to the organization’s Ramona Wildlife Center on March 26 for specialized rehabilitation and veterinary care.

    Human interaction was kept to a minimum throughout the rehabilitation process to familiarize the cubs with natural hunting behaviors and habitat, said Angela Hernandez-Cusick, a wildlife supervisor at the center.

    “That could be anything from the way we work with them, day in and day out, to providing visual barriers,” Hernandez-Cusick said. “We’re monitoring them regularly, but we have to get really creative on how we move forward.”

    The mountain lions were released on Sept. 18, without human attachments to speak of.

    “We actually don’t name our patients, just because, you know, there comes that attachment,” Hernandez-Cusick said.

    Wild mountain lions face constant risks in California, including vehicles, wildfires and habitat encroachment, Hernandez-Cusick said. The wild mountain lion population has significantly decreased over the years, and the species is classified as “near-threatened,” according to the National Wildlife Federation.

    “We certainly don’t want them getting into situations where there’s going to be human-wildlife conflict,” Hernandez-Cusick said of the recently released lions. “They’re hopefully less likely to engage with humans.” The hope is that they will not get too close to homes and will stay more in rural areas.

    Last year, the California Mountain Lion Project — a research effort headed by academics and environmentalists — revealed that previous projections of the wild mountain lion population in California were incorrect. Instead of 6,000, researchers estimate the population is significantly lower, between 3,200 and 4,500.

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    Christopher Buchanan

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  • Oregon Fire: Forward progression stopped on Yuba County wildfire in dense vegetation

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    Oregon Fire: Forward progression stopped on Yuba County wildfire in dense vegetation

    Updated: 6:30 PM PDT Sep 26, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Forward progress has been stopped on a wildfire in dense vegetation in Yuba County on Friday. The Oregon Fire was burning northeast of North San Juan, according to the Dobbins-Oregon House Fire Department. The fire department said the fire was first reported as one to three acres with a rapid rate of spread. Just after 6 p.m., officials for the Tahoe National Forest said crews had stopped the fire at six acres. The forest service said crews would remain on scene throughout the night, with mop-up operations planned to continue Saturday.An evacuation warning had been issued by the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department for the area of Alleghany and Ridge roads in North San Juan, south of Camptonville.Under an evacuation warning, residents are urged to be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice, as there is a potential threat to life and property.| MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alertsCal Fire wildfire incidents: Cal Fire tracks its wildfire incidents here. You can sign up to receive text messages for Cal Fire updates on wildfires happening near your ZIP code here.Wildfires on federal land: Federal wildfire incidents are tracked here.Preparing for power outages: Ready.gov explains how to prepare for a power outage and what to do when returning from one here. Here is how to track and report PG&E power outages.Keeping informed when you’ve lost power and cellphone service: How to find a National Weather Service radio station near you.Be prepared for road closures: Download Caltrans’ QuickMap app or check the latest QuickMap road conditions here.

    NORTH SAN JUAN, Calif. —

    Forward progress has been stopped on a wildfire in dense vegetation in Yuba County on Friday.

    The Oregon Fire was burning northeast of North San Juan, according to the Dobbins-Oregon House Fire Department.

    The fire department said the fire was first reported as one to three acres with a rapid rate of spread.

    Just after 6 p.m., officials for the Tahoe National Forest said crews had stopped the fire at six acres.

    The forest service said crews would remain on scene throughout the night, with mop-up operations planned to continue Saturday.

    An evacuation warning had been issued by the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department for the area of Alleghany and Ridge roads in North San Juan, south of Camptonville.

    Under an evacuation warning, residents are urged to be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice, as there is a potential threat to life and property.

    | MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alerts

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  • Marshall fire payments due by year’s end, but how Xcel’s $640 million settlement will be divvied up to remain secret

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    Marshall fire victims who joined the massive lawsuit against Xcel Energy are expected to receive their portion of the $640 million settlement before the end of the year, but the amount of money each plaintiff receives will not be publicly disclosed.

    Xcel and plaintiffs’ attorneys announced the settlement Wednesday, just one day before the start of jury selection in a two-month civil trial to determine blame for the 2021 wildfire that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County.

    The full terms of the settlement will not be released, though private corporations involved in the litigation may need to disclose their payouts to shareholders. The individual homeowners who participated in the lawsuit will be required to sign nondisclosure agreements, said Paul Starita, a lawyer at Singleton Schreiber, one of the firms that represented homeowners.

    Teleport Communications America and Qwest Corporation, two co-defendants in the lawsuit, will contribute an undisclosed amount toward the settlement total.

    Not every person or company among the more than 4,000 plaintiffs will receive the same amount of money, Stirata said. The amount each receives will depend on the level of damages.

    Plaintiffs whose houses burned to the ground would be in line to receive more money than people who suffered smoke and soot damage, he said. People who rented housing or owned rental properties were also parties to the lawsuit, as were some people who only evacuated and sued for the nuisance. And claims involving deaths would be compensated with a higher amount.

    Attorneys figured out months ago what percentage of any settlement or jury award each plaintiff should receive, because those dollar figures were part of the mediation and settlement negotiations, Stirata said.

    “You add up all of those figures and the defendant pays you that lump sum and you give that to your clients,” he said. “It’s a fair settlement.”

    Payments should start being distributed within 60 days and be complete by the end of the year, Stirata said.

    The lawyers will also get a cut of the settlement as their payment for taking on the case. Each firm sets its own fee for the clients it accepted, Sirata said. He declined to reveal what percentage Singleton Schreiber will receive.

    A large chunk of the settlement will go to the 200 insurance companies that sued Xcel to compensate for the massive property damage claims they paid in the fire’s aftermath. In a legal filing ahead of the trial, those insurance firms said they suffered $1.7 billion in losses. It is not known what settlement amount they agreed to.

    The Target Corporation was a plaintiff as well because its store in Superior was closed for months due to fire damage. The city of Boulder, Boulder County and the Boulder Valley School District were also plaintiffs.

    The Dec. 30, 2021, Marshall fire was the most devastating wildfire in Colorado history, costing more than $2 billion in damages.

    The fire ignited first on the property of the Twelve Tribes religious cult, which has a compound on Eldorado Drive, near the Marshall Mesa Open Space. That ignition was caused by smoldering embers left over from a Dec. 24 burn-pit fire on the property.

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    Noelle Phillips

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  • LA County Response To Deadly Fires Slowed By Lack Of Resources, Outdated Alert Process, Report Says – KXL

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    LOS ANGELES (AP) — An outside review of Los Angeles County’s response to January’s deadly wildfires found a lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delays in warning residents about the need to evacuate as flames began consuming neighborhoods in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.

    The Independent After-Action Report produced by the consulting firm McChrystal Group was commissioned by county supervisors just weeks after the Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes in highly dense areas of LA County.

    The report released Thursday says a series of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities,” hampered the effectiveness of the county’s response.

    Interviews with survivors and an Associated Press analysis of available data in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire found some residents did not receive emergency alerts until well after homes went up in flames. The report sheds more light on these findings.

    The area in which the Palisades Fire started was initially under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Police Department, according to the after-action report, which also says “input from the LAPD was not provided for this review.”

    Similarly, evacuation orders for some neighborhoods of Altadena where the Eaton Fire swept through — including areas where the majority of deaths occurred — came long after houses had burned down.

    Staffing shortages
    The report cites critical staffing shortages including a high number of sheriff’s deputy vacancies and an under-resourced Office of Emergency Management. In addition, first responders and incident commanders were unable to consistently share real-time information due to unreliable cellular connectivity, inconsistent field reporting methods, and the use of various unconnected communication platforms.

    “While frontline responders acted decisively and, in many cases, heroically, in the face of extraordinary conditions, the events underscored the need for clearer policies, stronger training, integrated tools, and improved public communication,” the report says.

    It is not intended to investigate or assess blame, county officials said in a news release.

    “This isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about learning lessons, improving safety, and restoring public trust,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Altadena. “Survivors of the Eaton Fire deserve answers — and today’s report is an important step toward delivering them.”

    The Office of Emergency Management began putting together its staffing plan for predicted heavy winds Jan. 3, four days before the Palisades and Eaton fires ignited. But an experienced OEM staffer had been sent out of town for a training event. That meant several less-knowledgeable staffers were in key positions, according to the report.

    They were also working with some new emergency notification software provided by an existing vendor: The county signed the expanded contract with emergency alert company Genasys in November, just before the holidays. Only four staff members were trained on Genasys when the fires hit, according to the report.

    The review also found that the process to communicate an evacuation decision to the public was slow, convoluted and involved multiple leadership roles across county-level departments.

    In the case of the Palisades Fire, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department identified areas that required evacuation. They then communicated those areas to a member of the County’s Office of Emergency Management at the Incident Command center. This person then made a phone call or sent a text message to another OEM staffer located in the Emergency Operations Center, who then updated the system put in place by the third-party vendor and triggered an alert to the public.

    Alerting the public
    During the January inferno, according to the report, this process took between 20 and 30 minutes. The report’s authors note this represented an improvement, though, over the old system that took between 30 and 60 minutes for the public to receive notice of an evacuation.

    Still, the report notes, many of the county’s methods to alert the public require opting-in.

    “If residents are not aware of or do not sign up for these services, such as Alert Los Angeles County, Genasys PROTECT, and WatchDuty, they will not benefit from the alerts and notifications sent from these systems,” the report states.

    Some of the evacuation alerts required residents to click a separate link to get complete information, hindering messaging, the report found. The communication system used for alerts did not provide complete information about the fire’s progression, like the names and locations of evacuation zones or the general areas of evacuations. Power outages and cell tower issues further hindered evacuation notices, and the timing of the evacuation notices simply could not keep up with the pace of the fire, the report found.

    There was also a gap in the county’s policies about who is responsible for letting residents know how they should prepare for extreme weather risks, according to the report. The county did send out a handful of warnings about the incoming Santa Ana wind event and amplified National Weather Service messaging on social media and in news releases, but there was no official, stand-alone preparedness messaging provided by the county.

    The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to review the 133-page report when it meets next Tuesday.

    The causes of the two fires are still under investigation.

    After-action reports and investigations revealed issues with alert systems in other California blazes: in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, which killed 22 people in Santa Rosa; the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in Paradise; the Woolsey fire, which started the same day and killed three in Malibu; as well as in Colorado’s 2021 Marshall Fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes outside Denver; and in Hawaii’s 2023 Lahaina Fire, which decimated that historic town and killed 102.

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    Jordan Vawter

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  • No “Season Ending Event” In Oregon’s Fire Forecast – KXL

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    Image courtesy of the NW Interagency Coordination Center.

    Fall is right around the corner, but Oregon’s fire season is far from over. “It’s winding down, but we’re not there yet,” says Carol Connolly, with the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

    Seven large fires are still burning across 80,000 acres in Oregon. But Connolly says crews are making progress, “Of the seven of those fires, three of them are at or above 90% contained.” New fires could be on the way, though, following abundant lightning. In the last 10 days there have been close to 36,000 lightning strikes in the Northwest. “Lightning hits, and it can just move around on the ground for sometimes weeks before it gets enough fuel on it for the smoke to rise above the treetops,” says Connolly, “So, we do have reconnaissance out, we do have prepositioned initial attack resources, because we know we’re going to have some lightning fires that we’re going to continue to pick up in the next week or two.” She says they’ve already seen impacts from the storm, “Eight fires in Oregon over the last 24 hours; they accumulated to only about an acre. So, our initial attack resources are getting to them and keeping them small.”

    While conditions are improving, “Fuel conditions on the ground still indicate we could have fires. It’s not so wet out there in parts of Oregon that it would be a season-ending event,” says Connolly, “We are getting a lot of warming and drying trends, then some moisture, warming and drying, some moisture. Something typical you’d see in the fall. Currently, we are in one of those warming trends for the next few days.”

    The largest active fire remains the Emigrant Fire in the Willamette National Forest, at 32,354 acres and 36% containment, as of Tuesday morning. In Southwest Oregon, the Moon Complex is  9% contained, at almost 4,000 acres across the Pinnacle, Backbone and Tate fires. 

    More about:


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    Heather Roberts

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  • California study: Wildfire defensible space, home hardening double number of homes saved

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    Some of California’s most destructive wildfires have changed the way homeowners think about their own space.  

    Marin County residents Anita Brock and her husband Steve Kaplan are among them. They live on a steep hill in Larkspur, in a heavily wooded area with tight, windy roads. They’ve cleared space and shrubs around their homes and replaced potential fuel loads with gravel. 

    “As you can see, I mean this type of area here, if embers do land here, you know they’re not going to catch a light or any dead leaves or anything like that,” Brock said. 

    “We realized that we’re here and we’re not immune to those same dangers,” Kaplan said. 

    A new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, is providing some concrete data about the impacts of preparing one’s home to withstand a wildfire, particularly in the wildland-urban interface in California. 

    The first-of-its-kind study combined wildfire simulation tools with Cal Fire’s damage inspection data from five of the state’s most destructive fires before 2022. The models showed that home hardening, such as the use of fire-resistant materials on the roof, walls and decks, and increasing the amount of defensible space together can double the number of homes and other structures that survive a blaze. 

    All that mitigation work is the central focus of the study from the UC Berkeley Fire Research Lab. The study cited that between 2013 and 2018, California wildfires damaged or destroyed approximately 47,000 structures and killed 189 people.

    “All of the big fires we’ve had in California have really raised awareness about the risks involved,” said Brock. “We do everything that we can to mitigate the risks that are all around us.”

    The study concludes that simply clearing a 5-foot perimeter around homes, the subject of California’s controversial proposed Zone 0 regulations, can reduce structure loss by 17%.

    “It’s finally putting some quantitative data to show that the investments we’re making are actually going to have a payout,” said study co-author Michael Gollner.  

    The study also emphasizes the need for a community-wide mitigation strategy.  

    “We also see a really strong signal in what you do around the house, so that Zone Zero and that five feet was surprisingly a pretty strong signal, and it makes sense,” said Gollner. 

    For Brock and Kaplan, who had once lost their home insurance, part of this ongoing effort is to keep their coverage. 

    “All of the efforts to mitigate, I think or not mitigate, are going to be directly related to the future of being able to insure homes,” said Kaplan. 

    A few small steps by homeowners living in a California reality, and the threat of larger and more destructive wildfires. 

    “I do think that maintaining defensible space is one of the best ways that you can keep yourself and your family and your neighbors safe,” said Brock. “I absolutely believe it will make a difference.”

    The study found that the distance between buildings was the most influential factor in predicting loss. Exterior siding and year built were the next strongest predictors.

    Home hardening alone raised survival to 25%. Hardening and clearing defensible space closest to the home up to 5 feet improved survivability to 40%.

    Fire officials say there are grants and help available for cash-strapped homeowners to take advantage of through local FireSafe Councils and FireWise community groups. 

    Kenny Choi

    When Kenny Choi jumped into the backseat, he never thought he would be introducing his ride share driver to National Public Radio. The hour-long ride to the airport turned into a conversation that included politics, the economic divide, and the cultural differences between the East Coast and the West Coast.

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    Kenny Choi

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  • Hedges Fire: Yuba County structure fire spreads into vegetation, evacuation warnings lifted

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    Hedges Fire: Yuba County structure fire spreads into vegetation, evacuation warnings lifted

    Updated: 4:36 PM PDT Sep 15, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    A fire at a Yuba County residence on Monday spread into nearby vegetation, briefly prompting evacuation warnings, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters responded to the Hughes Fire at the residential structure near Frenchtown Road and Hedges Way. An AlertCalifornia camera around 4 p.m. showed that the smoke plume from the fire had thinned out since the fire was first reported.Cal Fire said one structure was fully involved and the flames spread across two to five acres of surrounding vegetation.The Yuba County Sheriff’s Office initially issued evacuation warnings for nearby streets and neighborhoods, but as of 4:15 p.m., the warnings were lifted.Under an evacuation warning, residents are advised of a potential threat to life and property. There is a potential for a warning to be upgraded to an evacuation order, when residents need to immediately evacuate an area due to an imminent threat.| MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alertsCal Fire wildfire incidents: Cal Fire tracks its wildfire incidents here. You can sign up to receive text messages for Cal Fire updates on wildfires happening near your ZIP code here.Wildfires on federal land: Federal wildfire incidents are tracked here.Preparing for power outages: Ready.gov explains how to prepare for a power outage and what to do when returning from one here. Here is how to track and report PG&E power outages.Keeping informed when you’ve lost power and cellphone service: How to find a National Weather Service radio station near you.Be prepared for road closures: Download Caltrans’ QuickMap app or check the latest QuickMap road conditions here.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    CHALLENGE-BROWNSVILLE, Calif. —

    A fire at a Yuba County residence on Monday spread into nearby vegetation, briefly prompting evacuation warnings, according to Cal Fire.

    Firefighters responded to the Hughes Fire at the residential structure near Frenchtown Road and Hedges Way.

    An AlertCalifornia camera around 4 p.m. showed that the smoke plume from the fire had thinned out since the fire was first reported.

    Cal Fire said one structure was fully involved and the flames spread across two to five acres of surrounding vegetation.

    The Yuba County Sheriff’s Office initially issued evacuation warnings for nearby streets and neighborhoods, but as of 4:15 p.m., the warnings were lifted.

    Under an evacuation warning, residents are advised of a potential threat to life and property. There is a potential for a warning to be upgraded to an evacuation order, when residents need to immediately evacuate an area due to an imminent threat.

    | MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alerts

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • Bay Area baking in hot weather ahead of thunderstorms, dry lightning concerns

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    Above normal temperatures will be felt across the Bay Area for several days this week, with the hot weather giving way to increasing chances of thunderstorms and the possibility of lightning-sparked fires, forecasters said.

    The National Weather Service said in its daily forecast discussion for the Bay Area that a ridge of high pressure is moving over Northern California on Monday. After the coastal fog and low clouds are peeled away, the region is expected to reach the mid-80s to upper 90s inland, with coastal areas in the 70s to low 80s.

    There is no heat advisory Monday, although some inland areas will have a moderate heat risk for those spending extended periods of time outside. Tuesday is expected to be the warmest day of the week, with larger areas of moderate heat risk and some pockets of major heat risk. Forecasters were weighing whether to issue a heat advisory for Tuesday, with a decision expected later Monday.

    KPIX First Alert Weather: Current conditions, alerts, maps for your area

    Overnight lows will be warmer than normal, with drier air limiting humidity recovery, especially in higher elevations, according to the Weather Service. The combination of warm nights and drying grasses and brush is expected to increase fire danger later this week, especially as moisture from Tropical Storm Mario moves in from Southern California beginning late Wednesday into Thursday.

    The Weather Service said the incoming moisture will raise the chance of thunderstorms, especially across Monterey and southern San Benito counties, along with increased potential for dry lightning, which could spark new wildfires.

    As of Monday morning, the best initial window for elevated dry thunderstorms appears to be after midnight early Thursday through late Thursday morning, primarily along the Central Coast region but moving farther north into Friday, the Weather Service said.

    Rainfall totals are expected to be limited to a quarter of an inch for the few locations that receive it. Spotty showers may continue into Saturday, though forecasters say confidence in the pattern beyond the weekend remains low.

    Carlos E. Castañeda

    Carlos E. Castañeda is a senior editor of news and social media for CBS Bay Area.

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    Carlos E. Castañeda

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  • Firefighter at Grand Canyon wildfire suffers deadly cardiac emergency

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    Questions about response to Arizona wildfires



    Questions about response to wildfires burning near Grand Canyon

    02:31

    Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. — A firefighter working at the scene of a wildfire burning since July at the Grand Canyon died Monday after suffering a cardiac emergency, authorities said.

    The firefighter was actively involved in fire suppression repair near the North Rim Entrance Station at the time, the Dragon Bravo Fire incident management team said in a news release. A paramedic attempted to revive him but was unsuccessful, it said.

    “Our hearts go out to his family and friends,” the team said in a statement to CBS News. “The wildland fire community is inherently interagency, and a line of duty death impacts us all. We deeply appreciate this firefighter’s dedication to his profession and to the communities threatened by wildland fire.”

    The firefighter’s name hasn’t been released.

    The National Park Service is investigating the death in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner.

    Satellite Imagery Of The Dragon Bravo Fire In Arizona

    A satellite view reveals thick smoke plumes driven by extreme heat, dry conditions, and gusty winds as the Dragon Bravo Fire in Arizona burned rapidly across the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park after a July 4 lightning strike.

    Gallo Images / Orbital Horizon / Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025


    Fire suppression repair restores land disturbed by firefighting by dismantling bulldozer piles, stabilizing soil and reestablishing vegetation.

    The fire was sparked by lightning on July 4.

    Authorities initially managed it by clearing out vegetation to improve forest conditions. A week later, dry and windy conditions helped fan the flames, prompting evacuations of visitors and employees at Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim.

    The historic Grand Canyon Lodge and dozens of cabins were destroyed. More than 100 buildings were damaged in all, CBS Phoenix affiliate KPHO-TV reports, adding that officials said 569 people were battling the blaze. The fire had burned 227 square miles as of Monday and was 80% contained.

    A bipartisan slate of Arizona’s elected officials has questioned the handling of the fire, suggesting more could have been done early on. Gov. Katie Hobbs met with federal officials and said U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum committed to an independent review.

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  • September Lightning Complex fires scorch nearly 14,000 acres in Central California; some evacuations downgraded

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    Some evacuation orders were downgraded as firefighters continue to battle several lightning-sparked wildfires in Central California.

    The major fires that forced people to flee included the 2-7 Fire just east in Calaveras County and the 6-5 Fire in Tuolumne County.  Evacuation orders for a third fire, the 2-2 Fire in the northern corner of Stanislaus County, have been lifted.

    Cal Fire’s Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit stated that those three fires are among 22 that comprise the TCU September Lightning Complex, which has combined to burn nearly 14,000 acres as of Friday. Cal Fire reported 22% containment.

    “Today, minimal fire activity was observed with smoldering pockets continuing to be found throughout the complex,” the agency said on Thursday.

    Crews continue to build containment lines and strengthen containment lines that were already established.

    As for damage, Cal Fire said 94 structures have been destroyed and seven were damaged. It’s unclear how many of those were homes. 

    Damage in California Gold Rush town of Chinese Camp  

    The 6-5 Fire exploded to more than 7,037 acres burned with no containment reported as of Thursday evening, according to Cal Fire. This fire was burning on the north end of Don Pedro Reservoir, causing “a lot of destruction” to the area of the historic Chinese Camp, according to Tuolumne County District 5 Supervisor Jaron Brandon.

    Surveillance video obtained by CBS Sacramento shows the Chinese Camp Cemetery caught fire. Additionally, a CBS Sacramento crew in the area captured images of burned homes and other buildings. No injuries have been reported.

    According to the Cal Fire Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit, the 2-2 Fire was first reported shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday near Highway 4 and Dunton Road, west of the town of Copperopolis in Calaveras County. The fire has burned more than 3,400 acres with 80% containment, according to Cal Fire.

    Around noon on Tuesday, authorities in Calaveras County announced the 2-7 Fire broke out near the Vallecito region off Highway 4. Traffic on the highway has not been impacted, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office.

    The 2-7 Fire has burned approximately 606 acres with 20% containment reported, according to Cal Fire’s incident page. The 2-8 Fire has also burned around 1,326 acres in Copperopolis along Little John Road, with 15% containment.

    Crews were also battling a fire dubbed the 2-3 Fire, which was first reported around 7:20 a.m. Tuesday near O’Byrnes Ferry Road and Copper Cove Court southeast of Copperopolis. The fire has burned at least 290 acres with 15% containment.

    There were a handful of other fires that burned anywhere from 2 to 40 acres in the region.  

    The fires started as thunderstorms rolled through much of the Central Valley and the Bay Area. Cal Fire TCU said the fires were all believed to have been started by lightning.

    Evacuation orders and road closures for the 6-5 Fire

    A mandatory evacuation order was issued for the north end of Don Pedro Reservoir up north to Chinese Camp, where Highway 49 and Highway 108 meet. Here is a live map showing the affected area.

    Cal Fire said the Sonora Senior Center at 540 Greenley Road in Sonora is an acting evacuation shelter. Chicken Rancho Casino Resort in Jamestown said it is offering a complimentary night’s stay to evacuees with a valid ID.

    Caltrans said the Highway 120 and Highway 108 divide, known as Yosemite junction, is closed due to the fire with no estimated time for reopening. Highway 120 is closed from Chinese Camp to Jacksonville Road. 

    Evacuation orders for 2-7 Fire

    Four zones in evacuation orders were downgraded on Wednesday evening. Those zones include CCY-134-A, CCU-134-D, CCU-134-F and CCU-133-B. The latest on evacuations for the 2-7 Fire can be found online.

    Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for the following zones:

    CCU-134-B
    CCU-134-E

    Evacuation warnings are in place for the following zones:

    CCU-134-D    
    CCU-143-B
    CCU-134-A
    CCU-134-F
    CCU-134-D
    CCU-133-B

    Bret Harte High School at 364 Murphys Grade Road in Angels Camp is serving as an evacuation shelter.

    Evacuation orders and road closures for 2-2 Fire

    The 2-2 Fire prompted the closure of Highway 4 on Tuesday between Escalon Bellota Road in San Joaquin County and Telegraph Road in Calaveras County. It reopened in the afternoon.

    As of about 11:45 a.m., the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office announced an evacuation order for zones CCU-155 and CCU-152-A, near the Calaveras-Stanislaus county line. Deputies said the affected area includes the Diamond 20 Ranch Estates along the north side of Highway 4.

    As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, all orders for the 2-2 Fire were no longer in place.

    Tim Fang

    Tim Fang is a digital producer at CBS Bay Area. A Bay Area native, Tim has been a part of the CBS Bay Area newsroom for more than two decades and joined the digital staff in 2006.

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  • Duluth man accused of leaving campfire unattended, sparking massive wildfire, DNR says

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    Families see the devastation from the Camp House and Jenkins Creek Fire



    Families see the devastation from the Camp House and Jenkins Creek Fire

    02:23

    An unattended campfire sparked the Camp House Fire that raged in northern Minnesota earlier this year, and a 27-year-old man faces a misdemeanor charge, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

    The Camp House Fire started near Brimson on May 11 and burned for nearly two weeks before crews were able to contain it. During that time, more than 12,000 acres and 150 structures were destroyed, according to the DNR.

    The Camp House fire was one of three wildfires that blazed through the northland in May. In all, more than 30,000 acres were destroyed as dry conditions and gusty winds allowed the flames to spread.

    The DNR said Friday that it had cited a 27-year-old Duluth man with the help of the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office. Under Minnesota law, any person who starts and fails to control or extinguish a fire before it causes damage to property or to another person is guilty of a misdemeanor.

    Nine days after the fire started, Gov. Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency and directed state agencies to provide the necessary resources to help people recover.

    WCCO Staff

    The WCCO Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on WCCO.com.

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  • Wildfire smoke, ozone causes air quality alert for Front Range, Denver metro

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    Hot, dry weather and wildfire smoke from out-of-state fires will contribute to lower air quality across the Front Range and Denver metro through Friday afternoon, Colorado public health officials said.

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  • TCU September Lightning Complex: Lightning-sparked fires force evacuations, destroy structures

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    TCU September Lightning Complex: Lightning-sparked fires force evacuations, destroy structures

    WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS. AND THAT BREAKING NEWS IS OUT OF CALAVERAS AND TUOLUMNE COUNTY. RESIDENTS ARE EVACUATED AS FIRE CREWS BATTLE THE TCU SEPTEMBER LIGHTNING COMPLEX. WE SEE SOME OF THE VIDEO HERE BEHIND US RIGHT NOW. NOW THE COMPLEX IS MADE UP OF AT LEAST NINE FIRES THAT HAVE BURNED MORE THAN 12,000 ACRES IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY. EVACUATION ORDERS STRETCHED FROM THE DON PEDRO RESERVOIR UP THROUGH CHINESE CAMP TO MONTEZUMA AND YOSEMITE JUNCTION. WARNINGS SHOWN THERE IN YELLOW INCLUDE QUARTZ SOUTH OF JAMESTOWN. NOW ANOTHER PORTION OF THE LIGHTNING COMPLEX IS BURNING IN CALAVERAS COUNTY, JUST NORTH OF ANGELS CAMP. HERE’S A LOOK AT THE EVACUATION AREA RIGHT HERE. ORDERS RIGHT NOW. MARKED IN RED. THEY RUN FROM VALLECITO TO MURPHYS, WHILE AREAS IN YELLOW. THOSE ARE WARNINGS, MEANING RESIDENTS SHOULD BE READY TO LEAVE AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE. WE DO HAVE TEAM COVERAGE THIS MORNING. MELANIE WINGO GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT THE AIR RESOURCES THAT FIRE CREWS ARE USING. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST OPHELIA YOUNG KEEPING AN EYE ON AIR QUALITY AS SMOKE DRIFTS FROM THOSE FIRES AS WELL. MIKE TESELLE IS IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY. THAT’S WHERE FLAMES HAVE RAVAGED A HISTORIC TOWN. WHILE TRAFFIC BRIAN HICKEY IS MONITORING THOSE ROAD CLOSURES THROUGHOUT BOTH COUNTY BUT COUNTIES. BUT LET’S BEGIN WITH THE VERY LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HOW THEY’RE IMPACTING CONTAINMENT EFFORTS WITH METEOROLOGIST TAMARA BERG, ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER CONDITIONS IS TO DO A LITTLE SHOW AND TELL. I’M GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH A REWIND HERE OVER THE LAST 30 MINUTES. THIS IS COMING IN FROM. SONORA WEST, AND IT’S ACTUALLY LOOKING DOWN THE HIGHWAY 108 CORRIDOR AND OFF TO THE WESTERLY DIRECTION. AND THIS IS AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 2400FT. SO THE SONORA WEST CAMERA SHOWS YOU NOT ONLY JUST A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE, BUT THESE SMOKY SKIES HERE AROUND SONORA. AND AT LEAST YOU AREN’T SEEING FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT ANY MAJOR HOTSPOTS CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW AROUND THE TCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX INCLUDE WIND SPEEDS OUT OF THE NORTHEAST 5 TO 10MPH, SO THEY’VE BEEN PRETTY LIGHT IN THESE OVERNIGHT HOURS. TEMPERATURES CURRENTLY IN THE LOWER 70. SO IT’S BEEN QUITE MILD. HUMIDITY HAS BEEN ABOUT 50%. AND THE AIR QUALITY SO FAR WE’RE GOING TO HEAR MORE ON THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED UNHEALTHY IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THERE ARE PARTS OF CALAVERAS AND TUOLUMNE COUNTIES. SO THE WIND FORECAST FOR THE MORNING AGAIN, PRETTY LIGHT, PRIMARILY EAST TO NORTHEAST. BUT NOW THAT THE SUN IS COMING UP, THOSE WIND CONDITIONS ARE GOING TO CHANGE. MOVING TO MORE OF A SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION DURING THE DAYLIGHT AND CHARGE UP A LITTLE BIT IN THAT 10 TO 15MPH RANGE IN ANGELS CAMP CHINESE CAMP AREA AND IN THROUGH COLUMBIA. SO THAT WILL MEAN SOME CHANGEABLE AIR QUALITY AS WELL, ESPECIALLY AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS ACROSS THE REGION. TODAY, TEMPERATURES DOWN. THAT’S GOOD NEWS. ALONG THE FIRE LINES, WE’RE LOOKING AT MID 70S WITH STORMS STAYING TO THE SOUTHERN SIERRA TODAY, ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF TAHOE. SMOKY SKIES, LOW 90S IN THE FOOTHILLS WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 90S ACROSS THE VALLEY. COMING UP IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES, I’LL WALK YOU THROUGH THE EXTENDED FORECAST, NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT IS 703 RIGHT NOW. LET’S GET A CHECK OF THE HIGHWAY CONDITIONS WITH BRIAN. THANKS, TAMARA. START HERE ALONG HIGHWAY 50, COMING IN THROUGH WHITE ROCK ROAD. YOU CAN SEE THERE TRAFFIC IS CRUISING. WE’RE REALLY NO TROUBLE HERE IN THE 50 CORRIDOR. 80 COMING IN. JUST SOME MINOR DELAYS THROUGH GREENBACK. BUT OTHERWISE OVER THE TOP. ALL CLEAR AND JUST A MINOR SLOWDOWN. GETTING ON TO THE CAUSEWAY AS YOU’RE MAKING YOUR WAY NORTHBOUND ON 99. SEEING SOME HEAVIER TRAFFIC HERE AT FLORIN ROAD. AND THAT ALL STARTS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BACK TOWARDS MACK. YOU START TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF SLOWING, BUT RIGHT AT FLORIN YOU CAN SEE SOME RED ON THE SPEED SENSORS THERE, BUT THAT’S IT. NO INCIDENTS. AND IN STOCKTON WE’RE ALL CLEAR AS YOU HEAD EAST THOUGH, UP INTO THE COMPLEX FIRES THERE. THEY’VE GOT 120 AND 49 CLOSED JUST OFF OF 108 TOWARDS CHINESE CAMP WITH FIRE ACTIVITY IN THAT AREA. SO AGAIN AVOID THAT FOR NOW. 80 A 12 MINUTE RIDE OUT OF ROSEVILLE, 50 OUT OF FOLSOM LOOKING AT 16 MINUTES, 99 TO 12 MINUTE RIDE FROM ELK GROVE I5 11 MINUTES BACK TO YOU, BRIAN. THANK YOU. AS RESIDENTS DO LEAVE THEIR HOMES, OFFICIALS ARE NOW OPENING EVACUATION POINTS IN CALAVERAS COUNTY. A SHELTER HAS BEEN SET UP AT BRET HARTE HIGH SCHOOL THAT’S IN ANGELS CAMP ON MURPHYS GRADE ROAD. THEY’RE ACCEPTING PETS. THEIR LIVESTOCK CAN BE TAKEN TO THE CALAVERAS COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS ON FROGTOWN ROAD IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY. RESIDENTS CAN GO TO THE SONORA SENIOR CENTER THAT’S ON GREELEY ROAD. THEY’RE ACCEPTING PETS AS WELL. LIVESTOCK AND OTHER LARGE ANIMALS CAN BE TAKEN TO THE MOTHERLODE FAIRGROUNDS ON SOUTH GATE DRIVE. KCRA 3’S MIKE TESELLE JOINS US NOW LIVE WITH AN UPDATE FROM WHERE HE IS. MIKE. OF COURSE, WE KNOW THE SUN IS UP NOW AND THAT DOES GIVE A BETTER IDEA AND A BETTER LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVERNIGHT. YEAH, AND WITH THE SUN UP OVER THE HORIZON, WE ARE GETTING THAT BETTER LOOK OF THE DAMAGE. HERE WE ARE STANDING ON RED HILL ROAD JUST TO THE WEST OF HIGHWAY 120, AND THE SCENE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. JUST EVERY DIRECTION YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF DESTRUCTION, A LOT OF DESTROYED HOMES. THIS AGAIN, A LOOK FROM RED HILL ROAD. IF YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH CHINESE CAMP ALONG RED HILL ROAD, MAIDEN CURRY, WASHINGTON, MAINE, THOSE ARE ALL THE CROSS STREETS WHERE WE’RE SEEING DAMAGE LIKE THIS THIS MORNING AS WE’RE GETTING THIS FIRST DAYLIGHT VIEW. NOW, I CAN TELL YOU JUST UP THE ROAD, A HOME AT THE 13 500 RED HILL, UNTOUCHED BY FLAMES. SO THAT HOME SAVED. AND THEN A LITTLE FURTHER UP THE ROAD, THE CHINESE CAMP SCHOOL, THAT ONE ALSO SPARED FROM ANY DAMAGE. BUT IT IS JUST OFF OF 120 UP TO THAT POINT OF 13 500. RED HILL, WHERE THIS IS THE SCENE, MANY STRUCTURES LOST. WE DON’T HAVE A FIRM COUNT AS OF NOW, BUT CLEARLY DOZENS OF STRUCTURES BURNED IN THIS FIRE. NOW, THIS IS YOUR DAYLIGHT. LOOK, LET ME GIVE YOU A QUICK LOOK OF WHAT OUR CREWS SAW WHEN THEY WERE HERE LAST NIGHT. A MUCH MORE ACTIVE SCENE AS FAR AS FIRE ACTIVITY. AND THAT FIRE ACTIVITY. UNFORTUNATELY, BURNING HOMES AND DOWNING POWER LINES. WE’VE SEEN MULTIPLE POWER LINES DOWN ALONG THIS ROAD AS WELL. NO HOMEOWNERS IN THIS AREA RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS AN EVACUATED AREA. SO AGAIN, IF WE CAN COME BACK OUT HERE, LIVE OUR FIRST DAYLIGHT, LOOK AT SOME OF THE ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT AREAS OF THIS SIX FIVE FIRE HERE ALONG RED HILL ROAD. AND THEN AGAIN, AS WE REPORTED EARLIER THIS MORNING, COMING IN ON 120, WE SAW A COUPLE OF HOMES AND STRUCTURES ALONG 120 THAT WERE BURNED COMING IN FROM THE NORTH. SO CLEARLY A LOT OF DAMAGE DONE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS SPECIFICALLY IS THE SIX FIVE FIRE OF THAT COMPLEX. WE WERE ALSO IN THE TWO THREE DROVE PAST THE TWO THREE COMPLEX. THAT’S WHERE WE SAW SOME ACTIVE FLAMES ON THE HILLSIDE THIS MORNING. BUT AGAIN, THOSE RELATIVELY WERE CONTAINED, JUST KIND OF MOVING SLOWLY DOWN THE HILLSIDE. AS FOR THIS AREA, WE HAVEN’T REALLY SEEN A WHOLE LOT OF ACTIVE FIRE HERE THIS MORNING. JUST A WHOLE LOT OF DAMAGE DONE BY THAT ACTIVITY YESTERDAY INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF THIS MORNING. LIVE IN CHINESE CAMP, TUOLUMNE MIKE TESELLE KCRA THREE NEWS. AND OF COURSE, MIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WATCHED THESE KIND OF INCIDENTS HAPPEN BEFORE AND YOUR HEART JUST BREAKS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE DEVASTATION FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THOSE AREAS. AND JUST THE RECOVERY IS GOING TO TAKE WEEKS, MONTHS, MAYBE EVEN YEARS AS WELL. WE’RE GOING TO CHECK BACK IN WITH YOU THROUGHOUT THIS HOUR AND KEEP US UPDATED, OF COURSE, ON WHAT YOU’RE SEEING OUT THERE. MEANTIME, IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY, THE BLACK OAK CASINO IS WORKING TO HELP THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. THEY SAY ANYONE WHO IS UNDER A MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER CAN STAY WITH THEM FOR FREE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHOW YOUR CALIFORNIA ID IT DOES HAVE TO LIST. YOUR ADDRESS IS IN THE EVACUATION ZONE. THE SEPTEMBER LIGHTNING COMPLEX, ALSO IMPACTING AIR QUALITY IN THE MOTHERLODE KCRA 3 METEOROLOGIST OPHELIA YOUNG. JOINING US NOW WITH THE LATEST ON THIS. AND OPHELIA, WE KNOW THAT AS THE WINDS SHIFT, PEOPLE WITH ALLERGIES WILL DEFINITELY BE AFFECTED BY THIS. YES. IF YOU HAVE RESPIRATORY ISSUES, DEFINITELY A GOOD DAY TO STAY INDOORS. WE ARE TRACKING THE RETURN OF SOME ONSHORE WINDS, WHICH IS BOTH GOOD AND BAD. IT IS GOOD BECAUSE IT DOES BRING IN SOME COOLER AIR WHICH WILL HELP OUT FIRE CONDITIONS AND FIREFIGHTERS. BUT IT’S BAD BECAUSE THE VARYING AND SHIFTING WINDS WILL POSE SOME CHALLENGES AND WILL EVENTUALLY DRIVE UP SOME AIR FROM THE SOUTH, WHICH DOES INCLUDE SMOKE FROM NOT JUST ONE, BUT SEVERAL FIRES THAT ARE BURNING AND ALSO SOME FIRES IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. HERE’S A PHOTO OF THOSE SMOKY SKIES SHARED YESTERDAY FROM TIFFANY OF, IN HER WORDS, THE DRAMATIC FIRE SKIES OVER MURPHYS, ANOTHER ONE OF THE SUN GLOWING THROUGH THE SMOKE AS A PLANE PASSES OVERHEAD BY JAMIE LANE. FOOTHILL RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT TO WALK OUT TODAY TO MORE OF THE SAME UNHEALTHY AIR, WHICH IS CURRENTLY WORSE. AS YOU CAN SEE IN TUOLUMNE AND CALAVERAS COUNTIES. THOSE AREAS ARE NOT ONLY BEING DEALT SMOKE FROM LIGHTNING FIRES THAT BROKE OUT YESTERDAY, BUT THE ONGOING GARNETT FIRE FURTHER DOWN SOUTH IN THE FOOTHILLS OF FRESNO COUNTY. SMOKE DRIFTING NORTH, COMBINING WITH THE SMOKE FROM THE SEVERAL VEGETATION FIRES THAT SPARKED YESTERDAY. THOSE WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTH WILL DRIVE ALL OF THAT SMOKE NORTH, WHILE THE DELTA BREEZE WILL BE LIGHT BUT STILL PUSHING IT FROM THE VALLEY, BUNCHING IT UP IN THE FOOTHILLS. ESPECIALLY TONIGHT, MORE SMOKE WILL WAFT BACK AND FORTH FROM THE VALLEY TO THE FOOTHILLS TOMORROW, DEPENDING ON FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS. OF COURSE, THE SMOKE FORECAST MODEL THEN THINKING THE SMOKE WILL MOVE UP INTO THE SIERRA, WILL BE MORE CONCENTRATED THERE ON FRIDAY. SO HEADS UP FOR FOLKS WHO ARE HEADED TO OR ARE IN THE MOUNTAIN. OF COURSE, THIS FORECAST CAN CHANGE VERY QUICKLY WITH A FEW MORE STORMS FORECAST FOR THE SIERRA LATER TODAY. TAMARA BERG WILL HAVE MORE ON THAT LATER ON IN THE SHOW. FOR NOW, WE’RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE DESK. MIKE AND BRANDI, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT. AND OF COURSE, DURING FIRE SEASON, HAVING A GO BAG READY CAN REALLY MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE WHEN DISASTER STRIKES. OFFICIALS RECOMMEND HAVING ESSENTIALS READY LIKE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. PRESCRIPTIONS OR MEDICATIONS, A CHANGE OF CLOTHES, EXTRA EYE GLASSES OR CONTACT LENSES, A FIRST AID KIT, A FLASHLIGHT, A BATTERY POWERED RADIO WITH EXTRA BATTERIES, AS WELL AS CHARGERS FOR ANY ELECTRONICS. NOW, PET OWNERS SHOULD ALSO HAVE LEAS

    TCU September Lightning Complex: Lightning-sparked fires force evacuations, destroy structures

    Updated: 7:52 AM PDT Sep 3, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Evacuations remain in effect after a series of fires sparked by lightning started in two Northern California counties.While Cal Fire, the state’s fire management agency, has not reported structure damage, KCRA 3 was able to visually confirm several structures either destroyed or damaged in the historic Tuolumne County gold mining community of Chinese Camp.TCU September Lightning Complex acreage, containmentThe series of fires, grouped together by Cal Fire as the TCU September Lightning Complex, has collectively burned at least 11,977 acres as of 7:42 a.m., up from the 9,383 acres reported at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday.Earlier Wednesday morning, Cal Fire listed the acreage at 12,473, but numbers can change with better surveying and mapping of the burn area. At least nine fires comprise this complex. Of the nine, the two largest ones are the so-called 6-5 Fire in Tuolumne County that sparked near the Don Pedro Reservoir and the 2-7 Fire that started near Highway 4 and Milton Road in Stanislaus County. Cal Fire listed the cause of both fires as lightning.Both of those fires are among many given similar names after thousands of lightning strikes hit parts of the Central Valley, Sacramento Valley, and the Foothills. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office on Tuesday afternoon said that in the first two days of September, California had recorded 9,619 lightning strikes.On Wednesday, the governor’s press office said it announced the state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The state plans to use that funding to ensure enough resources are being put toward the 2-7 Fire.The KCRA 3 weather team anticipates more thunderstorm activity in the Sierra, especially south of Tahoe, on Wednesday.As of Wednesday, there is no known containment around the fire. Containment measures how much of a perimeter crews have established around a burn area to help prevent flames from continuing to spread. It does not actually measure how much of a fire has been extinguished.Wildfire conditionsOn Wednesday morning during the 6 a.m. newscast, KCRA 3’s Mike TeSelle was at Chinese Camp and noted that fire activity had moderated in comparison to conditions on Tuesday. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in extinguishing the flames.TeSelle also noted that among the buildings destroyed is the town’s historic post office, which has been standing since 1854. See when TeSelle featured Chinese Camp in his Explore Outdoors series in the video below.TCU September Lightning Complex evacuations, shelter informationEvacuation orders and warnings are in place for both the 2-7 and 6-5 portions of the complex. With evacuation orders, you are lawfully required to immediately leave. You are not required to leave under a warning but are recommended to be ready to do so in case conditions become dangerous.See an interactive map below for evacuation orders and warnings in Calaveras County for 2-7.Find a map of evacuations in Tuolumne County for 6-5 here. We also have them listed below.6-5 evacuation ordersChinese Camp TownSix Bit Ranch RoadSix Bit Gulch RoadRed Hill RoadDon Pedrro Dam RoadOld Don Pedro Dam RoadMenkee Hess RoadAll roads East of Highway 108 from Junction 59 to Highway 49Both sides of highway 120 from Chinese Camp to Highway 120 BridgeRojo Shawmut Road6-5 evacuation warningsAll Areas from Bell Mooney & Jacksonville RoadWest to Highway 49 and Highway 108 South to Old Jacksonville RoadShelter informationEvacuees seeking shelter or looking for a place to take their animals can go to the following locations based on county.Calaveras CountyBret Harte High School: 323 South Main Street, Altaville, CA 95221Calaveras County Fairgrounds Livestock Evacuation Center (Livestock only): 101 Frogtown Road, Angels Camp, CA 95222Small, domestic pets can also be taken to Bret Harte High SchoolTuolumne CountySonora Senior Center: 540 Greenley Road, Sonora, CA 95370Pets are allowed at the Sonora Senior Center, and animal control is on scene assistingAir quality in parts of Northern California is also experiencing unhealthier levels. Check air quality in your area with the interactive map below.This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as we work to gather more details.| MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alertsCal Fire wildfire incidents: Cal Fire tracks its wildfire incidents here. You can sign up to receive text messages for Cal Fire updates on wildfires happening near your ZIP code here.Wildfires on federal land: Federal wildfire incidents are tracked here.Preparing for power outages: Ready.gov explains how to prepare for a power outage and what to do when returning from one here. Here is how to track and report PG&E power outages.Keeping informed when you’ve lost power and cellphone service: How to find a National Weather Service radio station near you.Be prepared for road closures: Download Caltrans’ QuickMap app or check the latest QuickMap road conditions here.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    ANGELS CAMP, Calif. —

    Evacuations remain in effect after a series of fires sparked by lightning started in two Northern California counties.

    While Cal Fire, the state’s fire management agency, has not reported structure damage, KCRA 3 was able to visually confirm several structures either destroyed or damaged in the historic Tuolumne County gold mining community of Chinese Camp.

    TCU September Lightning Complex acreage, containment

    The series of fires, grouped together by Cal Fire as the TCU September Lightning Complex, has collectively burned at least 11,977 acres as of 7:42 a.m., up from the 9,383 acres reported at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday.

    Earlier Wednesday morning, Cal Fire listed the acreage at 12,473, but numbers can change with better surveying and mapping of the burn area.

    At least nine fires comprise this complex. Of the nine, the two largest ones are the so-called 6-5 Fire in Tuolumne County that sparked near the Don Pedro Reservoir and the 2-7 Fire that started near Highway 4 and Milton Road in Stanislaus County. Cal Fire listed the cause of both fires as lightning.

    TCU September Lightning Complex Fire live updates on Sept. 3

    Both of those fires are among many given similar names after thousands of lightning strikes hit parts of the Central Valley, Sacramento Valley, and the Foothills. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office on Tuesday afternoon said that in the first two days of September, California had recorded 9,619 lightning strikes.

    On Wednesday, the governor’s press office said it announced the state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The state plans to use that funding to ensure enough resources are being put toward the 2-7 Fire.

    The KCRA 3 weather team anticipates more thunderstorm activity in the Sierra, especially south of Tahoe, on Wednesday.

    As of Wednesday, there is no known containment around the fire. Containment measures how much of a perimeter crews have established around a burn area to help prevent flames from continuing to spread. It does not actually measure how much of a fire has been extinguished.

    Wildfire conditions

    On Wednesday morning during the 6 a.m. newscast, KCRA 3’s Mike TeSelle was at Chinese Camp and noted that fire activity had moderated in comparison to conditions on Tuesday. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in extinguishing the flames.

    TeSelle also noted that among the buildings destroyed is the town’s historic post office, which has been standing since 1854. See when TeSelle featured Chinese Camp in his Explore Outdoors series in the video below.

    TCU September Lightning Complex evacuations, shelter information

    Evacuation orders and warnings are in place for both the 2-7 and 6-5 portions of the complex. With evacuation orders, you are lawfully required to immediately leave. You are not required to leave under a warning but are recommended to be ready to do so in case conditions become dangerous.

    See an interactive map below for evacuation orders and warnings in Calaveras County for 2-7.

    Find a map of evacuations in Tuolumne County for 6-5 here. We also have them listed below.

    6-5 evacuation orders

    • Chinese Camp Town
    • Six Bit Ranch Road
    • Six Bit Gulch Road
    • Red Hill Road
    • Don Pedrro Dam Road
    • Old Don Pedro Dam Road
    • Menkee Hess Road
    • All roads East of Highway 108 from Junction 59 to Highway 49
    • Both sides of highway 120 from Chinese Camp to Highway 120 Bridge
    • Rojo
    • Shawmut Road

    6-5 evacuation warnings

    • All Areas from Bell Mooney & Jacksonville Road
    • West to Highway 49 and Highway 108 South to Old Jacksonville Road

    Shelter information

    Evacuees seeking shelter or looking for a place to take their animals can go to the following locations based on county.

    Calaveras County

    • Bret Harte High School: 323 South Main Street, Altaville, CA 95221
    • Calaveras County Fairgrounds Livestock Evacuation Center (Livestock only): 101 Frogtown Road, Angels Camp, CA 95222
    • Small, domestic pets can also be taken to Bret Harte High School

    Tuolumne County

    • Sonora Senior Center: 540 Greenley Road, Sonora, CA 95370
    • Pets are allowed at the Sonora Senior Center, and animal control is on scene assisting

    Air quality in parts of Northern California is also experiencing unhealthier levels. Check air quality in your area with the interactive map below.

    This is a developing story. Stay with KCRA 3 as we work to gather more details.

    | MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alerts

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • Vegetation fire breaks out near Highway 12 in Fairfield

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    Forward progress has been stopped on a vegetation fire burning near Highway 12 in Fairfield that briefly prompted some evacuation orders on Sunday.The Fairfield Fire Department said the fire was burning near the highway and Pennsylvania Avenue. People in the 1400 and 1500 blocks of James Street in Fairfield north of the highway were initially urged to evacuate. They were then told there was no threat to residential structures and they could return. People were still urged to stay off Highway 12 westbound, as the fire moved toward the freeway, police said. Fire officials later said forward progress was stopped at 15 acres burned. This story is developing. Stay with KCRA 3 for updates.| MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alertsCal Fire wildfire incidents: Cal Fire tracks its wildfire incidents here. You can sign up to receive text messages for Cal Fire updates on wildfires happening near your ZIP code here.Wildfires on federal land: Federal wildfire incidents are tracked here.Preparing for power outages: Ready.gov explains how to prepare for a power outage and what to do when returning from one here. Here is how to track and report PG&E power outages.Keeping informed when you’ve lost power and cellphone service: How to find a National Weather Service radio station near you.Be prepared for road closures: Download Caltrans’ QuickMap app or check the latest QuickMap road conditions here.

    FAIRFIELD, Calif. —

    Forward progress has been stopped on a vegetation fire burning near Highway 12 in Fairfield that briefly prompted some evacuation orders on Sunday.

    The Fairfield Fire Department said the fire was burning near the highway and Pennsylvania Avenue.

    This content is imported from Facebook.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    People in the 1400 and 1500 blocks of James Street in Fairfield north of the highway were initially urged to evacuate. They were then told there was no threat to residential structures and they could return.

    People were still urged to stay off Highway 12 westbound, as the fire moved toward the freeway, police said.

    Fire officials later said forward progress was stopped at 15 acres burned.

    This story is developing. Stay with KCRA 3 for updates.

    | MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alerts

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  • L.A. fire victims navigating a rocky rebuilding process

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    Less than eight months after the Eaton and Palisades fires, federal contractors have cleared more than 2 million tons of fire debris from nearly 10,000 properties. Elise Preston is in Altadena, where property owners are now beginning to wrap their heads around the challenges of rebuilding.

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  • Lake County’s Peter Fire evacuation order near Kelseyville downgraded

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    CBS News Live



    CBS News Bay Area

    Live

    A wildfire burning in Lake County near Kelseyville prompted evacuation orders and warnings on Friday afternoon. 

    Cal Fire said the Peter Fire is holding at about 47 acres off Adobe Creek Road, west of Carder Road. Crews reported a moderate rate of spread and short-range spotting. The fire was threatening multiple structures, firefighters said. 

    As of 7:30 p.m., the fire was 50% contained.

    An evacuation order was issued for Adobe Creek Road, Zone KEL-E150. That was downgraded around 6:45 p.m. to an evacuation warning. The other evacuation warnings were lifted. 

    UPDATE 08/29/2025 1:05 PM
    EVACUATION WARNINGS for zones:

    KEL-E151
    KEL-E140
    LAK-E139

    Prepare to leave now.

    ORDER…

    Posted by Lake County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, August 29, 2025

    Cal Fire requested 15 engines, six dozers, five water tenders, two crews, fire air tankers, three helicopters and one air tactical aircraft to the scene.

    Brandon Downs

    Brandon Downs is a digital content producer at CBS Sacramento.

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    Brandon Downs

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  • Infamous ‘Erin Brockovich’ Toxin Polluted Air for Months After LA Fires

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    The January wildfires left many scars on the city of Los Angeles, from rubble-reduced homes to torched abandoned vehicles. Though cleanup crews quickly cleared much of the debris, one alarming invisible impact lingered over the city for months, a new study suggests.

    In late March—more than two months after the flames died out—researchers detected levels of carcinogenic hexavalent chromium (a.k.a. chromium-6) 200 times greater than baseline levels for LA air. If this pollutant sounds familiar, you’re probably thinking of the 2000 film Erin Brockovich, a dramatization of a true story about hexavalent chromium water contamination. Though the levels the researchers detected fell below certain safety thresholds, the particles’ unusually small size immediately raised concerns.

    The study is currently available on the preprint server Research Square, but it has been reviewed by the LA Health Consortium, lead author Michael Kleeman, an environmental engineer at the University of California Davis, told Gizmodo in an email. Though it has yet to go through formal peer review, he and his colleagues chose to release the findings to alert policymakers and the public to this potentially hazardous pollutant as soon as possible.

    In a statement to Science Magazine, the South Coast Air Quality Management District emphasized that the study’s sampling was limited and that its own data do not suggest there is an immediate health risk from hexavalent chromium.

    Fire activates chromium’s toxicity

    Chromium is a heavy metal that naturally occurs in soil, plants, and rocks, but it’s also present in some building materials, including stainless steel, chrome plating, pigments, and cement. In its common form, chromium III is an essential nutrient that helps the body break down fats and carbohydrates.

    When oxidized, chromium III becomes toxic hexavalent chromium. Certain levels of exposure to this pollutant may increase the risk of lung, nasal, and sinus cancer, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Research has shown that fire can drive the oxidation of chromium III, and a 2023 study found that hexavalent chromium can be present in wildfire smoke and ash.

    Thus, Kleeman and his colleagues expected to find hexavalent chromium when they sampled air from debris cleanup zones around the Eaton and Palisades fires. They detected concentrations ranging from 8.1 nanograms to 21.6 nanograms per cubic meter in the neighborhoods most affected by the fires: Altadena and the Pacific Palisades. This is well below the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s workplace exposure limit of 200 nanograms per cubic meter of air but above the EPA’s indoor limit of 0.1 nanogram per cubic meter.

    What they didn’t expect was the puny size of the particles. “It is really surprising to find all of the hexavalent chromium in the LA fire debris cleanup zones concentrated in particles smaller than 56 nanometers,” Kleeman said.

    Smaller particles, bigger hazard

    The main pollutant of concern in wildfire smoke is PM2.5—hazardous particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers wide. Their size allows them to lodge themselves deep inside the lungs, causing tissue damage and inflammation. The hexavalent chromium nanoparticles Kleeman and his colleagues detected are an order of magnitude smaller.

    “Nanoparticles smaller than 50 nanometers can cross cell membranes, meaning they can get deeper into our bodies than larger particles,” he explained. “Nanoparticles can circulate in our blood and get to all of our major organs.” Still, the specific health risks from hexavalent chromium nanoparticles remain uncertain. “The current findings warrant caution, but not panic,” Kleeman said.

    He plans to return to Altadena and the Palisades to determine whether airborne hexavalent chromium levels have returned to normal and identify potential sources and exposure hotspots. Understanding this newly realized threat is more important than ever as global temperatures rise.

    “California is in a new reality where climate change is driving wildfires into major urban areas,” Kleeman said. “We all need to work together to adapt to this new reality.”

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    Ellyn Lapointe

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  • August Wildfire Ready special: Evacuation tips, fire simulation programs and detecting lightning

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    August Wildfire Ready special: Evacuation tips, fire simulation programs and detecting lightning

    New fires starting every day. These winds are flowing out of the west. They’re pushing the flames away from the fire as lightning strikes in the foothills are sparking more fire concerns, and your family needs to be ready. There’s some nerves about evacuation response in the Tahoe Basin. KCRA 3 meteorologists are. Conditions outside fire behavior. If this fire is hot enough, it can push that cloud even higher. How to protect your property? But you just want to braided it so that it’s attached to their hair. Take time now to think about what’s most important to you that you want to take with you in an instant, and brand new tools that could save lives. We will implement that seek and destroy mission in *** KCRA 3 wildfire ready special. Welcome and thank you for joining us for our KR 3 wildfire ready special. We’re in the heart of wildfire season in Northern California, and so far it’s been *** quiet year, but we all know that the next big fire could ignite any day. The entire KCRA 3 weather team is here with the information you and your loved ones need to know, and we know, Heather, fires can start anytime, anywhere. Do you know how to get alerts for evacuations? Well, here’s some important tips. Each county in California has an alert program. You can sign up for if you work in one county but live in another, you should sign up for both. Scan the QR code for the list of alert programs. Another good thing to do is during *** fire, check your county sheriff and Office of Emergency Management social media pages. How about in the middle of the night? And what if your power goes out? Coming up later, I’ll show you *** tool that could provide *** life saving alert. Right now, fuels in the foothills in the Sierra are as dry as they can be. And when monsoon moisture comes up from the south, we get the risk for lightning fires. Lightning is the only natural cause of wildfire in California, but it can also cause the fires that are the hardest to put out. According to the National Science Foundation, 70% of all the acreage burned in the West is because of *** lightning fire. Coming up in *** few minutes, I’m going to show you the brand new sensors that were just installed in the Tahoe area that can help fire agencies detect *** lightning fire in seconds. Even without lightning, weather has *** big influence on our fire risk. Every day our team looks at wind, humidity, and fuel moisture to help you prepare for that risk with our fire threat index. The QR code on your screen will take you to that index at KCRA.com. One thing you can do right now is plan your evacuation route, and if you have young drivers at home, make sure they know the turns without using navigation and make sure that your go bag is ready with everything you and your animals need. Some of the things included in that list. Make sure you have *** 3 day supply of food and water. Make sure that you have *** first aid kit and make sure you have all of your prescriptions and medications. If you want to see the full list, we’ve got that online on our wildfire ready guide, and you can use our app to learn about fires burning near you. So far this year, more than 354,000 acres have burned on state and federally managed land. That is higher than the. 5 year average for this same time period and this year started off with two of the three most destructive fires in state history, showing just how severe that ongoing threat can be. Coming up, I’ll show you how wildfire simulations are helping Cal Fire learn about past fires, battle current ones, and prevent future blazes. Now to the Tahoe area where experts are using *** new network of lightning sensors to help prevent destructive fires. Lightning fires start in some of the most remote spots in California, so it can take days to see smoke. By then, *** fire could be out of control. Now the Tahoe Basin is home to *** network of sensors that can detect *** lightning strike within 100 ft and then alert firefighters in less than *** minute. This is one of those sensors positioned at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. There are 2 metal plates. It’s one of 9 keeping watch for high risk lightning in the Tahoe Basin. Basically, lightning will disturb this electromagnetic field, and it’ll be able to pinpoint where it was based off of that. It was developed by the Fire Neural Network team. The group got its start in Florida, the lightning capital of the United States. Its purpose is based on one big idea. Not all lightning is created. FNN’s Caroline Cummo says that *** strike lasting just 0.2 million. lids, the blink of an eye is enough to ignite *** wildfire. The strike is touching the ground 1000 times longer than normal strikes. FNN sensors single out those lightning strikes, then use data on fuel type in recent weather to predict the potential for an ignition. The data end up here in *** color coded dashboard. These big red dots are considered the high risk strikes. Cal Fire will get alerts and coordinates to within 100 ft for any high risk strikes. That’s going to be substantial on us, not only fire suppression efforts, but stocking that response up appropriately. Battalion Chief Nathan Ment says it’s the randomness of lightning that creates the biggest challenges. Lightning doesn’t. To land next to *** road necessarily right it’s that access. FNN sensors can alert them of *** threat in just 40 seconds. That alert process happens and then the human element can come in at that point, validate, verify, send resources if need be, instead of waiting for smoke, which could take days. Snow Lab lead scientist Dr. Andrew Schwartz says that’s exactly why he wanted to help bring the. And sensors to the region. Hopefully the sensor network gets away from that waiting game and becomes we can become *** little bit more proactive. Cal Fire says it uses every tool at its disposal to fight these remote lightning fires, but it’s always on the public to be aware of the risk and to be ready this time of year. If you are informed or if you gather intel or information that there is *** lightning fire. Uh, don’t wait for the evacuation warning or order to come. If *** fire starts nearby, you may need to leave at *** moment’s notice, but how can you make sure you get the warning, especially if it happens *** fire overnight. Take *** look at this important tool that could save lives. If *** fire starts in the middle of the night, do you know where to get your warning information? Sure, *** phone, that’s *** great tool, but what happens if your phone, it’s in silent mode, it’s turned off, or worse yet, Your power goes out. This NOAA weather radio is going to be one of your best tools to stay informed during *** wildfire. If there was an active alert, you would hear it out of the radio here. Right now, of course it’s just delivering *** forecast, but if there was an active alert, it would be followed with information from the National Weather Service for your region or your county on ***. Exactly what to do and where to go next. If you are deaf or hard of hearing or have *** low or reduced vision, there are two other great options to alert you, especially when you need information quickly. The strobe light, which attaches to the alerts issued from the NOAA weather radio, this would flash brightly to alert you to wake up and get out if you needed to. Then there’s also the pillow shaker, which is *** great option, which you can actually put under your pillow, and this would shake to let you know that an alert has been issued for your county. Getting access to vital information, this is going to be one of the best ways to do it through the NOAA weather radio. This is good to go to give you all of the access to updates and information, especially when *** wildfire is threatening. Earlier we mentioned those important things that you should pack in your go bag, but there may be other important heirlooms that you want to keep safe. Kelly Curran shows us how to make sure your family memories are preserved here at KCRA. We know *** thing or two about digitizing videos. We’re currently in the process of uploading our archives. It’s certainly time consuming, but there are services available to do it for you. I. It can be very costly and time consuming, so that’s why *** lot of people would just bring it here, let us take care of it for them, take away that that hassle and headache. Mike’s camera in Midtown Sacramento sees customers requesting to digitize every day, and it’s not just photos. We do digitize photographs like physical photos. We can digitize slides, negatives of all sizes, video tapes, VHS, reels, um, many DBs. You can organize your photos and negatives or just. Throw them all in *** box and deal with it later. We do offer *** service called *** Gather box for photographs, so that’s *** box that you buy from us. You fill it all up as much as possible, um. Sometimes you can fit up to like 1000 4x6s in there. Bring that back to us and we can have that done for you in about 3 to 4 days. Typically customers request flash drives. You can get more than one to share with family or friends for safekeeping or skip the hard copy entirely so you won’t waste time looking for it in an emergency. We can send things through email so you can save them into your cloud in case you can’t find the physical flash drives or CDs, Kelly Curran, KCR 3 News. Prices for digitizing photos in one of the gather boxes provided by Mike’s camera can range from $250 to $350 depending on the quality. When we come back, how agencies are using simulation programs to better prepare for fires, plus those huge clouds you see during fires, we’re going to explain what those are and how they form. Playing with fire, it’s *** new way to fight it. Fire management agencies are relying more on simulation programs to better understand fire behavior. Meteorologist Ophelia Young sits through *** simulation with fire officials in Tahoe. I’m in Golden Bear, South Lake Tahoe, *** subdivision of 150 to 200 homes. There’s one way in and one way out. What could happen if *** fire were to spark right there. You’re showing up. You got 8 acres. What are you thinking right now? Battalion Chief Brett Swingen is thinking one of three things that’s life, property, or environment. In this fire. There’s *** lot of homes, *** lot of people in that area, *** lot of life. So our number one priority is evacuations and getting people out, right? Life before property. Now where to evacuate this area down here is not really. Threatened. I’m not gonna maybe do evacuation orders down there more so up here and forecasting where this is gonna go. He plugs three main factors into this simulation program fuel, topography, and weather. The fuels are shrubs, grasses, needle cast. This is really receptive for embers and ember casts and things like that that can really impact control efforts in the fire. The topography kind of come in this uh to the north northeast already and then the wind pushing that that way as well. And speaking of those winds right now this has *** 60 mile an hour wind on it. Very bad day to have *** fire in that area. Assistant Chief Brian Newman says this simulation helps determine their next steps. Where are we going to be able to organize and direct resources? Trucks. Bulldozers And or aircraft. Is the amount of resources that we have arriving at scene and responding, is that enough? And where to position them? Who will position them? Just this fire alone you would have Lake Valley Fire District, the city, South Lake Ta Fire and Rescue. Uh, Tahoe Management unit or the US Forest Service and Cal Fire would all have *** piece on this fire. Now 7 hours, 700 acres still burning northeast. These streets all have multiple homes on them. But then this is heading towards heavenly, and now this fire is burning into the mountains. The strategy changes and. So does the conversation. Now *** new challenge. So there are no roads up here. It’s very steep terrain, heavy fuels, and as you get in this upper elevations, the wind starts to impact it more so the rates of spread increase the intensity of the fire. They may need *** new simulation. They’ve got one in seconds. multiple simulations over and over. Before these plug and play fire simulation programs, Chief Newman would use *** sandbox to physically model *** fire. It took *** lot of math and time they often didn’t have. Now Chief Newman and Sweringen produce simulations regularly for evacuations. Leadership and teamwork exercises to planning where to reduce fuels, whether *** fire sparks right there, right now or later. No fire is the same, no incidents the same, right? Evacuation orders are always going to be different, different areas, fire is gonna burn differently from South Lake Tahoe, Ophelia Young, KCRA 3 News. Fire chiefs look forward to the next step in wildfire simulation technology, which is integrating artificial intelligence and real-time satellite images that will happen in the next few years. Now we often talk about weather and how it can influence *** wildfire, but sometimes the most intense fires create weather of their own. Meteorologist Dirk Ver Dorn joins us now to explain pyrocumulonimbus clouds and the erratic conditions that come with them. The making of *** pyro cumulonimbus cloud. The source is going to be *** little different here of lift, and that’s where the pyro part comes in. You have the fire that’s associated with this cloud. cumulo means the heap, and then you have nimbus, which means the rain that’s associated with it. So we have our fire. That’s going to be the source of lift. You have the air that’s being pulled up. You have all these gasses and smoke that are rising up because they’re warmer than the surrounding air, so you get the column of smoke associated with this. Now if this fire is hot enough, it can push that cloud even higher and it develops into, well, you have the water vapor that’s in the surrounding air that starts to lock on to all those particulates, and there’s *** lot of particulates to lock onto when you have *** column of smoke, but still it cools, it condenses, and it can even get to the point. If the fire is strong enough where you, you can have some rain associated with this, and again, even the possibility of some lightning associated with this that can actually create thunderstorms. Now the good thing about this, and there’s been cases where this has happened where the rain has actually helped to put out the fire. The problem though is if you have lightning, that can actually be *** problem because it could cause more fires to start. Now here we have *** pyrocumulus cloud and you can see the column of smoke from the fire rising up to *** point where the air. starts to cool and the smoke starts to dissipate in different directions, but there’s *** hot spot that has created enough lift where we’re getting this cauliflower looking cloud on top. That’s the pyrocumulus cloud, the cloud that’s caused by fire. Now this is not *** pyro cumulonimbus cloud. There’s no rain associated with it. It’s just *** pyro cumulus cloud. I wanted to show you that. Also what I wanted to talk about was *** change that’s been made. Now in 2017, the World Meteorological Organization. In their international cloud atlas they chose the term cumulonimbus Flamagenitus cloud to describe flame created rain clouds. So let’s go ahead and take *** look at this Flama means fire. Genitis means created. So this is then *** heaped up rain fire created cloud. Well, that’s *** mouthful, but it is descriptive. Coming up, protecting large animals in case of *** fire, the best ways to make sure horses and other animals are safe in some of our rural areas. Evacuating ahead of *** wildfire, it’s stressful, but evacuating with large animals that can make it even more complicated. Certainly can. KCR meteorologist Kelly Kern visited all about equine Animal Rescue to learn some tips on how to get your horses out safely. We see the footage every fire season, horse owners fleeing with full trailers and even horses being set loose to run for their lives. Mary Beth Brown, *** horse owner and volunteer with All About Equi Animal Rescue, is no stranger to evacuating. Always evacuate early. So my recommendation is always, even if you’re in *** warning area. That’s the time to evacuate just like you would do with your family or smaller animals, you want to have *** go bag. If there’s any medications or grains or feed, you wanna make sure that those are packed and ready to go. So again, you know, you kind of just want to make sure that you are prepared. So if you have *** trailer, you can keep that packed, keep that stock and practice. You definitely want to practice at home because when it’s not an emergency, if you’re having problems, it’s guaranteed you will have problems when the emergency arises because you’re stressed, they’re stressed, they don’t know what’s going on. And know where you’re going before fire season line up, find *** friend, find *** boarding stable, find somewhere that you know if you have to pick up in the middle of the night. You can call on your way. Unfortunately, wildfires can move faster than you can evacuate. Time for Plan B. Set them loose. There’s many reasons that you may not. Be able to remove the animal from the situation. In that case, while you still have control of the animal, you, you want to put identifiers on him. So the best case scenario would be ahead of time get your horse microchipped just like you would *** cat or *** dog. You can also use *** Sharpie to write your phone number on their hoof or use livestock paint markers to identify your horse. You can any type of tag, so *** key ring. Um, cattle ear tags, which you can get at your local feed store, but you just want to braid it in so that it’s attached to their hair, and then you can use the rubber band, you can use athletic tape, whatever it is to, to tie it off. Freeze brands like these can be used to identify your. when it’s located after the fire. Brown says no matter what, the horse community in California has each other’s backs. The community is here for you, especially in times of need, because everybody knows it could be them at some point. Kelly Curran, KR 3 News. If you must set your horse loose, remove halters and tack that could snag on trees, as well as nylon halters and fly masks that could melt in the heat. Also have copies of ownership documents as well as photos of your horses to prove they’re yours. Thank you for joining us for our wildfire ready special. Remember we have important evacuation information plus *** list of what to bring in *** go bag on the KCRA 3 app. Have *** good night.


    By Tamara Berg, Kelly Curran, Ophelia Young

    While the Summer is drawing to a close it’s still important to be aware of the dangers of wildfires in California. Some fire officials would argue wildfire season has become year-round for the state, making preparedness more urgent. KCRA 3’s team of meteorologists put together a guide with tips on how to be ready for fires before they happen. The team has also spoken to agencies about developments in technology meant to help with fire prevention and response efforts. Having a ‘Go Bag’ readyA big part of wildfire preparedness is knowing what to take with you if you’re in the area of a burn and having those things readily available. Kelly Curran talked to Cal Fire about what they recommend to have in your ‘Go Bag.’ Some things, such as a first aid kit and water, may seem self explanatory, but there are plenty of other things officials recommend you pack. When it comes to food, deciding what to include can be confusing. You want to look for items that are shelf stable, nutritious and require minimal preparation. Granola bars and canned goods are a great option, but don’t forget to include a can opener in your kit.You also want to have an evacuation route and a map. For more ‘Go Bag’ tips, click here. Tracking lightning capable of starting firesLightning fires are some of the hardest for firefighters to attack directly because they often start in remote areas. It may take days for these fires to be visible. By the time crews reach the head of a fire, it may be too large to quickly contain.Heather Waldman spoke with the Fire Neural Network, the team behind a new network of sensor technology in the Lake Tahoe area that detects lightning capable of starting wildfires. The technology can report the hazard to firefighters in less than a minute. Each of the nine sensors in the Tahoe and Donner summit area can pinpoint a lightning strike to within 100 feet. Once a strike is detected, a built-in computer analyzes its duration along with recent weather and fuel moisture information. AI uses the data collected to determine a level of fire risk, according to FNN. One of the sensors is stationed at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab.”I thought it would be an ideal place to put these lightning sensors in the hopes that we can address wildfires before they got too big in the Tahoe Basin,” said Dr. Andrew Schwartz, who helped lead the process of bringing the technology to the region.Read the full story here. Playing with fire to save lives A rapidly advancing technology is becoming an essential tool in understanding and forecasting fire behavior. Cal Fire Amador–El Dorado Unit Battalion Chief Bret Swearengin walked KCRA 3’s Ophelia Young through a wildfire simulation demonstration, explaining how these programs help firefighters quickly make life-saving decisions.The program took the variables and, through an algorithm, simulated a wildfire spreading toward the mountains. This output helps crews decide which neighborhoods to evacuate first and what tactical steps to take next.Read the full story here. Ensuring valuable memories aren’t lost in a fire Safety is always first, and during a wildfire evacuation, you may not have time to grab many family photos on your way out. Digitizing family photos and videos and uploading them to flash drives or into the cloud ahead of fire season can give you peace of mind during an evacuation.One place you can do that: Mike’s Camera in Midtown Sacramento. They can digitize photographs of all sizes, slides, negatives, video tapes and reels.”We do offer a service called a ‘gather box’ for photographs, so that’s a box that you buy from us, fill it all up as much as possible. Sometimes you can fit up to 1,000 4x6s in there. Bring that back to us and we can have that done for you in about three to four days,” Sarah Sheldon, store manager of Mike’s Camera, told Kelly Curran. Read the full story here. | MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alertsCal Fire wildfire incidents: Cal Fire tracks its wildfire incidents here. You can sign up to receive text messages for Cal Fire updates on wildfires happening near your ZIP code here.Wildfires on federal land: Federal wildfire incidents are tracked here.Preparing for power outages: Ready.gov explains how to prepare for a power outage and what to do when returning from one here. Here is how to track and report PG&E power outages.Keeping informed when you’ve lost power and cellphone service: How to find a National Weather Service radio station near you.Be prepared for road closures: Download Caltrans’ QuickMap app or check the latest QuickMap road conditions here.

    While the Summer is drawing to a close it’s still important to be aware of the dangers of wildfires in California.

    Some fire officials would argue wildfire season has become year-round for the state, making preparedness more urgent.

    KCRA 3’s team of meteorologists put together a guide with tips on how to be ready for fires before they happen. The team has also spoken to agencies about developments in technology meant to help with fire prevention and response efforts.

    Having a ‘Go Bag’ ready

    A big part of wildfire preparedness is knowing what to take with you if you’re in the area of a burn and having those things readily available.

    Kelly Curran talked to Cal Fire about what they recommend to have in your ‘Go Bag.’ Some things, such as a first aid kit and water, may seem self explanatory, but there are plenty of other things officials recommend you pack.

    When it comes to food, deciding what to include can be confusing. You want to look for items that are shelf stable, nutritious and require minimal preparation. Granola bars and canned goods are a great option, but don’t forget to include a can opener in your kit.

    You also want to have an evacuation route and a map.

    For more ‘Go Bag’ tips, click here.

    Tracking lightning capable of starting fires

    Lightning fires are some of the hardest for firefighters to attack directly because they often start in remote areas. It may take days for these fires to be visible. By the time crews reach the head of a fire, it may be too large to quickly contain.

    Heather Waldman spoke with the Fire Neural Network, the team behind a new network of sensor technology in the Lake Tahoe area that detects lightning capable of starting wildfires. The technology can report the hazard to firefighters in less than a minute.

    Each of the nine sensors in the Tahoe and Donner summit area can pinpoint a lightning strike to within 100 feet. Once a strike is detected, a built-in computer analyzes its duration along with recent weather and fuel moisture information.

    AI uses the data collected to determine a level of fire risk, according to FNN.

    One of the sensors is stationed at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab.

    “I thought it would be an ideal place to put these lightning sensors in the hopes that we can address wildfires before they got too big in the Tahoe Basin,” said Dr. Andrew Schwartz, who helped lead the process of bringing the technology to the region.

    Read the full story here.

    Playing with fire to save lives

    A rapidly advancing technology is becoming an essential tool in understanding and forecasting fire behavior.

    Cal Fire Amador–El Dorado Unit Battalion Chief Bret Swearengin walked KCRA 3’s Ophelia Young through a wildfire simulation demonstration, explaining how these programs help firefighters quickly make life-saving decisions.

    The program took the variables and, through an algorithm, simulated a wildfire spreading toward the mountains. This output helps crews decide which neighborhoods to evacuate first and what tactical steps to take next.

    Read the full story here.

    Ensuring valuable memories aren’t lost in a fire

    Safety is always first, and during a wildfire evacuation, you may not have time to grab many family photos on your way out.

    Digitizing family photos and videos and uploading them to flash drives or into the cloud ahead of fire season can give you peace of mind during an evacuation.

    One place you can do that: Mike’s Camera in Midtown Sacramento. They can digitize photographs of all sizes, slides, negatives, video tapes and reels.

    “We do offer a service called a ‘gather box’ for photographs, so that’s a box that you buy from us, fill it all up as much as possible. Sometimes you can fit up to 1,000 4x6s in there. Bring that back to us and we can have that done for you in about three to four days,” Sarah Sheldon, store manager of Mike’s Camera, told Kelly Curran.

    Read the full story here.

    | MORE | A 2025 guide for how to prepare for wildfires in California | Northern California wildfire resources by county: Find evacuation info, sign up for alerts

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