One challenge for fire crews in Plumas County is residents who won’t leave their property, forcing firefighters to take risks on their behalf.
Lila Seidman
Posted inEnvironment
‘We knew there was no saving it’: Gold Rush-era town gone, leaving broken hearts, broken dreams
Greenville, a Gold Rush town dating to the 19th century, rebuilt after an 1881 fire. Now it has been destroyed by the Dixie fire, California’s largest this year.
Posted inLatest News
Overwhelmed firefighters battle to save California communities, assess mass destruction
Another day of dangerous winds is on tap as the Dixie fire continues to grow and the River fire burns homes north of Sacramento.
Posted inEnvironment
Fierce winds threatening to make things worse on surging Dixie fire
Personnel attacking the Dixie fire — including firefighters from Santa Cruz County departments — were bracing for strong winds expected to arrive Wednesday afternoon that could make difficult conditions worse. The fire stood at 274,139 acres and 35% containment.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Bay Area counties mandate indoor masks as Delta variant rages; Santa Cruz stands pat
Officials in a large swath of the Bay Area announce residents will again need to wear masks in indoor public settings regardless of vaccination status. Neighboring Santa Clara and San Mateo are among the counties reinstituting the mandate, but Santa Cruz County is sticking to recommending, not requiring, masks indoors.
Posted inLatest News
Dixie fire swells beyond 240,000 acres, swallowing homes: ‘It’s been heartbreaking’
The Dixie fire is now the 11th largest wildfire in California’s recorded history, searing more than 240,000 acres.
Posted inEnvironment
Dixie fire scorches nearly 200,000 acres, doubling in size in days
Gusty winds and thunderstorms could exacerbate the conditions that are fueling the Dixie and Tamarack fires in Northern California. More than 5,400 personnel — including crews from Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Cal Fire’s local CZU unit, among others — are attacking the blaze around the clock.
Posted inEnvironment
After coyote charges at children in San Francisco park, animal is killed: ‘Too close for comfort’
The coyote had aggressively approached toddlers in the San Francisco Botanical Gardens on five separate occasions. One official attributed the coyote’s actions to people repeatedly feeding it, leading the animal to lose “not just fear, but all sense of caution.”
Posted inEnvironment
Alarmingly low rain levels prime California for fire danger in summer, fall
A worsening drought is further drying out parched vegetation, which could be fuel for a disastrous fire season. “Once June gloom comes to an end, things are gonna dry out really quick,” one researcher warned. “Then it’s just a matter of an ignition. … Fingers crossed we don’t have another lightning outbreak, like what happened last year.”
Posted inPandemic Life
It turns out some Californians aren’t eager to shed their masks just yet
California fully reopened Tuesday, so residents who are fully vaccinated were able to go into many public places without masks, but many kept them on.
