During wildfires and disasters, well-meaning but untrained “spontaneous volunteers” emerge to defend lives and property but the lack of training can sometimes mean they are putting themselves and others in danger. It’s a controversial issue but a nonprofit group has a middle-ground solution.
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
All-out fight to save South Lake Tahoe as Caldor fire forces evacuation warnings
The Caldor fire has swelled past 143,000 acres and continues to burn toward South Lake Tahoe, where evacuation warnings have people on high alert. The blaze was only 12% contained as of Friday morning.
Posted inUncategorized
Big Basin before and after CZU, through one local filmmaker’s eyes
The stark, straightforward “Big Basin Will Never Be The Same” uses side-by-side film of Eric Parson’s favorite trail run in Big Basin, one side shot before the 2020 blaze and one after, to sound an alarm about what our forests are facing.
Posted inLatest News
Winds push Caldor fire 14 miles from South Lake Tahoe as crews surge to stop it
The Caldor fire is now less than 15 miles from South Lake Tahoe, and fire officials are pooling resources to stop it, authorities said. “We feel pretty confident that the work that we are doing should keep it from getting to South Lake Tahoe,” one battalion chief said. “That’s not to say it’s not a threat; it’s definitely a threat.”
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz City Council OKs outdoor dining extension, weighs in on ADUs & CZU grand jury report
During its Tuesday meeting, the Santa Cruz City Council approved an extension for temporary outdoor dining and the relocation of the Homeless Garden Project’s farm.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
‘The sound of explosions’: One year after CZU, the echoes of loss reverberate for the many still recovering
Since the fires, Cyndy Haskey has seldomly visited this nearly three-acre lot where her home once stood in the Braemoor neighborhood of Bonny Doon. There is almost nothing here to visit. And even if there were, the memories and associations are just too strong.
Posted inEnvironment
Caldor fire approaches Lake Tahoe; residents brace for the worst
A spot fire threatened the community of Twin Bridges, about nine miles from the shore of the lake, prompting evacuation warnings. Gusting winds Wednesday pushed the fire toward the lake, and warmer temperatures forecast for later this week could also spur the blaze.
Posted inEnvironment
Pentagon approves extending wildfire surveillance program vital to California firefighters
The FireGuard program is hugely popular throughout the West among federal and state fire commanders, who have come to rely on military and government satellite imagery to help them make on-the-ground decisions about strategy and evacuations.
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Interactive Eco Home teaches kids water, recycling, and other sustainability practices
The Soquel Creek Water District and the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery (MOD) have partnered to create an “Eco Home,” an interactive learning exhibit to inspire and challenge kids and families about water sustainability and how to use water wisely. Check the MOD website at www.sccmod.org for open hours.
Posted inEnvironment
Caldor fire burns more than 440 homes as Lake Tahoe air quality ranks among worst in U.S.
More than 17,000 structures remain under threat from the blaze, which was just 5% contained as of Monday. Strong winds helped the fire grow to more than 100,000 acres over the weekend as it pushed closer to South Lake Tahoe.