Some experts say the restrictions create more barriers to doing controlled burns precisely when the need for them is most acute.
Wildfires
Posted inLatest News
California’s heat wave fueling destructive fires. The worst is likely yet to come
Record heat is fueling dangerous fires across California, pushing firefighters to the limit and creating ideal conditions for more blazes to spark and spread.
Posted inLatest News
NorCal wildfire wipes out historically Black neighborhood with frightening speed
The Mill fire in Siskiyou County destroys the historically Black neighborhood of Lincoln Heights in Weed, officials said. “Wildfire is no longer in the wilderness. It’s right inside the city limits.”
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As forests go up in smoke, so will California’s climate plan
As wildfires become more extreme, some worry California will near a tipping point in which its forests emit more carbon dioxide than they absorb.
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Ask Lookout: What was that big helicopter going back and forth to the DeLaveaga fire recently?
Folks around downtown might have seen a new addition to Cal Fire’s air attack dipping into the San Lorenzo River near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to help fight a recent blaze. Here’s a closer look.
Posted inUncategorized
We are different people, you and I, two years after the CZU fires
Any outdoor space with trees was good, and without trees was not so good, Wallace Baine writes of his thinking before the lightning storm of August 2020 that sparked the blaze that devastated parts of Santa Cruz County. Now, he can’t help but view them differently. And in the terrible aftermath, we’ve learned to honor people’s losses a bit more humanely.
Posted inInside Lookout
As thunder crackles anew, we mark the second anniversary of the CZU fires
The fires destroyed more than 900 homes and changed many lives around Santa Cruz County. And the rebuilding efforts have been halting and tough. We look back and the people and issues we’ve covered, even as we look ahead.
Posted inLatest News
In the ashes of a devastating Sierra fire, a flower farm blooms
Kjessie Essue wanted to bring beauty to her piece of Northern California in the wake of last year’s blazes. But would people care about blossoms?
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Quick response stops progress on fire in DeLaveaga Park; cause under investigation
First responders from Cal Fire and the Santa Cruz fire and police departments were on scene Friday in and around DeLaveaga Park after a wildfire broke out about 12:30 p.m. among eucalyptus trees in the park. Forward progress on the blaze, estimated at 3 to 5 acres, was stopped around 3 p.m.