Fire chiefs for Scotts Valley and Central Fire say bond measures to pay for new stations and equipment struggled to garner enough support on crowded Santa Cruz County ballots. While Measure Q could open up millions in grants for fire districts for wildfire prevention projects, chiefs say that process is complex and uncertain.
Wildfires
Posted inLatest News
Prescribed burn will affect 400 acres at Wilder Ranch State Park
California State Parks will conduct prescribed burns on 400 acres at Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz over the next two weeks and expects to temporarily close portions of Chinquapin Trail, Long Meadow Trail and Englesman Loop Trail.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz County needs to rethink rural wildland fire protection – county fire needs to become an independent fire district
For years, Santa Cruz County has not paid enough attention to community fire protection and safe movement, particularly in the rural wildland districts that ring the county, writes Sanjay Khandelwal. Now, he writes, it’s time. Lessons from the 2020 CZU fire mean we need an urgent rethink of how we handle fire protection. For Khandelwal, a Summit resident who served as the last chair of the county’s fire department advisory commission, an important step is converting county fire, which has a $10.8 million budget, into an independent fire district. The board of supervisors is considering this, and Khandelwal hopes the new board will push forward with this needed change.
Posted inLatest News
325 homes face power shutoff amid red flag warning for Santa Cruz County
With high winds and low humidity in the forecast, the National Weather Service has issued a flag warning indicating critical fire weather conditions from Tuesday morning to Thursday morning for an area including Santa Cruz County.
Posted inLatest News
Hindered wildfire response, costlier agriculture likely if Trump dismantles NOAA, experts warn
Many industries rely on the agency’s weather and climate data. Even a small gap in its operations could raise food prices and drastically disrupt how people navigate the West’s changing climate.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Fire off Highway 1 near Buena Vista Drive closes northbound lanes
At around 1 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire and several other agencies responded to “several small fires” north of Buena Vista Drive and closed all northbound lanes on Highway 1 – just north of Watsonville.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz County under red flag warning Thursday night into Saturday; power shutoffs possible
The National Weather Service has expanded a red flag warning indicating critical fire weather conditions to include all of Santa Cruz County, beginning Thursday night and lasting through Saturday afternoon. With windy conditions forecast throughout Central and Northern California, Pacific Gas & Electric listed Santa Cruz County among areas for precautionary power shutoffs Friday and Saturday, with 132 customers possibly affected.
Posted inLatest News
Arrest made in Boulder Creek weekend wildfire
Cal Fire announced that an arrest has been made in a wildfire that burned a trailer home and a quarter acre near Boulder Creek on Saturday.
Posted inSan Lorenzo Valley
Controlled burn planned in Boulder Creek on Tuesday
An approximately 26-acre controlled burn will take place on private land near the intersection of Jamison Creek Road and Empire Grade on Tuesday, Oct. 15, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Cal Fire will carry out the burn, weather permitting, and smoke could be noticed in the area one to two days following it.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
County supervisors’ response to CZU recovery investigation ‘does not align’ with reality, District 5 candidates say
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is deflecting criticism from a civil grand jury report accusing the county of mishandling recovery from the 2020 CZU wildfire. The two candidates running in this November’s election for an open District 5 supervisor seat — Christopher Bradford, a fire victim, and Monica Martinez — criticized the board’s response this week and called for more accountability and expedited rebuilding.