California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

6 Stories

After Sex-Tape Allegation, Calif. Suspends 16 Firefighters

But for 'unrelated policy violations'

(Newser) - The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has put 16 state firefighters on paid leave—though it's not totally clear why as officials sift through preliminary results of an investigation into something of a sordid mess. As the Sacramento Bee reports, at the heart of the allegations is...

Plane Fighting Yosemite Fire Crashes, Killing Pilot

Officials don't know yet what caused the air tanker to go down

(Newser) - An air tanker fighting a wildfire at Yosemite National Park mysteriously crashed yesterday, killing the pilot, the Los Angeles Times reports. A spokesman for the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says it's believed the pilot was alone in the plane and that he worked for DynCorp...

California: Too Broke for More Fires

At least not without major help from Uncle Sam

(Newser) - California’s wildfires haven’t just destroyed property and forestland, they’ve also scorched the state’s beleaguered budget, Time reports. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't lay a finger on the state's forestry budget of $518 million, and more than doubled the state’s emergency fund for fighting wildfires this year to...

California Fires Set Destruction Record

1,312 square miles destroyed

(Newser) - California wildfires over the last three weeks have set a record for widespread destruction, reports the Los Angeles Times. Some 840,000 acres—1,300 square miles—have been scorched by 1,700 fires, sparked by lightning strikes. Firefighters are bringing the remaining 300 blazes under control, but officials worry...

Big Sur Evacuated as Fires Rage

680 square miles scorched by wildfires

(Newser) - California residents have been ordered to evacuate the coastal resort Big Sur as wildfires rage in the hills above the town, USA Today reports. Ash rained on people as they packed cars before fleeing to safety. The Big Sur blaze is one of more than 1,100 wildfires in the...

8,000 Lightning Bolts Spark California Fires

44,000 acres burn in 700 blazes

(Newser) - Thousands of lightning strikes over a wide swath of Northern California ignited more than 700 wildfires that have burned some 44,000 tinder-dry acres of grassland, brush and forest. Firefighters managed to protect most homes in almost all of the fires. The historically bad fire season has been spurred by...

6 Stories
Most Read on Newser