MADERA COUNTY — The Madera County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team bid a fond but reluctant farewell to three long-time members this past week. At a luncheon on Wednesday, Aug. 2, Sheriff Jay Varney honored three retiring Madera Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers — Mike and Brenda Perreira, and Ron Vargas — for their years of service. “These three demonstrated ...

MADERA COUNTY — District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler will host the next in his series of Town Hall meetings on Thursday, Aug. 10, at The Pines Resort in Bass Lake from 6 to 8 p.m.. On the agenda for the evening are updates from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Cal Fire and Madera County Fire, and Ahmad Alkhayyat and Jared ...

YOSEMITE — Yosemite National Park is experiencing high fire danger along with continued hot and dry weather patterns. Due to current and predicted fire conditions and fire behavior the Superintendent of Yosemite National Park will be implementing Stage 1 fire restrictions until further notice is given. By order of the Superintended of Yosemite National Park and under authority of Title ...

Written by Ronnie Sweeting — MARIPOSA — Music on the Green – the free summer concert series brought to you by the Mariposa County Arts Council and it’s many fine sponsors – rolls on into the last three weekends of the 2017 season presenting the return of Bodi 601 on Friday, Aug. 11, and on Saturday Aug. 12, the debut ...

BOOTJACK – On Saturday. Aug. 7, members of the Sierra Shadow Casters Motorcycle Club (SSC) were honored to make what they described as “a modest donation” of $1000 to the Mariposa Community Foundation (MCF). MCF is a philanthropic organization that assists various Mariposa community projects including aid to the Detwiler Fire victims. The funds presented by the SSC were raised ...

YOSEMITE — Areas surrounding Yosemite National Park continue to be impacted by smoke from the Empire Fire, burning in the wilderness area inside the park. The fire is currently 309 acres and is being managed for both protection and resources objectives; it is being monitored, but not suppressed. The Empire Fire is approximately one mile south of the Bridalveil Campground ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — Firefighters were dispatched to a vegetation fire this afternoon, just north of Catheys Valley. At 5:20 p.m., reports came in of a fire burning on Hornitos Road near Oak Creek Ranch Road. The first engine at scene reported about three acres of grass burning, with one structure immediately threatened. Ten engines, two water tenders, two dozers, two ...

MARIPOSA – California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) investigators have determined the cause of the Detwiler fire. The discharge of firearms, on public lands, is responsible for sparking the fire. The specific circumstances surrounding the cause remain under investigation. Anyone with information regarding the person or persons responsible for starting the Detwiler fire is asked to contact ...

MADERA COUNTY  — Firefighters have been kept scrambling this afternoon and evening as a series of lightning fires were sparked across the valley floor and into the foothills. At this time, it appears that the forward progress of all of the nearly dozen fires has been stopped. At about 4:30 p.m., the first reports began coming in of multiple fires, ...

MADERA COUNTY — A weather cell moving across the valley and into the foothills between the 22 Mile House and O’Neals has sparked numerous lightning fires. Firefighters first responded to a fire near Ponderosa Telephone in O’Neals on Road 200 and Road 201. The fire was reported at about 4:30, and at 5:08 p.m., the fire was contained and engines ...