MADERA COUNTY — The Madera County Board of Supervisors learned first-hand the capabilities of the new T-Rex, the articulating platform ladder fire truck, soon to be put into service at Station 8 in Coarsegold. During today’s regular Board meeting, MMU Cal Fire Division Chief Dave Allen gave the supervisors a close-up look at the new truck, which was acquired to ...

BASS LAKE — Save the date for the Bass Lake Annual Spring Clean Event, set for Saturday, May 20. Once a year, like-minded individuals dedicated to making the world a more beautiful place, gather at Bass Lake for a tidy fling known as the Bass Lake Spring Clean. Volunteers will gather at 9 a.m. at Recreation Point along Road 222 ...

OAKHURST — Eastern Madera County’s Relay for Life organizers are excited to announce plans for their 2017 event, The Relay for Life will take place on Saturday, May 20, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Oak Creek Intermediate School in Oakhurst. The theme this year is “Musicals.” “Partnering with the American Cancer Society, our local community of volunteers ...

COARSEGOLD — A fire burning at the edge of Yosemite Lakes Park near the dam at Black Hawk Lake has been contained. Just before 4 p.m., as mop-up was being completed at the Garnet Fire on Road 400, firefighters were dispatched to the end of Patrick Avenue for another vegetation fire. A resident who was out for a run along ...

COARSEGOLD — “Just because it’s a burn day doesn’t mean it’s safe to burn.” It’s a warning given often by fire officials, but not necessarily heeded by residents. Firefighters responded today to yet another escaped burn pile, this one just outside Yosemite Lakes Park on Road 400 near Garnet Creek Lane. At about 2:20 p.m., crews were dispatched to the ...

CENTRAL SIERRA – The last thing you want to do while working to protect your home from wildfire is to cause one, or to be billed for suppression efforts made necessary by negligent actions, and unintended consequences. During the dry fire-prone months, mountain area residents are extra diligent in keeping the dry weeds cut and under control in an effort ...

YOSEMITE — Park officials have announce the closure, for one night only, of Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120) into Yosemite National Park. The closure will be in effect from 9 p.m. on Monday, May 15, to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16. Officials say this closure is necessary for paving on the roadway, which was severely damaged in late ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – Adventurers looking for the spectacular scenery of Yosemite National Park without the crowds — there is a road less traveled right in your back yard. The Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, recently featured as a California “Hidden Gem” by Visit California, is a 100-mile stretch of road from North Fork — the exact center of California — ...

YOSEMITE — Yosemite National Park will increase the permit fees for ascending Half Dome to a $10 application fee and a $10 permit fee. These fee increases will take effect when weather and snow conditions allow the Half Dome cables to be installed, at the end of May or early June 2017. The fee increases are necessary to meet increased ...

CLOVIS – As warmer weather arrives in the region, rivers fed by melting snows over the High Sierra will cause rivers to rise. The Upper Kings, San Joaquin, and Merced rivers will swell with swift and cold water that will also fill into Bass, Shaver, Huntington and many other lakes that can be found and enjoyed on the Sierra National ...