NORTH FORK — An engine fire torched a 22-year-old North Fork man’s 1987 Jeep Cherokee Sunday morning. The incident occurred about 9:15 a.m. in the parking lot of La Cabana restaurant, which was closed at the time. Local firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze but the vehicle was a total loss. The driver told first responders that he was going north ...

NORTH FORK — The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians is applying for a $1.2 million federal grant to construct a 4,050-square-foot emergency services building adjacent to North Fork Fire Station #11. The new facility, which could be operational by 2022, would provide living barracks for the fire station — and dedicated space for personnel from the Madera County Sheriff’s ...

COARSEGOLD — Area firefighting crews were quick to contain and extinguish a basement fire that sparked Friday afternoon at a home on Meadow Ridge Road near the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino. The alarm was called in at about 2:30 p.m., prompting six engines and two water tankers from Madera County Fire and CAL FIRE to converge at a residence ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — From progress on major new public and commercial projects to prosecution of high-profile criminal cases, 2019 was an eventful year in eastern Madera County. As 2020 dawns, here’s a look back at some of this year’s key stories. North Fork’s new roundabout: After several years of heated debate, Madera County’s first public roundabout was approved by the ...

MARIPOSA – New MMU Unit Fire Chief Mike van Loben Sels has big visions for the three counties and five fire departments he now oversees. During his 26 years with CAL FIRE, van Loben Sels has served many communities but says he’s never lost sight of the “importance” of his own family. “They’ve been fully supportive of this whole job ...

COARSEGOLD — A fast-moving fire destroyed a mobile home in Coarsegold Sunday afternoon. CAL FIRE responded to multiple reports from the Indian Lakes Estates area of the fire shortly after 2 p.m. The incident happened on private property off Road 417 on Cheyenne Road. The residents were not at home when the fire broke out and no one was injured. ...

OAKLAND — California’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday issued a mandatory one-year moratorium on insurance companies non-renewing policyholders — helping at least 800,000 homeowners in wildfire disaster areas across the state. The commissioner’s action is the result of Senate Bill 824 — authored last year by Lara while serving as state senator — in order to give temporary relief ...

MARIPOSA – CAL FIRE Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit (MMU) will lift the burn permit requirement in Mariposa County on Friday (Dec. 6) at 8 a.m., according to a news release issued by the agency Tuesday. After the burn permit requirement is lifted, CAL FIRE burn permits will NOT be required in Mariposa County and open burning will be allowed on so-called “Permissive ...

OAKHURST – At Sierra Ambulance’s office in Oakhurst on Thursday (Nov.21) four checks totaling $19,000 were presented by Cedar Valley, Ahwanhee, North Fork and Oakhurst Volunteer Fire Stations – bringing the total amount donated to $80,000, which Sierra Ambulance needed to raise in order to purchase an oxygen generator. Edward Guzman, general manager of Sierra Ambulance, said he’s been touched ...

OAKHURST – Winter weather is making its way toward California and Eastern Madera County. Mountain community residents are urged to prepare for possible power outages and travel delays. In a press release dated November 17th, PG&E announced they are “monitoring a mid-week potentially strong offshore wind event” that “could prompt a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for customers in Sierra ...