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 ...

NORTH FORK — A fire that started in the pre-dawn hours Saturday morning in a North Fork mobile home has claimed a life, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. “I can confirm that a deceased individual was discovered at the burned residence,” said MCSO spokesperson Kayla Serratto. “Detectives were called out to the scene. Identification and official cause of ...

NORTH FORK — A fire that started in the pre-dawn hours Saturday morning gutted a mobile home on Willow Creek Drive behind the North Fork Christian Center — and also sparked a power outage for about 1,000 local PG&E customers as far away as O’Neals. There were no initial reports of injuries but several neighbors at the fire scene said ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — CAL FIRE reported Friday morning that the Briceburg Fire has not burned any additional acreage in the past 24 hours, while containment has increased to 30 percent. According to the agency’s latest progress report, the Briceburg Fire, which has been active now for four days, has scorched a total of 4,905 acres. CAL FIRE investigators have yet ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — Firefighters appear to be slowly gaining the upper hand on the the Briceburg Fire. CAL FIRE reported Thursday morning that while the fire has burned 4,900 acres, the blaze is now 25 percent contained. “Overnight, firefighters made good progress towards containment,” CAL FIRE said in its latest update, released Thursday morning at 7 a.m. “Efforts today will ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY– A 30-acre brush fire that started along Highway 140 Sunday afternoon has now charred more than 4,400 acres and is only ten percent contained, according to the latest report from CAL FIRE, issued Wednesday afternoon. From all fronts, nearly 1000 fire personnel continue the firefight — day and night. Steven Ward, a CAL FIRE spokesman, explained how backfire ...