MADERA COUNTY — The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously today to hold a special election on Mar. 7, 2017, to put the proposed one-cent public safety tax before the voters of the unincorporated areas of Madera County. Revenues from the tax would be dedicated exclusively to funding the Madera County Fire Department and the Sheriff’s Office, split 80 percent to ...

MARIPOSA – Recent rains and cooler temperatures across the region have lowered the threat of wildfires allowing Cal Fire’s Madera-Mariposa- Merced Unit (MMU) to transition out of peak fire season effective Monday, Nov. 14, at 8 a.m. in Madera, Mariposa and Merced Counties. “The 2016 fire season was challenging throughout the State of California, and the Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit was very ...

FISH CAMP — Crews are at scene of downed power lines blocking both lanes of Highway 41 just north of Miami Mountain Road, south of the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. The roadway is closed in both directions at this time. At about 8:15 a.m., reports came in of power lines down, starting a couple spot fires on both sides ...

CALIFORNIA — The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California is expanding its initiative to assist private forestland owners in addressing tree mortality and other drought-related damage to improve forest health. NRCS will provide financial assistance for landowners with dead and dying conifer forest trees in certain counties. Removing dead tree debris and other woody material will also help ...

BASS LAKE — With crisp fall weather and recent rains, the Bass Lake Hazard Tree Project continues with some burning this week. Sierra National Forest Battalion Chief Burt Stalter says that on Tuesday, Nov. 1, crews concentrated on completing areas including the west side of Road 222 at the Forks Campground, Pine Slope day use, and Little Denver Church day use. ...

OAKHURST — At 3:20 p.m. this afternoon, as many families were readying their children for a big night out trick or treating, witnesses were understandably horrified to see a vehicle traveling on Highway 49 toward Oakhurst with flames coming out from under the car. The driver of the small passenger vehicle was apparently initially unaware of the problem and continued to operate ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Cal Fire has lifted the burn ban locally and so it’s time to take down the yellow fire signs that many have posted around the mountains. The North Fork Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, which provided the signs, appreciates any help you can offer to accomplish this task. If you posted signs, the auxiliary asks that you please ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — Cal Fire and the Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit (MMU) announced that the burn suspension in all State Responsibility Areas of Madera, Mariposa and Merced Counties has been lifted as of 8 a.m. today. Cal Fire Burn Permits are required and burning is permitted on “Permissive Burn Days” only, as established by the Mariposa County Air Pollution Control District. Permits can be obtained from any local ...

OAKHURST — What started as a cozy fire on a rainy day turned into a call to the fire department. At approximately 1 p.m. today, as emergency crews were already responding to a multi-vehicle accident in Coarsegold, firefighters were alerted to respond to reports of a structure fire on Laurel Drive. Engine 12 out of Oakhurst was among the first on scene, ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – The Bass Lake Ranger District, Sierra National Forest, is preparing to implement the fall/winter burning program, says District Ranger Denise Tolmie. Projects will consist of three activities: pile burning, broadcast, and underburning. “The objective of these prescribed burns are to reduce fuel loading from recent tree mortality fuel projects within the Wildland Urban Intermix and high ...