YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK–A third wildland fire has been discovered in Yosemite National Park near the Aspen Valley area. This is the Aspen Fire. The fire was discovered  yesterday, 9.4.2022, by a firefighting helicopter that was working on the Red Fire, which has been burning in the park since August. None of the fires have caused any road closures or are ...

The Valley Air District urges Valley and Foothill residents to protect their health and reduce their energy use FRESNO — With the extreme heat facing the Valley and Foothills, the Valley Air District encourages residents to take action to keep cool, check on their family and neighbors, monitor air quality levels, and reduce strain on the energy grid wherever possible. ...

Grid Operator Calling for Third Straight Day of Voluntary Energy Conservation as Most of  California Remains Under Excessive Heat Warnings OAKLAND, Calif. — The state’s grid operator, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), credits conservation efforts over the past two days for maintaining grid stability and has encouraged customers to answer the call once again today. CAISO issued a Flex ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–The National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in Hanford, CA  has extended the Excessive Heat Warning issued earlier in the week as reported here. The warning is now expected to last until Wednesday, September 7, 2022. An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for the San Joaquin Valley, Kern County desert, Sierra foothills, Yosemite Valley, Kern River Valley, and Coastal ...

SACRAMENTO – Labor Day weekend is quickly approaching, and many Californians are preparing to close out the summer with a holiday gathering or road trip.  The California Highway Patrol (CHP) wants to ensure everyone reaches their destination safely and will implement a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) in anticipation of the increased traffic that often accompanies a holiday weekend. The CHP’s ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–The National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in Hanford, CA  is reporting that excessive heat is expected through the San Joaquin Valley and Lower Sierra foothills throughout the week of 8.29.2022 and the Labor Day Holiday weekend. An Excessive Heat Watch is in effect for the San Joaquin Valley, Kern County desert, Lower Sierra foothills, Yosemite Valley, Kern River ...

BASS LAKE–On August 27, 2022 shortly before 4:30pm, the Madera County Sheriff’s Emergency Communications Center received a call for a female suffering from a medical emergency at Bass Lake.   An 81-year-old female was swimming with her husband in Bass Lake near a private dock just off of Blue Jay Point. The female became fatigued from swimming and began experiencing ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK–One of the most popular trails in Yosemite Valley, the Mist Trail, is getting some work done. Crews will be making repairs and improvements to the trail and stone staircases to allow for safe passage and to prevent resource damage from off-trail traffic. The Lower Mist Trail – from the John Muir Trail (JMT) junction, just uphill from ...

YOSEMITE–The Rodgers Fire and The Red Fire are naturally caused lightning fires in the wilderness of Yosemite National Park with no threat to structures or critical infrastructure. The burn pattern on both fires can be described as mosaic, meaning patches of fire spread across the landscape. The fire is cleaning up dead and downed fuels on the ground to make ...

MARIPOSA—Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is currently in the process of implementing The Recycled Dirt Program in the Oak Fire burn scar. The program is a new PG&E community service that provides non-hazardous excavation dirt to recipients located nearby our service centers. The soil comes from the excavation of our construction projects. PG&E is committed to reducing energy, water and ...