MIDPINES — The Oak Fire started Friday, 7.22.2022, in the Midpines area of Mariposa County near Carstens Road and Highway 140.  It has burned almost 17,000 acres.  A community meeting took place last night. Emergency personnel are working to safely evacuate people and are actively engaged in protecting structures. We will update this article as more information is available. Helpful ...

MIDPINES — The Oak Fire started Friday, 7.22.2022, in the Midpines area of Mariposa County near Carstens Road and Highway 140.  It has burned more than 14,000 acres. Over 2000 structures are threatened by the fire and approximately 5,000 people have been evacuated or are on an evacuation warning. Emergency personnel are working to safely evacuate people and are actively ...

BASS LAKE — As the heart of fire season ensues, and rural California is once again faced with the continued consequences of increasingly high record-breaking temperatures, seasonal droughts, and poorly managed forests, our local community is reminded of the importance of maintaining a Firewise and fire-safe environment in the home, neighborhood, and general community.  Though this may often present difficulty, ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will conduct a slope repair project on State Route 140 near the community of Briceburg (see map below) in Mariposa County. The $4.5 million project is fully funded by Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. “This important SB 1 project will allow crews to perform ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — Due to recent changes in COVID-19 risk ratings for Fresno, Kern and Tulare Counties, the U. S. Forest Service has decided to transition the public meetings that were planned for July 12 in Bakersfield, and July 13 in Clovis, to virtual events. The purpose of these meetings is still to provide information about the availability of revised ...

CLOVIS – As we mentioned in recent newsletters, we are in the process of finalizing the revised Sierra and Sequoia forest plans, environmental impact statement, and draft records of decision. Today we are sharing overviews of the wilderness recommendation process and how the revised plans address sustainable recreation and management of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. These overviews summarize ...

Sierra National Forest continues with the winter/spring prescribed burning within the Bass Lake Ranger District. CLOVIS — The Sierra National Forest (SNF) will continue prescribed burning within the Bass Lake Ranger District, beginning Monday, March 14, as weather and air quality is optimal to start ignitions. These treatments will consist of understory burning. This includes removing fuels created during tree ...

Sierra National Forest Seeks Public Input for Off-Highway Vehicle Grant Funding CLOVIS — The Sierra National Forest (SNF) is requesting public input for the California 2022 State Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program application cycle. As part of the grant process, the SNF is requesting public comment on the draft applications submitted to the State. This ...

CAL FIRE NOW ACCEPTING WILDFIRE RESILIENCE BLOCK GRANT APPLICATIONS $10 million in funding available to support private forestland owners SACRAMENTO – CAL FIRE is announcing up to $10 million in funding available for Wildfire Resilience Block Grants. Funding to support private forestland owners is provided through the Budget Act of 2021 and supports California’s goals of improved forest health, resilience ...

As More Cameras, Weather Stations and Grid Devices Were Installed, Re-engineered Circuit Settings Cut Ignitions. The Path Begins to Put 10,000 Miles of Powerlines Underground Mountain Communities — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reached major milestones in 2021 in reducing the risk of wildfires to improve the safety of the electric system. The safety work was a part of ...