OAKHURST – After a three-hour public meeting of the Madera County Planning Commission last night at the Oakhurst Community Center, the Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Madera County Board of Supervisors approve a nearly 40-acre RV and camping park on Road 632 (Sky Ranch Road). Red Tail Acquisitions has requested a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from the County ...

BASS LAKE – Nearly two-dozen sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, CHP, SAR volunteers and EMS personnel were called out to rescue six individuals from the Beasore Meadows area yesterday after several of the group suffered the effects of carbon monoxide exposure. The 911 call came in at about 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9, after someone at Beasore was able to make ...

SACRAMENTO –  The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has announced the availability of up to $155 million for Fire Prevention and Forest Health projects. Cal Fire is soliciting applications for projects that will “help prevent catastrophic wildfires and restore forest health while also sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” Cal Fire’s Fire Prevention Grants Program ...

AHWAHNEE – Firefighters made excellent progress today on the Oak Fire, burning northeast of Ahwahnee above Road 620. The fire was estimated at 390 acres at 1:30 p.m. today, and is holding at that acreage. The fire is 35 percent contained. The mission for the day was to hit the east flank hard with water drops and retardant between Road ...

YOSEMITE – Though the firefight has ended on the nearly 97,000-acre Ferguson Fire and only a few smokes remain throughout the interior, the work of repair and restoration continues. On a recent trip to Yosemite West, I was escorted by Anne Grandy, retired from the Bass Lake Ranger District and now serving as a PIO on the South Central Sierra ...

YOSEMITE – Crews continue to make good progress on the Ferguson Fire, still estimated at 95,104 acres, now at 80 percent containment. At 8 a.m. this morning evacuations were lifted for Foresta – the last community to be repopulated. Also, Big Oak Flat Road opened at 8 a.m. to residents and employees only. There is no word yet on when ...

MARIPOSA  — The Red Cross shelter at New Life Christian Fellowship in Bootjack closed yesterday at 2 p.m. after the last of the mandatory evacuations were lifted for the Ferguson Fire, and those staying at the shelter were able to return home. Since July 15, over 50 Red Cross workers have: Served 5,315 meals and snacks Distributed nearly 6,000 relief ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – Back in the day, we called it Fire Camp. It is officially known as the Incident Command Post, or ICP. Whatever moniker you choose, it’s the little town – constructed basically overnight – where everything done in support of the crews on the fireline happens. Though the French Fire was much smaller in comparison – just 13,835 ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY – The day started with tragedy on the Ferguson Fire when the Captain of the Arrowhead Hot Shots, Brian Hughes, 33, was struck by a tree and killed while engaged in a tactical firing operation on the east side of the fire. All resources in Division G, where the incident occurred, were pulled off the line, and that ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — It is with deep sadness that we report the death of a firefighter this morning on the Ferguson Fire. The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that this morning while battling the Ferguson Fire on the Sierra National Forest, a Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park firefighter suffered a fatal injury. The incident occurred just before 9:30 ...