MOUNTAIN AREA — Smoke from the Elm Fire near Hwy 198 in Coalinga is affecting air quality in the western portion of the San Joaquin Valley and has the potential to impact Fresno, Kings and the western portions of Kern County. Currently, smoke impacts originally concentrated in the foothill areas to the west of the air basin have moved to the ...

NORTH FORK – A sure sign of spring is the annual Tri-tip BBQ, put on by the North Fork Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary. It is scheduled this year for Saturday, Apr. 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the North Fork School, alongside the local Earth Day celebration. This is the major fundraiser for the Auxiliary, who work hard ...

MADERA COUNTY – Most people are likely not aware that the majority of Madera County fire stations are not manned, and sit empty until the Paid Call Firefighters (PCFs or Volunteers) assigned to those stations are called up. People also may not realize that there is only one firefighter on duty in Oakhurst, and that the first engines they see ...

MADERA COUNTY — Bill Ritchey is serving as chairman of the Citizens, Firefighters and Citizens for Measure L 2017 committee. He has spent the past several years working with residents, firefighters and County officials to identify the challenges faced by the Madera County Fire Department and the Paid Call Firefighters (PCFs or volunteers), and has been involved in formulating a ...

MADERA COUNTY — The Madera County Fire Department benefited from several actions taken during Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors. First was a vote to accept a donation from the Paid Call Firefighters (PCFs) at Station 12 in Oakhurst of a 2017 F-450 Chassis XL 4×4 SD Super Cab truck purchased for $44,338. The vehicle will replace their current ...

MADERA COUNTY — The firefighters at Madera County’s Station 19 are not only dedicated first responders, they have also volunteered hundreds of hours to raising money to upgrade the County’s firefighting equipment. On Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 9 a.m., personnel from Station 19, located in the Bonadelle Ranchos, will present a check to the Board of Supervisors for $40,000. This ...

CENTRAL SIERRA — Smoke from the Soberanes Fire in Monterey County and the Canyon Fire burning in Santa Barbara County are affecting air quality in locations throughout the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Sierra, warns the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Unusually high particulate matter levels throughout are prompting Air District officials to issue a health cautionary statement. Air ...

SACRAMENTO – Cal Fire announced Wednesday it will be awarding nearly $16 million for fire prevention grants to local fire departments and fire safe councils to reduce the threat of large wildfires. The 2016-2017 State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund and tree mortality grants are aimed at reducing the threat wildfires as well as dead and dying trees in and ...

CENTRAL SIERRA — Smoke from the Soberanes Fire burning in Monterey County is affecting air quality in locations throughout the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Sierra, warns the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Unusually high particulate matter and ozone levels throughout the area are prompting Air District officials to issue a health cautionary statement Valley-wide. The wildfires ...

BASS LAKE – What was supposed to be a nice outing to the mountains for a group of four young people turned into a Search and Rescue mission near Bass Lake this afternoon. The group of two young women from Fresno, and two young men — one from Sanger and another from New York — arrived in the Angel Falls ...