YOSEMITE — For the third straight day, residents and visitors on the southern end of Yosemite National Park woke to a haze from the smoke of the South Fork Fire. The smoke had lifted by this afternoon in the community of Wawona, where residents are still in a preparation mode for any possible evacuation. However, the fire is not directly ...

YOSEMITE — The South Fork Fire, burning inside Yosemite National Park just east of Wawona, has grown by several hundred acres overnight. It is now estimated at 2,296 acres, still with 5 percent containment. The South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team took over management of the fire yesterday. They will host a community meeting at the Wawona Community Center ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — Firefighters made good progress on the Detwiler Fire today. It is now estimated at 75,000 acres with 25 percent containment. 61 homes have been lost and 13 damaged. One commercial structure has been lost, 63 “minor” buildings have been destroyed and 6 damaged. There are currently 4,408 personnel assigned to the incident including 478 engines, 69 crews, ...

MARIPOSA COUNTY — The Detwiler Fire made a major run today, forcing residents from their homes and prompting the evacuation of the town of Mariposa. It also challenged fire officials as aircraft were called away to other fires in the region, and there never seemed to be enough resources to get the job done, despite their best efforts. The fire ...

Editor’s Note: Oakhurst resident Bob Kaspar completes his epic ride across the United States from California to his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts.  After leaving Gettysburg I head north through the Pennsylvania rust belt.  At Scranton I turn east once again and travel through the Poconos and into New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and then finally touchdown in Massachusetts. Congestion in ...

SAN FRANCISCO — With graduation season in full swing, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is warning customers about the public safety risks associated with helium-filled metallic balloons. If your graduation celebration involves balloons, make sure they are secured with a weight. Otherwise they can float away and come into contact with overhead power lines, causing a public safety risk. ...

FRESNO — Mariposa County Sheriff’s Deputy Rudy Mirelez, a 10-year veteran of the department at the time he was wounded in the line of duty on Oct. 1, 2015, was honored today for his bravery. Senator Dianne Feinstein today awarded the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery to Deputy Mirelez, who “exhibited exceptional courage in saving and protecting others and ...

NORTH FORK — A day trip to the mountains ended in a serious motorcycle wreck for two Clovis residents. Fortunately an off-duty firefighter/ paramedic was one of the first passers-by at scene. At 1:44 p.m., a call came in to 911 that a motorcycle had crashed on Road 200 on the south side of the bridge at Fine Gold Creek. ...

We hiked with cows, sometimes sharing the same trail. We also had a traffic jam on the trail but we were more than happy to wait for our turn while we checked out the early spring blooms and gorgeous reflections along the San Joaquin River. Where: Bureau of Land Management, San Joaquin River Gorge Special Management Area, Millerton Lake State Recreation ...

COARSEGOLD — An ATV accident sent a Coarsegold woman to the hospital last night, and ended in an arrest for suspicion of DUI after she rolled the quad on Highway 41. Just before 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 31, Mary Jane Lomier, 78, was southbound on Highway 41 just south of Road 416 on a 2016 Kawasaki quad — a ...