OAKHURST – The much-anticipated Cedar Valley Fire Department Deep-Pit BBQ and Raffle is set for Saturday, Sept. 5, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.. This is an important fundraiser for Cedar Valley’s Station 18. While their local area covers north to Yosemite, and south to Oakhurst, these firefighters and their equipment can be seen on incidents all over the mountains, wherever they are ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST – The Rough Fire, burning near Hume Lake, is now 30,901 acres with 3 percent containment. Though it is some 50 miles southeast of Eastern Madera County and the Central Sierra, the area continues to be impacted by heavy smoke, especially during the morning hours. On Tuesday afternoon the Rough Fire spotted across the South Fork of ...

NORTH FORK – Back in the day, we called it Fire Camp. These days, it’s known as the Incident Command Post (ICP). Whatever you call it, it’s where everything happens that supports boots on the ground out on the firelines, and where all decisions are made in fighting the fire. If you’ve never visited an ICP, it’s quite an impressive ...

NORTH FORK – As the Willow Fire has played out over the past eight days, and residents have watched in alarm as huge plumes of smoke rise over Peckinpah Mountain, people may have wondered just who’s running this show. Well, that would be a group of calm, methodical, deliberate individuals who make up the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management ...

NORTH FORK – The Old Mill Site in North Fork will once again play host to an Incident Command Post as the Willow Fire ravages 200 acres north of town. The fire was reported at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, at the end of Willow Canyon Drive, and quickly raced north and east, burning in heavy fuels. It is ...

OAKHURST – The Sky Fire, burning along Road 632 (Sky Ranch Road) is now estimated at 400 acres, with 15 percent containment. The fire wasted no time heating up this morning, and the red glow of flames and a huge plume of smoke could be seen over Oakhurst as the sun rose.

MOUNTAIN AREA – From atop the mountain perch overlooking a vast expanse of green, eyes are carefully trained to spot the early tell-tale signs of forest fire. A wisp of smoke triggers a series of actions that can mean the difference between safety and catastrophe.

OAKHURST – It’s one of those “where were you when…” moments: where were you when the Courtney Fire started? In the midst of a dreamy nap on Sunday, Sept. 14, a phone call came alerting us to a fire that would ultimately destroy 30 homes and leave hundreds of residents displaced. The Courtney Fire tore through neighborhoods with destructive force, ...

OAKHURST – When the Junction Fire roared through Oakhurst on Aug. 18, there were a lot of things going on behind the scenes that residents rushing to evacuate were not aware of. At a Town Hall meeting in Bass Lake last Thursday, Cal Fire Division Chief Don Stein, along with Battalion Chiefs Troy Cheek and Chris Christopherson shared how the ...

OAKHURST – The 42nd annual Cedar Valley Volunteer Fire Department Deep Pit BBQ is Saturday, Aug. 30, from 4:30 to 7:30. This is an important fundraiser for Cedar Valley’s Station 18. While their local area covers north to the Park, and south to Oakhurst, these firefighters and their equipment can be seen on incidents all over the mountains, wherever they ...