Eastern Madera County — On July 18, 2023, CAL FIRE named Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council (YSRCDC) the winner of Grant 5GA21213. The award recognizes the project Eastern Madera County 2023 Winter Storm Fire Hazard Mitigation, which aids residents’ properties with hazardous fuel reduction and defensible space clearing of storm-related wood debris from the severe winter storms of 2023, ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY–With the lightning that rolled through the area this morning, Sierra National Forest and CalFire fire crews are responding to and chasing lightning fires and smoke reports by ground and air today. We are monitoring these incidents but will not be posting articles for each individual fire unless an incident is growing and/or threatening life or property. Be prepared ...

SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST — Air and ground firefighting resources are in the Miami Creek Off Highway Vehicle Trails area responding to a vegetation fire. The fire is currently approximately 2 acres. The Incident Commander reports that the fire has a hose lay around 50% and they are making good progress.  This is the Bridge Fire. Cal Fire and Sierra National Forest ...

MARIPOSA – CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers arrested 61-year-old Michael Eric Alexander on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Mariposa County. Through an extensive investigation, Alexander, a local resident, was identified as the suspect responsible for igniting five vegetation fires between Paddy Hill Road and Corey Pines Road off of East Whitlock Road since May 31, 2023. The East Whitlock fires ...

MARIPOSA—California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Law Enforcement Officers arrested 31-year-old Gino Galileo Luciani on Wednesday, July 12th, 2023, in Mariposa County. Through an extensive investigation, Luciani was identified as the suspect responsible for igniting a vegetation fire on July 12th, 2023. The Ashworth Fire occurred in the Bootjack area in Mariposa County. The fire burned approximately ...

NORTH FORK–Monday, July 3rd, 2023, air and ground firefighters responded to a vegetation fire in the 59000 block of Road 225 in North Fork. Initial reports put the fire at 5 acres with a moderate rate of spread. The fire was burning in grass and oak woodland. Within a half-hour of the fire starting, it had burned 20 acres, and ...

NORTH FORK—The Madera County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is reporting that a 65 year old Whittier man has died as a result of the ongoing Whiskey Fire. MCSO states that at approximately 1:30pm on July 3, the man was driving a tractor on his property in the 59000 block of Road 225 in North Fork, when it is believed a brake ...

MADERA COUNTY–Madera County Fire is announcing they will be conducting a prescribed burn and live fire training burn Vegetation Management Project (VMP) near Tesoro Viejo on Wednesday, June 28. The burn is scheduled from approximately 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., dependent on any restrictions set forth by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and favorable fire weather conditions. ...

SACRAMENTO — Today, the State of California will roll out a first-of-its-kind approach to curbing the state’s catastrophic wildfire problem by providing new protections for prescribed fire and cultural burning practitioners. The $20 million allocated for the “Prescribed Fire Liability Claims Fund Pilot” will cover losses in the rare instance that a prescribed or cultural burn escapes control. California Senator ...

MARIPOSA—CAL FIRE Law Enforcement Officers arrested 71-year-old Edward Fredrick Wackerman on Friday, June 16, 2023, in Mariposa County. Through an extensive investigation, Wackerman, a local Mariposa resident, has been identified as the suspect responsible for igniting the Oak fire in July 2022. The Oak fire occurred in the Midpines area in Mariposa County. The Oak fire burned 19,244 acres of ...