Firefighters planned Friday to launch an aerial assault on a wind-driven wildfire burning in the high desert of northern L.A. County that destroyed several structures and forced the evacuation of about 2,000 homes.
About 4,500 acres have burned since the fire began Thursday. More than 500 firefighters worked through the night to bring the fire to about 5% containment Friday morning, when many evacuees were allowed to return to their homes.
Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Edward Osorio said reduced temperatures and increased humidity overnight “helped to make the progress in containment possible.” [click to continue…]
Residents who lost their homes in the raging Bull Fire, and those whose homes were spared came out to the Lake Isabella Senior Center to hear updates on the fire and get the latest on the investigation.
Although the Bull Fire is now burning far from any homes and structures, community members gathered to show their support for the firefighters who worked to save their town.
“Anybody who gripes about paying their taxes, watch these people fight a fire,” Kernville resident Robin Little said. “It’s the biggest bang for your buck.” [click to continue…]
The San Bernardino National Forest Airtanker Base is supporting the Evergreen B-747 Firefighting Supertanker assigned to the Los Angeles County FD’s Crown fire.
The aircraft is refueling and reloading fire retardant at the base. – Media inquires regarding the Crown Incident – (323) 881-2411
More on the Evergreen B-747 —> http://www.evergreenaviation.com/supertanker/index.html
San Bernardino Air Base
San Bernardino International Airport has been home to the US Forest Service Tanker base for the past 13 years. Back in 1997, the US Forest Service acquired 20 acres to build the tanker base from the Department of Defense after Norton Air Force Base was decommissioned. The Forest Service has previously maintained the tanker base at the Hemet-Ryan airport. [click to continue…]
SAN RAMON — Thanks to the bravery of eight San Ramon Valley firefighters, Dr. Robert Litman is alive and seeing patients again.
The immunology and allergy specialist thanked the crew Wednesday night for rescuing him from his blazing Blackhawk home the night of June 22 — the same blaze that killed Litman’s 19-year-old son.
“Instead of being a second victim, I am a survivor,” Litman told those gathered at the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District’s regular board meeting.
“You are my heroes,” he said. [click to continue…]
A squad of East Bay firefighters are in Southern California to help fight a wildfire that has burned thousands of acres and destroyed dozens of structures, authorities said.
The 22-member strike team was assembled from the Contra Costa Fire District along with the Alameda County, Fremont, Hayward and Livermore-Pleasanton fire departments. Support officers have also been dispatched.
They were deployed to fight a wildfire in Sequoia National Forest, about 50 miles northeast of Bakersfield. The fire began Monday and as of Wednesday night has burned more than 16,000 acres, along with eight homes and six outbuildings near the town of Kernville. Firefighters had it about 12 percent surrounded Wednesday night. [click to continue…]
Firefighters are tackling three blazes in Los Angeles County, including one on Soledad Canyon Road in Acton, said Matt Levesque of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
So far, the blaze has consumed a few acres since it was reported at 2:22 p.m. near 8334 Soledad Canyon Road. Fire officials say no structures are threatened at this point.
Firefighters were already tackling a 30-acre brush fire that broke out Thursday near the community of Fairmont, west of Lancaster, but no structures were threatened, a county fire inspector said. [click to continue…]
Firefighters braced Wednesday for strong afternoon winds north of Los Angeles, where two wildfires have destroyed at least 36 houses, burned 17,000 acres and forced more than 2,300 people to evacuate their homes.
In northern Kern County, a wildfire that started Monday in Sequoia National Forest had burned about 15,586 acres and was only 5% contained Wednesday morning, said Sean Collins, a spokesman for the Kern County Fire Department.
The Bull fire has destroyed six homes and injured two firefighters, officials said. One firefighter suffered an eye injury and the other moderate burns. [click to continue…]
A Las Vegas man was arrested for arson late last night after a fire was started in the emergency room of Valley Hospital. The man suffered burns in the incident and was later arrested by Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Investigators and charged with arson. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.
Medical personnel at Valley Hospital said the man was brought in late Tuesday afternoon to the emergency department for treatment. The man was waiting for treatment at approximately 6:15 p.m.,
when fire investigators say he set fire to his hospital bed using a lighter. He suffered burns to his upper body before hospital employees doused the fire. [click to continue…]
