A firefighter cutting fire lines overnight was airlifted out of the LA County mountains this morning, as the battle continues against the deadly Station Fire. Nine other firefighters have been injured fighting the 157,000 acre blaze, which is now the 10th largest since 1932. Two firefighters have lost their lives battling the fire, which is now 56% contained, but still active and dangerous
Firefighters are earning horn-tooting, sign-waving thanks from grateful Santa Barbara County residents for saving hundreds of homes in the sprawling Jesusita Fire. Area firefighters returned the complement, pointing to diligent advance preparation and early evacuation as critical to their success. More than 3,000 first responders have responded to the blaze, which has charred some 9,000 acres and is currently 80 percent contained.
A few Southern California fire chiefs are responding to budget and weather concerns by trying to rethink long-standing public safety policies on ordering mass evacuations in a wildfire. The so-called "Stay and Defend" policy is drawing fire from labor and management.
Before 2003, most of California's worst-case disaster scenarios revolved around earthquakes. But over the last five years, our state has increasingly become associated with another kind of disaster - catastrophic wildland fires.
According to CAL FIRE statistics, the 2008 Firestorm that ran from approximately June 11th, with the outbreak of the Humboldt Fire, through the end of July consumed more than one million acres - the most ever for a single state fire incident.