The Santa Anas are back this week, with gusts between 35 mph and 55 mph blowing through the valley tonight and into Wednesday morning. But local fire officials agree it's unlikely a catastrophic fire will strike before the month's end.
The July closure of an east Ventura fire station as a cost-cutting move has shaved $163,000 in overtime costs, but department response times to emergencies in the surrounding neighborhood have fallen sharply, records show.
Scammers are posing as solicitors for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, asking consumers for donations to support firefighter training. The department says it is not conducting any type of fundraising campaign to solicit help from consumers.
Professional golfer Fred Couples was presented a helmet from the California Fire Foundation at a press conference Wednesday for his donation to the California Firefighters Endowment. In 2009, Couples donated $20,000 of his President's Cup winnings to the California Fire Foundation.
California’s first responders have some strong new support on both sides of the political aisle in the wake of Tuesday’s general election. CPF-endorsed Jerry Brown won the high-profile governor's race, and CPF-backed candidates declared victory in six of seven statewide races and over 95% of all legislative contests.