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Meet Jiu-Jitsu World Champion & CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Blaine Lopes
CAL FIRE has started a new feature on social media called CAL FIRE Callings. This feature allows us to celebrate the individuality of our personnel and recognize the breadth of talents that contribute to the overall culture of CAL FIRE.
CAL FIRE Callings serves as a platform highlighting the varied talents, interests, and achievements of CAL FIRE employees that extend beyond their official roles in the department. This initiative provides a window into their lives, offering insights into outside accomplishments, hobbies, and passions that go beyond the scope of firefighting and emergency response. With that, we are proud to introduce Blaine Lopes, a Battalion Chief from the Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit and a Jiu-Jitsu blue belt world champion!
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Crews Take Advantage of Nighttime Firefighting Capabilities
During the fast-moving Highland Fire in Riverside County, incident personnel utilized the CAL FIRE HAWK’s night flying capability. The crew from Copter 301 in CAL FIRE’s Riverside Unit dropped 4,200 gallons of water on the wind-driven fire. By daylight the next day, due to a combination of C301’s efforts and improved weather conditions, the fire had slowed significantly, allowing ground resources to make significant progress in stopping the fire.
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These Ancient Trees Face Unprecedented Threats. What CAL FIRE is Doing About It.
CAL FIRE’s Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest is home to some of the largest and oldest giant sequoia trees in the world, with some reaching 240 feet tall and 27 feet in diameter. Sadly, it is estimated that during 2020 and 2021 fire seasons, between 13-19% of the world’s giant sequoia population were destroyed – a serious wake up call for land managers working to protect these ancient giants. Mountain Home was not spared – in 2020, 40% of the forest subject was to intense wildfire. While the entire forest was impacted, some areas fared better because of the forest management efforts like mechanical and hand thinning and prescribed fire that were ongoing prior to the fire. Since then, CAL FIRE has replanted over 200,000 seedlings including 25,000 sequoia seedlings, helping this forest recover and thrive for future generations.
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Office of the State Fire Marshal Determines I-10 Fire in Los Angeles Caused by Arson
CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal Arson & Bomb Investigators continue to look for clues and suspects in the fire which forced the closing of the I-10 freeway in Los Angeles. On Monday November 13, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom, alongside State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant, announced arson as the cause of the fire. While investigators are confident that the fire was not an accident, they are still seeking eyewitness and video evidence of the fire's origin. CAL FIRE Law Enforcement personnel interview witnesses, conduct extended investigations, issue citations, and arrest suspects to help reduce arson fires throughout California.
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Cool Tools Help CAL FIRE Take Advantage of Ideal Conditions
Prior to the deployment of the 'helitorch,' which delivered a stream of fire from beneath a CAL FIRE helicopter, a controlled burn earlier this month in Butte County was preceded by 18 months of preparation and planning by our Butte Unit. "Everything for this controlled burn had to line up just right with fuels, topography, and weather," said Division Chief Byron Vance. The goals of the prescribed fire were to reduce fuel load and create a bigger fuel break for the rural communities of Cohasset and Forest Ranch. Across the state, crews have been taking advantage of the ideal weather conditions to conduct fuels reduction and forest management activities like prescribed fire. Track our progress and see what projects are underway in your region on the fuels reduction viewer.
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CAL FIRE’s All-Risk Response Continues Year Round
CAL FIRE’s all-risk response does not slow down when peak fire season subsides. This structure fire response, from CAL FIRE’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, is just another example of one of the thousands of emergency calls that CAL FIRE respond to 365-days a year. At this incident, CAL FIRE assisted the local fire department in containing the structure fire before shifting to protection of adjacent structures that were threatened, including a historic tank house, which engine crews were able to save. No injuries were reported.
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It Takes a Village: Forest Health & Wildfire Prevention Grants Engage Communities
CAL FIRE’s grant programs continue to support wildfire prevention across the state while also boosting California’s forest health and wildfire recovery efforts with new grant funding. CALFIRE is investing $120 million in Forest Health and $50 million in Post-Fire Reforestation and Regeneration. Grant solicitation is now open for projects that help prevent wildfires, restore ecosystems, sequester carbon, and reduce emissions. Projects will protect California's forests, communities, and environment while restoring our forestland after catastrophic wildfire! CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants support projects that aim to make our communities safer and healthier. These initiatives cover tasks that include reducing dangerous fuels, creating wildfire protection plans, and educating the public about wildfire safety.
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CAL FIRE Remembers: 5th Anniversary of the Camp Fire
November 8, 2023 marked the 5th anniversary of the Camp Fire, the state's deadliest and most destructive wildfire that left an indelible mark on California's history.
This catastrophic event stands as a poignant reminder of the profound impact wildfires can have on communities and underscores the importance of our ongoing efforts to build resilience in the face of such devastating challenges. The overwhelming effects were the tragic loss of 85 civilian lives, along with 12 civilians and five firefighters sustaining injuries. Spanning an area of 153,336 acres, the fire destroyed more than 18,000 structures, most of this devastation occurring within the initial four hours of the fire's outbreak. The resiliency of these communities is a testament to the strength and determination of the people of Paradise and Concow, who are actively taking steps to ensure a more fire-resilient future. Together, we can ensure that the lessons learned from the Camp Fire serve as a foundation for a more secure and sustainable future for all Californians.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT. AND OTHER LINKS.
California’s wildfire tech R&D group has big plans
East Bay Regional Park Tackles Fire-Fuel Reduction With 'Biochar' Project
New helicopters help CAL FIRE gain upper hand on brush fires while you sleep
Frequently Asked Questions About California’s Codes
CAL FIRE declares Highland Fire 100% contained; lifts evacuation orders and warnings
Smoky air fills Sierra forests near Fresno. Here's why that is a good thing | Opinion
Can goats and sheep stop wildfires?
Fire Safe Sonoma to launch new defensible space project for underserved residents
Quiet fire season? Cal Fire says numbers might surprise you
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Get the Scoop with the November CAL FIRE Report
Find us on social media or tune into CAL FIRE TV on Youtube to track the latest California fire news each week. We break down what you need to know and stay informed.
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Join us. We’re hiring.
Whether you’re exploring new possibilities, just starting out, or already a seasoned pro, we likely have a fit for you. Visit our careers page and then watch what it means to be part of the CAL FIRE community.
Research Data Specialists at CAL FIRE utilize math, science, engineering, and computer science to create wildfire simulations, which help fire managers make better decisions. Across the CAL FIRE team, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects are critical to our work.
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Join our email list by signing up here and checking "Monthly CAL FIRE Community e-news"
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