May 2009

The Clovis fire department may have to let go three firefighters and one staff member. They would also have to eliminate overtime pay, stop responding to low-priority calls and close Station One 90-percent of the time. Clovis Fire Chief, Rick Bennett said, “My focus is on fire, life and safety in this community and what [...]

Afternoon winds stoked a day-old brush fire into an out-of-control blaze Wednesday in Santa Barbara, sending it hopscotching across exclusive canyon neighborhoods and leaving firefighters nearly powerless before its advance. The airborne embers ignited multimillion-dollar homes on the ridgetops. Firefighters did not offer an exact count, but photographers in helicopters in the smoky skies estimated [...]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Firefighters are battling a blaze at a vacant building that’s part of the historic and long-shuttered Moulin Rouge hotel-casino in Las Vegas. No injuries are reported. City spokeswoman Diana Paul says renovations began last week on the property, about a mile northwest of downtown. A vacant building with about 40 apartments [...]

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Authorities in Southern California ordered residents of about 1,200 homes to evacuate because of a wind- driven wildfire burning in Santa Barbara County. Fire Capt. David Sadecki said the blaze, which erupted Tuesday afternoon, was burning less than a square mile along the foothills above Santa Barbara. He said winds are [...]