wildfires

Citing a “failed record in safety,” the president of the state Public Utilities Commission notified PG&E Tuesday that regulators are in the midst of the “fact finding” needed before potentially pursuing a state takeover of the utility over apparent lapses in wildfire prevention efforts.

State regulators Tuesday let PG&E know they’ve launched a fact-finding review of the company which could be the first step toward an attempted government takeover of the utility.

With the Yosemite Valley air still hazy from lingering smoke from this year’s record fire season, Michael Beasley surveyed one hillside hit by the 400-square-mile Rim Fire back in 2013.

This year, California has seen 8,800 wildfires that ripped through a record 4.5 million acres. Forest experts say they are frustrated at the slow pace of efforts they believe could make a difference. Investigative Reporter Jaxon Van Derbeken has the story.

Sonoma County is suing Pacific Gas and Electric over last year’s Kincade Fire. The lawsuit accuses one of the utility’s loose power lines of sparking the largest wildfires every in the county. Investigative Reporter Jaxon Van Derbeken reports.

Sonoma County and several Northern California agencies sued Pacific Gas & Electric Co. over damage caused by a the Kincade Fire that burned a large swath of land last year and caused nearly 100,000 people to flee.

Neal Driscoll, Alert Wildfire program director at UC San Diego is the featured guest in this episode of the Weather Discussion with Rob Mayeda.

One of the most critical tools in use for tracking and monitoring wildfire behavior is the Alert Wildfire camera network Neal Driscoll, Alert Wildfire program director at UC San Diego explains how technology once used for earthquake monitoring in the Sierra evolved into today’s multi region camera network. While satellite technology has improved with near real time heat detection...

The state’s Franchise Tax Board announced today new tax-filing relief for people affected by wildfires that broke out in Los Angeles County and other counties throughout the state in September.

A home that once survived another blaze and was dubbed a “miracle home” was not lucky enough to beat flames twice after it was badly damaged in the Blue Ridge Fire, an Orange County family said Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of eastern Orange County residents remain under evacuation orders Tuesday as winds threaten to fan a 7,200-acre brush fire.

Rapidly spreading wildfires have forced the evacuation of nearly 90,000 California residents and two firefighters were critically burned fighting the flames.

Tens of thousands of residents are under evacuation orders as firefighters attack a wind-driven brush fire that may have been sparked by utility equipment early Monday before spreading quickly in Orange County’s Santiago Canyon area.

The Pope Fire in Napa County is now 100% contained at 61 acres, fire officials announced Sunday.

California, which has endured its worst wildfire season in history, is bracing for the most dangerous winds of the year, a forecast that prompted the largest utility to announce plans to cut power Sunday to nearly 1 million people to guard against its equipment sparking new blazes.

Once again, PG&E is expected to cut power to over 400,000 customers across northern and central California starting Sunday in anticipation of some of the strongest winds of this year’s wildfire season – and in Napa County, another fire burned at least 67 acres Friday. Cheryl Hurd reports.

With a Red Flag Warning set to go into effect across the entire Bay Area, firefighters are getting prepared early so they can jump on any new blazes that ignite.

With a Red Flag Warning set to go into effect across the entire Bay Area, firefighters are getting prepared early so they can jump on any new blazes that ignite. Robert Handa reports.

The East Troublesome Fire had burned more than 170,00 acres as of Friday afternoon, causing the evacuation of the entire town of Grand Lake, Colo.

Cal Fire blames the Kincade Fire – the largest in Sonoma County history – on PG&E’s failure to properly decommission a high voltage line that had once fed power to a shuttered geothermal plant, according to the findings of its final report obtained by NBC Bay Area.