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| Butte County Fire Safe Council projects frozen Posted: 09 Jan 2009 08:24 PM CST  State freezes local fire safety fundsInmate crews from the Valley View Camp work on a shaded fuel break in Centerville on Dec. 17. Work on several local projects aimed to reduce the threat of wildfire have been halted in light of the state's economic crisis. Three projects sponsored by the Butte County Fire Safe Council, have been affected by the state's Dec. 17 decision to freeze infrastructure spending throughout California. Fire Safe Council Executive Director Calli-Jane Burch said several hundred thousand dollars of the organization's grant money is essentially frozen, halting progress on the Feather Falls Shaded Fuel Break, the Butte Creek Canyon Fuel Break and the group's chipper program. "This has affected us quite significantly," Burch said. The Feather Falls project is halfway completed, with the fuel break in Butte Creek Canyon only one-quarter of the way done. Both projects involve the clearing and chipping of fire fuels in their respective areas in order to reduce wildfire threat, protect watershed habitat, provide safer access for firefighters in case of a fire and clearer exit routes for residents. Burch said work on both projects completely stopped as soon as she was notified about the Pooled Money Investment Board's decision, with brush piles still lying on the ground. "We were in the middle of working and just had to stop," Burch said. "There are piles of brush waiting to be chipped or burned that we just have to leave until we get the green light." The funding for the break in Feather Falls comes largely from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, with funding for the Butte Creek Canyon break and the residential chipper program provided by Proposition 40. The $2.6 billion proposition was passed in 2002 to provide local assistance grants for projects that improve the environment and public safety. Without the funding, these projects will lie dormant, with the opportunity to complete the work shrinking every day. "We have a small window to work in," Burch said. "Our work has to be completed before the fire season begins, which is the end of May." Joshpae White, Cal Fire-Butte County public information officer, called the loss of funding a "big blow" to firefighters and public safety. White said the breaks are a huge resource to firefighters, helping to reduce the intensity of fires and giving fire officials an edge over threatening flames. Though fire may not be on everyone's mind in early January, White said work completed now assists in reducing the threat of fire this summer. "This is the time we need to be preparing for the upcoming fire season," White said. "We'd like to see this fixed sooner rather than later." Burch is hopeful that fuel break work can begin again. Through federal funding the chipping program will still continue. Without state funding, however, the program will be unable to reach the number of residents it typically could. The project provides Butte County residents with free chipping on trees and brush they have cleared to reduce wildfire threat. Burch said homeowners should continue to utilize the free resources the council provides as long as they can, and use the work that has been completed on the fuel breaks as a model for what their land should look like. "Unfortunately with the grant stopped, everyone needs to take the personal responsibility to make their lives safe from fire," Burch said. "Until our projects are back up and running, residents will have to take it upon themselves to reduce their wildfire threat and improve their safety." PG&E provides funding to Fire Safe Council PG&E recently donated $15,000 to the Butte County Fire Safe Council and Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council to assist with brush chipping projects and fire recovery efforts. Calli-Jane Burch, executive director of the Butte County Fire Safe Council, said the donation was a welcome gift, though the funding will do little to curtail the effects of the state funding freeze. Still, Burch said the donation was "critical" and will help residents clear brush on their property to reduce the threat of wildfire. The money donated to the Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council will contribute to their continued effort to dispose of fire-damaged trees and vegetation in the wake of this summer's fire storm. By TONI SCOTT - Staff WriterPosted: 01/07/2009 10:19:36 PM PST Source: Chicoer - Link | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riverside County: Murrieta Arsonist pleads guilty Posted: 09 Jan 2009 07:53 PM CST Man pleads guilty to setting Murrieta fire Peter Lawrence Williamson, 41, of Murrieta, entered his plea before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Dennis McConaghy during a felony settlement conference held prior to a preliminary hearing. The judge dismissed a second count of arson as part of the plea agreement, under which Williamson faces a maximum year-year prison term when he is sentenced Feb. 19. Williamson set some grass on fire near Winchester and Scott roads on Oct. 22, at the height of the wildfire season, according to authorities. A motive was never made clear. Williamson remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail. Source: My Desert - Link | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World News: Report says that a dozen paramedics have been killed in Gaza in the past 2 weeks Posted: 09 Jan 2009 05:25 PM CST  War - Courageous paramedics on both sides tend to the injured civilians and pay the ultimate price.A video report at ABC News - Video Link says that nearly a dozen paramedics have been killed in Gaza in the past 2 weeks Palestinians claim 12 medics have been killed while tending to the wounded since the fighting began. The Red Cross group says Israeli Defense Forces ordered one team of medics to leave before they had a chance to check all the damaged houses. The Israeli armysaid that it had not received a complaint from the Red Cross and would not comment. In another case, a Palestinian ambulance came under Israeli fire Thursday, as its crew tried to recover an injured civilian. The medic was shot twice in the legs, forcing the team to leave the civilian behind. The ugly score: Two Israeli soldiers were killed today after discovering roadside bombs and booby traps in Gaza homes. More than 750 Palestinians, 245 of which are children, and 14 Israelis, have been killed in nearly two weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Esperanza wildfire: Arson trial Jury Selection to Begin Posted: 09 Jan 2009 05:08 PM CST Arsonist Raymond Lee Oyle faces death penalty for five counts of first-degree murder, 38 counts of arson, and being in possession of incendiary devices. U.S.F.S. Engine 57, joined the battle against the wildfire as it roared up hillsides north of the small community of Twin Pines. Capt. Mark Allen Loutzenhiser, 43, along with crew members Pablo Cerda, 24, Jason Robert McKay, 27, Jess Edward McLean, 27, and Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20, died when the flames swept over a house they were trying to defend. RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- The first round of jury selection is slated to begin Monday morning in the trial of a man charged with igniting a deadly 2006 wildfire in Riverside County that claimed the lives of five firefighters. Raymond Lee Oyler, 38, could face the death penalty if convicted of setting the Esperanza wildfire. Oyler faces five counts of first-degree murder, 38 counts of arson, and being in possession of incendiary devices. Prosecutors allege that, in addition to the Esperanza blaze, Oyler ignited 22 other fires in central and western Riverside County throughout 2006. Next week, some 320 prospective jurors are expected to be summoned to Riverside County Superior Court Judge W. Charles Morgan's courtroom. Most will be weeded out through questionnaires concerning their knowledge of the Oyler case, and the rest will be screened by the prosecution and defense until a dozen jurors and at least two alternates are selected. Last month, Morgan predicted jury selection would wrap up by Jan. 21 or 22, with opening statements on one of those days or a day or two later. The trial could last to the end of March. Morgan has so far denied television stations' requests to film or videotape proceedings. The judge set a Jan. 16 hearing on defense attorney Mark McDonald's motion to introduce evidence that he says shows a former U.S. Forest Service employee could have been responsible for setting several of the fires his client is charged with igniting. Michael Karl McNeil, 35, is facing charges related to an alleged arson blaze in Los Angeles County, and was one of the suspects Riverside County sheriff's investigators zeroed in on following the Esperanza fire and before Oyler's Nov. 2 arrest. The Oct. 26, 2006, Esperanza blaze scorched more than 40,000 acres, destroyed 34 homes and 20 outbuildings, killed livestock and significantly damaged a highway near Cabazon. A five-man U.S. Forest Service firefighting crew, known as Engine 57, joined the battle against the wildfire as it roared up hillsides north of the small community of Twin Pines. Capt. Mark Allen Loutzenhiser, 43, along with crew members Pablo Cerda, 24, Jason Robert McKay, 27, Jess Edward McLean, 27, and Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20, died when the flames swept over a house they were trying to defend. During Oyler's preliminary hearing in March 2007, a state crime technician testified that the defendant's DNA was identified on cigarettes left at the scene of two arson fires near Banning in June 2006. The defendant's second cousin, Jill Frame, testified that a few days before Esperanza, Oyler talked openly about setting a fire near Idyllwild to create a diversion that would allow him to sneak in and free his two pit bull dogs from an animal shelter. When the defendant was arrested, investigators discovered alleged arson implements in his Ford Taurus, including gas cans, rolls of wadded newspaper and a slingshot with burn marks in the launchpad. Oyler has served time in county jail and prison, most recently for a 2001 drug-possession conviction. McDonald argued in November that Oyler could not receive a fair trial in Riverside County because of a "lynch mob atmosphere." However, Morgan denied the attorney's request to move the trial elsewhere, once the prosecution established that only 16 percent of respondents to a survey about the case could recall Oyler's name. McDonald has characterized the evidence against his client in the Esperanza case as exceptionally weak and said in November he thought Oyler has "a great shot at being acquitted." The defendant has been held without bail in Riverside County jail since his arrest.Source: NBC LA article - Link | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Earthquake: Costa Rica, Emergency Ham Frequency Declared Posted: 09 Jan 2009 04:47 PM CST Attention All Amateur Radio Operators...  Earthquake Strikes Costa Rica, Emergency Ham Frequency Declared (Jan 9, 2009) -- On Thursday, January 8 at 1921 UTC, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck the Central American country of Costa Rica. The earthquake, with an epicenter located about 22 miles northeast of San Jose, comes after a series of almost 60 seismic events that have rocked the country since early this week. The Radio Club de Costa Rica (RCCR) -- that country's IARU Member-Society -- is monitoring local repeaters and 7090 kHz. IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Coordinator Cesar Pio Santos, HR2P, requests that 7090 kHz be kept clear of non-essential traffic due to possible emergency communications dealing with the earthquake. The ARRL encourages all amateurs to be aware of the emergency operations on this frequency. US amateurs should avoid interfering with Spanish language SSB while using digital modes. Update: The official count of confirmed deaths grew to 15 Friday afternoon. Emergency Frequency declared: ARRL - Link This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LACFD: honor fallen colleague - Engine re-numbering ceremony Posted: 09 Jan 2009 08:38 PM CST Los Angeles County firefighters to honor fallen colleague today  The Los Angeles County Fire Department will re- number one of its fire engines today to honor the memory of a firefighter who died in the line of duty 18 years ago.At a ceremony at Fire Station 16, county fire Chief P. Michael Freeman and newly installed Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will formally re-number Engine 216 as Engine 9 to honor slain firefighter Jim Howe. Today's ceremony will include members of Howe's family as well as fire department personnel who worked with him. Howe drove the fire engine back when it carried Engine Company 9. He suffered fatal injuries Jan. 9, 1991, while fighting an arson fire in a commercial building in Huntington Park. Part of the building collapsed on him, and he died from his injuries a week later at age 47. Old Engine 9 was redesignated as No. 216 in 1994 when the fire department reconfigured its stations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RED FLAG WARNINGS AND WATCHES - GUSTS TO 70 MPH Posted: 09 Jan 2009 05:31 PM CST  CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER - SOUTHERN CALIFORNIARED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 4 PM PST SUNDAY DUE TO VERY STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY. HUMIDITY LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO FALL TO CRITICAL LEVELS BY THIS AFTERNOON AND REMAIN AT OR BELOW CRITICAL LEVELS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGIT RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY AT LEAST. HIGH WIND WARNING AREAS: THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES... AS WELL AS THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY DISCUSSION: HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE WILL BUILD OVER THE GREAT BASIN ON FRIDAY... AND INCREASE OFFSHORE FLOW OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. THIS FLOW WILL RESULT IN STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES... AS WELL AS THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY. WIND GUSTS COULD PEAK TO AROUND 70 MPH OVER THE WINDIEST AREAS... ESPECIALLY THROUGH AND BELOW FAVORED PASSES AND CANYONS. VALLEY AND COASTAL AREAS WILL LIKELY NEED WIND ADVISORIES AS WELL. THESE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON. ... HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON... AREAS OF NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS BETWEEN 25 AND 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO FORM BY NOON ON FRIDAY...THEN CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE THROUGH PASSES AND CANYONS...ESPECIALLY SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH... OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
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| Earthquake: 4.1 M Greater Los Angeles area Posted: 09 Jan 2009 09:29 AM CST Magnitude 4.5 - GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA 2009 January 09 03:49:46 UTC
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| Magnitude | 4.5 |
|---|---|
| Date-Time |
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| Location | 34.107°N, 117.304°W |
| Depth | 14.1 km (8.8 miles) |
| Region | GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA |
| Distances |
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| Location Uncertainty | horizontal +/- 0.2 km (0.1 miles); depth +/- 0.4 km (0.2 miles) |
| Parameters | Nph=132, Dmin=2 km, Rmss=0.28 sec, Gp= 18°, M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=S |
| Source | |
| Event ID | ci10370141 |
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