Monday, January 19, 2009

California Fire News - Updates in your mail box

California Fire News - Updates in your mail box

Link to California Fire News - Structure, Wildland, EMS

CAL FIRE - UFO IC - X-FILES - Unidentified Falling Object

Posted: 18 Jan 2009 04:18 PM CST

Falling Objects Spotted, But Not Found

SAN DIEGO -- Mulder and Scully of "The X-Files" might need to be summoned to help authorities solve the mystery of an unidentified falling object reported Saturday afternoon.

At 2:40 p.m., a caller reported seeing a piece of silver metal fall from the sky over Interstate 8 by the Pine Valley bridge, according to a California Highway Patrol dispatcher.

A second caller reported seeing something on fire fall from the sky, said Lt. Anthony Ray of the San Diego Sheriff's Department.

Cal Fire sent an air tanker to check out the reports and a San Diego Sheriff's Department helicopter crew also looked for the unidentified falling object, Ray said.

Officers checked with Lindbergh Field and said no planes had been reported missing, according to Ray.

The search continued for more than an hour after the first call, but deputies on the ground and in the air had not found anything, Ray said.
Source:

BLM: Firefighters Move To Taft

Posted: 18 Jan 2009 01:07 PM CST

Taft, Bureau of Land Management

About a dozen firefighters from the Bureau of Land Management are moving into a fire station on the Westside to get closer to the area they're designated to protect.

The firefighting force started moving in earlier this year, and is bringing all their equipment from the old station on Allen Road in Bakersfield to Center Street in Taft.

The Taft fire department incorporated into Kern County fire in May 2007, leaving the former city fire station vacant.

"It's going to save us at least a half-hour in response time," BLM field manager Tim Smith said.

"That better response time sometimes makes the difference between a 100,000-acre fire and a 5-acre fire," fire captain John Moreno added.

"The city really wanted us here, and has been really gracious to us as we move in," Smith said.

The main priority for BLM in western Kern County is protection and maintenance of the Carrizo Plain National Monument, but the move allows them better access to help the Forest Service with the Los Padres National Forest, and assist Kern County fire on the Westside if needed.

"The wildland urban interface is our bread and butter," Moreno said. "Protecting that is one of our top priorities."

The fire station should be fully operational in time for the peak fire season starting in May.

Source: KERO 23 - Link

California Fire News: New valve control tools

Posted: 18 Jan 2009 11:08 AM CST

Fire hydrant 2" square telescoping valve tool

We want to introduce you to our new waterworks tools for the public safety professional, contractor or the homeowner.

We are a family run Central valley California business that has been around for over 15 years. We are introducing our new line of waterworks tools which include the 3 in 1 pro waterworks tool, the 3 in 1 mini pro waterworks tool and the 3 in 1 pro pent head (San Jose style) waterworks tool.


Opens Curb box, controls water meter valve,









Controls gas meter valves




Wheel handle valve control








These tools are constructed for durability and ease of use. They are designed to do many jobs with just one tool. Both the pro pent head and the pro are suitable for professional use by waterworks, utility companies, landscapers etc.


Buy Now special pricing for California Fire News: Ace Fabrication presents the Three in One Mini Pro - Gas, water valve control tool, manhole and Curb box cover hook, Convenient storage, telescoping tubular construction, all steel, American made




The mini pro is a smaller version designed for the professional but priced for home use.

Please check out our website and feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.

USFS News: Lake Tahoe Basin - $4.3 million for prescribed burns, thinning

Posted: 18 Jan 2009 09:52 AM CST

$4.3 million targeted to reduce Tahoe fire threat

RENO, Nev.—Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has approved another $4.3 million for various projects designed to reduce the wildfire threat at Lake Tahoe.

The funding will allow more prescribed burns and cutting of thick stands of trees on U.S. Forest Service-managed land throughout the Tahoe basin.

A special two-state commission recommended such projects after a fire destroyed 254 homes and caused $140 million in property damage in June 2007 in South Lake Tahoe.

"Implementation of these fuels reduction projects is critical, not only to protect residents of Lake Tahoe but help improve the overall health of the surrounding forests," Kempthorne said.

"The Department of the Interior remains committed to protecting this extraordinarily special area," he added.

Last year, the panel established by Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended that thinning of overgrown forests around communities should be completed within five years and within a decade throughout the entire Tahoe basin.

Past clearcutting and later environmental regulations designed to protect the lake have led to forests jam-packed with spindly, unhealthy trees that can ignite quickly.

The tree density found throughout much of the Tahoe basin can lead to highly destructive crown fires, in which flames reach the tops of trees. A forest filled with more mature trees that are spread out is better able to withstand wildfire.

Source: Mercury News - Link

LAFD News: New Studio City fire station open for tours

Posted: 18 Jan 2009 08:51 AM CST

Grand Opening of Fire Station 78 in Studio City Artists Concept of LAFD Station 78LAFD Station 78
The men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department warmly welcome you to join civic and community leaders, including Fire Chief Douglas Barry, at the public dedication and grand opening of the LAFD's newest Neighborhood Fire Station. The new $13 million Los Angeles Fire Department station will open its doors Sunday to residents who want to tour the 15,250-square-foot facility and learn about fire safety.

The event runs from from 1 to 4 p.m. at the new station at 4041 Whitsett Ave.

Sunday, January 18, 2009
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
New Fire Station 78
4041 Whitsett Avenue
Studio City, CA 91604


We are pleased to offer an interactive map with driving directions, and encourage you to consider public transit when visiting this new facility, which is now in service protecting Studio City, Valley Village, Coldwater Canyon, Sherman Oaks and neighboring communities.

Following the dedication ceremony, there will be refreshments and a chance to tour Southern California's newest Fire Station. All members of the community are welcomed to this safety focused family event.

Sitting on a one-acre lot, Station 78 sleeps 18, has a fitness center, community room and six bays to hold firetrucks and lifesaving equipment.

The new station replaces a shed and trailer, which firefighters have had to operate from since the massive 1994 Northridge Earthquake damaged their old facility and left it untenable.

It's one of 19 fire stations built through a $532.6 million bond known as Proposition F and approved by voters in November 2000.

"People come to the station and say, `You have a beautiful new fire station,"' said Brian Humphrey, spokesman. "And I say, `No, you have a beautiful new fire station."

While the station opened for firefighters in September, it wasn't ready to accommodate the public until now, Humphrey said. Educational information will be provided on safety and refreshments will be served during the grand opening.

SAR: Capsized Boy Scout boat prompts search off Santa Monica

Posted: 18 Jan 2009 08:40 AM CST

Capsized Boy Scout boat prompts search off Santa Monica

A multi-agency search for possible victims was underway Saturday night off the Santa Monica coastline after authorities discovered a capsized 22-foot boat registered to the Boy Scouts.

The boat was found by the Santa Monica harbor patrol shortly before 9 p.m. Coast Guard and Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopters, along with lifeguard search boats, scoured the area, but found no sign of crew members or passengers in the water, officials said.

The boat is registered to a Boy Scout unit in Van Nuys, said Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Brent Reid.

"We're looking into all possibilities," Reid said.

Updated 11:59 p.m.: The boat, a Boston Whaler, has been righted. No personal effects have been found in the vessel or the water, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Pamela Manns. The search is continuing, but Manns said, "As far as we know, this boat could have just broken free from its moorings and overturned from the surf."

The boat is being left in the water to provide a reference point for searchers, she said. Authorities are attempting to contact Boy Scout officials, she said.

Source: LAT - Link

LAFD: SAR - Cliff rescue - Hiker rescued

Posted: 18 Jan 2009 08:19 AM CST

Engine 88 USAR - Cliff rescue
Photo credit: Andy Chase

UPDATE: @ 1537 - 108 Griffith Park x Bronson Quarry- Hiker rescued.
UPDATE: @1450 - 108 Griffith Park x Bronson Quarry- Hiker located.

Private Security Firm Reported that Hiker fell 250 ft near the residence of Pee Wee Herman in Bronson Canyon Saturday afternoon. Unconfirmed airlift out required.

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News: Breaking News -- MercuryNews.com

AP Top U.S. News At 8:45 p.m.