Latest news with #CountyOfficeofEmergencyServices
Axios
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Axios
Madre Fire explodes in size to become California's biggest this year
A wildfire in California's San Luis Obispo County exploded in size Thursday, triggering evacuation orders and sending smoke plumes southeast into Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The big picture: The Madre Fire had grown to 35,530 acres on Thursday afternoon — surpassing January's destructive Los Angeles-area fires to become California's largest this year, as much of the state faces hot, dry conditions that raise the wildfire risk ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. Officials warn that the smoke impacts of the blaze that's one of several wildfires burning in the state will be "far-reaching." Zoom in: The Madre Fire was burning at 5% containment in a wilderness area of central California near State Route 166 after igniting on Wednesday afternoon, per Cal Fire. Part of the highway was closed due to the blaze, per a San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services Facebook post. Evacuation orders and warnings were in effect for communities in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties near the highway as the blaze burned toward Carrizo Plain National Monument, a region some 125 miles northwest of LA that's known for its grasslands and spring wildflowers. Between the lines: Research shows hot, dry and windy weather that helps wildfires spread is becoming more common across much of the U.S. amid climate change, per Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Firefighters get high-tech assist in battling blaze at Woodbridge home being fumigated
Feb. 21—Woodbridge and Lodi firefighters were joined by drone operators from the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services as they battled a blaze that broke out during a fumigation treatment on Wednesday. The fire was reported at 12:46 p.m. at a three-story residential duplex in Woodbridge that was undergoing fumigation to treat termites. The flames burned through the roof of the fumigation tent that encased the building on Lower Sacramento Road. "I have never been on a fire that was being fumigated in my 32 years of service," Woodbridge Fire Chief Darin Downey said. Four Woodbridge fire engines responded to the scene, along with one Lodi engine and Lodi's ladder truck. Downey was at the scene as well, along with a Woodbridge operations chief, a Lodi deputy chief, and a battalion chief from each fire department. Woodbridge firefighters made entry into the building to open up access to a third-floor balcony, so that fire suppression operations could begin. Lodi firefighters climbed to the roof via their truck's ladder, where they were able to gain access to the building's attic and ensure that the fire had not spread. The firefighters were assisted by the OES Drone Team, who were able to provide aerial views of the fire. "Using real-time data from our drones, fire crews were able to quickly identify and address hot spots to ensure the safety of firefighters and efficiency during the response," San Joaquin OES said in a Facebook post about the operation. "Our fleet of drones, weighing under 55 pounds, is equipped with advanced sensors and payloads allowing us to conduct missions in areas unsafe for emergency response personnel." Once the fire was extinguished, Woodbridge Fire personnel remained on the scene all night, until the fumigation gas could safely dissipate and the investigation could be performed at 10 a.m. Thursday. "Fumigation is fairly safe and is more of a potential health hazard than anything," Downey said. The gas typically used in fumigation, sulfuryl fluoride, is not flammable or combustible, according to a safety data sheet by Douglas Products, which produces a name-brand version of the gas called Vikane. However, sulfuryl fluoride can be toxic and even fatal if inhaled, and exposure without proper safety equipment has been linked to organ damage and cancer, the sheet said. It's unknown at this time if Vikane was used in this treatment. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
