Latest news with #VenturaCountyFireDepartment
Boston Globe
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Farmworker dies Saturday after fleeing raid this week in Southern California
On Saturday morning, however, his family said that he was on life support and that it was deciding next steps, and Ventura County Medical Center said in a statement that he was still alive but in critical condition. Advertisement On Saturday evening, a lawyer retained by the family through the Mexican consulate said in a text message that Alanis had died Saturday afternoon. The lawyer, Jesus Arias, added that the family decided to 'disconnect' after tests for brain function yielded 'no good results.' Arias said arrangements were being made to transfer Alanis' body to his family in the Mexican state of Michoacán. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Elizabeth Strater, vice president for the United Farm Workers union, said in an interview Friday that during the chaos of the raid, Alanís 'fell 30 feet or more, and experienced devastating spinal and skull injuries.' An official who was briefed on the situation said Alanís was from Michoacán, had been working at the farm for more than a decade and had been trying to flee from agents when he fell. He was in his late 50s. Advertisement Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said Friday that Alanís had not been in federal custody and denied that the agents involved in the raid were the reason he climbed the greenhouse. 'Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30 feet,' she said in a statement. Agents called for help, she added, 'to get him care as quickly as possible.' Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department, said that eight people had been transferred to area hospitals in response to 911 calls Thursday and that four other people had been treated at the scene. In a statement, Teresa Romero, president of the UFW, said that several farmworkers had been critically injured in the enforcement actions and that others, including U.S. citizens, remained unaccounted for. She said those citizens who were detained 'were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones' before being released. The Trump administration last month began to aggressively target worksites in California, including farms, as it seeks to sharply bolster the number of arrests and deportations of immigrants in the country without legal permission. President Donald Trump has said that he wanted to allow some farmworkers to stay in the country legally. However, raids in agricultural areas have persisted. Federal agents, backed by National Guard troops in military-style vehicles, raided two locations operated by Glass House Farms on Thursday. One was in Camarillo, a Ventura County town about 50 miles outside Los Angeles, and another was in Carpinteria, a town in Santa Barbara County. Advertisement News of the raids Thursday rapidly spread, prompting protesters and community members to rush to the scenes. Clashes broke out between hundreds of protesters and the agents. During the confrontation in the Camarillo area, one protester was seen on video appearing to fire a pistol at officers. The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that the protester fired a gun at law enforcement officers and that the FBI was offering $50,000 for information leading to the person's arrest. The agency said four U.S. citizens were being criminally processed for assaulting or resisting officers and that the protesters had damaged vehicles. 'At least 10 migrant children were rescued from potential exploitation, forced labor and human trafficking,' Homeland Security officials said in a statement. Glass House Farms said late Thursday that its greenhouses had been visited by federal authorities with search warrants and that the company had fully complied. It is legal for licensed companies to grow cannabis in California. This article originally appeared in
CNN
11-07-2025
- CNN
Watch: Intense standoff outside California farm between protesters and federal agents
The Ventura County Fire Department said they responded to calls of people having breathing problems at a farm in Ventura County, California, after federal agents appeared to deploy tear gas canisters into the crowd. A DHS spokesperson told CNN that they were "executing criminal warrants at a marijuana facility." It is unclear if any arrests were made.
CNN
11-07-2025
- CNN
Watch: Intense standoff outside California farm between protesters and federal agents
The Ventura County Fire Department said they responded to calls of people having breathing problems at a farm in Ventura County, California, after federal agents appeared to deploy tear gas canisters into the crowd. A DHS spokesperson told CNN that they were "executing criminal warrants at a marijuana facility." It is unclear if any arrests were made.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Yahoo
1 person killed in California house fire after fireworks explode in garage
One person died in a fire at a California home after fireworks exploded in the garage, police said on July 3. The fire erupted in the garage and spread to the attic and main areas of the home in Simi Valley, California, part of Ventura County about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, officials said. The Ventura County Fire Department and Simi Valley Police Department responded to the fire at the residence at about 11:48 a.m. on July 3. Calls reported what sounded like a large explosion followed by a series of smaller ones, said Simi Valley police Sgt. Rick Morton. When the first police supervisor arrived at 12:08 p.m., he could still hear small explosions. The garage and attic were fully engulfed in flames and the roof had collapsed, Morton said. "The explosions were determined to be fireworks," the Simi Valley Police Department said in a statement. Firefighters on the scene issued a second alarm as the flames spread, officials said on social media. "I was in bed and woke up when I heard the explosion," said Wilfredo Aceves-Velasquez, 25, who lives nearby on Hudspeth Avenue. Are fireworks safe? Fireworks needlessly destroy fingers, hands and lives every year, doctors say By 1:45 p.m., caution tape closed off portions of Edmund Street where fire engines and utility trucks parked along the roadway. The home's garage door was blown from its hinges and could be seen near the curb across the street. At the scene, Scott Thomsen, county fire spokesman, confirmed the explosion. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Fireworks, which are illegal in Simi Valley, were found in the garage and in a truck in the driveway. Investigators have not yet confirmed what started the fire, Morton said. Police said the person killed was an adult male but did not release his identity. A mother and an adult son reportedly live in the residence. The mother was at work when the explosion occurred, Morton said. She returned home as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, he said. Over 400 miles away from Simi Valley in the northern part of the state, another explosion at a fireworks factory sparked a fire earlier in the week, authorities there said. The factory exploded on July 1 in Yolo County northwest of Sacramento shortly after 6 p.m. The blast caused fires at several nearby structures and the fire spread to 78 acres. It was 60% contained as of July 4, according to CalFire. Video of that explosion showed a fire and huge plume of smoke with fireworks continuously going off within the smoke. The fire and explosion prompted evacuation orders and crews worked to locate seven people unaccounted for. Last year, 11 Americans died from fireworks injuries and more than 14,700 were treated in emergency rooms, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Injuries include burns to the hands and fingers or head, face and ears in more than one-third of cases. "These are effectively bombs people are holding in their hands," Dr. Nicolas Lee, a professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at the University of California San Francisco who directs a hand reconstruction program, previously told USA TODAY. "We see hands and fingers blown off, groin injuries, facial burns and damage. I've had kids blow off their eyelids so they can't close their eyes." Experts say following these safety tips can help prevent a life-changing injury or death: Never hold a lit firework in your hands Light fireworks one-at-a-time and then move back quickly Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not gone off Never use fireworks when impaired by alcohol or drugs If you or someone is injured in an explosion, call 911 immediately Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@ Contributing: Elizabeth Weise and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: 1 person killed in house fire after fireworks explode in garage
USA Today
04-07-2025
- USA Today
1 person killed in California house fire after fireworks explode in garage
One person died in a fire at a California home after fireworks exploded in the garage, police said on July 3. The fire erupted in the garage and spread to the attic and main areas of the home in Simi Valley, California, part of Ventura County about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, officials said. The Ventura County Fire Department and Simi Valley Police Department responded to the fire at the residence at about 11:48 a.m. on July 3. Calls reported what sounded like a large explosion followed by a series of smaller ones, said Simi Valley police Sgt. Rick Morton. When the first police supervisor arrived at 12:08 p.m., he could still hear small explosions. The garage and attic were fully engulfed in flames and the roof had collapsed, Morton said. "The explosions were determined to be fireworks," the Simi Valley Police Department said in a statement. Firefighters on the scene issued a second alarm as the flames spread, officials said on social media. "I was in bed and woke up when I heard the explosion," said Wilfredo Aceves-Velasquez, 25, who lives nearby on Hudspeth Avenue. Are fireworks safe? Fireworks needlessly destroy fingers, hands and lives every year, doctors say By 1:45 p.m., caution tape closed off portions of Edmund Street where fire engines and utility trucks parked along the roadway. The home's garage door was blown from its hinges and could be seen near the curb across the street. At the scene, Scott Thomsen, county fire spokesman, confirmed the explosion. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Fireworks, which are illegal in Simi Valley, were found in the garage and in a truck in the driveway. Investigators have not yet confirmed what started the fire, Morton said. Police said the person killed was an adult male but did not release his identity. A mother and an adult son reportedly live in the residence. The mother was at work when the explosion occurred, Morton said. She returned home as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, he said. Another fireworks explosion sparked huge fire Over 400 miles away from Simi Valley in the northern part of the state, another explosion at a fireworks factory sparked a fire earlier in the week, authorities there said. The factory exploded on July 1 in Yolo County northwest of Sacramento shortly after 6 p.m. The blast caused fires at several nearby structures and the fire spread to 78 acres. It was 60% contained as of July 4, according to CalFire. Video of that explosion showed a fire and huge plume of smoke with fireworks continuously going off within the smoke. The fire and explosion prompted evacuation orders and crews worked to locate seven people unaccounted for. Fireworks kill and injure Americans every year Last year, 11 Americans died from fireworks injuries and more than 14,700 were treated in emergency rooms, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Injuries include burns to the hands and fingers or head, face and ears in more than one-third of cases. "These are effectively bombs people are holding in their hands," Dr. Nicolas Lee, a professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at the University of California San Francisco who directs a hand reconstruction program, previously told USA TODAY. "We see hands and fingers blown off, groin injuries, facial burns and damage. I've had kids blow off their eyelids so they can't close their eyes." Experts say following these safety tips can help prevent a life-changing injury or death: Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@ Contributing: Elizabeth Weise and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
