A new wildfire is forcing more families to flee to safety. It’s already burned nearly 6,500 acres in less than 24 hours and is only 3% contained. Evacuation orders and warnings are in place for Butte and Tehama counties. Flames are spreading just outside Chico, with every fire engine in the city on scene. The Park Fire is just one of seven wildfires that sparked yesterday. The Hill Fire burning in Humboldt County is 14% contained with just over 7 thousand acres burned, and the Ridge Fire in Colusa and Lake Counties is now 50% contained with just over 2,700 acres burned.
Two heroes are being remembered for protecting Californians from wildfires. It’s been confirmed that a pilot and mechanic were the ones killed in a Humboldt County plane crash Tuesday. They worked as contractors for Cal Fire and flew out of Sacramento County to go fix a helicopter when something went wrong. The plane went down in a ravine near an airport runway and triggered a fire. Investigators were still on scene yesterday collecting evidence.
The Flora Fire burning east of Healdsburg has scorched 50 acres of land and is 35%contained. Crews have stopped the forward progress of the vegetation fire, which started at about 4:45 Wednesday afternoon. There are no reports of injuries or of damaged, destroyed or threatened structures. Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire.
The Pepperwood Fire continues to burn in Mendocino County, but it’s 95% contained at last check. The fire that started on Saturday has burned 13 acres north of Covelo and East of Buck Mountain. CalFire says it’s burning at a moderate speed, and no structures are being threatened by the fire.
A man accused of killing a 13-year-old girl whose body was found in Cloverdale in 1982 has been charged with murder. James Unick, a Glenn County resident, was charged in Sonoma County Superior Court on Wednesday, two days after his arrest. He is also facing an enhancement for committing lewd acts on a child and kidnapping. A judge ordered Unick to remain behind bars without bail. The 62-year-old was identified as a suspect through DNA evidence.
Cal Fire’s budget has nearly doubled from a decade ago. Officials say the agency has budgeted around four-billion dollars with roughly 12-thousand positions for the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years. That’s almost twice the amount from 2014. More rain over the past two years has led to more fuel growth so experts anticipate 2024 will be a significant wildfire year. Cal Fire officials add it’s no longer a fire season but fire year because wildfires can happen in California whether it’s June or December.
The California National Guard is working hard to get fentanyl off the streets. Governor Gavin Newsom announced over eight-million fentanyl pills have been seized in the first six months of this year. In June alone, the Cal Guard Counterdrug Task Force helped seize more than one-million pills of the deadly drug. Newsom says the state is doubling down on tackling the opioid crisis, intercepting illegal drugs at the border and holding traffickers accountable.
