Felton Fire Department Fire Local News 

Felton Fire Protection District Board of Directors Notice of Vacancy

The Felton Fire Protection District Board of Directors has posted a Notice of Vacancy. Applications are due January 8, 2024. The position to be filled is for a term ending December 2024. The seat will go to election in November 2024 for a new 4-year term. Applications are available at the Felton Fire Protection District Office located at: 131 Kirby… Read More
Fern Fire Boulder Creek May 2022 Fire Local News 

Fern Fire Recap

On Monday, May 30 around 5:00 pm Cal Fire reported a vegetation fire in the hills above Fern Drive north of downtown Boulder Creek and west of Highway 9. The fire was reported to be a quarter acre and slow-moving with favorable wind conditions. One helicopter, two air tankers and a spotter plane were dispatched. Ground crews at that time… Read More
San Lorenzo Valley water drought wildfire Columns Fire Water 

San Lorenzo Valley Water, Drought, and Winter Fires

Californians have a fraught history with drought. Historical data indicates the state has at least one period that can be classified as a “drought” every decade. According to the United States Geological Survey Center’s (USGS) California Water Science Center, a drought is defined as, “a period with drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems.” Read More
Last Chance Community Post-Fire Watershed Defense Coalition Fire Fire Recovery Local News 

Post-Fire Watershed Defense Coalition Takes Action

By Beth Prentiss with Rebekah Uccellini Kuby and Tiffany Worthington While cooler weather and rains may spell relief for some people worried about wildfires, for others they mean a race against the clock to protect our waterways from toxic ash runoff before heavy rains begin. The Post-Fire Watershed Defense Coalition has been working non-stop since the wildfires to contain the… Read More
Debris flow hazards santa cruz mountains san lorenzo valley Debris Flow Fire Local News 

Debris Flow Hazards in the Santa Cruz Mountains

A GEOLOGIST “TRANSLATES” HAZARD MAPS By Gail Mahood Introduction Anyone driving up Hwy 9 has spotted the new electronic signs warning “Debris Flow Hazards Ahead” and urging citizens to sign up for the Code Red alert system. This is part of the Santa Cruz County response to the debris flow hazards the San Lorenzo Valley is facing this coming winter… Read More
Santa Cruz County Planning Department Fire Local News 

Fire Recovery Permit Center Open

This morning, December 4, 2020, the county announced the opening of their Fire Recovery Permit Center for residents who lost or experienced damage to their homes during the #czulightningcomplex fire. Today’s press release: FIRE RECOVERY PERMIT CENTER NOW OPENThe County of Santa Cruz announces the opening of the Recovery Permit Center (RPC) to assist CZU Lightning Complex residents with all… Read More
Jayme Ackemann Ben Lomond California Columns Fire 

From Denial to Grief and Gratitude

A firsthand perspective on surviving a fire that “couldn’t happen”  By Jayme Ackemann Every fire evacuation isn’t as dramatic as those middle-of-the-night knocks our neighbors in Boulder Creek got, but mine was every bit as terrifying. The CZU Lightning Complex fire evacuation order came down for Ben Lomond, the San Lorenzo Valley town where I live, on August 18. It… Read More