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El Dorado County Public Safety Digest



California Sent Investigators to ICE Facilities. They Found More Detainees, and Health Care Gaps

04/29/2025

A California law empowers state investigators to check on conditions at ICE detention centers. A new report raises concerns about health care inside them.

Trump Cuts Millions in California Crime Prevention Grants: ‘This Was a Sledgehammer’

04/28/2025

Groups that support California crime victims and attempt to reduce gun violence lost millions of dollars in grants when the Trump administration pulled funding.

California Rolls Out Pesticide "Spray Days" Alerts

04/28/2025

Residents living near farms can now sign up to be alerted when pesticides will be applied by the a new system recently launched by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Cameron Park Community Services District Signs New CalFire Agreement

04/25/2025

In their April 16 meeting, the Cameron Park Community Services District Board of Directors approved a five-year agreement with CalFire after exploring alternatives, none of which came to fruition.

New Firefighters Welcomed to Garden Valley Fire Protection District

04/24/2025

An April 12 ceremony celebrated the graduation of four new volunteer firefighters who completed the 10 week Garden Valley Fire Protection District Volunteer Fire Academy.

Cal Fire Unveils New Aircraft

04/24/2025

In an April 24 press conference. CalFire unveiled the latest addition to their fleet of firefighting aircraft, a new C-130 Hercules.

El Dorado Hills Names Fire Chief

04/23/2025

The El Dorado Hills Fire Board of Directorsb has signed interim Fire Chief Michael Lilienthal to a three-year contract as the new chief.

Amid Deadly Measles Outbreak, California’s Childhood Vaccination Rates Are Falling

04/16/2025

Against the backdrop of a rise in vaccine skepticism, California reported a drop in the rate of kindergartners immunized against measles last year, fueling fears that there may be a resurgence of the once-vanquished disease amid the deadly outbreak in West Texas.

California Sets Aside $170 Million to Thin Vegetation, Forests to Help Prevent Wildfires

04/14/2025

Six conservancies throughout the state will oversee work largely in Southern California and the Sierra Nevada.

License to Kill

04/13/2025

The California DMV routinely allows dangerous drivers with horrifying histories to continue to operate on our roadways. Too often they go on to kill. Many keep driving even after they kill. Some go on to kill again.

It's Wildfire Awareness Season in El Dorado County

04/10/2025

In a bid to increase local resilience to wildfires, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation on April 1 for the opening of Wildfire Awareness Season.

Could Utility Gear Set Your Neighborhood on Fire? California Risk Maps Are 8 Years Old

04/09/2025

California’s Public Advocate has been pressing for new utility fire maps since 2023. Utilities are on board — but regulators turned them down.

Caldor Fire Restoration Project Advances

04/02/2025

The decision to undertake Caldor Fire restoration work in the Eldorado National Forest has been filed, and the Phase 1 project will commence when weather permits.

El Dorado Hills Fire Station 86 Repairs Update

04/02/2025

An update on the progress of repairs to Fire Station 86 in El Dorado Hills as fire season approaches.

New Fire Maps Put Nearly 4 Million Californians in Hazardous Zones. What Does That Mean for the People Who Live There?

03/24/2025

CalFire released its fourth and final round of color-coded hazard maps. Different colors come with different rules.

Students Call on California Colleges to Protect Campuses From Immigration Enforcement

03/18/2025

After the Trump administration threw out policies dating back to 2011 limiting immigration arrests at “sensitive locations,” California colleges and universities are providing resources to support students, but can’t stop immigration enforcement from entering public spaces. Some advocates say more must be done.

‘It Will Not Be Survivable’: Lake Tahoe Could Be a Deathtrap During Major Wildfires

03/18/2025

Evacuating the Tahoe basin in summer could take 14 hours, and 99% of properties are at risk — yet new resorts are being built in high-danger fire areas.

Amador-El Dorado Forest Forum Coming March 19

03/14/2025

The featured speaker will be California District 3 Congressperson Kevin Kiley. Read on for RSVP details.

What to Know About Two New Measles Cases in California

03/13/2025

California public health officials are closely monitoring two residents who recently tested positive for measles. Officials are on high alert given ongoing measles outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico and abroad.

Garden Valley Fire Adds Water Tender

03/13/2025

Read on for more information about the 2000-gallon capacity water tender recently added to the rolling stock of the Garden Valley Fire Protection District.

California Considers Raising Inmate Firefighters Wage

03/11/2025

California Assembly Bill 247 would significantly raise the hourly wage of inmate firefighters. Read on to learn more.

An Audit Found California Was Unprepared to Help Vulnerable People in a Fire. Five Years Later, Lawmakers Finally Talk About It

03/06/2025

Five years ago, as COVID-19 hit the state, legislators cancelled a hearing to discuss a state audit that found the state’s office of emergency services and at least three California counties weren’t prepared to help vulnerable people during natural disasters.

Federal Funding Freeze Affects Fire Safe Programs

02/28/2025

Read on for more information about the impact of the federal funding turmoil on all El Dorado County Fire Safe Councils.

Californians Approved $1.5 Billion for Wildfire Prevention. How Will the State Spend It?

02/27/2025

The governor has proposed spending climate bond money dedicated to wildfire mitigation in various ways. Some lawmakers think a focused strategy would be more effective.

Why Bills to Help Prevent California Fires Fail

02/26/2025

Each year, legislation aimed at better wildfire mitigation fails – often due to cost or conflict with environmental regulations.

Cameron Park Community Services Fire Services Annexation Dropped

02/24/2025

In their February 19 meeting, the Cameron Park Community Services District Board of Directors voted to discontinue annexation discussions with the El Dorado Hills Fire Department. Read on to learn why and what comes next.

Meet the NorCal Women Behind Watch Duty, an App That Informs People During Wildfires

02/22/2025

THE RECENT SPREAD of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles has underscored the importance of Watch Duty, the wildfire mapping app that provides early warning of fires and tracks their spread. And it is also casting a spotlight on the work of two volunteers, Danilla Sands of Mendocino County and Sara Paul of Sonoma County, both of whom play critical roles in ensuring the app has the latest fire information.

An End to ‘Forever Chemicals’: McNerney’s Bill Would Create Fund to Clean Up PFAS in Water

02/22/2025

A new bill by a Bay Area state senator aims to create a special fund to help clean up so-called forever chemicals in California’s water supply. Senate Bill 454 was introduced by Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, on February 18 and, if passed by the state Legislature and signed by the governor, would create the PFAS Mitigation Fund.

Pleasant Valley Road Safety improvements Coming Soon

02/21/2025

Read on to learn more about upcoming improvements to accident-prone Pleasant Valley Road between Mother Lode Drive and Mt. Aukum Road.

California Has Known That Disabled People Need Help in Fires. After LA, Can It Better Prepare for the Next One?

02/18/2025

California has known for years that it must pay extra attention to people with disabilities and limited mobility during natural disasters. Will it put the lessones of the L.A. fires to use for the next emergency?

How Newsom Has Responded to the LA Fires

02/18/2025

In the days and weeks following the January Los Angeles County wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom and his office moved quickly to manage the response and begin recovery efforts after the blazes were contained. Since then, the governor has been singularly focused on the region, describing his approach as “an extended period of engagement” with L.A. during a press conference in Altadena last week.

Learning Through Burning: Moss Landing Fire Exposes Need for Changes in Battery Facilities

02/15/2025

AS HOST TO the largest battery storage facility in the world, on a site that just had its fourth fire in four years, the people of Monterey County have grown to realize that Moss Landing is a learning laboratory for California’s green energy transition.

Featured

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