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Monterey County Neighborhood Watch

Part of the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, Neighborhood Watch encourages neighbors to work together to prevent crime within the community.

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Public Safety

Caldor Fire Now 100 Percent Contained

The Caldor Fire, which began ravaging the Lake Tahoe region two months ago, is officially contained. This does not mean the fire is completely extinguished, but rather it means firefighters have constructed a perimeter effective against any further spread.

(Oct. 21, 2021) → Read the full The Sacramento Bee report

Resilience Economy & Jobs Public Safety

What Is the True Cost of California Wildfires?

Even though not a single structure burned in the city of South Lake Tahoe, a preliminary estimate shows that the Caldor Fire cost tens of millions in lost economic activity to the region. But is that really the total? Experts believe it’s not clear how much fires cost the state each year.

(Oct. 11, 2021) → Read the full Comstock's Magazine report

Recent Articles

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Image caption: Gov. Gavin News signed a broad new set of police reform laws Sept. 30.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

California’s Sweeping New Police Reform Laws, Explained

Gov. Gavin Newsom and California’s Democratic legislators have enacted a sweeping new package of police reform legislation. Here’s what the new laws will accomplish, and why.

Image caption: A firefighter battles the Dixie Fighter, a massive blaze started by PG&E equipment.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

PG&E’s Record of Causing Fires, and What the Company Is Doing About It

The state’s largest power utility faced new criminal charges Sept. 24, but PG&E has a long and disturbing history of causing wildfires. Why? And how can the company change?

Image caption: Auburn State Recreation Area may soon be home to 142 new campsites.

STATEWIDE AGGREGATOR

State to Move on New Campsites in Auburn Park

Despite a history of wildfires in the area, the state wants to build nearly 150 new campsites in Auburn State Recreation Area in El Dorado and Placer counties.

Image caption: California’s increasingly dangerous wildfire outbreak has led to another crisis, this one in fire insurance.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

California’s Fire Insurance Crisis, Explained

Even as California’s wildfires grow more intense seemingly every year, insurers are cancelling policies for homeowners in the path of the fires.

Image caption: California will soon be getting a new hotline number as an alternative to 911 for mental health crises.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

988, the New Mental Health Emergency Number, Explained

California will soon add a new emergency hotline service with the number 988. Here’s the story behind that new service, and the original 911 number.

Image caption: States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained

Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health, even to suspend laws and commandeer private property. Here's why, and how it works.

Image caption: A Pyrocumulus cloud generated by the Dixie Fire in July, 2021.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

What is Fire 'Containment?' That and Other Terms, Explained

What does it mean when firefighters call a fire "contained?" Here's a brief guide to commonly used fire prevention terminology.

Image caption: Too much noise is a form of pollution. So what are governments doing about it?

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

How Governments Try to Quiet Down Noise Pollution, Explained

Noise is a form of pollution that threatens public health like any other type of environmental pollution. Here's what federal, state and local governments are doing to quiet things down.

Image caption: The Caldor Fire in El Dorado County, seen via satellite photo.

STATEWIDE AGGREGATOR

Climate Change Fuels ‘Explosive’ Caldor Fire

A combination of factors all related to climate change are fueling the ‘unprecedented’ growth of the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County.

Image caption: The Dixie Fire, as seen from a NASA Satellite on August 4.

STATEWIDE AGGREGATOR

Judge Orders PG&E to Hand Over Info on Dixie Fire

PG&E has a long history of starting wildfires, including the Dixie Fire, with equipment failures. Now, a federal judge wants the company to hand over information on the fires it has started this year.

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