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Placer County Public Safety Digest



Why Ricardo Lara Says His Plan to Fix California’s Insurance Crisis Will Work

09/19/2024

At a CalMatters event, California’s insurance commissioner says the changes he’s making will help homeowners and business owners. One idea: A state grant for those who spend money to protect their property from wildfires.

H5N1 Bird Flu Infects California Dairy Cows

09/11/2024

H5N1 bird flu has been reported in three California dairy herds.

More Extreme Heat + More People = Danger in These California Cities. ‘Will It Get as Hot as Death Valley?’

09/04/2024

Inland communities with big population booms will experience the most extreme heat days under climate change projections. The combination puts more people at risk — and many cities are unprepared.

CalFire Deploys New Air Tanker

09/02/2024

CalFire received the first of five planes promised by the federal government, a former Coast Guard C-130 Hercules air tanker.

California Emergency Alerts Warn You About Fires and Extreme Weather. How to Sign Up in Your County

08/29/2024

Early warning systems save lives during disasters, but a recent FEMA survey found that only a third of people are signed up. Use this resource to find your county’s emergency alert sign-up page.

Dangerous Herbicide Used on California Crops Banned

08/07/2024

The chemical, used for decades, can harm babies’ developing brains. Farmworkers and people living near fields are most at risk. The EPA issued a rare emergency order.

California Battles Onslaught of Wildfires With Help From Mutual Aid: ‘More Resources Than Rest of US Combined’

08/06/2024

So many intense wildfires all at once require an intricate chess game for maneuvering firefighters and equipment around the U.S.

A Soil Fungus That Can Kill Is on the Rise in California: What to Know About Valley Fever

08/01/2024

About 80 Californians die every year after contracting Valley fever, a fungal disease that typically affects the lungs. A recent outbreak was traced to a music festival in Kern County.

Mountain Lion Sighting Reported in Roseville

08/01/2024

A mountain lion was reported in central Roseville near Interstate 80 on August 1.

All the Ways People Start CA Wildfires

07/31/2024

Whether they mean to or not, people are responsible for about 95% of the state’s wildfires. While arson accounts for about 10% of the fires, others can start in a myriad of ways.

Newsom Set an Ambitious Goal to Launch 500,000 Californians Into New Careers. Many Are Firefighters

07/25/2024

In his 2018 campaign, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would create 500,000 new apprenticeships in the decade after taking office. So far, the state has registered more than 180,000 new apprenticeships. Many of them are firefighters.

CA Indoor Heat Rule Put on Fast Track

07/25/2024

After years of delay, a new California regulation to protect indoor workers from extreme heat is now in effect.

West Nile Cases in Yuba and Stanislaus Counties

07/24/2024

The first two human cases of West Nile virus this season were reported in Yuba and Stanislaus Counties.

Gavin Newsom Says Never Mind on CA Crime Measure

07/03/2024

Assemblymember James Gallagher speaks during the floor session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on June 13, 2024. Photo by Cristian Gonzalez for CalMatters

Drinking Water of Almost a Million Californians Failed to Meet State Requirements

06/25/2024

Almost 400 suppliers, two-thirds in communities of color, don’t meet safety and reliability standards. Fixing them would cost billions.

90,000 Acres Burned So Far

06/21/2024

Before the first official day of summer, almost 90,000 acres have been burned in California wildfires.

Active Fire Season Forecasted

06/17/2024

With multiple fires already burning in the state, forecasters predict the coming fire season will be "very active."

Dry Creek Community Park Welcomes... Goats

06/03/2024

Placer County is using 2,000 goats to reduce fire risk at Dry Creek Community Park.

Rattlesnake Season is Back

05/07/2024

Expert advice on staying safe during rattlesnake season.

Mountain Lion Attack in El Dorado County

03/23/2024

A man was fatally attacked and his brother injured by a mountain lion in a remote area near Georgetown.

Two Rare Tornadoes Seen in Central California

03/02/2024

A tornado stuck Kings county briefly, and another touched down in Madera county, as favorable conditions came together during a powerful winter storm which swept the region.

Study Finds Almost 50% of San Francisco Drug Users Not Residents

03/01/2024

A report of a 12 month study which ended in February indicates almost half of those cited for drug usage were not residents of the city, leading to questions about city approaches to drug addiction.

Placer County & Roseville Dog Leash Laws

02/23/2024

There actually is a leash law in Placer County, which states it's illegal for owners to allow their dogs to run free in unincorporated areas of the county.

Ski Patroller Shares How to Navigate Inbound Avalanche Terrain Safely

02/07/2024

The recent tragedy of an inbound avalanche fatality at Palisades Tahoe is a solemn reminder of the natural disaster possibilities in our region.

Appeals Court Temporarily Reinstates Calif. Background Checks for Ammo Purchases

02/06/2024

California’s law that requires background checks when purchasing ammunition is back in place.

Some Experts Are Proposing a Category 6 Storm Rating

02/05/2024

A handful of super powerful tropical storms in the last decade and the prospect of more to come has a couple of experts proposing a new category of whopper hurricanes: Category 6.

L.A.’s Flood-Control System Survived Epic Storm. But It’s Losing the Battle With Climate Change

02/05/2024

Los Angeles County flood control network withstands punishing rains—for now.

The Terrifying Forces That Created a California Monster Storm

02/05/2024

The storm fed off of unusually warm waters as it grew. It also reached “bomb cyclone” status as it neared California.

Shasta County Supervisors Vote to Allow Concealed Weapons in Local Government Buildings

01/24/2024

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted to allow guns in local government buildings, defying California law.

New USGS Map Shows California Is at High Risk for Damaging Earthquakes

01/24/2024

An updated earthquake hazard map from USGS shows a high shaking risk in California.

‘Thousand-Year Storm’ Leaves San Diego Reeling From Punishing Rainfall, Floods

01/23/2024

Hundreds of San Diego homes and businesses were damaged or ruined in devastating floods after punishing rainfall fell on Jan. 22.

The 1994 Northridge Quake Was a Shock. Here’s Why the Next One Won’t Be

01/16/2024

Our understanding and preparedness have come a long way since Southern California’s magnitude 6.7 earthquake in 1994. We’re still learning from that destructive temblor.

Featured

A Pyrocumulus cloud generated by the Dixie Fire in July, 2021.
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Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health.
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Here's the story behind that new service, and the original 911 number.
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How local government tries to control the world’s deadliest wild animal—the mosquito.
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Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
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The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era
As climate change causes more extreme and unusual weather, we need a new set of terms to describe the various phenomena
Though it’s the most famous, the San Andreas Fault is just one of more than 500 active faults in California.
Battening Down for the Big One
Making it through the earthquake is easy—the hard part comes later.
Many of Robert Kerbeck’s neighbors in Malibu Park lost their homes in the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which left behind lots where only chimneys still stood.
Give Your Home a Fighting Chance in a Wildfire
Wildfires are larger, more frequent, and more ferocious—so be prepared.
Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners
The state tries persuading insurance companies to cover homes in fire zones.
With CERT training, volunteers can learn firefighting skills.
Emergency Teamwork
With CERT training, ordinary civilians can play critical roles in protecting their communities.
View of the flooded San Lorenzo River Park Benchlands in Santa Cruz, California on New Year's Eve 2022.
Communicating During Disaster and Crisis
Recent lessons learned over days of local disaster.
Placer Couty recently grappled with the Mosquito Fire, California’s largest wildfire in 2022.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps
Keep these online resources handy in case of floods, fires, quakes and other disasters.
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