Sacramento County Local News: Public Safety


All Local Public Safety News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

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

California wildfires are becoming larger, more frequent and more ferocious. ‘Malibu Burning’ author Robert Kerbeck shares simple steps you can take to protect your home.

Image caption: With CERT training, volunteers can learn firefighting skills.
Emergency Teamwork

Fires, floods, earthquakes—California’s got it all. And CERT volunteers are ready to step in.

Image caption: Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners

As California insurance companies have revoked the fire policies of thousands of homeowners, the state has taken steps to get them covered again.

Image caption: 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 the easy part. The hard part is surviving in the chaos that follows.

Image caption: Supercell storms are just one of many weather phenomena in the era of climate change.
The New Vocabulary of the Climate Change Era

The climate change era has created a whole new set of terms for a wide variety of storms and other weather phenomena. Here are some of the most important.

Image caption:
How Not to Feel the Burn

California residents can turn to these public and private entities to help prepare for wildfires and protect their property.

Image caption: There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained

Community service districts can do most anything a city government can do. Here’s how they work and how to start one.

Image caption: Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population

The pesky mosquito can be deadly as well as annoying. Here’s how local governments in California have been waging war on mosquitoes for more than a century.

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

Folsom Telegraph logo From Folsom Telegraph...

01/16/2025
Image for display with article titled Folsom to Fix 976 Uplifted  Sidewalks in District 4

City officials approved a contract this week to fix 976 sidewalk uplifts in Folsom District 4.

The Public Works Department maintains Folsom sidewalks throughout the city with various inspections. The city sometimes hires firms to conduct reviews of the concrete network. Staff also responds to citizen complaints through the SeeClickFix city website, along with public works staff spotting problems on the job.

Folsom Telegraph logo From Folsom Telegraph...

01/16/2025
Image for display with article titled New Station Arrives  Fast, Douses Home Fire

Folsom’s newest fire station proved why it is so needed in the Folsom Ranch area on Jan. 10.

At around 2:30 p.m. last Friday afternoon, firefighters at Station 34 got a call of a fire off Butterfly Ridge Drive. The crew responded to the call and got to the home within four minutes, thanks to quick action and close proximity to the blaze.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

01/16/2025
Image for display with article titled El Dorado Hills Fire Board of Directors Vacancy Filled

El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce President and CEO has been appointed to the El Dorado Hills Fire Board of Directors to fill a vacancy. Read on to learn more.

California Local Pin Marker From Citrus Heights Sentinel...

01/16/2025
The Citrus Heights Fire Department dispatched Engine 23 and its crew to assist in the ongoing wildfires in Southern California. Read on for details.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/16/2025
From left: Homeowners Christine Meinders and Sohrab Nafici return to their fire-ravaged neighborhood in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena on Jan. 10, 2025. Photo by Jae C. Hong, AP Photo

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/16/2025
The LA fires have left domestic workers and day laborers jobless. They may soon be hired for wildfire cleanup work, where they can be exposed to ash and other toxins.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/15/2025
Three days after immensely destructive and deadly wildfires broke out in and around Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a $322.3 billion state budget with a positive revenue forecast “based on an assumption of continued but slowing economic growth.”

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

01/14/2025
Read on to learn about the measures taken to harden and protect the lone remaining house of the neighborhoodfrom the Pacific Palisades fire in Southern California.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/14/2025
Key moisture measurements are only 2% to 5% of average, leaving dusty soils. And the recent swing from wet to dry is among the most extreme on record. This combination of climatic conditions crossed into a danger zone, priming much of Southern California for wind-whipped fires.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/14/2025
Jennielynn Holmes stood in the middle of a make-shift evacuation center when the scope of the crisis hit her.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

01/13/2025
Image for display with article titled Folsom Rotarians Rally to Aid Southern California Fire Victims

In a show of community spirit, members from all three Rotary Clubs of Folsom joined forces to provide critical support for victims of the devastating Southern California wildfires. Over a whirlwind 48 hours, these Rotarians organized, collected, and delivered essential supplies to evacuees and firefighters in the affected areas.

California Local Pin Marker From Local News Matters...

01/13/2025
A presumptive case of H5N1 bird flu has been identified in a child who resides in San Francisco, the city’s Department of Public Health announced.The child had a fever and conjunctivitis but did not need to be hospitalized and has since made a full recovery, public health officials said Friday.

California Local Pin Marker From Watch Duty Palisades Fire Information...

01/11/2025
Official updated information from WatchDuty about the Palisades Fire in Southern California.

California Local Pin Marker From Watch Duty Eaton Fire Information...

01/11/2025
Official updated information from WatchDuty about the Eaton Fire in Southern California.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/09/2025
After days of sniping back and forth with President-elect Donald Trump over California’s handling of the fires ravaging Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom today invited the incoming Republican president to visit the state and survey the damage.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/09/2025
State prisoners have long been a part of California’s firefighting force. Hundreds of them now are deployed in Los Angeles County.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

01/09/2025
Read on to learn more about the periodic Santa Ana winds which whip Southern California every year, and how they are literally fanning the flames of the devastating fires which have so far killed over two dozen people and destroyed over 10,000 structures.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

01/08/2025
Learn about Sacramento firefighting resources and crews being sent to assist in fighting the massive wildfire which have burned thousands of acres and destroyed over 1,000 homes.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/08/2025
The federal government typically covers 75% of rebuilding costs after a major disaster. President-elect Trump has threatened to withhold firefighting money from California.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/08/2025
President-elect Donald Trump faulted California water policies for the devastating wildfires that are burning in Los Angeles County. The fires started because of fierce winds and extremely dry conditions.