San Benito County Local News: Resilience


All Local Resilience 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: A smoky blanket of particulate matter hovers over San Francisco’s skyline.
Getting Acquainted With AQI

Learn what's getting into Californians’ lungs and why it matters.

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: Highway 25 is one of the few major roads in San Benito County. When disaster strikes, you’re going to want to know what’s up with traffic.
Disaster Prep: Alerts, Maps and Apps

When disaster strikes, you’ll need to have these information resources available on your smartphone.

Image caption: The Pajaro River levee broke during the 2023 atmospheric river storms, flooding the town of Pajaro.
Is California Ready for More Extreme Weather Driven by Climate Change?

This year, a series of extreme events in California and around the country have wreaked havoc, driven by climate change. How prepared are we for things to get worse?

Image caption: Kerry Wood, CEO of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, says the organization researches areas of need to help donors direct their contributions.
What Is a Community Foundation?

By channeling funds to a number of nonprofits working on various issues in a given region, community foundations help solve big problems throughout California.

Image caption: Just because record rains have been falling, the state’s water crisis remains.
What Is Drought? Probably Not What You Think

2023’s torrential rainstorms have eased California's drought conditions. But there’s a lot more to drought than the amount of rain, and this drought isn't over yet.

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.

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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.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

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.

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04/21/2025
Image for display with article titled County and San Juan Reject Hollister’s Offer for Fire Protection Services

San Juan Bautista and San Benito County have rejected Hollister’s latest proposal for fire protection services, citing an inability to cover the $3.9 million in shared increased costs.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/14/2025
Six conservancies throughout the state will oversee work largely in Southern California and the Sierra Nevada.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/10/2025
After a three day hearing this week, State Farm is one step closer to approval for a rate hike on its California customers.

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04/09/2025
Image for display with article titled Hollister Puts New Fire Service Deal on the Table

As negotiations over countywide fire protection services continue for a fourth month under a new City Council, the city of Hollister is proposing a new deal to San Juan Bautista and San Benito County.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

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.

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04/02/2025
Image for display with article titled San Benito County to Look Into Options for New Fire Services Provider

San Benito County is preparing to “take a step back,” in the words of Supervisor Dom Zanger, from its longstanding partnership with the City of Hollister for fire services.

Benito Link logo From Benito Link...

03/31/2025
Image for display with article titled Fire Service Negotiations Stall

265 days. That is how long San Benito County and San Juan Bautista were given until their fire service contract with the city of Hollister ends—unless they agree on new terms. Not only are the services in San Juan Bautista and unincorporated areas in limbo, so is a feasibility study to form a county-wide fire district.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/28/2025
At 90% of the state historical average, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is far better than last year. But it’s nothing like the record-smashing 2023.

California Local Pin Marker From The Union...

03/27/2025
Applications are open for $43 million in PG&E grant funding to develop microgrids in vulnerable communities in central and southern California.

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03/22/2025
Image for display with article titled Hollister City Officials Change Approach to Fire Service Negotiations

Following community pushback over the proposed fire service contract with San Benito County and San Juan Bautista, the Hollister City Council proposed changes at its March 21 special meeting that requires the three jurisdictions to negotiate together. 

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03/19/2025
Image for display with article titled San Juan Bautista Rejects Hollister’s New Fire Service Contract

On March 18, the San Juan Bautista City Council rejected a new contract with Hollister for fire services because of changes to the number of firefighters assigned to the city’s fire station. The contract’s staffing clause had been changed from requiring a minimum of three firefighters at the San Juan Bautista station to two.

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03/19/2025
Image for display with article titled Pajaro Watershed Focus of Regional Climate Talk

About 80 people gathered March 10 in the historic Aromas Community Grange after the California Department of Water Resources selected the Pajaro River Watershed as one of five watersheds to pilot the Watershed Resilience Program.

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03/19/2025
Image for display with article titled San Benito Regional Priority Plan Community Wildfire Meeting

We hope you will join us on March 26 for the Regional Priority Plan Community Wildfire Meeting, hosted by the San Benito Wildfire Resilience Program. At this community meeting we will provide residents with information and gather input on potential wildfire mitigation projects in San Benito County. These projects represent the implementation of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which you, the community, helped to develop.

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03/18/2025
Image for display with article titled Hollister Council, San Benito Supervisors OK New Fire Contract Terms

The city of Hollister and San Benito County have taken a step toward continuing to provide fire services to unincorporated areas of the county. New contract terms were discussed by both governing boards on March 17 and 18, respectively, and both have scheduled a vote.

Benito Link logo From Benito Link...

03/18/2025
Image for display with article titled 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps Released

The California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has released Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps for Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) throughout the state.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

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.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/14/2025
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said today he will grant State Farm’s request to raise home insurance premiums by 22% on average if the company agrees to certain conditions — and wins approval at a public rate hearing next month.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

03/14/2025
To cover a budget gap in Medi-Cal — which provides health insurance for roughly 15 million disabled and low-income Californians — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is borrowing $3.4 billion from the state’s general fund.