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NSPR aims to bring you accurate and comprehensive fire coverage in the North State. Here you will find all of our fire updates and stories.Our staff will not be providing updates on wildfires overnight. You can stay updated on the latest information by tracking and monitoring fires on social media. To ensure you're alerted if there is an emergency in your area, sign up for emergency alerts in your county, and always have an emergency kit ready to go in case of an evacuation.

The Effects Of Local Fires, And Other Stories

inciweb.gov
Smoke from the Olson fire in the South Complex set of fires in Trinity County fills the air.

Three stories that have the North State talking: the effects of multiple wildfires in Northern California; a California child was diagnosed with the human plague; and it’s National Farmers Market Week.

Dozens of wildfires burning throughout the state this week have resulted in canceled events, poor air quality and visibility, and millions of dollars spent on resources.

The Redding Record Searchlight reports: “A tally of costs show more than $22 million has been spent on resources to put out the fires burning in Trinity, Humboldt, and Lassen counties. The fires are burning a combined 92,897 acres or about 145 square miles.” [Record Searchlight]

The Trinity County fair scheduled for Aug. 7–9 at the fairgrounds in Hayfork was canceled because of the proximity and effects of wildfires. Over the last few days, Hayfork and Hyampom are among the communities hammered by poor air quality. Read More

According to a Cal Fire summary posted Friday afternoon, more than 10,000 firefighters are making progress on 17 active wildfires in California. Cal Fire says the risk of dry thunderstorms and dry lightning continues to elevate the fire danger.

 

In this video, the Trinity County Sheriff provides an excellent explanation of the differences in evacuation terminology. http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/photograph/4442/0/44580/ Posted by U.S. Forest Service - Shasta-Trinity National Forest on Thursday, August 6, 2015

For continuing updates on these and other fires as well as an interactive fire map, visit our 2015 fire season page.

More stories:

  • A California child contracted the human plague. After camping in Yosemite National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest, a child from Los Angeles County became ill and was hospitalized. According to a press release from the California Department of Public Health, this is the first human case of the infectious bacterial disease since 2006. But it’s still rather common in its non-human carriers: rodents and fleas. In 2014, non-human plague activity was detected in seven California counties, including in Modoc, Plumas and Sierra. Read More  
  • Credit Tercius Bufete

  • It’s National Farmers Market Week. Secretary of the USDA Tom Vilsack officially designated Aug. 2-8 National Farmers Market Week, an event aimed at highlighting the contributions of farmers markets to communities. Here are three of our stories related to the topic of farmers markets:

  1. Sarah Bohannon explores a Butte County program that gets more locally grown produce on the plates of low-income residents: “A statewide pilot program is being expanded that now allows WIC participants to also use vouchers – called Fruit and Vegetable Checks  — from their monthly food package to buy farmers market produce.” [NSPR
     
  2. Tercius Bufete examines the effect of the drought on farmers market prices: “Farmers market-goers may start seeing higher prices the next time they visit. It’s a basic principle of economics: when quantity decreases, price increases.” [NSPR]
     
  3. NPR offers ideas for what to do with weird farmers market vegetables: “Walking through the farmers market this time of year is a wondrous thing: juicy tomatoes, rows of jewel-toned eggplants, fragrant basil and sweet yellow corn. But then, you see bunches of greens that look like weeds, stuff with names like kohlrabi and purslane, and suddenly, you feel intimidated. Other people know what to do with these greens, why don't I?” [NPR]