The summer 2023 fire season has been minimal and predictions for the remainder of the summer and early fall continue to be for below-normal fire activity. This is true for much of the country. Fire activity has been below normal. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Predictive Services Outlook for July reported “… year-to-date fire…

Incumbent 3rd District Supervisor Chuck Washington faces challenger Shellie Milne in a public debate Thursday evening in Idyllwild. The event is sponsored by the Idyllwild Town Crier.

Although attendance was less than normal, firefighters at the Mountain Area Safety taskforce meeting were alert and wary.   August is the middle of fire season and the extremely high daytime temperatures and dry days pose significant warnings for these public safety officials. Just as the meeting began, firefighters’ cell phones, blackberries and iPads all…

While the state suspended the controversial State Fire Prevention Fee, the Howard Jarvis Tax Association is continuing its litigation over the legality of the fee. In August, when the Legislature approved Gov. Jerry Brown’s package of programs to improve air pollution throughout California, a suspension of collecting the fee until Jan. 1, 2031, was included….