The Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD) Board of Commissioners met Oct. 27. After the invocation, the board took 30 seconds of silence in honor of the five firefighters of Engine 57 — Capt. Mark Loutzenhiser, Engineer Jess McLean, Assistant Engineer Jason McKay, firefighter Pablo Cerda and firefighter Daniel Hoover-Najera — who died Oct. 26, 2006…

The Manzanita Fire, burning east of Highway 79 in Lamb Canyon, grew to 5,800 acres by mid-Tuesday and was 20 percent contained as of press time. Currently, more than 1,300 firefighters, including the Idyllwild Fire Department, are combating the blaze. Three helicopters and eight aircraft are providing air attack. The fire started Monday afternoon. The…

Riverside County 3rd District Supervisor Chuck Washington asked his Board of Supervisors’ colleagues Tuesday to approve using of Community Improvement Designation funds to help the Idyllwild Summer Concert Series. They agreed. Washington is giving the ISCS $2,500 toward this year’s concerts that begin July 6. However, this year and perhaps next year, the Thursday-night series…