Funds to help local homeowners replace wood shingles will soon be available. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors formally accepted an $870,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for this purpose. The Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council had submitted the application in 2009 and will manage the funds under the auspices of the county’s…
On Sunday afternoon, Sept. 8, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Cabazon station deputies responded to the Palm Springs Tram regarding a report of two hikers needing rescue. They became lost while hiking at the top of the Palm Springs Tram. The hikers were identified as Alejandro Escobedo, 62, of Austin, Texas and Tracey Pomeroy, 50, of…
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved a $15,000 agreement to provide assistance to low-income victims of the Mountain Fire. The state’s Department of Community Services is providing the funds to the Community Action Partnership of Riverside County that can help these people with mortgages, rentals, utility or food costs, according to Colleen Meyer, client…
During the past week, Idyllwild has seen near-record September rainfall. Since Sept. 1, nearly 2.8 inches of rain has been recorded at the Idyllwild Fire Station and 2.4 inches of rain recorded at the Keenwild Ranger Station in Mountain Center. The 70-year average is .83 inches during September. The maximum is 8.3 inches, which fell…
Residents of California’s 36th Congressional District who lost homes or businesses in the recent wildfires may be eligible for federal assistance. The office of Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert) is available to assist those affected by damage to homes or businesses with claims to the Small Business Administration. Also, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has…
The federal 2013-14 fiscal year begins Oct. 1, about four weeks from now, and the U.S. Congress has yet to enact an appropriations bill to fund the U.S. Forest Service operations or other federal agencies. However, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have reported bills. As expected, the House and Senate strategies differ. The House…
If anything good comes out of the two major fires on the Hill this summer, I hope it’s a renewed interest and commitment in making our communities fire safe. The Mountain and the Silver fires should serve as reminders of our vulnerability. So I hope we again ask the question, “What can we do to…
The mountain burn areas around Idyllwild and Pine Cove will be especially susceptible to heavy rain and flooding this afternoon according to a National Weather Service weather warning issued minutes ago. This includes Bonita Vista Ranch, which already lost two natural ponds to Thursday’s flooding. (See related story below.) NWS Doppler radar continues to indicate…
In June, California Secretary of Natural Resources John Laird and California State Parks Director Major Gen. Anthony L. Jackson, USMC (Ret.), unveiled “Parks Forward,” a collaborative initiative to undertake a top-to-bottom evaluation to improve and sustain California’s state parks system. The effort responds to several issues involving misappropriation of the agency’s funding and a March…
Besides the Senate Appropriations Committee’s concerns about adequate plans to replace the U.S. Forest Service’s aircraft resources, the General Accounting Office also reported concerns about the plans. While neither group questions the need to replace and expand the Forest Service’s firefighting aircraft, they both recommend that the agency improve and revise its plans for accomplishing…
