WASHINGTON
Gov. Newsom announces suite of new wildfire community hardening measures
After meeting with key state and federal leaders on recovery efforts for Los Angeles firestorm survivors, Governor Gavin Newsom today will sign an executive order that directs his Administration to implement key initiatives to harden communities from urban firestorms.
As the state continues updating its research and utilizing the latest science to understand the state’s ever-evolving climate-induced challenges, the Governor will direct the State Board of Forestry to advance implementation of regulations known as “Zone 0,” which will require an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of structures located in the highest fire severity zone in the state’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone local maps and the State Responsibility Area, mitigating the risk of conflagration in urban areas like what occurred during the Palisades and Eaton firestorms. In addition, the Governor will direct the CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal to release updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, adding 1.4 million new acres of land into the two higher tiers of fire severity, which will update building and local planning requirements for these communities statewide.
“These steps will spur proactive actions to defend the most vulnerable homes and eliminate combustible material within five feet of homes to reduce the risk of a home igniting in an ember-driven fire,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “These are important steps to limit wildland fires from becoming big urban fires.”
Plus, building on the already comprehensive work the state has done to deploy firefighting assets statewide, the Governor will direct his state emergency management and firefighting departments to work with local, federal and tribal partners on reviewing and proposing improvements to the federal resources dispatching system for wildfire response to ensure it can fulfill its purpose of supporting the rapid fulfillment of mutual aid requests during large-scale incidents.
Investing in wildfire prevention
Overall, the state has more than doubled investments in wildfire prevention and landscape resilience efforts, providing more than $2.5 billion in wildfire resilience since 2020, with an additional $1.5 billion from the 2024 Climate Bond to be committed beginning this year for proactive projects that protect communities from wildfire and promote healthy natural landscapes. Of note, since 2021, the State has made strategic investments in at least 61 fuels reduction projects near the Palisades and Eaton fire perimeters through projects treated over 14,500 acres.
The Newsom Administration has invested $2 billion to support CAL FIRE operations, a 47% increase since 2018, which has helped build CAL FIRE from 5,829 positions to 10,741 in that same period, and the Administration is now implementing shorter workweeks for state firefighters to prioritize firefighter well-being while adding 2,400 additional state firefighters to CAL FIRE’s ranks over the next five years.
Augmenting technological advancements and pre-deployment opportunities
The Newsom Administration has also overseen the expansion of California’s aerial firefighting fleet, including the addition of more than 16 helicopters with several equipped for night operations, expanded five helitack bases, and assumed ownership of seven C-130 air tankers, making it the largest fleet of its kind globally.
California is also leveraging AI-powered tools to spot fires quicker, has deployed the Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) to provide real-time mapping of wildfires, and has partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense to use satellites for wildfire detection and invested in LiDAR technology to create detailed 3D maps of high-risk areas, helping firefighters better understand and navigate complex terrains.
In anticipation of severe fire weather conditions in early January 2025, Cal OES approved the prepositioning of 65 fire engines, as well as more than 120 additional firefighting resources and personnel in Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties, and CAL FIRE moved firefighting resources to Southern California including 45 additional engines and six hand crews to the region.
During the wildfires, California was able to mobilize more than 16,000 personnel including firefighters, National Guard servicemembers, California Highway Patrol officers and transportation teams to support the response to the Los Angeles firestorms, and more than 2,000 firefighting apparatus composed of engines, aircraft, dozers and water tenders to aid in putting out the fires.
The Governor will sign the executive order upon his return from Washington, D.C. where he is advocating for federal aid for firestorm survivors.
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LAKE COUNTY
Library Literacy Program hosts New Year tutor training
The Lake County Library Literacy Program has scheduled a free New Tutor training for the new year. Training will be offered in-person on Saturday Feb. 22, 2025, at the Lakeport Library located at 1425 N. High Street in Lakeport. The training will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided, along with training materials at no cost.
For more information or to register for tutor training, please call 707-263-7633 or email literacy@lakecountyca.gov.
Hosted by Literacy Program Coordinator, Georgina Marie Guardado, and facilitated by Lake County Literacy Coalition Board Member, Pam Klier, participants will learn useful techniques for teaching adults to read and write. Bilingual Spanish speakers are encouraged to attend to support adult learners interested in learning English for the first time. Volunteer tutors are also needed for our Lake County Jail tutoring program.
No experience is needed and ongoing support and workshops are provided for tutors. Upon completion of the training, tutors will be matched with adult learners in a variety of settings around the county. Those who would like to help adults improve their literacy skills are encouraged to attend.
More than 43 million adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level, according to the ProLiteracy organization. A new year is a great time to set goals and learn new skills. Yet low reading and writing abilities stop many adults from going after their goals. Learn how to support someone in achieving their goals by increasing their literacy skills. A Family Literacy program is also available to encourage family engagement and early literacy.
Learn more about the Literacy Program online at https://www.lakecountyca.gov/836/Literacy-Program.
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LAKEPORT
LCWCC to host annual Mad Hatter fundraiser
The Lake County Women’s Civic Club (LCWCC) is gearing up for their biggest event of the year. On April 26 the group will be hosting their always favorite Mad Hatter’s Event. This event is the biggest fundraising event for the club and will be held at the fairgrounds in Lakeport. It promises to be a fun event with a baseball theme of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
As always, there will be beautiful baskets of donated items to raffle off, a silent auction and a live auction as well as a delicious luncheon. Ladies are preparing their favorite ballcaps for the hat parade and I’m sure there will be prizes for some of the most creative entries.
All of this is done in order to provide donations to many worthy projects in the Lake County community. This year, the group has made donations to:
* Veterans Honor Guard
* Family Resource Center
* Toys for Tots
* Operation Tango Mike
* High School Athletic Programs
* Three $1,200 Scholarships
* and more …
To reach their goal of supporting the community the ladies will be soliciting donations from many businesses and individuals in order to offer beautiful baskets and items for the silent and live auctions. Anyone interested in supporting this worthwhile project is welcome to contact any LCWCC member or call Tricia Frazer at (702) 325-5675.
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LAKE COUNTY
Lake County Wine Alliance to hold wine auction in September. Applications available online
The Lake County Wine Alliance held the 23rd Annual Lake County Wine Auction on Sept. 21, 2024 at the Mercantile by Shannon Family of Wines. Over 400 people attended the largest fundraiser in the county on a beautiful fall evening.
On Nov. 13, 2024 at the Soper Reese Theatre $210,000 was distributed to the beneficiaries. Plans for the 2025 Lake Co Wine Auction are underway and the applications for beneficiaries are available on the website, www.winealliance.org , and are due no later than May 1, 2025. This year’s wine auction will be held Sept. 20, 2025 at the Konocti Harbor Resort.
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