Quick reads — Air quality alert issued as Green Fire, others burn in Shasta-Trinity National Forest

There are three large wildfires burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, and smoke from the fires is creating dangerous air conditions.

The Shasta County Air Quality Management District issued a warning to residents to avoid exposure to the smoke. Winds in the area are expected to spread smoke across Shasta County, particularly in the communities of Palo Cedro, Shingletown and Burney.

The largest of the three fires is the Green Fire. It's now more than 2,000 acres with no containment.

The Horse Fire is nearly 400 acres and is 80% contained, and the Helena Fire is just over 100 acres and 60% contained. All three fires were started by lightning strikes last week.

Chico nonprofit Safe Space is opening cooling centers at local churches and looking for volunteers.

Shifts as soon as Wednesday evening still need to be filled. Shifts are two hours long and involve assistance with organization and distribution of supplies, preparation of prepackaged sandwiches and cleaning at the end of the day.

Cooling centers are open from 1 to 8 p.m. and the site is currently located at Trinity United Methodist Church. The center will be at that location until July 14, then move to Hope Commons Church.

The cooling centers will also offer medical supplies, food and drinks.

Applications are open for Cal Fire's wildfire prevention grants program.

The initiative is part of California's comprehensive Wildfire Resilience Strategy. The grants will support local projects that enhance the protection of people, structures and communities.

The deadline for is 3 p.m. on Aug. 6.

Yolo County has declared a state of emergency over last week's fatal explosion at a fireworks facility in Esparto and the resulting Oakdale Fire.

Supervisors unanimously approved the declaration today. It requests additional aid from state and federal officials to help with the response noting that the fire destroyed buildings, crops and other infrastructure nearby. It also sparked the 80 acre wildfire and other spot fires.

Seven sets of remains have been recovered from the site. The Yolo County Coroner's Office says Rapid DNA testing to confirm their identities should be completed by tomorrow.

The state fire marshal is leading the investigation into the cause of the explosion. The warehouse was managed by a Bay Area pyrotechnics company.

Cleanup on Chico's Bidwell Mansion starts this week, almost seven months after the historic building burned to the ground.

California State Parks says there won’t be any demolition or clean up inside the building, and workers will monitor for hazardous materials and air quality, as well as protect what's left of the mansion. The process should take about three weeks.

The cleanup will allow for more evaluations needed for the planning and recovery process. State Parks says they'll seek public input on the mansion's future later this summer.

The bodies of all seven missing people after a firework warehouse explosion have been found.

According to reporting by the Associated Press, human remains were recovered from the site in Esparto, but the identities of the people were withheld as authorities notified family members. The initial explosion last week set off a barrage of fireworks and reduced the warehouse to rubble. It also ignited several vegetation fires which have been put out or contained.

The company Devastating Pyrotechnics operates at the facility, according to multiple outlets. It released a statement on its website expressing sympathy for those affected by the explosion and saying they'll cooperate with investigators.

Shasta County residents could see potential smoke impacts from a burning wildfire today.

The county’s air quality management district says that winds could move smoke from the Green Fire into more populated areas. Bella Vista, Palo Cedro, Shingletown, Round Mountain and Big Bend are at greater risk of poor air quality. Some areas could also experience high concentrations of smoke based on their proximity to the fire, the time of day, topography and weather conditions.

The district says seniors, children, people who are pregnant or those with respiratory or heart disease should be extra cautious. Residents should limit exercise and outdoor time, keep windows closed and turn on their air conditioner with a recirculation setting.

If you see new warning signs at Sycamore Pool in Bidwell Park, it’s because the City of Chico has issued a swim advisory.

Officials say bacteria levels in the water are elevated, though they didn’t say what kind of bacteria, just that it could pose health risks.

In a press release, the City urged people not to swim, to keep pets out of the water and to wash thoroughly if you come in contact with the creek.

According to the release, children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk.

Residents who think they’ve been infected with a waterborne illness should contact their doctor. They may also call and report their illness to the Butte County Public Health Department.

The City of Redding is offering help with staying cool as the hottest month of the year approaches.

The City says five of its programs can provide financial reimbursement and help lower monthly power bills for those whose electricity is in danger of being shut off due to missed payments. The programs are available to the elderly, Native Americans and low-income residents.

Last year, Redding saw the highest July temperatures ever recorded in the city, according to reporting by the Redding Record Searchlight.

A provision allowing millions of acres of public land to be sold has been removed from the Senate’s federal budget bill. According to reporting by Shasta Scout, a provision would’ve permitted the sale of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management owned land, including areas surrounding Mount Shasta, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Modoc National Forest and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.

The provision was removed last week after the Senate parliamentarian decided it violated a rule that prevents irrelevant provisions from being added to budget bills. But Senator Mike Lee, who proposed the sale of land wrote over social media that he plans to edit the provision so that it complies with chamber rules.

The edits would remove Forest Service land and reduce the amount of the bureau’s land on the table. It would spare most California land, but would put land near Whiskeytown at risk.

A series of burglaries in a Magalia home led to bears taking it over.

A 64-year-old woman first reported her home was burglarized in April. A string of regular burglaries followed and the woman decided to live somewhere else temporarily. Damage done to the home during the thefts allowed bears to enter, causing even more damage.

The Butte County District Attorney’s Office filed first-degree residential burglary charges against 11 people for the incident last week. Four of the 11 people arrested remain in custody with bail set at $50,000. Six other suspects have been identified with charges pending.