Cal Fire

Temperatures are starting to heat up again in the North State after a brief respite last week. Also, crews will be doing a routine inspection of the Oroville Dam spillway, and Cal Fire has arrested one of its employees for setting several small wildfires in Northern California.

Cal Fire says fire suppression efforts will continue in the area today.

Several weeks of county-led meetings are giving communities a say in how new evacuation plans might be improved.

A month after forcibly removing unhoused people from a large encampment at Depot Park, the city of Chico issued notices of enforcement to those camping along sections of Big Chico Creek and the Lindo Channel. Also, a major sweep of 24 unlicensed grows in Siskiyou County netted more than 8,000 pounds of marijuana with a street value exceeding $68 million earlier this summer, and Cal Fire will conduct a controlled burn today in Redding, Igo and Cottonwood.

A Butte County ordinance that allows Bear Fire survivors to camp on their properties expires at the end of the year leaving some living in RVs on their land worried they’ll be evicted soon. Also, the Chico City Council is sick of abandoned shopping carts so they’ve proposed a new city ordinance declaring them a nuisance, and COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing in Butte and Shasta counties.

Butte County officials recently voiced skepticism on a project that would bring more than 70 early warning sirens to the county. Also, California State University students could see yearly tuition increases of 6% for the next five years, and artificial intelligence is being used to spot fire ignitions.

After several years of devastating wildfires, California lawmakers want to give hefty raises to Cal Fire firefighters. The deal could tie the governor’s hands in contracts.

Butte County’s annual budget hearing is scheduled to take place today; libraries and Cal Fire stations in Berry Creek, Stirling City and Jarbo Gap could take a hit. Also, officials say time is running out to prepare for wildfire, and Lassen Volcanic National Park may be open for the Fourth of July weekend.

Cal Fire investigators have determined the cause of the deadly Mill Fire. Also, the City of Chico has announced a controlled burn in Bidwell Park, and two bills hope to reform the state's mental healthcare system.

A new channel has been dug off the Sacramento River south of Redding to create a year-round spawning habitat for critically endangered chinook salmon. Also, State Farm has announced it will no longer accept new applications for home insurance in California due to wildfires, and Cal Fire will perform prescribed burns in Oroville and Thermalito as early as this week.