Fires

The Sacramento Metro Fire Department offers a free 24-hour course in basic disaster preparedness and response, and they’re looking for participants from Rancho Murieta. The nationwide program, called Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), trains citizens in disaster-related topics to help them respond to their community’s immediate needs following a disaster, when emergency services are not immediately available. A CERT representative said Rancho Murieta has had very few trainees. Read more » Read more » about Metro Fire seeks disaster-assistance trainees

A Lago Drive home suffered smoke damage when a fire broke out at dinnertime Friday. Read more » Read more » about Smoke damage in fire at Lago Drive home

After almost a week of nonstop smoky air, the prevailing wisdom has settled on a couple of bits of advice: Stay inside. Don't use a mask, either the heavy-duty N95 masks or the lighter dust masks. Here's an announcement Thursday afternoon from Sacramento County: Read more » Read more » about Stay inside, don't use mask, county advises

The local collection of items for Paradise fire victims will wrap up Friday, and the list of items being requested has narrowed. Volunteers in the fire area say they’ve received a mountain of clothing, so that’s no longer needed. Here’s what is needed and how you can contribute. Read more » Read more » about Last chance for donation to fire victims

Neighbor Tony Avampato, who volunteered last year to haul Murieta donations to the Santa Rosa fire victims, is stepping up again, this time to help the people who’ve lost everything in Paradise. Read more » Read more » about Your chance to help Paradise fire victims

July 2018 will be remembered as a month when fires scorched Northern California. While we've been spared, our skies haven't, and the last day of July ended with a smoky sunset at the northwestern edge of Rancho Murieta. (Click photo for larger image.) Read more » about A smoky sunset closes a fiery July

Cal Fire shared this image of the blaze burning near Ione.

[Updated 2:29 p.m. Saturday] Evacuations have been lifted and all roads reopened in the area of the fire that erupted Friday afternoon north of Ione, in Amador County. Cal Fire reported crews remain in the area mopping up smoldering brush and hot spots. Almost 800 acres burned and mandatory evacuations were ordered after the fire started near Irish Hill and Carbondale roads, north of Ione. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Read more » about Evacuations lifted following fire near Ione

Neighbor Roger Brandt shares this photo of the damage caused by the Shingle Fire, which erupted July 4 near Rancho Murieta. Brandt writes, "It looks like it started on the north side of Latrobe Road just a bit west of Michigan Bar and went east about 1.6 miles. This picture, the majority of the fire, is looking west from South Shingle Road, and more of South Shingle Road is on the left side of the burn. This house was very lucky. Note the fire retardant on the right and in the foreground."

An Elk Grove man was arrested Wednesday and charged with recklessly causing the fire that burned hundreds of acres near Rancho Murieta on July 4, Cal Fire announced. Jacob Morris, 21, started the fire through the use of illegal fireworks, Cal Fire said late Thursday. Morris was booked into Sacramento County Jail. Read more » Read more » about Arrest in Shingle Fire; fireworks suspected

Aircraft were employed at dinnertime Wednesday to fight a grass fire northeast of Rancho Murieta that has forced evacuation of rural homes in neighboring El Dorado County. In addition to aircraft dropping fire retardant to protect structures, helicopters were pulling water from Lake Calero. Around 6:30 p.m. officials reported 200 acres had burned off South Shingle Road and Latrobe Road, west of Latrobe, in El Dorado County. The fire's forward progress had been stopped, officials said. Read more » about Grass fire burns 200 acres near RM

A fire erupted near Jackson Road late Sunday afternoon and burned its way across the road. (Photo by Sacramento Metro Fire.)

[Updated 7:06 p.m.] A grass fire that burned more than 200 acres and jumped Jackson Road between Excelsior and Eagles Nest roads was declared under control around 7 p.m. Sunday. CHP was asked to close Jackson at the fire scene at 6:15 p.m., but it's not clear that the road was ever closed. Evacuations were threatened as crews worked to protect structures. Reports on social media said there were dozens of pieces of equipment on the scene. Read more » about Grass fire west of RM brought under control