The state forestry department has filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison and T-Mobile for allegedly causing the Silverado fire that swept through Silverado and Santiago canyons in Orange County two years ago, scorching about 12,470 acres and damaging 16 structures. In the lawsuit filed Oct. 20, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection,…

LAS FLORES, Calif.—First responder agencies constructed a crash scene April 24 involving two damaged cars, student actors, and concerned parents in what would be the 31st year of creating a multi-casualty simulation to educate students about the perils of drunk driving. “So we’re going to move her body up on the hood of the car,”…

It is not too late to bring Christmas cheer to children in need by donating toys or money to the Orange County Fire Authority’s (OCFA) annual toy drive. For 29 years, OCFA has partnered with Spark of Love along with over 100 non-profit organizations to bring the joy of Christmas to children in the state….

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.—A man was rescued from a burning apartment this morning with the help of a new device issued to Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) firefighters. People called 911 about 2:15 a.m. to report smoke coming from a two-story unit at Pearl and Crystal Cay, according to the OCFA. Firefighters used new, hand-held personal…

As wildfire season receives a head start in Northern California and looms south of the state, fire departments are facing a statewide personnel shortage, authorities say. Newport Beach Fire Chief Jeff Boyles said California’s staffing shortage of firefighting personnel is leading to overworked firefighters. “We hold them for three, four days in a row, sometimes…

Orange County Firefighters went the extra mile when they finished mowing 92-year-old Bob Hallet’s lawn in Westminster after he collapsed in the middle of the task.   Video of the good deed, shot by the Hallet’s neighbor Steel Morris, shows three firefighters from Westminster Fire Station #65 working together mowing and raking lawn after the man…

The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) board of directors postponed approving its annual budget after “very serious concerns” emerged during a May 27 budget hearing. Unanswered questions about some of the items the proposed 2021-22 fiscal budget includes prompted the board to postpone its approval until its next meeting. “It was a surprise to me and unprecedented in…

Officials throughout California are preparing for another crippling drought throughout the state—but officials in Orange County say they are ready. After two years of below-average precipitation levels, fears of devastating wildfires loom on the horizon. The ground throughout the state has become parched, threatening vegetation and daily life. Experts are encouraging people throughout Southern California…

Some fire department paramedics in Orange County, California, are being trained to administer COVID-19 vaccinations, in a move officials hope will help alleviate the workload of hospital nurses and doctors. “Because hospital staffing is overworked, they don’t have the [manpower] to inoculate people,” Supervisor Doug Chaffee told The Epoch Times. “We are getting paramedics trained,…

The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) rescued two people Dec. 28 in Santa Ana after they were swept away in a flood control channel following heavy rain in Southern California. Authorities responded to a call about a person trapped in the flood channel at 4:53 p.m. near South Raitt Street and Edinger Avenue. When rescuers…