Cal Fire

The silhouette of a firefighter holding a tool can be seen as a fiery red fire rages behind them in an area with vegatation and bushes.

Commentary

Fighting LA wildfires broke my heart but prepared me for life outside prison

During the LA-area fires, Jose Angel Amezcua, an inmate firefighter, was where he was supposed to be — helping save the communities he had harmed.

By Jose Angel Amezcua • January 6, 2026

A wide view inside a 911 dispatch center with rows of computer stations and overhead screens displaying call and dispatch information. In the foreground, two dispatchers wearing headsets sit at adjacent monitors, focused on their screens. Color-coded alert lights rise from several desks, and other staff members work in the large, softly lit room.

Commentary

Newsom’s 911 debacle is California’s latest failed tech adoption

Since 2019 California has spent $450 million on a new 911 system. This year the Newsom administration declared it unworkable and will start over.

By

Dan Walters

• December 2, 2025

A firefighter in red protective gear and a helmet uses a drip torch to ignite dry brush during a controlled burn, as large flames consume vegetation on a hillside. Smoke fills the air under a hazy sky. The figure carries a heavy backpack and stands on a dirt path at the fire's edge.

Commentary

California’s inmate firefighters deserve decent pay and a chance at a heroic career

California has used incarcerated firefighters since 1915 to battle wildfires. But we don't pay them, protect them or treat them like heroes. Lawmakers could change that.

By Andony Corleto • July 23, 2025

Prisoners from the McCain inmate crew from San Diego prepare to clear brush from a road in Calistoga on Oct. 11, 2017. Photo by Ben Margot, AP Photo

Justice

Inmate firefighters battled LA’s wildfire. Now a lawmaker wants to help launch their careers

Inmate firefighters say their criminal records make it hard to get a regular firefighting job once they're out. This bill can smooth the way.

By

Deborah Brennan

• May 7, 2025

Firefighters use a hose to put out the flames of a burning house. Flames and fire sparks illuminate the night sky and atmosphere.

California Wildfires

More than 2 million acres of local land in California designated as ‘high’ or ‘very high’ fire danger areas

In some areas, hazards have surged. Buildings in the highest hazard zones will be subject to the strictest fire-resiliency rules.

By

Julie Cart

• February 11, 2025

Chris Castleman, a Cal Fire firefighter, rolls up a fire hose on a fire truck at the Park Fire command post in Chico on Aug. 2, 2024, shortly after returning from fighting the nearby flames. Photo by Florence Middleton, CalMatters

California Wildfires

California battles onslaught of wildfires with help from mutual aid: ‘More resources than rest of US combined’

So many intense wildfires all at once require an intricate chess game for maneuvering firefighters and equipment around the U.S.

By

Julie Cart

• August 7, 2024

Stoney Timmons, right, a member of the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians, uses a torch to light the ground on fire as Spencer Proffit, with the Bureau of Land Management, looks on during a cultural training burn in Weitchpec in October of 2021. Photo by David Goldman, AP Photo

Commentary

Fighting wildfire with ‘good fire’: California must return to prescribed burns

Wildfires — and their suppression — tear through California at a tremendous cost. One rancher recommends returning to the practice of prescribed burns.

By Dave Daley • July 22, 2024

A legal fireworks stand in the city of Vernon sells fireworks that aren't aerial and don't explode, on July 2, 2024. The stand is operated by the Rotary club in Vernon. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

Capitol

Why many illegal fireworks could be gone in California next July Fourth

The biggest U.S. seller of legal fireworks wants the state to sign a deal with Nevada to stop illegal fireworks from crossing the border. The state fire marshal warns of fireworks danger this July Fourth during the heat wave.

By

Jenna Peterson

• July 3, 2024

Using hand tools and chain saws, firefighters from the Eel River Department of Corrections cut a line through a thick brush to contain the West Fire near Stirling City in 2008. Photo by Bill Husa, Chico Enterprise-Record

Commentary

Fuel breaks saved lives during the Camp Fire. They can spare California from future devastation

In 2018, fuel breaks protected Butte County from greater devastation as the Camp Fire threatened Magalia. With strategic placement and maintenance, they can play a critical role in managing California's wildfires.

By John Hawkins • May 21, 2024

Firefighters walk past backfire — flames lit by firefighters to burn off vegetation — while battling the Mosquito Fire in El Dorado County on Sept. 9, 2022. Photo by Noah Berger, AP Photo

WhatMatters

Summer danger in California: Unpredictable wildfires and extreme heat

The winter’s deadly and devastating floods are a distant memory for many Californians. Now, summer dangers, fueled by climate change, are top of mind. Across the U.S., wildfires have grown larger and more frequent since 2000. But California fires can quickly escalate to megafires or gigifires (fires that cover more than a million acres) in […]

By

Lynn La

• July 12, 2023