Conception captain to be sentenced in 2019 dive boat fire that killed 34 people near Santa Cruz Island

VIDEO: The captain of the Conception dive boat that caught fire near Santa Cruz Island on Labor Day 2019 is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday for criminal negligence in the deaths of all 33 passengers, including two Santa Monica residents, and a crew member. Jerry Boylan faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The federal criminal jury in downtown Los Angeles returned its guilty verdict last Nov. 6 on the single charged count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer, a pre-Civil War law also known as seaman's manslaughter, at the end of the first day of deliberations. The fire is considered the worst maritime disaster in modern California history. "This ship captain's unpardonable cowardice led to the deaths of 34 lives," Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement.
KABC-TV ABC 7 Los Angeles

Fresno warehouse fire prompts HAZMAT team response

A fire in a commercial building in Fresno prompted a HAZMAT team response on Wednesday afternoon. According to fire officials, warehouse employees in the area of Home and Sierra Vista Avenues reported a fire in the warehouse and adjacent buildings around 2:30 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters say they found light smoke coming from the building. The building contains chemicals used for manufacturing, so the HAZMAT Team was requested. As a precaution, fire officials say the building next door was evacuated as well. The HAZMAT team was able to safely move the chemicals away so that the fire could be extinguished. No injuries were reported during this incident. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
KGPE-TV CBS 47 Fresno

Man charged with hate crime after Yucaipa church damaged by fire

A 36-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to arson charges, including a hate crime allegation, after he was arrested in connection with two fires that authorities say were set in Yucaipa. One of the fires damaged a church. Jonathan Nava of Albuquerque, New Mexico, entered his pleas on Monday, April 29, in Superior Court in San Bernardino via closed circuit television from West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. He was charged with two counts of arson of an inhabited structures and one count of arson to terrorize. Places of worship, courthouses, public libraries and places that provide abortion counseling are among those covered by the terrorism statute in the state Penal Code. Battalion Chief Alison Hesterly, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire’s San Bernardino Unit, declined to say why the department believes Nava targeted the church, citing the ongoing case.
San Bernardino Sun - Metered Site

Duckling rescued by Roseville firefighters

PHOTOS: A fire crew with the Roseville Fire Department was not called to rescue the typical cat stuck in a tree on Wednesday, but a duckling in a storm drain. When calls came in for a duckling stuck in a storm drain and no animal control officers on duty, the members of Engine 6 responded. The team was able to find the suspect storm drain and located on the duckling that they successfully rescued. After the rescue, the duckling was brought to the Bird and Pet Clinic of Roseville where it was given a clean bill of health before being handed off to the Gold County Wildlife Rescue.
KTXL-TV FOX 40 Sacramento

Crews extinguish fire at Los Angeles County fire station

VIDEO/PHOTOS: A fire broke out at a fire station in Huntington Park early Wednesday morning. Crews responded to a second-alarm structure fire at Fire Station 164, at 6301 Santa Fe Avenue, around 4 a.m., according to Fred Fielding, spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Video captured by KTLA shows firefighters – some in street clothes – mopping up the mess in the aftermath of the fire; additional footage posted to the Citizen App shows crews on the roof of an adjacent building battling the blaze. No firefighters were injured, Fielding said, but some fire equipment was heavily damaged. The flames were extinguished by 5:10 a.m. An investigation into what caused the fire is ongoing.
KTLA-TV CW 5 Los Angeles

Sierra Madre Fire Engineer to be Honored by National Organ Procurement Organization

OneLegacy, the nation’s largest organ procurement organization, has selected Sierra Madre Fire Department Engineer Markus Duson to have a flag raised in his honor. Duson, who received a life-saving kidney transplant in 2022, will be recognized for his resilience and dedication to serving his community despite facing significant health challenges. Duson began his career with the Sierra Madre Fire Department in May 2014, playing a pivotal role in the department’s transition from a volunteer to a career department in 2019. He rose through the ranks from firefighter to paramedic to engineer, demonstrating, the City of Sierra Madres said in a statement, an unwavering commitment to his profession. However, during a routine physical exam, Duson discovered he was in the early stages of kidney failure.
Pasadena Now - Metered Site

New firefighting tool unveiled in San Marcos as Wildfire Awareness Month starts

VIDEO: A new water tank to help fight fires from the air was unveiled in San Marcos Tuesday. Helicopters with capabilities to drop water onto fires aerially are one of the most crucial firefighting tools. The New HeloPod can be filled with 5,000 gallons of water in under three minutes. Then, a helicopter can fill its tank through its “snorkel” while hovering above, in about one minute. “Aerial assets are key in wildland firefighting, and having this is going to be key to the success here in San Diego County,” Jon Hegge, CalFire Division Chief said. The Vallecitos Water District, CalFire, San Marcos Fire Department and the City of San Marcos have been working together on this project for the last four years. “Finding water sources in San Diego, especially in areas that are developed like the City of San Marcos, can be challenging."
KSWB-TV FOX 5 San Diego

Vehicle catches fire on upper deck of San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, delays traffic

PHOTOS: Traffic was delayed after a vehicle caught fire on the Bay Bridge on Tuesday morning. The vehicle had been "fully engulfed" by the fire, according to the California Highway Patrol. An alert by the SF Department of Emergency Management was sent out at around 11:30 a.m. to alert the public to expect delays and to use alternate routes. Multiple lanes heading into San Francisco were temporarily shut down due to the flaming vehicle near Treasure Island on the span as firefighters and a tow truck dealt with the wreckage. Oakland Fire Department responded to the fire on the upper deck of the bridge. They said the driver was able to escape safely and that no other injuries were reported.
KTVU-TV FOX 2 Oakland