Recovery

They are instrumental in protecting and preserving lives at accidents, fires, natural disasters and even terrorist attacks.

The Thomas fire is on track Tuesday to become California’s second-largest wildfire. It’s now just 161 acres smaller than the second-largest fire on record, the lightning-sparked Rush fire that burned 271,911 acres in Lassen County in 2012.

Commissioners signed an 11-year agreement with Motorola for upgrading the system equipment, software and purchasing 1,200 radios for the county and local fire and police departments.

Between the drivers and train passengers, roughly 100 people were taken to local hospitals, a number of them with critical injuries.

A total of 77 people were sent to hospitals in Pierce and Thurston counties, according to CHI Franciscan Health, which operates numerous hospitals in Western Washington.

One in three U.S. homes — some 44 million residences — are in the wildland-urban interface, where they abut fire-prone forests and open space.

The Thomas Fire, which began burning through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties on Dec. 4, has grown to 270,000 acres — the third-largest fire in the state’s modern history — with containment up to 45 percent.

First responders taking on the role of educators, conduits to treatment in new program.

On Thursday, they were deep in the Los Padres National Forest, covered in wood grit, soot and sweat, as the Thomas fire continued to grow — becoming the fourth-largest in modern California history.

PG&E and other utilities in the fire-prone Golden State would be required to increase the minimum clearances between trees and other vegetation and electrical equipment such as power and transmission lines.

Fiction has become a reality, and police agencies across the country increasingly are turning to these miniature aerial platforms to help in their work.

'The expectation of the public is that it comes to device in your hand.'

'FEMA recommends monitoring your credit report for any accounts or changes you do not recognize.'

The fires raging in Los Angeles County and Ventura are an urgent signal that we need to start asking the hard questions.

As proud as I am of my brother’s efforts over the years to save lives and homes, I know how dangerous it is. About 80 firefighters have lost their lives fighting fires in the United States this year.