In today's newscast:
Timber Fire challenges
Firefighters at the Cal State Monterey Bay base camp say a big challenge on the Timber Fire happens before they even reach the flames: getting equipment into the rugged terrain.
Jax Branco, a firefighter from Coalinga in Fresno County, says the fire may not look the way people expect.
"It's in a really hard to get into area, tight roads, spots the engines can't go, so it involves a lot of hiking.”
He says crews can hike a mile or two and climb a thousand feet in elevation to reach the fire line, "having hose packs, if you need drip torches, or all the tools that you would need.”
Tanner Wyandt with the Cal Fire Fresno-Kings Unit says because firefighters come from many different places, they take a minute to make sure they’re all equally prepared and that "we have the tools that we need to come in here and operate as a team.”
With all the visiting engines, the Marina base camp resembles a Car Week... but for fire trucks.
Cap for utilities' liability?
Gov. Gavin Newsom says California should limit how much utilities pay for wildfire catastrophes caused by their equipment.
This comes as the state’s wildfire victims fund is expected to run out.
But with only a week and a half left of the legislative session, the proposal hasn’t been put in print. Lawmakers and Newsom continue to negotiate details behind closed doors.
"We’re in the process of examining all of these proposals," said Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Hollister. "We have nothing new to report, but as session winds down and we’re here near the end, as soon as we have news to break or share you’ll hear from us."
Bills must be in print by late next week for lawmakers to vote on them by Aug. 31.
That reporting from our partner, CapRadio.
