Colleagues and Friends,

I am excited to share the first edition of "The Fire Front," an email newsletter designed to keep you informed on issues of importance to CAL FIRE Local 2881.  

We are engaging the modern world and sending you updates that can be sent straight to your email inbox.
We will break down the top stories, updates and events, while also pairing significant legislative updates, retirement news, etc. in select issues to keep the editorial content fresh.

With the year round fire season and historic drought in California, there is no better time to increase our communication capability and stay connected at all times.

Sincerely,
Mike Lopez, President, CAL FIRE Local 2881

IN THE NEWS
CAL FIRE FIREFIGHTERS BEING PUSHED TO LIMIT AS 16 WILDFIRES BURN ACROSS STATE 
ABC News,
8/12/15


"Lopez believes firefighters are at an increased risk of injury and fatigue, and they're spending less time with their families.

'Right now our firefighters, with school starting, none of our firefighters are seeing their kids go to school for the first time this week,' Lopez said."
 
Click here to view President Mike Lopez's complete interview with ABC news in Fresno, California. 

Type caption text here.
Thousands flee Hume Lake area as fire jumps river in Sierra National Forest
LA TIMES, 8/19/15
 
A wildfire burning in the Sierra National Forest has jumped a river and highway and forced thousands of people near Hume Lake to flee, authorities said Wednesday. 
 
Encouraged by days of warm weather and low humidity, the Rough fire has pushed south across thousands of acres this week as crews try to battle the flames up and down steep hillsides and over isolated ridge tops near Kings Canyon. READ FULL STORY.
'It was a hell storm up here': 3 firefighters die in Washington wildfire
CNN News, 8/20/15
 
The wildfire scorching a rural county in Washington was unpredictable and fast, an inferno that was hard to dodge. Three firefighters who set out to begin the battle against it on Wednesday fell victim to bad luck and died in the flames.

"It was a hell storm up here," Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said, standing not far from the flames. "The fire was racing and the winds were blowing in every direction, and then they would shift," he told CNN affiliate KXLY.   
The firefighters were on an "initial attack" operation when they had a vehicle accident. Rogers said the flames then overtook them . READ FULL STORY 
 
 

UPCOMING EVENTS
JOHN P. REDMOND 
SYMPOSIUM/DOMINICK F. BARBERA EMS CONFERENCE
August 25 @ 8 am - August 28 @ 5 pm

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING  August
31 - September 2

IAFF 29TH ANNUAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL 
September 16 - September 20

34TH ANNUAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL  
October 3 - October 4

CALIFORNIA FALLEN FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL  
October 17 
 
For the full even t calendar:
http://www.calfirelocal2881.org/events/

DID YOU KNOW?
 
Amador-El Dorado- 3rd Tuesday of each month, breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at Denny's, Highways 49 and 88 in Jackson. For more information, contact Hoot Gibson at (209) 223-2281 or Sheridean Swift at (209) 223-1310. 
 
Butte- 3rd Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m., rotating between Paradise, Chico and Oroville. The schedule for 2015: 
  • July 15 - Paradise 
  • August 19 - Chico 
  • September 16 - Oroville 
  • October 21 - Paradise 
  • November 18 - Chico 
  • December 16 - Oroville
More Did You Know information can be found in the Winter Fire Wire. 





FOR MORE UPDATES, EVENTS & NEWS VISIT OUR WEBSITE: