Tuesday, Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, introduced legislation that would help wildfire victims by exempting settlement payments they receive from state income tax. “When you’ve lost everything, the last thing you need is a tax hit on the settlement money meant to help restart your life,” Wilk said. “The legislature has already decided that certain wildfire settlements shouldn’t be taxed. ...

The Los Angeles County Fire Department recently mailed their Annual 2023 Brush Clearance Notices to residents in Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZs) which includes Santa Clarita. There are approximately 60,000 homeowners who are expected to receive the notice for the very first time, while others have been part of our annual brush clearance program for many years, Fire officials said. ...

Representative Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita,  along with Young Kim, Julia Brownley and Judy Chu introduced the bipartisan Fire Information and Reaction Enhancement (FIRE) Act with the hopes of improving wildfire detection. The bill would enable the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop technology that improves the prediction of wildfire intensification, the forecast of smoke dispersion, information dissemination and ...

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) announced the availability of up to $240 million for Wildfire Prevention and Forest Health grant projects.  As a result of this funding, Cal Fire is soliciting applications for projects that prevent catastrophic wildfires, protect communities, and restore forests to healthy, functioning ecosystems while also sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas ...

Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, made the following statement following the U.S. House of Representatives’ vote on The Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, H.R. 5118, a package of nearly 50 bills that aim to address wildfire response, forest management and drought. Garcia’s main complaint about H.R. 5118 is that it fails to rise to the challenge of addressing wildfire ...

In the past few years, wildfires have become an increasingly common occurrence. According to Verisk’s 2019 Wildfire Risk Analysis, 4.5 million US homes were identified at high or extreme wildfire risk. If you live in a place at risk for wildfires, it’s important to have a wildfire insurance policy. Unfortunately, not all insurance companies offer this coverage, so it’s important ...

With spring arriving and temperatures warming up, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, (LACoFD) is reminding Santa Clarita residents to be prepared for the upcoming fire season. Now that temperatures are heating up, the likelihood of brush fires is also increasing, according to LACoFD officials. See Related: Firefighters Offer Brush Fire Safety Tips For Prevention, Evacuation Helpful guidelines to follow ...

Effective Friday,  the fire danger rating on the Angeles National Forest decreased from “Very High” to “High.” Recent rain and snowfall have increased moisture levels in grasses and shrubs across the Southland. With more rain and snow anticipated, fire management officials lowered the fire danger level to reflect the change in conditions. Even though the threat of wildfire has been ...

Effective Friday, the fire danger rating on the Angeles National Forest decreased from “Very High” to “High.” Recent rain and snowfall have increased moisture levels in grasses and shrubs across the Southland. With more rain and snow anticipated, fire management officials lowered the fire danger level to reflect the change in conditions. Even though the threat of wildfire has been ...

Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, offered a series of amendments to improve wildfire detection and prevention during a House Science, Space and Technology Full Committee Markup earlier this week. During the hearing, Garcia proposed an amendment to address “California’s frequent and reckless Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)” by clarifying language that would improve the balance between reducing wildfires and ensuring ...