The incident was reported at 12:06 a.m. Friday near the Torrance Boulevard exit, according to the California Highway Patrol. It’s unclear what caused the fire, but video from the scene shows the truck engulfed in flames.

No injuries were reported. At one point, the entire northbound side of the freeway was shut down, but some lanes reopened after a few hours. All lanes were reopened by 4:30 a.m.

KABC-TV ABC 7 Los Angeles

The post VIDEO: Caltrans truck explodes, bursts into flames on 110 Freeway in Carson appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) established the initial three-year agreement with two additional option years.

Amentum will manage the training, scheduling and mobilization of 350 pilots and mechanics to ensure the specialized aircraft fleet remains ready for deployment.

Dr. Karl Spinnenweber, president of Amentum’s Mission Solutions business, said: “Amentum is uniquely positioned to manage the training, scheduling and mobilization of pilots and mechanics to deliver aviation solutions that protect California’s environment and critical infrastructure.”

“Amentum brings advanced technical solutions, including AI-driven predictive maintenance, repair and overhaul services, as well as world-class logistics and deployment expertise to help the state safeguard communities and its economy.”

Fire & Safety Journal Americas

The post Large scale aerial firefighting service contract awarded by CAL FIRE appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

“Late May, early June, places like the foothills and ag regions could be the first to start seeing some brush or grass fires developing,” AccuWeather long-range forecaster Paul Pastelok said. “And as you get into mid-June to late July, I think that time period is when you start to see more of an uptick across the state as far as fires go.”

By late summer, Northern California could face large, fast-growing fires fueled by long-term dryness. Southern California may see an increased risk when offshore winds peak in the fall. Pastelok warns of potentially large fires. He also discussed whether recent rain helped.

“Generally, things are so dry, that we can’t just get moisture to be squeezed out of the atmosphere to be on the positive side when those storms come in,” he said. “Unfortunately, the lightning is the bigger danger, and the wind gusts that are created by the thunderstorms that’s also a danger.”

KABC-TV ABC 7 Los Angeles

The post Wildfire forecast: Here’s when California could see increased risk this year appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Residents were evacuated from the complex, and no injuries were reported.

According to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg Barta, the fire was first reported at 11:15 a.m. in the 750 block of Katella Avenue.

Sky5’s Rich Prickett was above the scene shortly after noon as units burned. Capt. Barta said the fire started somewhere in the garage area behind the apartments before spreading to units.

KTLA-TV CW 5 Los Angeles

The post VIDEOS: Crews battle Stanton fire that spread to apartment complex appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. as officers chased a reckless driving suspect along West Olympic Boulevard, according to news video service KNN.

During the pursuit, the suspect’s vehicle rolled over on Olympic Boulevard just west of Western Avenue and caught fire. Video from the scene showed firefighters dousing the overturned car as thick smoke rose into the air.

It was unclear whether the suspect ran from the scene or was pulled from the vehicle, but KNN reported the individual was taken to a local hospital in unknown condition. Authorities did not immediately say whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the incident.

KTLA-TV CW 5 Los Angeles

The post Reckless driving chase in Los Angeles ends with car overturned, on fire appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

The sounds are all too realistic. The tanks of air beep. Radios crackle, as they unfold and drop a ladder against the building.

Minutes later, a body comes out of the window, laying prone against the ladder and stabilized by harness. A firefighter, just five weeks into the New Hire Academy, gently and cooly slides the victim to bring it to the ground. Everyone is safe.

The new hires remove their masks and gather in a circle in front of the training center, assessing their performance in this “make or break” exercise.

At the end of this six-week intensive training program, consisting of practice and classroom, these students will be pinned and officially welcomed into the Manteca Fire family.

Like CTE programs in Manteca Unified School District, the goal of the fire academy is to prepare its new hires for the realities of the field that they will soon face.

During their social media takeover on April 17, Manteca High instructor James Burns and his multimedia class had the chance to observe the VEIS operational testing. VEIS stands for: Vent (venting a window for access), Enter (entering a potentially hostile environment), Isolate (closing off the room to improve survivability), and Search (conducting a primary search).

“The outcome you saw — a successful rescue of an unconscious victim from a second-story window — is a strong example of the skills we train for,” said Aimee Rubio, executive assistant of the Manteca Fire Department.

Manteca/Ripon Bulletin

The post Manteca’s newest firefighters set to graduate from academy appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Crews responded to reports of a car that was smoking and discovered that the Tesla battery was on fire. One person was able to get out of the vehicle and are they are doing OK.

Captain Jeff Higgins with North County Fire Authority says the car then went into “thermal runaway,” which is when water will not put out the fire. Crews then backed away, focused on protecting from the fire spreading, and had to wait for the fire to burn off.

“When we first arrived, it was a ball of flame, it was a fireworks show basically with everything coming off of it,” Captain Higgins said. The cause of the crash is unclear but roads were wet at the time. CHP San Francisco says they’ve seen crashes at that same location in the past during bad weather.

KGO-TV ABC 7 San Francisco

The post VIDEO: Battery fire engulfs Tesla on I-280 in Daly City after crash, shutting down lanes for hours appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

It then spread to the unit above, fire department officials said. Firefighters said two residents jumped out of the first-floor window of one apartment to escape the flames. KTLA spoke to a neighbor who lives in a unit nearby.

“The fire kept spreading, so they couldn’t do it any more,” said David Duran. “The door knob was hot but the door was locked, so they couldn’t even open it anyways. Banging on the door didn’t work, the window shattered and flames kept coming out.

People had to evacuate because it was just getting too hot to handle.” Video from the L.A. City Fire Department shows extensive damage to one of the units that burned. Two men, 40 and 52 years old, were taken to a hospital. One reportedly had minor burns, and the condition of the other is unknown.

KTLA-TV CW 5 Los Angeles

The post 2 residents escape Canoga Park apartment fire through 1st-floor window appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Residents are now looking forward to seeing their community rise from the ashes. Hundreds of homes in the Malibu-area community were destroyed in the blaze. Collectively, 21 residents came together to work with Los Angeles County to rebuild.

Amy Bodek, the L.A. County planning director, said it was less stressful and more affordable to work together as a group. The builder and architect they’re working with came up with four models for residents to choose from.

Fifteen months after the Palisades Fire devastated their community, residents say they’re looking forward to seeing their homes and neighborhood being rebuilt.

Edward Ferns and his wife, Lisa Ferns, have lived in Sunset Mesa for more than 40 years. They’re looking forward to moving back to their rebuilt community.

“From the presentations that were made, they seem like they were genuine, and it appears to me that we’re on our way,” Edward Ferns said. “We can’t wait to get back home.”

KABC-TV ABC 7 Los Angeles

The post Groundbreaking marks rebuilding milestone for Sunset Mesa after Palisades Fire appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Firefighters responded to the fire at about 2:45 p.m. near the 52000 block of Skyline Road. Firefighters have held the fire to less than 40 acres, but the fire has the potential to grow to 500 acres, Cal Fire said.

The fire ignited in an area with multiple downed power lines, Cal Fire said. Firefighters are battling the fire in windy conditions as gusts up to 23 mph remain possible in the area. Two helicopters and six air tankers were dispatched to the fire.

At least four structures have been destroyed by the fire, which is burning close to Pioneertown. Video of the fire shows flames burning alongside homes in the area. One firefighter is being treated at the scene for injuries related to the fire. “Retardant around the fire,” Cal Fire’s San Bernardino Unit wrote on social media.

“Air Tankers are being actively released. As a precaution, damage inspection teams and Red Cross have been requested for multiple displaced residents. Firefighters continue to battle high winds, great progress being made to gain containment.”

KTLA-TV CW 5 Los Angeles

The post Multiple buildings destroyed by 35-acre Skyline Fire burning in San Bernardino County appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Around 3:38 p.m., an Alert California camera showed smoke billowing near several homes in the area. SDFD said that no evacuation orders were in place. A resident named Kian told our FOX 5/KUSI team at the scene that he and his family have lived in the neighborhood for about 14 years, and experienced another fire in 2014 that also spread near homes.

He said they found out about the Atkins Fire through the Watch Duty and Ring apps. Another resident, Steven Ross, said fires are becoming more common in the area. “I hate to say we’re getting used to it,” said Ross. “More often we’re seeing fires around here, so we’ve got to be vigilant and be ready to take action, but we’ve got a great fire department here, so I’m not that overly concerned about it.”

KUSI-TV FOX 5 San Diego

The post San Diego fire crews knock down Atkins Fire in Black Mountain Ranch neighborhood appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Cal Fire reported Sunday morning investigators were able to determine the fires were started by fragments of a failing catalytic converter from a passing malfunctioning vehicle.

Malfunctioning catalytic converters can shed hot metal fragments that can ignite dry vegetation, according to the agency. Firefighters contained the small brush fires in just 15 minutes Saturday night, but stayed at the scene for two hours to fully put out all hot spots from the fires that burned about 0.32 acres, according to Cal Fire. Traffic on SR-76 east was down to one lane until around 10:30 p.m.

KUSI-TV FOX 5 San Diego

The post Small brush fires along Fallbrook highway caused by vehicle malfunction appeared first on Daily Dispatch.