Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler said the agency and its partners are equipped with with fire trucks, bulldozers, and newly introduced Blackhawk helicopters that can fly at night.
The "vast majority" of the 17,000 people under orders or warnings because of the Thompson fire north of Sacramento were able to go home. But an intensely hot weekend could make things worse.
The plants and mulch within five feet of a home pose a major risk for spreading wildfire. California now has the tricky task of convincing homeowners to get rid of the greenery.
Climate change, technological leaps, panicked insurers, the shifting sense of responsibility: All are powering the still-nascent, but fast-growing industry of preparing homes for wildfires.
The helicopters were responding to a vegetation fire that spread from a nearby structure fire. One helicopter made a safe landing with no injuries, while all in the second helicopter were killed.
The iconic spindly plants are under threat from a variety of factors, including climate change and development, and the California legislature is stepping in to help.
Triple-digit temperatures are expected as energy officials warn the electrical load on Tuesday could reach the state's highest demand ever. Four deaths were reported as multiple wildfires burned.
Firefighters are proactively working to protect the giant trees by deploying a ground sprinkler system and clearing any materials that could fuel the fire.
David Scott Smith, 66, and Travis Shane Smith, 32, are accused of "reckless arson" in connection with the Caldor Fire, which burned more than 220,000 acres across three California counties this fall.
Another destructive fire season has Western states searching for ways to prevent it. The Southeast just might have the answers: setting controlled fires before the wildfires come.
Controlled burns help reduce wildfire risk by clearing out overgrown vegetation. The U.S. Forest Service is suspending them, concerning fire scientists.