Latest news with #OCFA
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Dozens rescued during ‘mini heat wave' weekend in Southern California
Over two dozen people needed rescuing, mostly from hiking trails, during Southern California's 'mini heat wave' this weekend. Temperatures climbed to record levels, especially on Saturday, possibly taking some outdoor explorers by surprise. According to officials and a report by the Los Angeles Times, Saturday alone saw 15 heat-related rescues in Orange County and nine in Riverside County. One of the rescues was caught on video by the O.C. Fire Authority, viewable above. 'Over a dozen people have been rescued collectively,' the OCFA said in a Facebook post before 2 p.m. on Saturday. 'According to the National Weather Service, it's currently 96° F in Aliso Viejo.' The same day, crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department airlifted a 55-year-old hiker suffering from heat exhaustion on a trail next to the Hollywood sign. With temperatures hitting record highs like 104 in Riverside, 103 in Woodland Hills and 98 in Anaheim, county leaders asked the public to stay cautious and hydrated, especially while spending time outside. 'Unless you're an experienced hiker/rider in this terrain and weather, we recommend waiting until it cools down,' continued the OCFA's post. 'If you do head out, please bring plenty of hydration with you.' In his Mother's Day forecast, however, KTLA's Kaj Goldberg said that this mini heat wave will subside in time for the work week, when temperatures will dip across much of SoCal. Although temperatures were still above normal, Goldberg said Sunday saw some lower numbers and no record-breaking heat. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
14-04-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Man rescued after falling off 20-foot cliff in Laguna Beach
A 38-year-old man was rescued by helicopter after a dangerous 20-foot cliff fall this weekend, Laguna Beach lifeguards reported in a video shared on Instagram. Laguna Beach Fire Department and the Orange County Fire Authority responded to the cliff fall at an undisclosed location along the coast on Saturday, officials said. The man sustained non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. His name was not immediately released. This was the first-ever rescue mission for Orange County Fire Authority's OCFA Firehawk helicopter, officials said. 'High tide and sizable waves created unstable footing and made a traditional exit too dangerous. LBFD paramedics stabilized the patient on scene, and OCFA's Firehawk helicopter completed a hoist rescue to transport him for further medical treatment,' officials said. Authorities warned beachgoers to exercise caution. 'Laguna Beach's coastline is beautiful and fun to explore — but it demands caution,' officials said. 'The rocks are slick, unstable and often unpredictable. Always check in with a lifeguard before venturing near the cliffs or exploring the rocky shore. We're trained, ready and here to help keep you safe.'
CBC
21-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Tariff tension felt by southwestern Ontario fisheries
Social Sharing Southwestern Ontario's commercial fishing industry is feeling the pressure of looming U.S. tariffs expected on April 2 on all Canadian goods. That includes fish caught and processed in Ontario, a vast majority of which comes from Lake Erie and is exported south of the border. A 25 per cent tariff on Ontario fish would deal a significant blow to the region's commercial fisheries and processors, said Vito Figliomeni, executive director of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries' Association (OCFA). "First off, you're going to have a lot of inward cost-cutting, right? I imagine layoffs, things of that nature," he said. "U.S. consumers won't be able to buy our goods at higher levels, they'll find alternative proteins to buy that are cheaper, and we will definitely struggle." It's a concern Matt McTaggart has been hearing from the fishermen he works with. McTaggart's company, St. Thomas-based Steelhead Food Co., processes fish caught by commercial boats in Lake Erie and Lake Huron, including pickerel, whitefish, and yellow and white perch. The firm also packs the fish and sells it, which includes exportation to the U.S. "We've told our fishermen ... 'no worries,' you know. We work hard on getting all the fish sold, keeping the boat prices where they're at," he said. Like everyone else, fishermen have already seen their margins eaten away by inflation, raising the cost of operational necessities, such as netting, he said. "It's up to us to manage and work with U.S. customers and explain to them that, 'Hey, these tariffs are simply a tax that your government has put onto you, and we just have to add them on. There is no room to suck up any of these.'" China hits Canada with 25% tariffs on seafood exports 15 hours ago Duration 7:53 Seafood businesses here in BC are bracing for impact as Chinese tariffs come into effect. The 25 percent tariff is in response to Canadian tariffs on Chinese aluminum, steel and electric cars. Canadian seafood exported to China worth $1.3B On Thursday, a new concern arrived in the form of Chinese tariffs on Canadian seafood — retaliation for Canada's 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, and 25 per cent on steel and aluminum. Around 19 per cent of Canadian seafood, about $1.3 billion worth, gets exported to China, mostly from the Maritimes including lobster, crab and shrimp. Another 64 per cent goes to the United States, three-quarters of which are lobster, crab and salmon, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said. That means at least 83 per cent of seafood exported by Canada will be tariffed as of April 2, with the Maritimes hit the hardest. Most fish produced by Ontario commercial fisheries, 80 per cent, goes stateside, and little of it goes to China, so those tariffs won't have a significant impact on the roughly 100 producers OCFA represents, Figliomeni said. However, he worries if U.S. tariffs force Ontario fisheries to sell more product at home, a glut on the market could drive prices and revenue down. The same could also happen as those in the Maritimes make up for lost sales to China and the U.S. "Freshwater fish producers already have enough challenge moving products into Canadian markets without competition, let alone with competition from the east and west coasts," he said. McTaggart says he saw the anxiety of east coast producers up close at the recent Seafood Expo North America in Boston. "They're really hoping we can move a lot more east coast seafood locally in Ontario. I had offerings for 10 pound [4.54 kg] boxes of live snow crab. They're very scared of what's happening," he said. Markets beyond the U.S. have an appetite for Canadian seafood 3 days ago Duration 3:23 The seafood world is in Boston this week for Seafood Expo North America. But as fears over tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump continue, there is talk from Atlantic Canadians about what business could look like beyond the U.S. The CBC's Leila Beaudoin reports. It's also a worry to Ontario fish farmers, who sell most of their product in Canada, said RJ Taylor, managing director of the Ontario Aquaculture Association and co-owner of Springhills Fish in Hanover. "We don't export a lot of Ontario trout and steelhead, [but] other trout and salmon producers across Canada do. If they don't have a market, they have to find a way to sell it at home," he said. "They're different fish species, but at the grocery store ... [shoppers] can substitute either or based on price and quality and availability." Although anxious about tariff-related market interruptions, and longer-term supply chain interruptions and inflation, there is still optimism in the wave of 'buy Canada' patriotism that has bloomed across the country, he said. "We're getting a lot more inquiries for people taking the time to understand where their seafood is coming from, and trying to make Canadian-sourced decisions," he said. For OCFA, the focus right now is building a marketing strategy around supporting local and buying Canadian, Figliomeni said, adding that more work is needed. "We need help from the government in trying to explore other markets like in Europe," he said. "We need to build better trading partnerships with Europe, I think right now, that's for sure."
CBS News
11-02-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Orange County teen's invention provides look at the future of firefighting
An Orange County teenager's lifelong passion could change the future of firefighting, with his recent invention becoming the latest tool adopted by local fire departments to help stop wildfires before they grow out of control. Ryan Honary, a Newport Beach high schooler and founder of SensoRy AI, officially partnered with the city of Irvine and the Orange County Fire Authority to deploy his artificial intelligence-driven wildfire detection system in the Irvine Open Space Preserve on Monday, a 40,000 acre swath of land that connects to the Cleveland National Forest. "I'm actually very excited because this is our very first deployment," Honary said. "The whole idea of my platform is to be able to detect the fire when it is smaller than one foot by one foot. The idea is that by the time the firefighters are there to put it out, a human shouldn't have even been able to see it from their house." The invention combines AI, machinery and a wireless mesh sensor network to detect a fire in its earliest stages. It aims to immediately alert firefighters with instant notifications and constant real-time updates on the potential growth, speed and direction it's burning. "So, it would take a picture of that fire, it would detect it from its infrared and maybe smoke as well and then it would instantly send that information as an email text or push notification to the Orange County Fire Authority's phones," Honary said. He put his work to the test in Irvine's Qual Hill open space, close to where the 1993 Laguna Fire sparked. He's been working on it since he was in fifth grade after he watched the devastating blaze destroyed hundreds of homes. Firefighters say it's this type of technology that could be one of their most valuable tools when it comes to preventing the devastation recently seen in Los Angeles County, when the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted. "Early detection is one of our greatest weapons in what has become a year-round fire season, empowering crews to more safely and effectively execute the robust and rapid initial attack required to keep wildfires small," said OCFA Fire Chief Brian Fennessy. Honary has partnered with OCFA for several years now after receiving $250,000 in funding from the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. In the time since, Fennessy has mentored the teen who he is now beyond proud of and grateful for. He says that the technology will better enable them to provide real-time data to crews on scene, including where to allocate their resources. This year alone, California wildfires have already consumed more than 57,000a acres, killed over two dozen people and caused north of $250 billion in economic losses. A new group of Honary's detectors will be deployed along SR-133 heading into Laguna Beach. By the end of the year, OCFA hopes to have 25 detectors installed in their most fire prone areas.
