Latest news with #publicinformation
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Gifford Fire sent up a towering smoke plume on Tuesday. What happened?
After burning for more than a week, smoke from the Gifford Fire has become somewhat commonplace in San Luis Obispo County. But on Tuesday, a towering column of dark smoke dominated the sky, visible from around the county and prompting concerns from some that the fire — which reached upwards of 122,000 acres as it burned in the Garcia Wilderness on Tuesday morning — may be growing more quickly once again. Los Padres National Forest service representatives, however, said the changing smoke column wasn't cause for alarm. 'It's part of everyday fluctuation of the smoke column and fire intensity,' public information officer Flemming Bertelsen said Tuesday afternoon. 'You'll often see it ramping up and subsiding.' According to Bertelsen, it is normal for the smoke column to change day-to-day based off a number of variables like topography and wind patterns, as well as whatever is happening on the fire line. 'It's always changing,' he said. 'Strategic firing operation' helps cut off fire's forward progress The fire had burned 125,648 acres as of the latest update on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Los Padres National Forest. Containment remained at 33%. Later Tuesday, Gifford Fire officials said 'favorable weather conditions, manageable fire behavior and the full readiness of fire crews provided the ideal circumstances to begin a strategic firing operation today.' During that operation, ground crews ignited vegetation along established and reinforced containment lines around the border of the Garcia Wilderness. Helicopters also assisted in the more steep and inaccessible areas along the Garcia Ridge, a Gifford Fire representative wrote in an email to The Tribune. 'This action was taken to stop the fire's forward progress,' the representative said, noting that that was likely part of the reason for increased smoke around San Luis Obispo County on Tuesday. Officials anticipate having the firing operation done by Wednesday. How is air quality in SLO County during Gifford Fire? Meanwhile on Tuesday, the county's Air Pollution Control District said it was actively monitoring potential impacts of smoke from the fire. The agency said in a news release it expected SLO County skies to 'be hazy' with fine particulate concentrations and ozone 'higher than normal as long as the fire remains active.' It also warned for the potential for high levels of ash. Due to 'continued northwesterly flow aloft,' air quality was actually expected to be good across most of the county, the release said. Impacts were instead expected to be limited mostly to the southeastern portion of SLO County in the area of the Carrizo Plain and Cuyama. Those areas should expect an increase in smoke in the afternoon before clearing out overnight, the agency said. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Timmins residents have their say on the return of the Northlander train
Ontario Northland is holding public information sessions to update people on its progress and collect feedback. Work on bringing the Northlander back into operation continues at Ontario Northland. Public information sessions are ongoing to update people on its progress and collect feedback. ONR representatives were at Northern College in Timmins on Wednesday. Early phases of construction are underway at the stops that will form the new Northlander train line – and officials at Ontario Northland said they want to keep people updated on their progress. 'There's a few work streams in motion,' said Kate Bondette of Ontario Northland. 'We are completing infrastructure work all along the corridor and we're also doing our environmental studies for the future station. We've done architectural studies, noise and vibration studies, ground and soil water. So all of those things that need to be considered before we start to build are happening now and have been happening since last year.' Bondette said the information sessions are bringing in valuable information about what people expect from the service's return and what they'll be using it for: work, travel, school, medical appointments, even exploring the corridor. 'What's been really exciting is people are starting to envision the service for themselves,' she said. 'They're asking what time the train is coming in, what time it'll be getting in to Toronto, when it's coming back. They're asking about the connections to municipal transit. What will people do when they get here? So, it's been really insightful.' Public feedback has included accounting for parcel service, security and potential impacts on properties and off-road trails. And ensuring the train line will stay for good and run smoothly. After more than two decades without passenger rail, people are eager for its return. 'My wife and I will be on the first train, guaranteed, no matter what,' one person said. 'I'll be supporting it right to the end.' Northland officials said train sets will begin manufacturing in the coming weeks, expecting a 2026 arrival. Once testing along the corridor commences, active service won't be far behind.
