Amador

UPDATE: Weather conditions aid firefight as containment of Electra Fire more than doubles About 100 people who were forced to take shelter in a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. facility in Amador County on Monday as a wildfire rapidly grew have been safely evacuated, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office said. “They’re all out safely,” Amador County Sheriff Gary Redman told The Chronicle around 10:40 p.m. Monday. As the Electra Fire erupted near Vox Beach, dozens of Fourth of July beachgoers suddenly found themselves contending with the rapidly growing wildfire, Redman said earlier. Emergency responders were able to evacuate them to a nearby PG&E powerhouse — a facility on the North Fork Mokelumne River. They were safe there but stuck due to fire and fallen trees on nearby roadways until the sheriff’s office escorted them out. Cal Fire said the blaze was growing “at a dangerous rate of speed” Monday afternoon, measuring 959 acres by evening. Redman said earlier Monday … [Read more...] about Electra Fire in Amador County: About 100 people evacuated after sheltering in PG&E facility as wildfire exploded to 1,000 acres

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 UPDATE: Containment of the Electra Fire in Amador County grows to 10%, but ‘hotter, drier’ weather worries fire crews JACKSON, Amador County — Flames from the Electra Fire burning southeast of Jackson swelled to cover 3,900 acres Tuesday, with numerous neighborhoods evacuating while residents in other areas hunkered down for as long as they could amid billowing smoke. By 9 p.m., firefighters had managed to get 5% containment around the fast-growing wildfire, which sparked Monday near Vox Beach, Cal Fire said, noting the blaze grew “at a dangerous rate of speed” overnight. Chris Vestal, public information officer for the Electra fire, said late Tuesday that firefighters were pleased with the progress of the day but worried about upcoming weather. “The weather is getting hotter, drier coming up the next couple of days,” he told The Chronicle. That’s bad news for wildfire … [Read more...] about Electra Fire in Amador County: PG&E says it’s not responsible for sparking blaze now nearly 4,000 acres in size

Jerry Budrick, one of the original waiters at Chez Panisse and a longtime presence in the iconic restaurant as its maitre d’, has died. He was 78. Born Gerald Budrick on February 23, 1944 in Chicago to Alphonse Budrick and Anne Walanga, Budrick developed an affinity for hospitality at a young age, serving beers and bourbon at his parents’ Southside tavern in the middle of doing his homework, as he later wrote. But heading into Chez Panisse’s opening night on August 28, 1971 — a watershed moment which marked a before and after in American food and dining culture — Budrick had no formal experience as a waiter, aside from a short gig at an Austrian lakeside café. That did not stop him from dazzling diners. In her book “Coming to My Senses: The Making of a Counterculture Cook,” Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters recalls Budrick’s flair in the dining room. He had, she wrote, “a flamboyant delivery, almost like he was acting in a theatrical performance, with exaggerated gestures, a … [Read more...] about Original Chez Panisse waiter and former part owner dies

A wildfire that led to the closure of Yosemite National Park’s Mariposa Grove in California, home to over 500 towering sequoias, prompted hundreds to evacuate from the nearby community of Wawona on Friday, a park spokesman said. Roughly 500 people were fleeing a community known for its historic hotel, campground and dozens of privately owned cabins and homes after embers from the Washburn Fire landed nearby, Yosemite National Park spokesman Scott Gediman said. The blaze had grown from roughly 46 acres on Thursday to 466 acres by Friday afternoon, Yosemite Fire and Aviation said . None of the grove's massive sequoias — one of which is an estimated 2,700 years old — have burned and no injuries or deaths have been reported, Gediman said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The hot, dry weather in the area was expected to continue with temperatures getting even higher in the coming days, he said. Park officials said that Mariposa, a popular … [Read more...] about Hundreds evacuate after wildfire closes Yosemite National Park’s famed Mariposa Grove, home to 500 giant sequoias