Palm Springs, Calif. (KESQ)- Following a story we first reported on in 2025, the Palm Springs Fire Department is finally putting new fire engines into service. Fire season in the desert is always a concern, and with this new equipment, this will improve response times and overall service. Palm Springs Fire Chief Paul Alvarado explains that
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RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) — Thousands of acres have burned in Riverside County as the Shore Fire continues to threaten communities, forcing evacuations and prompting significant road closures. The wildfire sparked around 3:23 p.m. Monday near Lake Shore Drive and San Timoteo Canyon Road in the Badlands, southwest of Calimesa. Firefighters from Riverside County, Cal Fire,
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COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) — The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a wildfire smoke advisory as smoke from the Shore Fire in Riverside County and the Mateo Fire in San Diego County impacts air quality across the region. AQMD says smoke from the fires could lead to unhealthy air quality levels in
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – A senior fire analyst today refuted defense arguments in the federal arson trial of Jonathan Rinderknecht that the Lachman and Palisades fires in January 2025 were two separate events. Testifying for the prosecution, certified fire investigator Derek Hill told the jury in downtown Los Angeles that the Lachman Fire that began
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Palm Springs, Calif. (KESQ)- With the Fourth of July just weeks away, Palm Springs fire officials are reminding residents to leave the fireworks to the professionals. During a demonstration, Palm Springs Fire Capt. Ronald Skyberg showed how dry, brittle brush can catch on fire almost instantly if struck by a spark from a firework. “There
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CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) – A mobile home fire on Esperanza Avenue and Elm Street was contained by crews around 2:40 p.m. Sunday. CalFire reports the fire broke out at 12:27 p.m., burning about half an acre of vegetation in the area. The flames destroyed a residential mobile home and outbuilding, before being fully contained by
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – An Ohio-based smoke bomb designer and importer, and two other companies, have agreed to pay more than $4 million to the United States for costs and damages from the El Dorado Fire in 2020, the Department of Justice announced. The El Dorado Fire ignited as part of a gender reveal photo
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Researchers from UCLA and UC Davis have found airborne particles containing carcinogenic hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6, in neighborhoods near the Palisades and Eaton fire burn areas months after the devastating 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires, according to a study announced today. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications
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HOMELAND, Calif. (KESQ) – A wind-driven brush fire that broke out today north of Homeland scorched about 600 acres, destroyed outbuildings and other structures and was still burning at a critical rate of spread Tuesday evening, authorities said. The blaze, dubbed the Verona Fire, was reported at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday on a hillside in the
Continue Reading THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – Firefighters gained the upper hand on a vegetation fire that torched three acres in the east valley Saturday evening. Officials reported forward progress was stopped at 8:38 p.m., about an hour after it was first reported in Thermal. Crews are expected to stay on scene as they mop up throughout the
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Federal prosecutors say the 30-year-old former Uber driver accused of setting a New Year’s Day 2025 fire that prosecutors say smoldered for a week and grew into the deadly Palisades Fire was fascinated by Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering a health insurance executive in 2024, according to court papers
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CALABASAS, Calif. (KESQ) – Fire officials gathered in Calabasas to mark Wildfire Preparedness Week, urging residents to take steps now to protect homes and families as peak fire season approaches. The Monday morning event at King Gillette Ranch brought together Cal Fire, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and a range of state, federal and
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – An investigation by the California Department of Insurance found that claims filed with State Farm by survivors of the 2025 Eaton and Palisades wildfires were “delayed, underpaid, and buried” in red tape, resulting in legal action by the office, it was announced Monday. The department’s enforcement action seeks millions of dollars
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs Fire Department is prepared to issue a strong message to residents about the importance of keeping dry brush and fuels trimmed and cleared. Recent wildfires were still fresh in the memories of residents and firefighters alike. For example, the Prescott Fire this past February torched palm trees
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YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Community leaders are again encouraging residents to take steps to protect their property in our High Desert communities. It comes after the Skyline Fire in Yucca Valley destroyed four structures on Sunday. It burned 39 acres and reached full containment as of the latest update given by CAL FIRE on
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INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – News Channel 3 has obtained exclusive video of a house fire response earlier this week that left two firefighters injured. CALFIRE responded to the attic fire in the Heritage Palms Golf Club in Indio Monday afternoon when two firefighters fell through the roof. Both responders were transported to a nearby hospital
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Mayor Karen Bass said today newly released deposition testimony suggesting fire department officials were aware that a New Year’s Day blaze near Pacific Palisades was still smoldering when crews pulled out of the area was “alarming” and would be examined in an independent investigation. The Lachman Fire, which authorities say was
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Former Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley, who was ousted by Mayor Karen Bass in the aftermath of the deadly Palisades Fire, has sued the city over her termination, accusing the mayor of “orchestrating a campaign of retaliation” against her. In her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed Friday, Crowley
Continue Reading LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – The Los Angeles Fire Department attempted to shield Mayor Karen Bass and other top brass from “reputational harm” caused by the city’s handling of the devastating Palisades Fire that burned 23,448 acres and killed 12 people, the Los Angeles Times reported today. The department tried to shape news media coverage with
Continue Reading LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – The city of Malibu today sued the state, the city and county of Los Angeles and other entities today, accusing them of various failures that led to the start and proliferation of the Palisades Fire that destroyed hundreds of Malibu homes along with municipal facilities and infrastructure. “This decision was not
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