A three-alarm grass fire Monday night on the American River Parkway near Cal Expo burned about 11 acres.
The fire that reached the treetops was driven by a strong wind, which spread embers that ignited small spot fires.
Crews mopped up on Tuesday and were to cut down some charred trees. No structures were damaged, and there were no injuries
Eppie’s Great Race is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, 2015 along the American River Parkway.
The annual event starts at the William B. Pond Recreation Area with runners racing downstream (West) to the Guy West Bridge.
At Guy West Bridge, runners will transition to bikes and head upstream (East) to the Sunrise Avenue footbridge where they will switch to water crafts and paddle downstream (West) to River Bend Park.
The American River Parkway Multi-Use Trail will be closed from Guy West Bridge upstream to Sunrise Avenue footbridge from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
There will be aid stations set up at approximately every 1 mile to provide support to the runners, cyclists and paddlers with food, fluids, and if needed, medical attention.
For safety, the Regional Parks Director has issued an alcohol restriction on the American River from Hazel to Watt Avenues in preparation for a non-permitted event – Rafting Gone Wild – July 11, 2015.
In 2012, the Rafting Gone Wild event resulted in multiple arrests, destruction of public and private property, and presented a significant threat to the safety of the public and our community. Based on information obtained from multiple sources, the Department of Regional Parks anticipates similar unsafe circumstances during this year’s event.
As a result of the potential risks to the community including park visitors, rescue personnel and law enforcement, the Director of Regional Parks has issued an alcohol restriction for July 11, 2015.
County Park Rangers, Rancho Cordova Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriff Department will be stationed at all park locations along the American River Parkway to enforce the alcohol restriction. Violations of the alcohol restriction will be strictly enforced.
A search was called off for a 27-year-old woman who went under the water in the American River near Discovery Park.
The woman went under about 5 p.m. Monday near the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers.
Divers and rescue boats canvassed the water and several helicopters monitored the waters from above for about 90 minute before the search was called off and the rescue shifted focus to a recovery.
A 36-year-old man was treated for fatigue after attempting to save the woman, firefighters said.
More at KCRA.com >>>
Firefighters pulled two men from the American River on Wednesday in a water rescue.
One of the men was taken to the hospital.
Sac Metro Fire said one person was on the north side of the El Manto access area and the other was on the south side, near New York Avenue.
More at KCRA.com >>>
In this heat, everyone could use a nice cold swim to cool off, animals included.
An El Dorado Hills man was on Folsom Lake Saturday morning when he spotted an animal swimming in the water.
It wasn’t a dog. Or a coyote. Or a pig for that matter. Swimming casually in the cold lake water was a bear!
Tony Mygatt said he was sitting in his boat in a little cove and reading his book when he saw something swimming toward him. He grabbed his phone, snapped a photo and then began to film the bear.
More at News10.net >>>
Sacramento Metro Fire Captain Randy Gross was about to lead News10 on a tour of the American River and it’s potential dangers when a call for an injury at a rope swing suddenly sent his four-man crew of Rescue Boat 65 into action.
“The rope swing’s a very popular spot. We go there probably every weekend for a call,” Gross said. “Just last Sunday, we went for a pretty severe fracture of the arm.”
In minutes, his low-draft rescue boat is skimming the water at nearly 40 miles an hour, as his engineer deftly dodges rafts, kayaks and swimmers.
“People are adventurous. They want to try things that aren’t the smartest thing to do,” Gross said. “And here’s a perfect example, 21-year-old male who had not had anything to drink.”
The man lost his grip on the rope swing, plunging onto the river bank and nearly slipping into the water before a friend was able to pull him back.
“If somebody wasn’t there and he would have slid off into the water, even though it seems pretty calm, he could be gone – they’re not going to find him,” Gross said.
The young man was clearly in shock, but resisted having a C-spine neck collar put on. Firefighters left it off, explaining that trying to force one on can do more harm.
“Not exactly knowing what’s going on, we provide whatever care we can,” Gross explained, pointing out the man does not seem to have head or next injuries. But, internal injuries are not yet ruled out.
“Very tough impact. And we don’t know what kind of impact on him for the next month or the rest of his life,” Gross explained.
In minutes, the young man is taken across the river to a waiting ambulance for a trip to the emergency room.
“This river is extremely dangerous,” Gross reflects. “Snags, slips, people hitting their head — it just takes your ankle getting twisted with the force of the water against it and, you know, you’re gone.”
More at News10.net >>>
A 21-year-old man was injured Friday afternoon when he fell from a rope swing into the American River.
The incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. near Hollister Avenue in Carmichael. Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District boats responded and found the man, who had suffered injuries to his head and torso, according to a district news release.
More at SacBee.com >>>
As the weather warms, many look to plan fun outdoor activities, but increased time outside also increases the risk for encounters with ticks, which can be carriers of Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks, known as deer ticks, frequently encountered in tall grasses and wooded areas.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 300,000 infections occur each year, of which only 30,000 are reported to CDC by state health departments.
Lyme is a bacterial illness that is spread by tick bites. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system, officials said.
There are several tactics that can prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of tick borne disease, according to the CDC.
More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>
Nerodia Watch enlists citizen scientists to report sightings of Nerodia watersnakes in California. Nerodia threaten California’s native fish and wildlife species through predation and competition for resources. Their fast rate of population growth, ability to disperse overland to new habitat, and close proximity to special status species causes great concern for California’s native fish and wildlife species. This campaign is intended to monitor for the spread of existing populations, prevent the establishment of new populations, and facilitate rapid response management efforts to control or eradicate Nerodia watersnakes in California.
Currently, N. sipedon is established in Roseville (Placer County) and N. fasciata pictiventris is established in Folsom (Sacramento County) and Machado Lake (Los Angeles County). Areas that should be targeted for surveying include most types of permanent freshwater habitats, such as ponds, wetlands, canals, and slow-moving streams and rivers. Specific locations of interest include in and around Roseville, Folsom, the lower American River, the Sacramento River watershed west/southwest of Sacramento, Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Little Potato Slough, French Camp, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and Los Angeles County.
For more information on Nerodia watersnakes in California, visit CDFW Invasive Species Program – Species profiles, The California Nerodia website, the Stop the Spread of Non-Native Water Snakes in California Facebook group, and CaliforniaHerps.com.
In 2008, all Nerodia watersnake species were added to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s list of restricted live animals, making it illegal to possess, transport, or import them into the state without a restricted species permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.