By his own admission, George Morris III’s two-year tenure as the top administrator of the Cal Fire Academy in Ione was pockmarked with mistakes. He trusted subordinates too much, he told California Highway Patrol investigators during a two-hour interview Oct. 3, 2014, as a scandal was washing over his facility.
- PUB DATE: 3/10/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: sacramento bee

The military is beginning to check whether chemicals from its firefighting foam may have contaminated groundwater at hundreds of sites nationwide, according to the Defense Department. The Navy began sampling water at bases in December. At a naval landing field in Virginia, the U.S. Navy is now giving its personnel bottled water and testing wells in the nearby rural area after the discovery of perfluorinated chemicals in drinking water.
- PUB DATE: 3/10/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: U.S. News & World Report

Preliminary development work reportedly is underway on a movie that would tell the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshot tragedy. Ellen Schwartz, vice president of production for Black Label Media, confirmed Monday, March 7, that the production company is working to develop “No Exit,” a film about the 19 young men who died while fighting the Yarnell Hill wildfire in June 2013.
- PUB DATE: 3/10/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Lake Havasu City News-Herald

Seattle fire investigators are still trying to pinpoint what ignited a gas leak resulting in an explosion that destroyed three businesses, damaged 33 others, and sent nine firefighters to the hospital Wednesday. One lane of Greenwood Avenue in each direction was back open Thursday. At least 36 businesses suffered some kind of damage in the blast, said Seattle Mayor Ed Murray.
- PUB DATE: 3/9/2016 5:27:16 PM - SOURCE: king5