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While Stephanie Douglas, her mother Trudy and cousin Barbara try to remember Sarah Douglas in happier times, it's not hard to think about how the 26-year-old's life came to a violent end.
"Whether it's damage to the aircraft, whether it's injuries to our pilots, to our firefighters, or worse case, a mid-air collision," said Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant. "These are not risks we are willing to take."
Closing arguments begin this morning -- in the murder trial of former Cal Fire Battalion Chief Orville Fleming.
Hot, dry California was beginning to feel the full brunt of fire season as blazes burned throughout the state, threatening hundreds of homes, although most areas dodged serious destruction.
Orville Fleming said they were arguing when he went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife, and in his words, just lost it. He said he felt like a zombie when he stabbed her and doesn't remember anything else after that.
Crews are fighting a grass fire near Highway 49 in the Placerville area.
A jury trial is beginning for a former California fire battalion chief charged with murder in the death of his 26-year-old girlfriend.
Homes were evacuated due to a fire near Shingle Springs, Cal Fire says.
With thousands of lightning strikes over the course of two days from this recent storm, fire crews have their eyes on the skies looking for fires.
He says Cal Fire could do much more to help prevent a devastating blaze. He says for four years, the state has forced many property owners throughout California to pay $117 per year for a state fire prevention fee.
The lookout towers, including one at Wolf Mountain in Grass Valley, will now reopen. They need volunteers to keep watch. Persistent vandalism forced Cal Fire to shutter the towers for the past two fire seasons.
Cal Fire is busy training thousands of firefighters to defend against what's expected to be a hot, dry season, including inmate firefighters.
A home in rural Nevada City was engulfed in flames after a reported explosion Saturday afternoon.
The lake that feeds into the Yuba River is 16 feet lower than it was last year, meaning fire crews will likely have to go further to get the water they need.
The drought has moved fire season up this by two months and Cal Fire is warning that 2015 could be a difficult fire season.
A rural Colfax neighborhood is being evacuated after a fire and possible explosion early Friday afternoon.
Flags will be flown at half-staff at the state capitol to honor a longtime CalFire helicopter pilot who died while on duty this week.
Newly released documents show an assistant state fire chief was demoted for using a state cellphone and vehicle to arrange sex with escorts and a firefighter was fired for sexually harassing a civilian at a graduation celebration near the state's fire academy.
The 14-page report to the State Personnel Board links Assistant Chief Mike Ramirez to sexual harassment, drinking on the job and viewing explicit pictures on a state-issued cellphone.
Two state firefighters have been fired and another has resigned after an investigation prompted by the slaying of a CalFire battalion chief's girlfriend.
Far from the flashing camera lights of the governor's re-election victory party in November, state arson and bomb investigators are now the ones taking photos at the governor's mansion, and sharing them, after a suspicious fire over the weekend.
During the search for Orville Fleming, allegations arose of firefighters having sex with prostitutes at the Ione Fire Academy. That prompted a California Highway Patrol investigation into a possible sex tape that never materialized.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Janet Upton told The Associated Press that the department placed the employees on leave Monday. The formal results of the California Highway Patrol investigation are expected early next month.
The job requires being able to handle physical stress and having endurance while being able to adapt to different sleep cycles—sometimes only 6 to 8 hours in 72 hours of work.
That direction will effectively end the agreement between the city and Cal Fire, which has staffed Marysville's fire station. The cost-cutting move has the city deciding it'll do better on its own.
Record holiday travel is expected in the U.S. this year, with the weekend before Christmas projected to be one of the busiest times for transit.
Over half of Americans see the drones that have been spotted over the East Coast as a threat to the U.S.
On the weekend before Christmas, last-minute shoppers are scrambling to buy gifts. For some, with the holiday just a few days away, it might be too late to wait for an online gift to arrive. So people are shopping at their local Sacramento stores.
An F/A-18 fighter jet was "mistakenly fired on" by the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, authorities said.
The suspect drove through the doors of a JCPenny in Killeen, Texas, and continued inside for "several hundred yards," an official said.
Rickey Henderson is widely considered to be one of the best leadoff hitters and base stealers in baseball.
A homicide investigation is underway after the death of a young child near Antelope on Friday morning.
A 14-year-old boy involved in a crash that killed his mother, father and sister in Turlock on Sunday has died, according to the family.
Officers are investigating after a freeway shooting in Sacramento on Friday morning.
Record holiday travel is expected in the U.S. this year, with the weekend before Christmas projected to be one of the busiest times for transit.
For the first time ever, the X Games will call Sacramento home and will be held in the city from 2025 through 2027, officials announced Thursday.
Sacramento police say of the city's 6,000-plus meters, more than 1,300 have been damaged in the past three months.
A number of prominent Sacramentans have called the place home.
One family from South America is making Sacramento their new home thanks to United Way's literacy tutoring program.
A husband and wife were left in critical condition following a house fire in Sacramento, officials said Tuesday.
A new program at UC Merced is preparing students for a career in cannabis, one of the fastest-growing industries in California.
Two California members of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang were sentenced to consecutive life terms in prison for murder, racketeering and other crimes committed while incarcerated in a Sacramento-area prison.
An 8-month-old girl died and three adults were injured in a crash in California's Central Valley on Tuesday night, the California Highway Patrol said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday granted California its request to enforce vehicle emissions standards stricter than federal rules, including the state's ban on sales of new gasoline-powered cars.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation on Wednesday in response to growing concerns over bird flu cases in the state and across the country.
LeBron James had 32 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 103-99 to sweep a two-game set.
Sacramento State announced it hired UNLV's offensive coordinator Brennan Marion as the school's next head coach.
Rickey Henderson is widely considered to be one of the best leadoff hitters and base stealers in baseball.
Third baseman Gio Urshela has reached an agreement on a one-year contract with the Athletics ahead of the team's first season in West Sacramento, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
LeBron James had 19 points, six rebounds and seven assists while breaking the NBA record for regular-season minutes, helping the Los Angeles beat the Sacramento Kings 113-100 on Thursday night.
Over half of Americans see the drones that have been spotted over the East Coast as a threat to the U.S.
An F/A-18 fighter jet was "mistakenly fired on" by the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, authorities said.
The Senate confirmed two more judges to the federal bench on Friday, giving President Biden a total of 235 since he took office.
Government watchdog claims Americans lost hundreds of millions to fraud related to the bank-operated mobile payments network.
The Biden administration is canceling federal student loans for another 55,000 workers to the tune of $4.28 billion in what's expected to be the last such round before he leaves office.
Some 13 oz. bags of Lay's Classic Potato Chips may contain an undeclared allergen, according to the snack company.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation on Wednesday in response to growing concerns over bird flu cases in the state and across the country.
Cases now reported in eight states related to Yu Shang Food products sold online and at stores nationwide, officials say.
At least 364 pertussis cases were reported, marking the worst Thanksgiving week on record.
Feds warn against eating multiple products containing the vegetable, including salads, wraps, party trays and meal kits.
A Fairfield couple had their home insurance policy canceled because of a photo taken from high above their residence. They called Kurtis when they thought the insurance carrier got it wrong.
Inflation and California's higher wages are driving up the cost of dining out, but the Call Kurtis team has found some relief for your wallet in the form of discount gift cards for restaurants.
A Sacramento mother is seeking answers—and justice—after discovering that her daughter's grave was moved without her knowledge.
A Lodi animal rescue and adoption agency said someone hijacked their Facebook page and is using it to rip people off. They reached out to the Call Kurtis team to look into it.
A Folsom viewer said a credit reporting agency is refusing to remove a debt that isn't hers. She reached out to the Call Kurtis team for help.
A Natomas mother demanded that her daughter be exhumed and cremated after a Sacramento cemetery moved her grave without telling the family.
No one — not the Governor's Office, the CHP task force, nor the attorney general — can tell us how many of the people arrested by California's Organized Retail Crime Task Force were sentenced, let alone how many went to jail, received treatment, or re-offended.
CBS News California examined retail theft rates in California and whether the high-profile Proposition 36 would help combat those crimes.
The CHP captain accused of workers' compensation fraud was the commander in charge of the fatal Mahaney Park shootout in Roseville, three officers who worked under him at the time of the shootout confirmed.
CBS News California takes a closer look at the drug component of the high-profile Proposition 36 to fact-check claims about the ballot measure from supporters and opponents.
No one wants to think about death. However, it's important to plan on what happens to your digital assets after you die.
After spending $18,000 on waterproof laminate floors, a Natomas couple spotted damage after the first cleaning.
More than a year after Hai Pham canceled the trial membership, he kept getting charged every month for it.
A Natomas mother demanded that her daughter be exhumed and cremated after a Sacramento cemetery moved her grave without telling the family.
The family contacted CBS13 and the Call Kurtis consumer investigative team to look into the matter.
The fire prompted a massive response from crews across the state, including five strike teams out of Auburn in Placer County.
The goal is to attract more women to the profession.
A new wildfire burning near the Nevada and Placer county line has forced officials to issue mandatory evacuations in both counties on Saturday.
As wildfires rage across California, new research reveals an alarming impact on one of the region's most vital industries: agriculture.
California voters will be asked to authorize the state to borrow $10 billion to pay for climate and environmental projects, including wildfire prevention.
A high school senior and his girlfriend dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus and handed out gifts to every student at their school, Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts.
It was a day of conquering fears and overcoming odds at the Sacramento Deep Water Channel this weekend. People living with physical disabilities got an opportunity to feel the exhilaration of setting sail.
A nutrition program to get kids excited about healthy eating in Yuba City is seeing success and now the farm-to-school program will be growing not just food but in size and opportunity.
Kids and teens in Stockton are flocking to a program that's offering them the opportunity of a lifetime.
More than one hundred customers came out to celebrate the grand reopening of a restaurant that's been around for seven decades.
Here's a look at the weather forecast Saturday night.
On the weekend before Christmas, last-minute shoppers are scrambling to buy gifts. For some, with the holiday just a few days away, it might be too late to wait for an online gift to arrive. So people are shopping at their local Sacramento stores.
Photojournalist Dave McCain was there for the celebration.
Old Town Pizza hopes to complete the renovations and be open by this time next year.
Sacramento County officials are taking precautionary measures Friday after discovering a levee is starting to erode.