Garry Lane, 80, and his wife, Audrey Lane, 56 accused of torching their own music shop last April to collect insurance money in Johnstown, New York

SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
By: WNYT Staff

JOHNSTOWN, NY

A Fulton County couple was arraigned Friday morning on a three-count criminal indictment, charged with torching their own music shop last April to collect insurance money.

If the allegations against Garry Lane, 80, and his wife, Audrey Lane, 56, are true, the long time music merchants might need to prepare themselves for a long-playing version of Jailhouse Rock.

On the night of the fire, when Dad's Music in Johnstown burned to the ground, four fire companies battled the intense flames for better than six hours.

"It was an intense fire," said Mike McGrath, who runs Big Mike's across the road from the fire scene, and was there the night of the fire. "The firemen were going to the front, putting water on it, and then going to the back because the flames got higher and then the front got higher. It was one of the most massive fires I've ever seen."

"During the course of the fire, the roof collapsed and basically landed on top of the contents," said Louise Sira, the Fulton County district attorney.

Even though the contents of the music store were destroyed, items that included drums, guitars, and keyboards, an investigator with Traveler's Insurance caught a break while searching for evidence.

"He uncovered electronic evidence and turned it over to police," Sira said.

The district attorney says one thing led to another, and after executing a search warrant at the owner's home on nearby Stone Street, there was enough evidence to charge 80-year old Garry Lane and his wife Audrey Lane, 56, with three felonies: arson, conspiracy, and insurance fraud.

"In the days following the fire, Mr. and Mrs. Lane initiated a claim for insurance payments including $151,000 claiming lost contents," Sira says.

The building was insured for another $300,000 and based on rumors spreading through town at the time of the fire, some people don't seem surprised by the charges.

"From Day 1 everybody said, "Oh, I think he started it," McGrath stated, "But we sit here and have to wait and see what the facts are."

The Lanes are free tonight after each of them posted a $10,000 bond. The top counts in the indictment carry sentences of 5-to-15 years.

3 killed, 1 injured after a Nissan Maxima was rear-ended by a suspended-license driver of a Mercedes SUV in Lake County, Florida. Both vehicles flipped and caught fire.

Georgia family killed by fiery crash was on way to beach, Disney






WOFL-35 video shows wreckage from fatal accident along Florida Turnpike in Lake County
By Christal Hayes and Steven Lemongello Orlando Sentinel

Georgia family killed in wreck was traveling to Disney for infant's birthday
Georgia couple and infant daughter identified as victims in Turnpike crash

Thomas Garza and his soon-to-be wife, Lillian Luna, excitedly packed their car for a spur-of-the-moment trip to Florida to celebrate their daughter's first birthday.

The Georgia couple planned to visit Walt Disney World and the beach during the long Labor Day weekend but were killed when their Nissan Maxima was rear-ended by a Mercedes SUV in Lake County shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Both vehicles flipped and caught fire.





Lillian Luna, Thomas Garza and their daughter Brianna celebrate her first birthday just weeks before a deadly crash took their lives on the way to the beach and Disney World. (Elataly Luna)

"They were hoping to give her a huge birthday for the big No. 1, and they knew this weekend they'd have time to spend together," said Luna's sister, Elataly Luna. "It's just so sad."

Garza, 23, and Lillian Luna, 20, of Moultrie, Ga., died at the scene of the crash near Howey-in-the-Hills. They were identified Monday by family members, FHP Sgt. Kim Montes said.

Their daughter, Brianna, was ejected from the car and died Sunday at Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando. She turned 1 on Aug. 27.

Elataly Luna said the pair had been inseparable since they started dating in 2012 and were over the moon when Brianna was born.
 

She said Garza worked long hours to spoil his daughter. Lillian Luna was taking night classes to earn her high-school diploma and hoped to study medicine.

"They both worked so hard because they wanted to provide Brianna a great future. They spoiled her and gave her everything she needed and way more," Elataly Luna said. "They were phenomenal parents and loved her so much."

Elataly Luna said the couple met at an automotive shop where Garza worked. They hit it off immediately.

"It was like fate, and they have been at each other's side since," Elataly Luna said.

The Facebook pages for Garza and Luna were filled with pictures of the couple and their baby daughter. Family created a GoFundMe page asking for help with funeral expenses.

Garza's sister, Eloisa Garza, said the couple and their baby had such bright futures.

"Thomas was a good man. He loved Brianna more than anyone or anything else. Lillian and him stuck together no matter what," she said. "They were happy, and they did anything to give Brianna the best."

The driver of the Mercedes, James Dameron, 24, of Orlando, suffered minor injuries and was transported to South Lake Hospital in Clermont.

His drivers license was suspended Sept. 1.

Charges in the crash are pending, Montes said. She said preliminary information shows Dameron was traveling faster than Garza and his family.

Several months ago Dameron was charged with possession of methamphetamine and resisting an officer without violence. He also has faced charges for unlawful speed, texting while driving, and littering on a public highway within the last few years, according to public records.

No witnesses have contacted the FHP, Montes said. "Any witness is always important to a crash investigation," she said. "In this case we have a driver that is alive that gives us his version of what happened and a driver that is dead that cannot tell us what happened."

Montes asks that anyone with information about the crash call the FHP at 407-737-2213.

1 male driver killed after his Chevy Cobalt was driving the wrong way on I-91 in CT and smashed a tractor trailer head-on.

20-year-old dead in wrong-way crash on I-91 northbound in New Haven
Posted September 8, 2015, by Samantha Schoenfeld





NEW HAVEN, CT

A young man has died after a fatal crash on I-91 north Tuesday morning.

A tractor trailer was driving on I-91 north in the left center lane of four lanes, just north of the entrance for exit 1. A Chevy Cobalt was driving the wrong way south on the highway, on the same northbound side, when it hit the tractor trailer head-on.

The driver, who has been identified as Libni A Nunez Jr., 20, of Meriden, was killed in the crash. The driver of the tractor trailer wasn’t hurt.

The highway was shut down after the crash, which occurred around 4:30 a.m.

A cement truck smashed into both the concrete median and the metal guardrail near the Carnegie interchange in Pittsburgh, PA

Cement truck crash caused delays for nearly 5 hours
Delays were more than an hour on the Parkway West outbound
UPDATED 5:25 PM EDT Sep 08, 2015





PITTSBURGH, Pa. —The early-morning crash of a cement truck Tuesday on the Parkway West (I-376) outbound made a traffic mess with ripple affects across the Pittsburgh area that lasted until nearly noon.

Sky 4 over the Parkway West where a cement truck collided into a Jersey Barrier knocking it out of position and causing traffic delays for several hours during the morning drive. All major routes in the Pittsburgh region have been impacted along with Penn Ave. 

The cement truck smashed into both the concrete median and the metal guardrail near the Carnegie interchange and created backups on the Parkway West inbound and outbound. Delays spread as far as the Parkway East inbound into the eastern suburbs.

"He completely slammed the jersey barrier clear over into inbound Parkway West traffic," said Pittsburgh's Action News 4 traffic reporter Sam Hall.

No one was reported injured but the crash stopped traffic completely at times and at other times had traffic restricted to a single lane in each direction.

"I was stuck. I had no idea why I was stuck. I couldn't tell, coming through the tunnel, what was going on at all," said Shawn Mozolak, of Brookline.

"Traffic's a mess here," said Michael Knight, of Dormont.

"Oh, it's really bad, sir," said a Pittsburgh Yellow Cab driver as he exited from the Fort Pitt Bridge and stopped at a red light before entering downtown.

100,000 people use the Parkway West daily and Monday was the first day back for many, after the long holiday weekend. The crash sent heavier rush hour traffic onto other major arteries and roads with lesser capacity.

"It's like a parking lot. It's moving very slowly," said Jamie Lamperski, of the North Hills.

"It was slow and you had to have the patience of a saint," said Cal Tedone, a shuttle driver, as he arrived in downtown Pittsburgh.

"The Parkway East was backed up at its peak until the Wilkinsburg interchange, which is maybe an hour and a half for motorists. Also, the Parkway North was backed up to I-79," said Steve Cowan, of PennDOT.

Some drivers vented their frustrations on social media.

"Holy heck, what's with this parkway traffic? #pittsburgh," said Dr. Brooke Morrill on Twitter.

"It took an hour and a half to get from Monroeville to town and the crash is on the other parkway," tweeted someone identified as Tsar.

"I feel bad for people who probably missed their flights out of PA. Yuck! Glad i'm on vacation!" wrote the user of Twitter account Mrs Gus.

"I would never take a job with a daily commute on the parkway 376 again. Not worth the aggravation," tweeted another commuter.
Cement truck accident snares traffic on Parkway West






The truck slammed into a median in the construction zone on the Parkway West in Carnegie.

CAUTION: 17 people have died in boating accidents in Maryland this year, much higher than average

Caution urged amid increased boating fatalities





A Coast Guard crew at Fort Carroll recovers the second body in the Patapsco River following a boating accident on the Dundalk side of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Two died and six were hurt in the accident when the 37-foot Sea Ray Sundancer struck an abutment on the bridge, ejecting eight people. (Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun) 

By Christina Jedra The Baltimore Sun
 
17 people have died in boating accidents in Maryland this year.


The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is urging boaters to exercise heightened caution amid an increase in the number of fatal accidents in state waters this year.


Seventeen people have been killed in boat accidents this year, according to Candy Thomson, spokeswoman for Natural Resources police. The state averages 12 boating-related deaths a year, she said. 


Heavy surf prompts nearly 200 rescues over two days in Ocean City

On Sunday, a man went missing after a boat sank on the Chesapeake Bay. In July, two women were killed in a boat crash south of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. In June, a 7-year-old was killed and several others injured — including one who lost an arm — when a racing boat lost control off Kent Island.

Nineteen people were killed in boating accidents in 2011, which Thomson said was the "highest level in recent years." Thomson said the number of fatalities for this year is preliminary and that an official number is released by the Coast Guard every year.

The number of fatalities this year reflects an increase of boating activity because of warm weather and low gas prices, Thomson said. She said the late Labor Day could extend the boating season and the likelihood of more accidents.

Life jackets are the "number one factor" in whether a boater survives an accident, she said, noting that of the 17 people who died in boating-related accidents this year, 14 were not wearing life jackets.

Man missing after boat sinks near Bay Bridge

State law requires children under 13 to wear life vests. Officials recommend that adults also wear life vests when out on the water, and that boaters keep them accessible.

None of the four children involved in the accident Sunday were wearing life jackets, Thomson said.

"Michael Phelps is a great swimmer, but Michael Phelps who has struck his head or is cold and disoriented is not going to fare very well — not in the Potomac, not in the Chesapeake Bay, not in the Susquehanna," she said. "They're murky, they have currents. The bay has a tremendous tide."

Officials also recommend that boaters tell someone their destination and expected return time, and check the weather forecast to avoid storms.

Woman critically injured, 2 others hurt in boat crash in Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

SEPTEMBER 7, 2015

By Mary Carole McCauley The Baltimore Sun
University of Maryland Medical Center
Labor Day weekend boating trip in busy canal ends in disaster


Three people were injured — one critically — in a boating accident over the Labor Day weekend when a pleasure boat rammed into a marker floating in the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Cecil County.

A Pennsylvania woman suffered head trauma in the crash and was air-lifted by helicopter to the University of Maryland Medical Center's Shock Trauma Center, said Candy Thompson, a public information officer for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The woman, who is in her mid-20s, is listed in critical condition.

The boat's driver, a 27-year-old Pennsylvania man, was cut on his face and was taken to Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. Another passenger, 30 and also from Pennsylvania, was cut on his head and was taken to Union Hospital of Cecil County in Elkton, Md. Thompson said the men's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The boating accident happened at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the western end of the busy canal, near where it joins the Chesapeake Bay. Investigators are attempting to get a warrant to seize the boat and Thompson said toxicology reports have been ordered. The investigation is continuing.

2 men killed and 2 women hurt in a boat crash along Milwaukee's lakefront.

UPDATED Sep 08, 2015



MILWAUKEE, WI —Two people were killed and two others hurt in a boat crash along Milwaukee's lakefront.


A boat crashed into a breakwall in the Milwaukee harbor late Monday night. 2 women were pulled from the water, 2 men did not survive.

Police said around 10:45 p.m. Monday, the boat hit a breakwall northeast of the Hoan Bridge and started to sink.

Witnesses said they heard the crash and then people yelling for help.

“As you can imagine, a capsized boat in a lake with current had moved. We wanted to commit our divers to the first dive that would give us the highest probability of success. In fact, our initial spot we had received from another agency was inaccurate. Our second dive, within minutes, both divers located two adult male victims,” Milwaukee Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Dan Lipski said.


Two men drowned.


Two women, ages 22 and 23, were pulled from the water and are expected to make full recoveries.

The ages and names of the men who died in the crash have not yet been released. Autopsies are underway.

“While the accident is still under investigation, and the causative factors have not yet been determined, we do know that none of the individuals involved were wearing life jackets,” said Cmdr. Leanne Lusk, chief of response at Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan.

Weather at the time was reported to be calm and clear visibility.

Two Union Pacific trains collided in Texarkana, Texas, derailing a locomotive and pushing four cars off the tracks.

TEXARKANA, TX (KSLA) -

Two trains have collided in downtown Texarkana, Texas, derailing a locomotive and pushing four cars off the tracks.




Police say there were no major injuries.

The two trains collided near the rail yard around the viaduct and Phenie Street at about 12:40 a.m. Tuesday, authorities say.

The train that was derailed was carrying auto parts and automobiles; it now is laying on its side off the tracks. No hazardous materials were involved in the collision.

The driver engineer of one Union Pacific train was treated at the scene for minor injuries and released by emergency personnel, Fire Chief Eric Schlotter said,

AEP/SWEPCO was on location repairing power poles that were damaged and torn down during the crash, leaving more than 1,500 customers in the dark early Tuesday morning. The company's most recent outage map show power has been restored in Texarkana.

Traffic is not expected to be affected Tuesday morning.

KSLA News 12's Jacob Bradford is on the scene in Texarkana not far from where crews are working to clear the derailment.

Read more: http://www.fox10tv.com/story/29977089/train-collision-causes-derailment-in-downtown-texarkana-tx#ixzz3lC0nmoKI

1 dead in fiery crash after a cement mixer fell off the feeder bridge in NW Harris Co., Texas

One person was killed in the accident Tuesday.






Updated 1 hr 44 mins ago
HOUSTON, TEXAS (KTRK) -- One person is dead in an accident involving a concrete mixer in northwest Harris County.

It happened around 1:30pm along the northbound feeder road from Highway 249 at Cypresswood. The concrete mixer somehow fell off the feeder bridge and caught fire next to a ravine below.

A HazMat crew is at the scene. The accident is causing a major backup both on 249 and Cypresswood.

21 injured after two Everglades tour airboats collide in Florida

2 Gator Park 'safari' tour airboats crash -- sending 21 to hospital

Author: Terrell Forney, Reporter, tforney@Local10.com
Amanda Batchelor, Senior Digital Editor, abatchelor@local10.com
 
Published On: Sep 07 2015


21 injured in airboat crash in southwest Miami-Dade County

Show Transcript MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. -

Two airboats on a "safari" tour of the Everglades National Park collided, leaving 21 injured after a miscommunication Monday, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman said.

There were 48 passengers aboard the two airboats and two vessel operators. Some people fell into the water after the boats collided about three miles out into the Florida Everglades -- home to alligators and boa constrictors.

"Seconds before impact we knew what was happening, so you just had to brace yourself and hold on," Peter Brown, who was on one of the boats, said. "And once that happened, obviously there was lots of screaming."
 

"One girl nearly fell, and she came out from the other boat and landed in our boat. She was half in the water and half in our boat," another victim, Jane Austin, said. "It was fast. It was full throttle."

Two other airboats picked up the stranded -- including the 21 who suffered minor injuries -- and took them to Gator Park, 24050 SW Eighth St., in southwest Miami-Dade County. Passengers were given refunds.


Miami-Dade Fire Rescue took the injured to Kendall Regional Medical Center, South Miami Hospital, Baptist Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital.

FWC officials were investigating.

Local10.com reporter Andrea Torres contributed to this report.

3 killed, 2 injured after a Chrysler PT Cruiser was T-boned by a Dodge Challenger impaired driver who ran a red light in Florida

Author: Amanda Batchelor, Senior Digital Editor, abatchelor@local10.com

Published On: Sep 08 2015

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -

A South Florida couple who were living in Tallahassee were killed in a car crash along with their friend Sunday night.

Police in Tallahassee said the crash happened about 9:15 p.m.

Kevin Boos, 22, was pronounced dead at the scene.  Morgan Carr 21, and her boyfriend, Vincenzo Libio, 22, were found unresponsive in the car. They were taken to a hospital where they were later pronounced dead.





Morgan Carr 21, and her boyfriend, Vincenzo Libio, 22, were killed in a crash Sunday in Tallahassee. They graduated from J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs.



Kevin Boos was from Broward County.

According to a GoFundMe page, the Chrysler PT Cruiser the victims were in was T-boned by a drunken driver who ran a red light.

Police did not confirm whether the driver of the Dodge Challenger involved in the crash was impaired, but witnesses said Stanley Jaboin, 27, was taken away in handcuffs.

The driver of the PT Cruiser, Nikolas Bonilla, 20, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to the post, Libio had just graduated from college with a degree in sports marketing and had applications in with the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys, among other teams.

Florida State University's Epsilon Sigma Alpha released a statement on Facebook, saying Boos served as co-president of the foundation last semester.

"Although Kevin was not a student this semester, last semester he had served as the co-president of ESA at FSU. Kevin will be remembered for his positive attitude, willingness to help others and bright deposition," the statement said. "For those of you who never had the opportunity to meet Kevin, our only regret is that you will not fully understand what a blessing he was to have in all of our lives."

Carr's sorority sisters at FSU's Zeta Tau Alpha and Libio's fraternity brothers at FSU's Phi Sigma Kappa also took to social media to express their condolences.

Libio and Carr were middle school sweethearts, who had been dating since they were 13 years old. They graduated from J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs. Boos was also from Broward County.

"Just too soon. Not a bad bone in any of their bodies. They were both wonderful, loving people who will never be forgotten. They are together at peace now," Joshua Levine posted on the GoFundMe page.

Click here to donate to the families of Libio and Carr for the couple's funeral expenses.

Construction worker seriously injured in barn collapse in Queenstown, Maryland

Worker taken to Shock Trauma with serious injuries
UPDATED 6:13 PM EDT Sep 08, 2015






A construction worker has been injured in a barn collapse in Queen's Anne County.


QUEENSTOWN, Md. —A construction worker has been injured in a barn collapse in Queen's Anne County.



The collapse happened on the 100 block of Overlook Drive in Queenstown around 5 p.m. Tuesday.

It appears the rafters of the barn, which is under construction, collapsed, SkyTeam 11 Capt. Roy Taylor reported.

One person sustained serious injured and was taken via Maryland State Police helicopter to Shock Trauma.

There is no word on what caused the collapse.

Stay with WBALTV.com and 11 News for more on this developing story.
Source: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/construction-worker-injured-in-barn-collapse-in-queenstown/35163974

WARNING, MOTORCYCLE DEATHS/INJURIES ARE ON THE RISE: 1 WOMAN DEAD AFTER MOTORCYCLE CRASH, STRIKE BY TWO VEHICLES

Police seeking minivan driver who left scene of fatal motorcycle crash on Belt Parkway in Queens





Kala Rama reports live.






Eyewitness News
Tuesday, September 08, 2015 06:48AM
LINDENWOOD, N.Y. (WABC) -- Police are searching for the driver who left the scene of a fatal motorcycle crash on the Belt Parkway in Queens Monday night.

It happened at about 10:30 p.m. in the eastbound lanes near Cross Bay Boulevard in Lindenwood.

Police said the 28-year-old man who was at the controls of the motorcycle lost control around a curve and struck the center median, causing both the man and the woman riding with him to get thrown off the bike. They landed on the road in the left lane.

According to NYPD, the driver of a white older-model minivan tried to swerve to the right to miss the crash, but struck the woman and kept going.

A second driver, also in a minivan, tried to stop but ran over the woman. That driver stayed at the scene.

Police said the woman died at the scene. She has been identified as 22-year-old Sade Eversley of Brooklyn.

The man controlling the motorcycle was taken to the hospital where he's listed in stable condition.

Police are asking any witnesses to the crash or anyone with information about the white older-model minivan to contact them.

No charges have been filed yet in the crash.

3 killed, 3 injured in a one-car crash in upstate New York after the driver overcorrected, causing the car to run off the road and roll over several times

Crash kills Sept. 11 first responder, his wife and future son-in-law; 3 others injured in Rock Hill









Eyewitness News
Tuesday, September 08, 2015 01:54PM
ROCK HILL, N.Y. (WABC) -- A former NYPD auxiliary deputy inspector, along with his wife and future son-in-law were killed in a one-car crash in upstate New York.

It happened late Monday afternoon near exit 112 along Route 17 in the Sullivan County town of Mamakating.

Police said six people were in the car when the driver, 58-year-old Morris Faitelewicz, attempted to move into the passing lane, but there was already a car next to his. Faitelewicz turned back but overcorrected, causing the car to run off the road and roll over several times before coming to rest.



Faitelewicz, his wife Beth Faitelewicz, 54, both of the Lower East Side in Manhattan, and their soon to be son-in-law 31-year-old Yehuda Bayme, of the Bronx, were all killed. Morris Faitelewicz was a first responder on Sept. 11 as an auxiliary member of the NYPD.

Faitelewicz's daughter, Sheryl Faitelewicz, 27, and two sons, Jason Faitelewicz, 29, and Alan Faitelewicz, 23, survived the crash and are in stable condition.

All were members of the Orthodox Jewish community on the Lower East Side.

Police are continuing to investigate the crash.

A truck clipped an overpass in New Jersey Tuesday afternoon, spilling its cargo across the roadway and forcing the shutdown of Route 17 South.

Route 17 South closed in Hackensack after truck clips overpass

Michelle Charlesworth is at the scene with the latest

Updated 14 mins ago

HACKENSACK (WABC) --

A truck clipped an overpass in New Jersey Tuesday afternoon, spilling its cargo across the roadway and forcing the shutdown of Route 17 South.

The incident happened at the I-80 exit in Hackensack around 2 p.m.

The truck, coming from Route 17 South and trying to get on I-80 East, struck the overpass, causing the trailer to detach and separate from the truck. The contents of the trailer, tobacco and paper products used to make cigars, then caught fire.

The driver suffered a minor injury.

The Department of Transportation is assisting in the clean up, and the ramp from Route 17 to I-80 will be closed until further notice.

Traffic along Route 17 South was backed up for miles Tuesday afternoon, and drivers are advised to avoid the area.

Mandatory evacuations in parts of Fresno County are underway as the Rough Fire explodes to more than 95,000 acres.

Rough Fire forces new mandatory evacuations





Mandatory evacuations in parts of Fresno County are underway as the Rough Fire explodes to more than 95,000 acres.
Watch the video for extended coverage from Action News reporter Veronica Miracle.






By Veronica Miracle
Updated 2 hrs 11 mins ago
SQUAW VALLEY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno County Sheriff's Office has issued new mandatory evacuation notices as the Rough Fire explodes to more than 95,000 acres. The fire was sparked by lightning in late July and is just 31 percent contained.

The Red Cross has set up an evacuation center at 730 Recreation Avenue in Sanger.

The following news release was provided by the sheriff's office:

Rough Fire Causes Mandatory Evacuation Notices to be Issued

Due to changing conditions of the Rough Fire, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office is informing the public that effective immediately, mandatory evacuation notices are being issued to certain residents near where the Rough Fire is burning. This is a fluid situation and there is no time table for when these mandatory evacuations will be lifted.


The impacted area is to the north of the Highway 180 / Millwood Road intersection in Dunlap. More specifically, we are focusing on the area of U.S. Forest Service Road 12S01 and Sampson Flat Road as the most southern point. The community of Crabtree is the most northern point. The western border is U.S. Forest Service Road 12S19 and the eastern border is Cherry Gap, which is near the intersection of U.S. Forest Service Road 13S03 / Hwy. 180.

The principle of evacuation is to move citizens from a place of relative danger to a place of relative safety, via a route that does not pose significant danger. Below is an explanation to common legal concerns during these circumstances.

According to Penal Code Section 409.5 (c), any unauthorized person who willfully and knowingly enters an area closed pursuant to subdivision (a) or (b) and who willfully remains within the area after receiving notice to evacuate or leave shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

This misdemeanor occurs only if a person both enters a closed disaster area knowing it to be closed and subsequently refuses to leave when ordered to do so.

No crime is committed by a person occupying his or her home prior to the closing of the area and subsequently refuses to leave when ordered to do so.

While it is evident that PC 409.5 contains the authority to dissuade persons from entering an area designated as an emergency area, it cannot be used to mandate persons into leaving their residence. The overriding concern of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office is the safety of its citizens in the unincorporated areas.



Rough Fire Overview
The Rough Fire has grown to 97,884 acres and is currently the largest active fire in California. There are 1,960 personnel currently assigned to the Rough Fire. Containment increased to 31%. Rough Fire Information: (559) 332-2028. The information line is located at the Incident Command Post in Squaw Valley on Highway 180.

Air Quality Today: Heavy concentrations of smoke are expected near the fire today. Smoke will be slow to lift and transport will primarily terrain and diurnally driven. Light and variable transport winds are expected primarily from the south, with increased impacts expected in San Joaquin Valley foothills northwest of the fires. Residual smoke that has not cleared the area, will add to impacts from new smoke being produced. Unhealthy to Hazardous conditions are expected in communities near the fire.

Air Quality Report (PDF)

All campgrounds in Kings Canyon National Park are now closed until further notice. - The Kings Canyon Visitor Center will be open with modified hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. - The General Grant Tree, Panoramic Point, park trails, John Muir Lodge, Grant Grove Cabins, restaurant, market, and gift shop are open. Ranger programs and hikes have been cancelled due to poor air quality however they may occur if the air quality improves.

Recreation opportunities on the Hume Lake Ranger District have been impacted by the Rough Fire. Stony Creek Village Resort will be open for day use through the Labor Day weekend. Montecito Lake Resort is closed.



Basic Information
Size: 97,884 acres

Containment: 31 percent

Total Personnel: 1,960

Weather Concerns:
High pressure will remain over Nevada with weak low pressure over the southern California coast. Temperatures warming, relative humidity values will trend slowly up. Fair to poor relative humidity recovery. Winds will remain terrain and diurnally driven. Nightime inversion will form trapping smoke; otherwise mostly clear. Highs 80 to 100. Minimum relative humidity 10 to 25 percent.