The Marin Independent Journal covers Ross Valley Fire Department's training burns at the San Francisco Theological Seminary, June and July 2014. "The developer in charge of the San Francisco Theological Seminary's building plan has found an economical way of getting rid of four old buildings: have the Ross Valley Fire Department burn them down. This week and next, the fire department is using the buildings at 25 and 30 Kensington Road and 108 and 130 Bolinas Ave. as flammable classrooms for young firefighters. Once the buildings are out of the way, construction of nine new homes for seminary faculty and staff,...

  From: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Fire-Burning-In-3-Story-Apartment-Building-In-San-Anselmo-260544391.htmlBy Bay City News  Saturday, May 24, 2014  |  Updated 12:40 PM PDT     Firefighters are working to put out a stubborn fire inside the walls and floors of a San Anselmo apartment building Saturday morning, the fire chief of the Ross Valley Fire Department said. The fire is burning in a three-story apartment building in the 700 block of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Fire Chief Mark Mills said. Motorists have been advised by Central Marin police to avoid the area since 10:15 a.m. Mills said the fire started in a debris pile outside the building and migrated inside, traveling...

Ross Valley Fire Department has been given the opportunity to conduct live fire training exercises at 25 and 30 Kensington Court/Road in San Anselmo May 27 – 29 and June 2 – 5.  The San Francisco Theological Seminary, along with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, has granted the department permission to conduct live fire training inside several structures slated for demolition.   This opportunity provides our paid and volunteer firefighters a rare chance to create realistic, practical training exercises which accurately replicate true emergency situations. If you see or smell smoke in the Seminary area during these days, please do...

Ross Valley firefighters, along with hundreds of others from throughout Marin and California, are working to contain several fires in San Diego County after being dispatched May 17.  California Office of Emergency Services fire engines from ross valley, San Rafael, and Kentfield made the trip to the San Diego area as part of a "strike team" with engines and crews from El Cerrito and the San Francisco fire departments. Personnel from Ross Valley include Capt. Scott Porter, engineer Michael Gutierrez, firefighter Jesse Olivatti and engineer Justin Hanson. There were four separate wildfires burning in San Diego County on Friday, spanning nearly 8,000 acres, forcing...

Each year during the first full week in May, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and our partners work to raise awareness of arson and provide individuals with strategies to combat it in their community. This year, Arson Awareness Week is May 4-10 and focuses on vehicle arson. Vehicle arson motivations and prevention tips Learn about the most common motives for setting vehicle fires and tips you can share with your community to prevent vehicle arson. Vehicle fire investigative hints and successful practices Investigating a vehicle arson can be difficult. Read about three successful local program initiatives and hints that can help when you're investigating...