Category: kesq-local-news

City News Service

MURRIETA (CNS) – A brush fire that erupted today in the hills west of Murrieta charred nearly 137 acres and threatened rural properties, but firefighters were able to achieve some containment by Tuesday night.

The non-injury blaze was reported at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Via Volcano and Tenaja roads, in the unincorporated community of De Luz, along the boundary of the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

As of 9:00 p.m., the fire was 25% contained.

The agency said multiple engine and hand crews from the county, Murrieta Fire & Rescue, Riverside Fire Department, Corona Fire Department and Cal Fire-San Diego County were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate through medium to heavy brush.

Three Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters initiated drops just after 3 p.m.

Residences are spread throughout the area on large lots, sometimes several acres wide, mostly off dirt roads. Evacuation orders were briefly issued, but by Tuesday night, orders at all but one zone were downgraded to warnings.

Sheriff’s deputies shut down Tenaja west of Via Volcano for public safety.

There was no immediate word on what might have triggered the brusher.

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Luis Avila

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Desert Hot Springs city council unanimously voted Tuesday to extend its temporary moratorium on new data centers, saying the city needs more time to study the potential impacts before deciding whether the facilities should be allowed.

The extension prevents the city from accepting or approving permits, licenses and other development applications for new data centers and similar high-intensity computing facilities while staff conducts additional research.

The vote comes as data centers continue to spark debate across the Coachella Valley. Earlier this year, a proposed project in Coachella drew widespread public opposition over concerns about water use, electricity demand, noise and environmental impacts.

Tuesday’s meeting drew residents who applauded the council’s decision.

“I think a lot of data centers target communities like ours,” said one resident. “Our community is more disenfranchised, people vote less, have less political power… I think we’ve seen a lot of support and activism around data centers.”

Mayor Scott Matas emphasized that Desert Hot Springs is not currently considering a specific data center proposal.

“This is much different than what Coachella went through,” Matas said. “We don’t have a specific project, but I understand the concerns from the community.”

He proposed sending the issue back to the Planning Commission for a thorough review that would include researching both the benefits and concerns surrounding data centers, working with local agencies and groups, and documenting those findings before the council considers any long-term policy.

“There’s a lot of good arguments out there,” Matas said. “If we work with our water district, power company, residents on both sides of the aisle and find out where the facts really lie… then we’ll be able to support saying no… or has technology in two years gotten better? We don’t know that until we do this study.”

City officials say the city’s current zoning regulations do not adequately address issues unique to data centers, including electricity demand, water use for cooling, backup power systems, infrastructure capacity, noise, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and compatibility with nearby neighborhoods.

Some residents argued the research will reinforce concerns that data centers are not a good fit for Desert Hot Springs.

“The desert, we already have too little water, we have too little electricity, and we have too many environmental concerns,” said a resident. “Data centers aren’t going to create those sorts of jobs… it’s not going to be beneficial to our community.”

The moratorium will remain in effect for up to 22 months and 15 days, bringing the city’s total moratorium period to two years while officials complete their review.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.

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Jesus Reyes

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Craig McCarthy, a key witness and defendant in the 2008 murder of Palm Springs art dealer Clifford Lambert, has been released on parole after more than 17 years in prison.

Craig McCarthy

It’s a case News Channel 3 has been covering for nearly two decades. Prosecutors say McCarthy helped restrain Lambert while his roommate fatally stabbed the 74-year-old in a plot to steal his home and assets.

Clifford Lambert

Check Out: Karen Devine goes in-depth on the Lambert Case in an exclusive report

McCarthy avoided a murder conviction by pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and testifying against the other defendants.

In recent years, however, McCarthy has recanted his account, a move that could fuel new appeals from the men still serving life sentences.

Garcia was sentenced to life without parole last year. It came following a retrial of an original life sentence in 2012. Four other men were also charged and convicted in their retrials of the financially motivated murder. A fifth man, Kaushal Niroula, was killed in prison before his retrial was completed.

(Left to Right) Kaushal Niroula, Daniel Garcia, David Replogle, and Miguel Bustamante

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage.

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City News Service

PALM SPRINGS (CNS) – The Palm Springs City Council approved a proposal for the city to move forward with the acquisition of a new BearCat vehicle, replacing a two-decade-old armored vehicle for the SWAT unit.

Procurement of a 2026 Lenco BearCat G3 was proposed by the city’s Department of Public Works. The item was in the council’s consent agenda during Wednesday’s meeting. The item was approved without further discussion.

The proposed allocation for the acquisition is $449,125, with a 10% allowance for unforeseen expenses tied to the purchase, which would be made via Pittsfield, Massachusetts-based Lenco Industries Inc.

Staff Report (7)Download

The vehicle now in service, a 2006 BearCat, has 20,565 miles, exceeding the preferred service life of 15-20 years established by the city. The existing BearCat is deployed not only within Palm Springs, but made available to Desert Regional SWAT, encompassing personnel from the Cathedral City and Indio police departments.

As the BearCat provides ballistic protection, it’s classified as military equipment, restricting use for high-risk situations and not for crowd control, unless violence escalates to a level that warrants deployment under those conditions.

“The deployment of this vehicle is limited to circumstances authorized by a watch commander or SWAT commander based on the specific conditions of a critical incident,” according to a city staff report. “Itmay, however, be deployed by trained patrol personnel during rapidly evolving emergencies to establish protected corridors, assist with evacuations and enhance officer and civilian safety while regional tactical personnel are mobilizing.”

Under the city’s 1996 Equipment Replacement Policy, the fleet manager, in consultation with an affected agency, is delegated with responsibility to determine when a specialized vehicle should be replaced.

With the council’s approval, the process of ordering, delivering, up-fitting and placing the new BearCat into service would take an estimated two years. In the meantime, the current BearCat would remain available.

With completion of the replacement process, the Palm Springs Police Department would be permitted to identify an eligible recipient of the old BearCat.

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Peter Daut

Tonight a local organization is reacting to alarming new research that shows the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults in Southern California are more stressed now more than at any time in a thousand years; raising the risk of a major, multi-fault earthquake.

As we reported, scientists describe the fault system as “critically loaded,” with stress building across multiple segments. The San Andreas fault runs through the coachella valley, which means our region could experience some of the heaviest shaking.

While earthquakes cannot be predicted, the “Coachella Valley Disaster Preparedness Network” says now is the time to prepare.

“You want to make sure you’ve got plenty of water to last you up to two weeks. We like to suggest two gallons per day per person, plus your pets of course,” said CVDPN President Mitch Brown

They also say you should have plenty of non-perishable food, flashlights and leather gloves. Researchers say the fault system is highly stressed after more than 160 years since the last major rupture.

For more information on how to prepare, stay with News Channel 3.

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Tommy Gallegos

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A debris fire near Palm Springs burned multiple large cargo shipping containers and rubbish piles Tuesday afternoon.

Officials said more than four shipping containers were on fire along with several large rubbish piles, with power lines down in the area. The flames threatened at least five structures in a nearby residential area.

The blaze was reported at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, with the fire is burning in the area of Calle De Las Flores and Oreana Way, near Palm Springs. Multiple fire units are on scene working to contain the blaze and protect nearby homes.

According to the Palm Springs Fire Department, a firefighter sustained a minor injury and has since been released from a local hospital.

The cause of the fire has not been released.

Residents in the surrounding area were urged to avoid the scene and allow emergency personnel access as firefighting operations continue.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Kiera McKinney

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)- Blood donations are at a historic low and the Palm Springs Police and Fire department are teaming up for a friendly competition for the first time.

According to the American Red Cross, the number of donors has dropped by roughly 40% over the last two decades. This marks the lowest level of national blood donors in 20 years.

This period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is considered “trauma season,” when hospitals often see more serious injuries from car crashes, ATV accidents, sports injuries, and other summer activities which would raising the need for blood.

The blood drive is July 9th, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m at O’Donnell Golf Club, 301 N. Belardo Road.

Tempe Essell, the president of the Red Cross Riverside County, said “This is a critical time for blood donations because a lot of our blood comes from high school students. High schools being out. We have nowhere to go. And we are blessed that the Palm Springs Fire Department and Police Department have joined with us to do this. Every time you give blood, one pint of blood, you save three people.”

“We’re trying to create some friendly rivalry, but, the true winners are going to be the people that need this blood” said Gustavo Araiza, Captain from Palm Springs Police.

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Tommy Gallegos

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California has launched the first three FireSat satellites, marking the start of a new space-based wildfire detection system designed to identify fires in near real time.

Launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, the satellites are part of a partnership between CAL FIRE, the Earth Fire Alliance (EFA), Muon Space, and other technology partners. After a three-month commissioning period, the satellites will begin providing wildfire data to fire agencies.

🛰️ Three satellites just reached orbit, and they’re watching for wildfires.

Earlier this morning, the first three FireSat satellites launched into orbit, marking the beginning of a new space-based wildfire detection system designed to help identify fires in near real time.… pic.twitter.com/V1cKbSn4Wx

— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) July 7, 2026

Once the full constellation of more than 50 satellites is deployed by 2030, FireSat will be able to detect fires as small as 5 by 5 meters anywhere on Earth and provide updated observations every 20 minutes or less, helping firefighters respond before small fires become major incidents.

Governor Gavin Newsom called the launch a major step in protecting communities through innovation, “FireSat is about more than satellites in the sky; it’s about protecting families, firefighters, and communities that live with the fear of wildfire every summer,” Newsom said.

California helped develop the FireSat program through early testing with CAL FIRE before the Earth Fire Alliance was formally established. Officials say the technology will improve real-time wildfire intelligence and strengthen emergency response worldwide.

FireSat builds on California’s broader investments in wildfire technology, including the ALERTCalifornia camera network, the Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS), drone and satellite monitoring, wildfire forecasting tools, and statewide LiDAR mapping. The state has also nearly doubled its annual fire protection budget to $3.8 billion while investing more than $2.5 billion in wildfire resilience and forest health projects.

With operations expected to begin later this year, FireSat is designed to give firefighters earlier detection, better situational awareness, and faster response capabilities as wildfire seasons continue to intensify.

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Matthew Pearce

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) — Temperatures are on the rise as summer is in full swing. This means vehicle awareness in the heat is more important than ever as temps inside cars can climb by 20 degrees or more in 10 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.

Not only can these temperatures become dangerous, they can also affect the performance of cars. According to AAA, electric vehicles operating at 95-degree temperatures experience an 8.5% decrease in driving range compared with performance at 75 degrees.

This means EV owners are forced to charge more often, increasing the operating costs of the vehicle.

The U.S. Department of Energy shows California leads the nation in registered EVs. With that, understanding how summer temperatures can change the performance is crucial.

Stay with News Channel 3 to learn what you can do to help your car when temperatures rise, starting at 4 p.m.

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Garrett Hottle

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) The Palm Springs City Council on Wednesday will consider a plan to remove the natural skirts from roughly 2,150 California fan palms on city property a proposal city staff say is needed to protect public safety, and one a local land trust says would permanently change the look of Palm Springs and destroy wildlife habitat.

Under the proposal, skirts, fruit pods and trunk material would be removed from the city’s California fan palms in pedestrian areas over the next four years at a cost of about $300,000, according to the city staff report.

The report says falling skirts the collars of dried, dead fronds that hang beneath a palm’s crown can weigh more than 1,000 pounds and pose a danger to pedestrians and tree workers below. It also says the dead fronds harbor roof rats and cockroaches, which can carry disease.

In a public alert to supporters, Oswit Land Trust is urging the council to reject the citywide approach in favor of a tree-by-tree, risk-based management plan. The Palm Springs-based nonprofit says the skirts provide habitat for owls, bats, birds and other species, and that the staff report gives little consideration to those ecological benefits.

The group has also said the city conducted no public outreach or workshops on the issue, which first appeared on a council agenda in July 2024. When a similar policy came before the council that year, members postponed a vote and opted to seek additional public input.

The trees at the center of the debate are woven into the city’s history. In 1949, City Councilwoman Ruth Hardy persuaded the city to plant hundreds of fan palms along Palm Canyon Drive as part of a major downtown renovation trees that were dedicated in a ceremony that fall and still line the street today. Ruth Hardy Park in Palm Springs bears her name.

The city’s own report acknowledges Palm Springs is known for one of the world’s largest collections of heritage California fan palms in their natural state. A 2009 city resolution deliberately preserved the skirts on the city’s California fan palms, allowing only light shearing for clearance.

Outlook July 8 2026Download

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