Daily Briefs


Young black bear wanders around Pismo Beach

By KAREN VELIE A young black bear wandered around Pismo Beach on Monday afternoon leading officials to temporarily shut down a Highway 101 offramp. Shortly after 4 p.m., officials shut down the Highway 101 offramp at Hinds Avenue after the... (Continue reading)

SLO County seeks public’s help identifying Templeton arson suspects

By KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help identifying the suspects in an arson fire at the Templeton Feed & Grain on July 4. Detectives are working to identify four to six individuals... (Continue reading)

Grover Beach police cited 12 people for fireworks violations

By KAREN VELIE Grover Beach officers issued 12 citations for firework violations on July 4 through July 6, including one for $10,000. Last month, Grover Beach enacted an ordinance designed to curtail illegal firework activity. The Social Host Ordinance holds... (Continue reading)

Madre Fire in SLO County at 80,480 acres, one firefighter injured

By KAREN VELIE One firefighter was injured battling the Madre Fire. The blaze has scorched 80,480 acres and destroyed one outbuilding in rural San Luis Obispo County. Firefighters have achieved 30% containment. The firefighter injury was reported on Sunday. Further... (Continue reading)

SLO County gas prices continue dropping, find lowest costs

By KAREN VELIE Even though California’s new gas tax increased from 59.6 to 61.2 cents per gallon on July 1, the average gas price in San Luis Obispo dropped one cent to $4.99 a gallon last week, according to figures... (Continue reading)

Madre Fire at nearly 80,000 acres, no quick end in sight

By KAREN VELIE The wind driven Madre Fire burning in San Luis Obispo County has grown to 79,630 acres. The fire remains 10% contained. With increasing temperatures and no reduction in wind in the forecast, firefighters expect the fire to... (Continue reading)

Fire leads to water shortage in Templeton

By KAREN VELIE A massive fire at the Templeton Feed and Grain on July 4 has left the community low on water. The Templeton Fire Department is asking residents within the boundaries of the Templeton CSD to limit all indoor... (Continue reading)

Massive fire at iconic Templeton Feed & Grain

By KAREN VELIE A massive fire burned for hours at the iconic Templeton Feed and Grain on the evening of July 4. Shortly after 11 p.m., a caller reported a fire at the feed store on Main Street in downtown... (Continue reading)

Brush fire in Atascadero leads to Highway 101 lane closure

By KAREN VELIE A vegetation fire in Atascadero led to the temporary closure of both northbound lanes of highway 101 near Traffic Way. Shortly before 11:40 a.m., a caller reported a vegetation fire burning near the highway. Firefighters contained the... (Continue reading)

Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County at 52,592 acres, more evacuations

By KAREN VELIE At 52,592 acres, the Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County is now the largest fire in California in 2025. The blaze is currently 10% contained. The fast moving fire is burning in a rural area near... (Continue reading)