Archived News

Grass fire 'knocked down' near Webb Ranch

September 6, 2013 • Firefighters from San Mateo County and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District have "knocked down" a grass fire at 2720 Alpine Road...(read more).

Firefighters knock down fire near Portola Valley

September 3, 2013 • A small carport with unoccupied living quarters above it at 230 Old Spanish Trail in Los Trancos Woods is now uninhabitable...(read more).

County has 66 firefighters at Yosemite fire

August 26, 2013 • The firefighting crews battling the huge forest fire burning into Yosemite National Park include 66 firefighters from San Mateo County...(read more).

Fire Foundation Invites Community for Chili

August 9, 2013 • The Woodside-Portola Valley Fire Protection Foundation will hold its 2nd Alarm Chili Cook-off and BBQ ...(read more).

Woodside Fire to Add iPads to Engines

August 7, 2013 • The Woodside-Portola Valley Fire Protection Foundation announced it will fund the purchase of up to 12 Apple iPads ...(read more).

Firefighters extinguish grass fire along I-280

June 30, 2013 • Firefighters extinguished a grass fire Sunday (6/30) along Interstate 280...(read more).

Next two days hot, and wildfire danger high

June 6, 2013 • The weather forecast projects a 40 percent chance of rain on Sunday, June 9, but temperatures on Friday and Saturday are expected to exceed 90 degrees...(read more).

Huddart Park fire under control, chief says

May 12, 2013 • Firefighters on the ground declared a small brush fire in a remote part of Huddart Park in Woodside under control on Friday afternoon...(read more).

Saturday: Benefit for Riley's Place in Woodside

May 10, 2013 • May and June are turning out to be big months for Riley's Place, a nonprofit that provides children in need with opportunities to interact with animals at its Woodside location...(read more).

Wood-chipper crews aim to reduce wildfire threat

May 6, 2013 • On selected Wednesdays from May through November, wood chipping crews will be visiting neighborhoods in Portola Valley, Woodside and nearby unincorporated communities...(read more).

Firefighters douse mock flames in wildfire drill in Woodside

May 3, 2013 •The only heat firefighters fought with on Friday in Woodside was from the sun, and not any brushfire....(read more).

Wildfire drill comes to Woodside

May 1, 2013 •There will be hurrying fire trucks on Woodside's roads on Friday, May 3, as well as a patrolling helicopter or two in the air as members of the Woodside Fire Protection District....(read more).

Portola Valley: Crews knock down 2-alarm fire

April 29, 2013 •Firefighters were able to knock down a two-alarm blaze in Portola Valley on Saturday night....(read more).

Portola Valley attic fire may have been electrical

February 26, 2013 • A small fire in the attic of a one-story home at 220 Mapache Drive in Portola Valley...(read more).

2012 Annual Campaign: Donate Today

November 2012 • Dear Fire District Community...(read more).

Los Trancos Woods: Fire destroys garage, two vehicles and part of house

August 27, 2012 • A two-alarm structure fire significantly damaged a home at 5 Joaquin Road in Los Trancos Woods ....(read more).

Grass Fire Impacted Caltrain Service

August 22, 2012 • A grass fire near a hardware store on Middlefield Road charred some trees ....(read more).

Arson suspected in Palo Alto preserve fire

August 10, 2012 • A fire that scorched four acres of Palo Alto's Enid W. Pearson-Arastradero Preserve on Wednesday was likely the work of an arsonist ....(read more).

Firefighters contain woodland fire in Woodside

August 7, 2012 • Firefighters from the Woodside Fire Protection District needed about 20 minutes Monday to contain a woodland fire that burned some 600 square feet of vegetation ....(read more).

Broken gas line: Ladera residents shelter in place

July 31, 2012 • Firefighters from the Woodside Fire Protection District kept things safe in the area of Siesta Court in Ladera this afternoon...(read more).

Grass fire narrowly misses East Palo Alto homes

July 18, 2012 • A 10-acre grass fire in the baylands missed igniting homes in an East Palo Alto by a matter of feet...(read more).

Wildfire danger is high this year

June 13, 2012 • The indicators are subtle: lower than average rainfall, lower than average moisture content in grasses and brush, lower than average snow accumulation in the Sierras ....(read more).

Potential for fire this summer and fall is very high, officials warn

June 8, 2012 • Noting there have been twice as many blazes in the first five months of this year as during the same period in 2011 ....(read more).

Water from helicopter key in preventing conflagration

June 4, 2012 • Three 500-gallon buckets of water from a helicopter helped douse a three-alarm house fire ....(read more).

Making do after a major community emergency

June 1, 2012 • Gone are the gruesome days of yesteryear....(read more).

Menlo Park Fire district takes up SLAC

April 30, 2012 • When Stanford University's National Accelerator Laboratory calls, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District will now come running...The new agreement includes a provision for the Woodside Fire Protection District to provide supplemental emergency services as needed....(read more).

Fighting imaginary wildfires: part of the drill

April 19, 2012 • With the Woodside Fire Protection District hosting the week-long event from April 9 through 13, fire trucks cruised Portola Road...(read more).

Firefighters plan wildfire drills in PV

March 28, 2012 • Firefighters from all over San Mateo County will converge...(read more).

Narrow roads are Woodside's Gordian knot

March 2, 2012 • The dimensions of a road can mean different things to different people...(read more).

Fire district helps residents prepare for disaster

Feb. 5, 2012 • For six evenings and a day, starting Tuesday, Feb. 7, firefighters from the Woodside Fire Protection District will lead a series of free disaster-preparedness classes...(read more).

Longtime Woodside Firefighter Dies at 65

Jan. 11, 2012 • A celebration of Warren Richards' 32-year firefighting career in the Woodside Fire Protection District...(read more).

Three garbage workers hospitalized

Jan. 3, 2012 • A load of garbage burst inside a Recology truck in Redwood City this morning, sending at least three people to the hospital...(read more).

Annual Campaign Helps Fire Department

Dec. 8, 2011 • The Woodside-Portola Valley Fire Protection Foundation launched its second annual campaign to supplement the budget of the Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD)...(read more).

Santa visits Woodside district fire stations

Dec. 7, 2011 • Santa is coming to all three Woodside Fire Protection District stations — in Woodside, Portola Valley and Emerald Hills — on Wednesday, Dec. 14, just like he has for more than 20 years...(read more).

House fire damages bedroom

Dec. 6, 2011 • A woman suffered a minor burn on her hand and a deputy from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office was examined for smoke inhalation in connection with a two-alarm house fire...(read more).

Woman, sheriff's deputy injured in Woodside house fire

Dec. 2, 2011 • A two-alarm fire partially burned a Woodside home Thursday afternoon and sent a woman and a sheriff's deputy to the hospital...(read more).

Chili Cook-off raises funds for fire foundation

Nov. 3, 2011 • About 450 people attended the 1st Alarm Chil Cook-off and BBQ, a fundraiser for the Woodside-Portola Valley Fire Protection Foundation...(read more).

Fire destroys house in Portola Valley

Sept. 26, 2011 • A two-alarm fire completely destroyed a home at 35 Valencia Court in Portola Valley on Friday evening, Sept. 23, Chief Dan Ghiorso of the Woodside Fire Protection District said ...(read more).

Hazmat Investigation Shuts Down I-280 On-Ramp Near Portola Valley

Sept. 5, 2011 • Authorities have shut down an Interstate 280 on-ramp near Portola Valley Monday morning as a hazardous materials team examines two mysterious containers... (read more).

Chili cook-off, barbecue benefits fire district

Aug. 16, 2011 • A chili cook-off and barbecue is coming to the Runnymede Farm in Woodside on Sunday, Sept. 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. when firefighter/cooks from the local fire protection district will square off against their cooking counterparts from local restaurants, including Alice's Restaurant and The Village Pub... (read more).

Fire Foundation on its way

Jun. 22, 2011 • The Woodside-Portola Valley Fire Protection Foundation announced today that it has raised more than $85,000 toward its immediate goal of $250,000...(read more).

Dan Ghiorso named chief of Woodside fire district

Apr. 13, 2011 • Battalion Chief Dan Ghiorso will take over as fire chief of the Woodside Fire Protection District on May 1... (read more).

Woodside chief closes out 33 years of firefighting

Mar. 18, 2011 • Residential life in Woodside and Portola Valley and nearby communities is scenic if not always idyllic. It's also dangerous... (read more).

Brown liquid ID'ed as peanut oil by Woodside Fire

Mar. 4, 2011 • Oil of the peanut: Three five-gallon translucent plastic bottles of used peanut oil found on Friday, Feb. 18, near the corner of Bolivar Lane and Westridge Drive in Portola Valley caused a stir after a resident called 911... (read more).

Creek not damaged by spill, official says

Feb. 9, 2011 • A milky white substance discovered in Los Trancos Creek on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 1, did not significantly infiltrate the creek... (read more).

Thermal imaging cameras assist in extinguishing house fire

Dec. 17, 2010 • Key to the efficient response to the fire in a guest house on Mission Trail in Woodside on December 9, 2010, was the use of special cameras called thermal imaging cameras...(read more).

Fire consumes cottage in Woodside

Dec. 15, 2010 • There isn't much that's undamaged in the one-story, two-bedroom cottage at 45 Mission Trail Road in northern Woodside after a suspected arc from the electric wall heater ignited the living room drapes... (read more).

Holiday giving announcement

Dec. 6, 2010 • The Woodside Fire Protection District for many years now has been one of the biggest sources of toys for very low income families on the peninsula... (read more).

Woodside Fire Protection District solicits private donations

Dec. 1, 2010 • Taking a cue from nonprofit education foundations that support public schools, Woodside Fire Protection District officials are hoping to ease some of the district's financial strain with the support of private donations... (read more).

Fundraising Foundation announcement

Nov. 15, 2010 • The Woodside Fire Protection District has established the Woodside-Portola Valley Fire Protection Foundation (www.FireDistrictFoundation.org) to augment the budget of the Fire District for up-to-date equipment, facilities, fire prevention and training... (read more).