California Wildfire

California Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state's progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency. The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is positioning California to once again be the center of a resistance effort against the conservative agenda. He is asking his Democratic allies in the Legislature, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, to approve additional funding to the attorney general's office to prepare for a robust legal fight against anticipated federal challenges. Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel on Monday introduced legislation to set aside USD25 million for legal fees to respond to potential attacks by the Trump administration on state policies regarding civil rights, climate change, immigration and abortion access. While we always hope to collaborate with our federal partners, California will be ready to vigorously defend ou

The wildfire that killed at least 102 people on Maui last year erupted from an earlier brushfire caused by downed power lines that firefighters believed they had extinguished, officials confirmed on Wednesday as they presented their findings on the cause of the tragedy. The August 8, 2023, blaze -- the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century -- was long known to have emerged in the afternoon, in the same area as the blaze that began early that morning. Driven by strong, erratic winds, the fire raced through the historic town of Lahaina, destroying thousands of buildings, overcoming people trapped in their cars and forcing some residents to flee into the ocean. It has been unclear whether the blaze was a rekindling of the morning fire after firefighters spent hours dousing it or a separate one. The answer could prove significant to questions about liability for the destruction, though a tentative USD 4 billion settlement has been reached. In presenting their findings, officials

The total acres burned in California this year surpassed a million as spiking temperatures on Tuesday added to the challenges facing firefighters struggling to contain a stubborn blaze in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles that flared up over the weekend. Evacuation orders were expanded again on Monday for remote communities northeast of Los Angeles as the Line Fire that has been burning for nearly a month spread over nearly 176 square kilometres of the San Bernardino Mountains and containment dropped from 83 per cent to 76 per cent. "The dry vegetation, steep slopes and wind aligned ... to create conditions for the rapid fire spread," according to a statement late on Monday from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The risk of wildfires increased across California as an autumn heatwave scorched much of the state. Some inland areas could see temperatures up to 20 degrees above average for this time of year, according to the National Weather ...

A 26-year-old man has been accused of igniting a destructive California wildfire in early July by throwing a firework from a car window during hot, dry and windy weather. Spencer Grant Anderson, of Oroville, was charged Monday after weeks of continuous surveillance by investigators, the Butte County District Attorney's Office said. The Thompson fire scorched nearly 6 square miles (15.5 square kilometres), destroyed 13 homes and damaged others in the Oroville area of the northern Sacramento Valley. Anderson was jailed on a no-bail hold after appearing in court to face charges including arson of an inhabited structure, arson of forest land, and arson causing multiple structures to burn, the prosecutor's office said in a statement. Anderson will return to court Wednesday to set further dates to enter a plea and for pretrial hearings, the office said. It was a long investigation, there was a lot moving parts to it, Larry Pilgrim, Anderson's attorney, told The New York Times. He is jus

An unusually cold weather system from the Gulf of Alaska interrupted summer along the West Coast on Saturday, bringing snow to Washington state's Mount Rainier and a national park in Northern California, causing authorities to close part of a highway that runs through the park. Parts of Highway 89 through Lassen Volcanic National Park in California were closed Saturday after an estimated three inches of snow fell overnight, according to the National Weather Service. Photos posted by the National Weather Service and local authorities showed a white-covered peak from Rainier and a dusting of snow at Minaret Vista, a lookout point southeast of Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada. Madera County Deputy Sheriff Larry Rich said it was definitely unexpected to see snow at Minaret Vista in August. It's not every day you get to spend your birthday surrounded by a winter wonderland in the middle of summer, he said in a statement. It made for a day I won't soon forget, and a ..

Thousands of firefighters battling a wildfire in Northern California received some help from the weather Saturday hours after it exploded in size, scorching an area greater than the size of Los Angeles. The blaze was one of several tearing through the western United States and Canada, fueled by wind and heat. Cooler temperatures and an increase in humidity could help slow the Park Fire, the largest this year in California. Its intensity and dramatic spread led fire officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Camp Fire, which burned out of control in nearby Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes. Paradise again was near the danger zone. The entire town was under an evacuation warning, one of several communities in Butte County. Evacuation orders were also issued in Plumas, Tehama and Shasta counties. An evacuation warning calls for people to prepare to evacuate and await instructions, while an evacuation order means to leave immediately. Temperatur

Fires burning in California, Oregon, Arizona, Washington and other western states, as well as Canada, have filled the skies in regions of the western U.S. with smoke and haze, forcing some affected areas to declare air quality alerts or advisories. As of Wednesday morning, there were 79 large active wildfires across the country being managed that have burned 1,431,460 acres (579,292 hectares), according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Evacuation orders are in effect for 15 fires in the Northwest, where fires continue to show active to extreme behavior. Communities near several fires in California, the Northern Rockies and the Great Basin are also under evacuation orders. Where are the big fires? regon has 31 large active fires that have burned 791,653 acres (320,371 hectares). The Durkee Fire, the largest active blaze in the U.S., was burning near the Oregon-Idaho border and was 0% contained as of Wednesday morning and had burned nearly 400 square miles (1,036 square ...

Firefighters made progress Friday against a California wildfire that triggered extensive evacuation orders, but damage assessments raised the number of destroyed structures to 25, and forecasters said heat and fire risk were expanding on the West Coast. Containment of the Thompson Fire near the Butte County city of Oroville rose overnight from 29% to 46%, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire was measured at just under 6 square miles (15.5 square kilometers) after only slight growth overnight. Most evacuation orders covering about 17,000 people were lifted Thursday. Firefighters did a really good job yesterday enforcing containment lines, and wind hasn't been a factor, said Cal Fire Capt. Alejandro Cholico, a fire spokesperson. A new blaze dubbed the French Fire erupted Thursday evening and triggered evacuations in the small Gold Rush town of Mariposa in the Sierra Nevada foothills along a highway leading to Yosemite National Park. Bulldo

Crews made steady progress overnight against a Northern California wildfire that has thousands of people under evacuation orders, but wind gusts and continued hot temperatures Thursday could pose problems on a searing hot July Fourth, officials said. The Thompson Fire near the city of Oroville in Butte County stayed roughly the same size and containment was still 7 per cent, which was the same as Wednesday night, said Kevin Colburn, information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. There are 26,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings, but numbers could drop as crews make fresh assessments. We're going to evaluate and see if we can open up some areas, Colburn said. The Thompson Fire broke out before noon on Tuesday, about 70 miles (110 kilometres) north of Sacramento. It sent up a huge plume of smoke that could be seen from space as it grew to more than 5.5 square miles (14 square kilometres). An Associated Press photographer saw

A wildfire that forced the evacuation of at least 1,200 people in southern California has burned over 16 square miles, officials said Sunday. The blaze, named the Post Fire, started Saturday and was burning near the Interstate 5 freeway in Gorman, about 62 miles (100 kilometres) northwest of Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. California State Park Services evacuated 1,200 people from the Hungry Valley recreation area in Gorman and both Hungry Valley and the Pyramid Lake reservoir were closed as a result of the fire threat, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. The flames broke out at around 1:45 pm, authorities said. The cause isn't known. No homes were threatened by the fire but two commercial buildings have been damaged, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said Sunday. The fire was moving southeast toward Pyramid Lake and crews were constructing perimeter fire lines while aircraft worked against limited visibility to st

Authorities evacuated at least 1,200 people on Saturday as a wildfire in Los Angeles County spread over thousands of acres near a major highway and threatened nearby structures, officials said. The blaze being called the Post Fire burned more than 3,600 acres (5.6 square miles or 14.5 square kilometers) near the Interstate 5 freeway in Gorman, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. California State Park Services evacuated 1,200 people from the Hungry Valley recreation area in Gorman and both Hungry Valley and the Pyramid Lake reservoir were closed as a result of the fire threat, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said in an 8 p.m. update. The flames broke out at around 1:45 pm, authorities said. The fire was moving southeast toward Pyramid Lake and crews were constructing perimeter fire lines while aircraft worked against limited visibility to stop the fire's progress, the fire department

California firefighters expected to gain ground on Sunday on a wind-driven wildfire that scorched thousands of acres 97 kilometres east of San Francisco, burned down a home and forced residents to flee the area near the central California city of Tracy. The fire erupted on Saturday afternoon in the grassy hills managed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of the country's key centres for nuclear weapons science and technology. The cause was under investigation. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the research centre was not under immediate threat from the blaze, dubbed the Corral Fire, which had devoured some 52 square kilometres by Sunday afternoon and was 30 per cent contained. Thousands of people in the area, including parts of the city of Tracy with a population of 1,00,000, were ordered to leave for evacuation centres. Tracy is about 112 kilometres south of California's capital in Sacramento. CalFire Battalion Chief Josh Silveira said o

Firefighters on Wednesday made inroads in containing a Southern California wildfire, but officials said many homes and other buildings remain threatened by the blaze that at one point saw thousands of people under orders to evacuate. The Highland Fire in rural Riverside County southeast of Los Angeles was only mildly active as Santa Ana winds that pushed it through brushy hills eased and fire crews had it 20% contained by Wednesday night, said Rob Roseen, a fire spokesperson. "It was favourable conditions for firefighters" but humidity remained low and rugged terrain made the work challenging for the approximately 1,200 firefighters, Roseen said. The size of the blaze remained unchanged at just under 4 square miles (10 square kilometers). One firefighter was injured but was in stable condition, Roseen said. He didn't have details. Gusty, dry Santa Ana winds were blowing Monday when the fire erupted near rural Aguanga in Riverside County about 53 miles (85 kilometers) north of San

Firefighters were battling three separate brush fires in blistering heat and low humidity in sparsely populated, hilly areas southeast of Los Angeles. Nearly 1,000 homes were under evacuation orders, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or property loss, according to officials from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. The fires were all within 40 miles (65 kilometers) of each other in Riverside County, where temperatures in some areas spiked into the triple digits. "Heat is definitely a concern out there," said April Newman of the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, adding that the blazes were burning through dense, dry brush in rugged terrain. Two of the fires had mostly stopped spreading. The third, though, grew to about 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) by Saturday afternoon, Cal Fire said in a social media post. Hundreds of firefighters were dispatched, along with firefighting helicopters and airplanes. Californi

This wildfire risk mapping and logistic planning project improved wildfire prediction by combining static and meteorological datasets and reduced both response time and risk to firefighters, WEF said

The Mosquito Fire, first reported on the evening of September 6, has so far destroyed 46 structures, damaged five structures and was still threatening 5,848 structures

The Fairview fire started Monday afternoon near the city of Hemet in Riverside County amid a brutal heat wave that has scorched Southern California for days

A fast-moving brush fire near Yosemite National Park exploded in size into one of California's largest wildfires of the year, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people and shutting off power

The US Forest Service announced it's taking emergency action to save giant sequoias by speeding up projects that could start within weeks to clear underbrush to protect the world's largest trees

The Biden administration plans to significantly expand efforts to stave off catastrophic wildfires that have torched areas of the US West