mercurynews--2020-10-02--Glass Fire: Napa Valley crews brace for possible weather-fueled surge

Dry , windy weather threatened to propel the Glass Fire on a destructive path through the heart of California ’ s famed wine country Thursday , as new evacuation orders were issued and worried firefighters on the front lines did all they could to keep the huge blaze at bay .
Residents in the rest of the Bay Area were hit with a familiar lineup of bad news — a heat wave , unhealthy , smoky air and the possibility of rolling blackouts .
With a heat advisory in place until 8 p.m. Friday and poor air quality expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditioning once again faced a miserable choice — open the windows and breathe smoke , or close them and feel the heat .
Even those with AC were asked to use it as little as possible as California ’ s grid operator urged residents to conserve power or risk another round of rolling blackouts .
“ It will be hard to escape some of this heat , especially for those interior locations , ” said Brayden Murdock , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of the Bay Area .
In the North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wind gusts and very low humidity , created extreme fire conditions that are expected to last into Saturday morning .
“ The spread of the fire is almost imminent as we speak , ” Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton said during a virtual press briefing Thursday .
The Glass Fire , already the fifth largest of the 23 major fires burning in the state , has engulfed more than 56,000 acres in the North Bay , damaged or destroyed nearly 400 buildings , and was just 5 % contained .
As the flames @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working to keep them from sweeping down Highway 29 , home to some of Napa Valley ’ s most famous wineries .
The small Napa County community of Angwin on the east side of the fire also was at risk , as were Kenwood and Glen Ellen in Sonoma County .
“ We ’ re doing everything we can and allocating our resources as best as we can to try to mitigate the threat , ” Brunton said , “ but it is something we ’ re extremely concerned about.
” Napa Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smoke Thursday morning as dozens of fire engines headed up Oakville Grade Road , lights flashing and horns blaring .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom visited the area Thursday , where he assured Californians he intends to expand funding for the state ’ s thinly-stretched firefighting force .
He spoke from the badly burned Foothills Adventist Elementary School , a private school in St. Helena that had recently reopened for in-person classes .
“ I ’ ve got four young kids in elementary school , and I can ’ t imagine for the parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minds , with all the anxiety going into the school year , to see their precious school burned down , ” Newsom said .
“ We have your backs.
” New evacuation orders and warnings were issued around Calistoga , as well as in the Rutherford and Oakville areas of Napa County — where a spot fire broke out Thursday morning .
Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said there was a “ very real possibility ” new evacuation orders could also be issued for Sonoma County in the next 24 hours .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lake County .
At the same time , there was good news for Santa Rosa .
The city ravaged by the Tubbs Fire in 2017 appeared to be in the clear , thanks to strong fire lines , Brunton said .
But with dozens of major fires burning throughout California , there is little relief in sight .
Air crews already have dumped 80,000 gallons of fire retardant and 3,000 gallons of water on the Glass Fire , Cal Fire Director Tom Porter said during a media briefing .
In a record-shattering fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire control lines that could stretch from San Diego to New York City .
Addressing a problem exacerbated by climate change will take decades and require an all-encompassing approach — from more air tankers and firefighters to better land management , Porter said .
“ Every acre in California can and will burn someday , ” he said .
“ We need to embrace that and become resilient to it , by embracing the entire system approach.
” • Death toll in Zogg Fire climbs to four • How did the Glass Fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nearly 4 million acres have burned statewide as red flag warning looms for Wine Country Meanwhile , the Bay Area continues to bake in an unseasonable October heat wave .
The mercury rose into the 90s in San Jose , Concord and San Francisco on Thursday .
A region-wide “ spare the air ” alert — signaling poor air quality and banning wood burning — has been extended through Tuesday .
And red flag alerts for the East Bay hills , Diablo Range and Santa Cruz mountains remain in effect through early Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150 on the air quality index Thursday , meaning the air was unhealthy for anyone to breathe .
Parts of Contra Costa County also had unhealthy air , while air in Oakland and the peninsula was unhealthy for sensitive groups .
A coming wind shift may help blow the smoke out of the area this weekend , but that will happen gradually , Murdock said .
The smoky conditions contributed to threats of a power shortage , with The California Independent System Operator — which manages the state ’ s grid — warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the biggest problem was the unseasonable heat .
With demand for energy expected to skyrocket as people blast their air conditioners , the grid operator warned it didn ’ t have as much power lined up as it typically does during summer months , when heat is expected .
California has employed these “ flex alerts ” several times during heat waves over the past two months but , thanks to conservation efforts , hasn ’ t had to resort to rotating blackouts since August .

Dry, windy weather threatened to propel the Glass Fire on a destructive path through the heart of California’s famed Wine Country on Thursday, as new evacuation orders were issued and worried firefighters on the front lines did all they could to keep the huge blaze at bay.
Residents in the rest of the Bay Area were hit with a familiar lineup of bad news — a heat wave, unhealthy, smoky air and the possibility of rolling blackouts. With a heat advisory in place until 8 p.m. Friday and poor air quality expected to linger, people stuck sheltering-in-place without air conditioning once again faced a miserable choice — open the windows and breathe smoke, or close them and feel the heat. Even those with AC were asked to use it as little as possible as California’s grid operator urged residents to conserve power or risk another round of rolling blackouts.
CALISTOGA, CA - OCTOBER 1: Firefighters battle the Glass Fire as it flares up along Highway 29 South of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters worked to keep the fire from jumping the highway. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA, CA - OCTOBER 1: Firefighters battle the Glass Fire as it flares up along Highway 29 South of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters worked to keep the fire from jumping the highway. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
ST. HELENA , CA - OCTOBER 1: Members of a San Jose Fire Strike Team protect a home as the Glass Fire creeps along a hillside in St. Helena, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
ST. HELENA , CA - OCTOBER 1: Members of a San Jose Fire Strike Team protect a home as the Glass Fire creeps along a hillside in St. Helena, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA, CA - OCTOBER 1: A fire engine drives past the Glass Fire as it flares up along Highway 29 South of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters worked to keep the fire from jumping the highway. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA, CA - OCTOBER 1: Firefighters battle the Glass Fire as it flares up along Highway 29 South of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters worked to keep the fire from jumping the highway. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA, CA - OCTOBER 1: Firefighters battle the Glass Fire as it flares up along Highway 29 South of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters worked to keep the fire from jumping the highway. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA, CA - OCTOBER 1: Firefighters battle the Glass Fire as it flares up near a home along Highway 29 South of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters worked to keep the fire from jumping the highway. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA, CA - OCTOBER 1: Firefighters battle the Glass Fire as it flares up along Highway 29 South of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters worked to keep the fire from jumping the highway. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA, CA - OCTOBER 1: Firefighters battle the Glass Fire as it flares up along Highway 29 South of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters worked to keep the fire from jumping the highway. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
SAINT HELENA, CA - OCTOBER 01: Hemet Fire Captain Rosenberg extinguish hot spots as the Glass Fire burns along Spring Mountain Road in St. Helena, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. The area burned once early Monday morning and there will still hot spots as the wind picked up. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
SAINT HELENA, CA - OCTOBER 01: Hemet firefighters extinguish hot spots as the Glass Fire burns along Spring Mountain Road in St. Helena, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. The area burned once early Monday morning and there will still hot spots as the wind picked up. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
SAINT HELENA, CA - OCTOBER 01: Hemet firefighter Daniel Rosenberg, right, and Capt. Patrick Brown extinguish hot spots as the Glass Fire burns along Spring Mountain Road in St. Helena, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. The area burned once early Monday morning and there will still hot spots as the wind picked up. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA , CA - OCTOBER 1: Firefighters spray water on a slow-moving section of the Glass Fire along Highway 29 north of Calistoga near Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters were working to keep the fire from jumping 29. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA , CA - OCTOBER 1: A firefighter monitors a slow-moving section of the Glass Fire along Highway 29 north of Calistoga near Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CALISTOGA , CA - OCTOBER 1: Firefighters spray water on a slow-moving section of the Glass Fire along Highway 29 north of Calistoga near Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Firefighters were working to keep the fire from jumping 29. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
CLICK HERE if you’re having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device.
“It will be hard to escape some of this heat, especially for those interior locations,” said Brayden Murdock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of the Bay Area.
In the North Bay, the heat, coupled with wind gusts and very low humidity, created extreme fire conditions that are expected to last into Saturday morning.
“The spread of the fire is almost imminent as we speak,” Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton said during a virtual press briefing Thursday.
The Glass Fire, already the fifth largest of the 23 major fires burning in the state, has engulfed 58,880 acres in the North Bay, damaged or destroyed nearly 400 buildings, and was just 5% contained. As the flames edged closer to Calistoga, firefighters were working to keep them from sweeping down Highway 29, home to some of Napa Valley’s most famous wineries. The small Napa County community of Angwin on the east side of the fire also was at risk, as were Kenwood and Glen Ellen in Sonoma County.
“We’re doing everything we can and allocating our resources as best as we can to try to mitigate the threat,” Brunton said, “but it is something we’re extremely concerned about.”
Just before nightfall Thursday, flames were threatening St. Helena and Calistoga from the west and east. A strike force from the San Jose Fire Department was preparing to defend the AXR winery a few hundred yards west of Highway 29 between the two towns. Flames were approaching the winery down a steep, forested hillside.
“The fire up on the hill’s going to come right down to us,” said Battalion Chief Brett Maas, who added that the wildfire strike team composed entirely of the San Jose department’s firefighters was a first in the department’s history outside the city.
Predicted high winds for the afternoon weren’t as severe as expected, and the team’s 22 firefighters, with five engines, were able to save three homes and two outbuildings above the winery, Maas said.
On the eastern edge of Calistoga, fire crews were scrambling to extinguish fire that swept down a grassy, oak-dotted hillside, consuming several structures and a dump truck beside Highway 29.
By 9 p.m., the flames threatening the AXR winery were still slowly approaching, but firefighters were confident the work they had done, including wetting down surrounding areas and moving flammable materials such as outdoor furniture and awnings away from buildings, would help ensure the winery was saved.
“We have a good perimeter around it,” Maas said. “We have an engine in there.”
That branch of the fire coming downhill toward Highway 29 had also begun moving northward, burning into an elderly woman’s overgrown estate, where a home and several outbuildings sat amid plentiful fuels.
No marine layer was expected to bring moisture overnight, and with the dry conditions, the half-mile-long front of fire above the home, winery and other buildings “is going to go where it wants to go,” Maas said.
“The good thing is there’s no wind on it,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Napa Valley was covered in a thick blanket of smoke as dozens of fire engines headed up Oakville Grade Road, lights flashing and horns blaring.
Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the area, where he assured Californians he intends to expand funding for the state’s thinly-stretched firefighting force. He spoke from the badly burned Foothills Adventist Elementary School, a private school in St. Helena that had recently reopened for in-person classes.
“I’ve got four young kids in elementary school, and I can’t imagine for the parents what’s going on in their minds, with all the anxiety going into the school year, to see their precious school burned down,” Newsom said. “We have your backs.”
New evacuation orders and warnings were issued around Calistoga, as well as in the Rutherford and Oakville areas of Napa County — where a spot fire broke out Thursday morning. Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said there was a “very real possibility” new evacuation orders could also be issued for Sonoma County in the next 24 hours. And officials worried the fire could spread to Lake County.
At the same time, there was good news for Santa Rosa. The city ravaged by the Tubbs Fire in 2017 appeared to be in the clear, thanks to strong fire lines, Brunton said.
But with dozens of major fires burning throughout California, there is little relief in sight. Air crews already have dumped 80,000 gallons of fire retardant and 3,000 gallons of water on the Glass Fire, Cal Fire Director Tom Porter said during a media briefing. In a record-shattering fire season, crews in California have cut fire control lines that could stretch from San Diego to New York City.
Addressing a problem exacerbated by climate change will take decades and require an all-encompassing approach — from more air tankers and firefighters to better land management, Porter said.
“Every acre in California can and will burn someday,” he said. “We need to embrace that and become resilient to it, by embracing the entire system approach.”
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Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds Crashes and Disasters | Cadaver dogs are in Maui to help find the dead. Here’s how it works and why it’s difficult Meanwhile, the Bay Area continues to bake in an unseasonable October heat wave. The mercury rose into the 90s in San Jose, Concord and San Francisco on Thursday. A region-wide “spare the air” alert — signaling poor air quality and banning wood burning — has been extended through Tuesday. And red flag alerts for the East Bay hills, Diablo Range and Santa Cruz Mountains remain in effect through early Saturday.
San Jose and San Francisco surpassed 150 on the air quality index Thursday, meaning the air was unhealthy for anyone to breathe. Parts of Contra Costa County also had unhealthy air, while air in Oakland and on the Peninsula was unhealthy for sensitive groups. A coming wind shift may help blow the smoke out of the area this weekend, but that will happen gradually, Murdock said.
The smoky conditions contributed to threats of a power shortage, with the California Independent System Operator — which manages the state’s grid — warning that smoke could limit solar energy production. But the biggest problem was the unseasonable heat. With demand for energy expected to skyrocket as people blast their air conditioners, the grid operator warned it didn’t have as much power lined up as it typically does during summer months, when heat is expected.
Remember – #FlexAlert today between 3PM-10PM. Set the AC to 78 (or higher if possible) and avoid using major appliances (washer/dryer/dishwasher/oven). https://t.co/sRDRqiuIIk pic.twitter.com/AbpQegw1Kp — PG&E (@PGE4Me) October 1, 2020
California has employed these “flex alerts” several times during heat waves over the past two months but, thanks to conservation efforts, hasn’t had to resort to rotating blackouts since August. Power outages were averted once again on Thursday, but the ISO did not immediately say if it would call for another alert on Friday.
Staff writers Ethan Baron, Evan Webeck and Jason Green contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-10-02--Poll: Biden’s national lead unchanged at 9 points

NEW YORK – Democrat Joe Biden maintains a 9-point lead over President Donald Trump after their combative first debate , according to Reuters/Ipsos polling that shows most Americans have settled on their choice for president little more than a month before the Nov. 3 election .
The most recent survey , conducted Tuesday through Thursday , found that 50 % of likely voters were backing Biden , while 41 % said they were voting for Trump .
Four percent said they were voting for a third-party candidate and 5 % were not sure .
Biden has held the same 9-point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national polls dating back to early September .
The polling indicates that Biden remains an early favorite to win the national popular vote .
To win the election , however , a candidate must prevail in enough states to win the Electoral College , and state polls show that Trump is nearly as popular as Biden in many battleground states .
Biden has led Trump in most national surveys all year , and his edge among likely voters has not changed despite a number of developments with the potential to shake up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lead remained the same after the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month gave Trump an opportunity to nominate her successor and solidify the court ’ s conservative majority .
Biden ’ s margin also did not change after the New York Times reported on the weekend that Trump frequently paid no federal income taxes in the 15 years leading up to his presidency .
The unruly presidential debate on Tuesday in which Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden and the moderator and questioned his rival ’ s intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist and a liar , also did not move the needle .
Eighty-seven percent of likely voters said they were now “ completely certain ” about their choice for president , according to the poll .
Only about 13 % , including 10 % of likely Democratic voters and 15 % of likely Republican voters , appeared to be wavering in their choice .
Among those who are expected to cast ballots in the upcoming election , 51 % said they planned to vote before the election , either by mail or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 % said they had already voted .
The Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll was conducted online , in English , throughout the United States .
It gathered responses from 1,314 U.S. adults , including 830 likely voters .
It has a credibility interval , a measure of precision , of about 4 percentage points .

By Chris Kahn | Reuters
NEW YORK – Democrat Joe Biden maintains a 9-point lead over President Donald Trump after their combative first debate, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling that shows most Americans have settled on their choice for president little more than a month before the Nov. 3 election.
The most recent survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday, found that 50% of likely voters were backing Biden, while 41% said they were voting for Trump. Four percent said they were voting for a third-party candidate and 5% were not sure.
Biden has held the same 9-point advantage in six of the past seven national polls dating back to early September.
The polling indicates that Biden remains an early favorite to win the national popular vote. To win the election, however, a candidate must prevail in enough states to win the Electoral College, and state polls show that Trump is nearly as popular as Biden in many battleground states.
Biden has led Trump in most national surveys all year, and his edge among likely voters has not changed despite a number of developments with the potential to shake up the presidential race.
The former vice president’s lead remained the same after the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month gave Trump an opportunity to nominate her successor and solidify the court’s conservative majority. Biden’s margin also did not change after the New York Times reported on the weekend that Trump frequently paid no federal income taxes in the 15 years leading up to his presidency.
The unruly presidential debate on Tuesday in which Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden and the moderator and questioned his rival’s intelligence, while Biden called the president a racist and a liar, also did not move the needle.
Eighty-seven percent of likely voters said they were now “completely certain” about their choice for president, according to the poll. Only about 13%, including 10% of likely Democratic voters and 15% of likely Republican voters, appeared to be wavering in their choice.
Among those who are expected to cast ballots in the upcoming election, 51% said they planned to vote before the election, either by mail or in person at early voting locations, and 6% said they had already voted.
The Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll was conducted online, in English, throughout the United States. It gathered responses from 1,314 U.S. adults, including 830 likely voters. It has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 4 percentage points.


mercurynews--2020-10-01--49ers’ George Kittle excited for Sunday night return with Nick Mullens likely at QB

SANTA CLARA — Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw made a telling response when asked how excited he was for his 49ers prime-time debut Sunday night .
“ That ’ s the thing .
I ’ m not excited when I play .
I ’ m very angry when I play , ” Kinlaw said .
“ It ’ s not excitement for me.
” Tight end George Kittle had a different response Thursday , and for good reason .
Kittle declared himself , and specifically his left knee , ready to return from a two-game absence when the 49ers ( 2-1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) on “ Sunday Night Football.
” “ I just get excited at the opportunity .
I mean , 5:25 on a Sunday night in Levi ’ s is pretty exciting .
I know our fans won ’ t be there , but we ’ re going to feel them .
“ It ’ s just going to be really exciting to get out there and play again .
I ’ ve been missing it.
” Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to miss his second straight game , unable to practice since spraining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win over the New York Jets .
That means Nick Mullens is poised to start a second straight game .
“ I love watching Nick play .
We have a connection , ” Kittle said .
“ I mean , I love all three of our quarterbacks .
I think they ’ re all great QBs .
“ Getting a chance to play with Nick again , I ’ m excited about it .
He ’ s a great QB.
” Kittle ’ s greatness historically shines under the prime-time lights , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so he can “ let it loose ” on Sunday night .
Four of his five touchdown catches last season came in prime time .
He had at least five catches and 70 yards in each of the five prime-time games he played last season .
The only prime-time game he missed coincided with the 49ers ’ first loss , against Seattle in overtime .
Kittle ’ s been a full participant in practice this week .
His knee sprain kept him limited last week in practice .
This being Kittle , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either win in New York had they been played later in the season with greater stakes , but he sided with coach Kyle Shanahan ’ s precautionary measure .
Kittle played throughout the season opener despite getting hurt just before halftime .
Likely joining Kittle in a Sunday night return is wide receiver Deebo Samuel , whose surgically repaired foot is responding well in practice and should trigger his activation off injured reserve before Saturday ’ s deadline to face the Eagles .
“ I love Deebo , the way he plays .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ball in our hands , ” Kittle said .
“ It ’ s just fun to be on the field with someone like that .
And it will elevate the play of our wide receiver room , and they ’ re playing at a high level already.
” So is Mullens , who threw for 343 yards and a touchdown in a punt-free , turnover-free effort for his first victorious start since 2018 .
“ You guys know I love Nick .
He ’ s the same every day , ” Kittle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s at practice , it feels like a game with him .
He ’ s always locked in.
” Kittle produced 108 yards in Mullens ’ starting debut two years ago , in a 34-3 , Thursday night rout of the Raiders .
“ He is a leader out there .
He leads in a different way , ” Kittle added .
“ He just leads with his play , which is what I respect .
He never messes up .
He ’ s just there , consistent and works hard .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to , guys who go out and do their job and do it at a high level.
” Last Sunday , Kittle coddled up next to Garoppolo and specifically the quarterback ’ s earpiece to ease drop on the 49ers ’ play calls .
“ Jimmy got an earpiece so could hear all plays , ” Kittle said .
“ I didn ’ t get one because I ’ m not a quarterback .
I don ’ t know who I ’ ve got to talk to about that .
I was watching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scored .
The next series wasn ’ t very good , because I wasn ’ t standing next to him .
I ’ m a superstitious guy so I watched the rest of the game next to Jimmy , making sure I was on his left side.
” • Thursday at 49ers HQ : Kittle practices again but still no Jimmy G • Coronavirus : 49ers coach says Titans ’ outbreak is reminder about season ’ s fragility

SANTA CLARA — Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw made a telling response when asked how excited he was for his 49ers prime-time debut Sunday night.
“That’s the thing. I’m not excited when I play. I’m very angry when I play,” Kinlaw said. “It’s not excitement for me.”
Tight end George Kittle had a different response Thursday, and for good reason.
Kittle declared himself, and specifically his left knee, ready to return from a two-game absence when the 49ers (2-1) host the Philadelphia Eagles (0-2-1) on “Sunday Night Football.”
“I just get excited at the opportunity. I mean, 5:25 on a Sunday night in Levi’s is pretty exciting. I know our fans won’t be there, but we’re going to feel them.
“It’s just going to be really exciting to get out there and play again. I’ve been missing it.”
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to miss his second straight game, unable to practice since spraining his right ankle in a Sept. 20 win over the New York Jets. That means Nick Mullens is poised to start a second straight game.
“I love watching Nick play. We have a connection,” Kittle said. “I mean, I love all three of our quarterbacks. I think they’re all great QBs.
“Getting a chance to play with Nick again, I’m excited about it. He’s a great QB.”
Kittle’s greatness historically shines under the prime-time lights, and he said he’s recovered enough so he can “let it loose” on Sunday night.
Four of his five touchdown catches last season came in prime time. He had at least five catches and 70 yards in each of the five prime-time games he played last season. The only prime-time game he missed coincided with the 49ers’ first loss, against Seattle in overtime.
Kittle’s been a full participant in practice this week. His knee sprain kept him limited last week in practice. This being Kittle, he said he wouldn’t have missed either win in New York had they been played later in the season with greater stakes, but he sided with coach Kyle Shanahan’s precautionary measure.
Kittle played throughout the season opener despite getting hurt just before halftime.
Likely joining Kittle in a Sunday night return is wide receiver Deebo Samuel, whose surgically repaired foot is responding well in practice and should trigger his activation off injured reserve before Saturday’s deadline to face the Eagles.
“I love Deebo, the way he plays. We play very similar when we get the ball in our hands,” Kittle said. “It’s just fun to be on the field with someone like that. And it will elevate the play of our wide receiver room, and they’re playing at a high level already.”
So is Mullens, who threw for 343 yards and a touchdown in a punt-free, turnover-free effort for his first victorious start since 2018.
“You guys know I love Nick. He’s the same every day,” Kittle said. “Even when he’s at practice, it feels like a game with him. He’s always locked in.”
Kittle produced 108 yards in Mullens’ starting debut two years ago, in a 34-3, Thursday night rout of the Raiders.
“He is a leader out there. He leads in a different way,” Kittle added. “He just leads with his play, which is what I respect. He never messes up. He’s just there, consistent and works hard. That’s what our team responds well to, guys who go out and do their job and do it at a high level.”
Last Sunday, Kittle coddled up next to Garoppolo and specifically the quarterback’s earpiece to eavesdrop on the 49ers’ play calls.
“Jimmy got an earpiece so could hear all plays,” Kittle said. “I didn’t get one because I’m not a quarterback. I don’t know who I’ve got to talk to about that. I was watching with him and we went down and scored. The next series wasn’t very good, because I wasn’t standing next to him. I’m a superstitious guy so I watched the rest of the game next to Jimmy, making sure I was on his left side.”


mercurynews--2020-10-02--The Latest: Pence and his wife test negative for COVID-19

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump testing positive for the coronavirus ( all times EDT ) : Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence tested negative for COVID-19 Friday morning , hours after President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were diagnosed with the coronavirus .
Spokesman Devin O ’ Malley says Pence “ remains in good health and wishes the Trumps well in their recovery.
” Pence is tested every day for the virus , O ’ Malley confirmed .
Russian President Vladimir Putin is extending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump and his wife , Melania , and expressing “ sincere support in this difficult moment , ” according to a statement released by the Kremlin on Friday .
Trump announced on Twitter early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The Kremlin says Putin sent Trump a telegram saying , “ I hope that your inherent vitality , good spirits and optimism will help you cope with the dangerous virus.
” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he and his wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were examined on their airplane 20 minutes prior to landing in Dubrovnik , Croatia , on Friday .
He said it was the fourth time in two weeks he has been tested .
President Donald Trump announced on Twitter early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Pompeo says the last time he was with Trump was on Sept. 15 , at the White House , for the signing of normalization agreements among Israel , the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain .
The top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel to Florida on Saturday and Asia starting Sunday as a precaution .
He says , “ We are praying for the president and the First Lady and we hope they have a speedy recovery.
” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is wishing U.S. President Donald Trump a “ speedy recovery ” from COVID-19 .
Johnson tweeted Friday morning : “ My best wishes to President Trump and the First Lady .
Hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus.
” Johnson was hospitalized for a week in April after he contracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new coronavirus .
After he was released , the prime minister thanked doctors and nurses at St. Thomas ’ s Hospital for saving his life .
Johnson was treated in the hospital ’ s intensive care unit , where he received oxygen but was not put on a ventilator .
Trump announced on Twitter early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus .
The Kremlin is sending wishes of speedy recovery to U.S. President Donald Trump after he said he and his wife Melania Trump tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly wish President Trump a speedy and easy recovery , ” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday .
Russia currently has the fourth largest coronavirus caseload in the world with over 1.19 million confirmed cases and more than 21,000 deaths .
The outbreak in Russia started to grow rapidly in September , with health officials reporting 9,412 new confirmed cases Friday in the largest daily surge since late May .
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wishing the U.S. president and the first lady a “ full and speedy recovery ” after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
“ Like millions of Israelis , Sara and I are thinking of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump and wish our friends a full and speedy recovery , ” Netanyahu tweeted on his official account , referring to his wife .
Netanyahu led an Israeli delegation to the White House for the Sept. 15 signing of normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain at an outdoor ceremony attended by hundreds of people .
Attendees did not practice social distancing and most guests did not wear masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his wife , Karen , are sending their “ love and prayers ” to President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump after the Trumps announced early Friday that they had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Pence says on Twitter , “ We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery.
” Trump ’ s positive test came just hours after he confirmed late Thursday that senior aide Hope Hicks had come down with the virus .
The White House had no immediate comment on whether Pence had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ diagnoses .
President Donald Trump ’ s White House doctor has issued a statement saying the president will continue carrying out his duties “ without disruption ” after contracting the coronavirus .
Dr. Sean Conley , the physician to the president , says the president and first lady Melania Trump “ are both well at this time , and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.
” Trump has canceled plans to attend a fundraiser and to fly to Florida for a rally on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a previously planned midday telephone call “ on COVID-19 support to vulnerable seniors .
”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump testing positive for the coronavirus and being hospitalized (all times EDT):
12:10 a.m.
President Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh has confirmed the news, which was first reported by Politico.
Politico said Stepien received his diagnosis Friday and is experiencing “mild flu-like symptoms.”
Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, also announced Friday that she had tested positive, joining Trump, the first lady, top Trump aide Hope Hicks and numerous others.
Stepien, who joined Trump at Tuesday’s first presidential debate, plans to quarantine until he recovers.
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11:35 p.m.
The White House physician says his medical team has “elected to initiate Remdesivir therapy” for President Donald Trump.
Dr. Sean Conley says Trump is “doing very well” and is “not requiring any supplemental oxygen.”
Conley says he recommended Trump be moved to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center “for further monitoring.”
In Trump’s first tweet from Walter Reed since being transported there Friday night, the president says, “Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!”
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10:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump’s former adviser Kellyanne Conway said late Friday that she has tested positive for the coronavirus, days after attending a White House event with several others who have since come down with COVID-19.
Conway tweeted Friday that she has a “light cough” and is “feeling fine.” “I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians,” she added.
Conway attended the Rose Garden announcement Saturday where President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Among the attendees, Republican Sens. Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, the president of the University of Notre Dame, as well as Trump himself tested positive Friday for the coronavirus.
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8:35 p.m.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Tillis said in a statement Friday night that his rapid antigen test showed that he is infected. He issued the statement as President Donald Trump was being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the same illness.
Tillis, who is up for reelection in November, is the latest person to be diagnosed with the infection after attending the Supreme Court nomination ceremony in the White House Rose Garden for Amy Coney Barrett. Tillis was wearing a mask at the ceremony.
He is the second member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to test positive. Just a few hours earlier, Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah announced that he, too, is infected.
Tillis is routinely seen on Capitol Hill wearing a mask. He says he has no symptoms but will be isolating.
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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TRUMP CONTRACTING THE CORONAVIRUS
The president announced early Friday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, and the White House said later in the day that he would be going to a military hospital for “a few days” for treatment. His Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill, said they tested negative after encountering Trump at Tuesday’s debate.
Read more:
— Trump going to hospital for a ‘few days’ for virus treatment
— Trump’s diagnosis rocks final stage of presidential campaign
— Trump’s coronavirus infection creates new challenge for GOP
— Trump’s virus infection thrusts world into uncharted territory
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
7:15 p.m.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham says senators can participate virtually in upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearings after President Donald Trump and other lawmakers tested positive for the coronavirus.
Graham tweeted Friday evening that “Any Senator who wants to participate virtually will be allowed to do so.”
Graham’s message came out as Trump traveled to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment at the advice of his doctors. His doctors say he is experiencing mild symptoms.
Graham said he had been tested for COVID-19 following his interaction with fellow Judiciary Committee member Republican Sen. Mike Lee, who has tested positive.
Graham said his test for the coronavirus was negative. He said Lee is “in good spirits and on the mend” and expects to be back to work with the committee by Oct. 12, set as the date for the beginning of the confirmation process.
6:35 p.m.
President Donald Trump has arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and released a video saying that he thinks he’s “doing very well.”
Marine One landed near the military hospital on Friday evening, and Trump was driven to the large complex. White House officials say that the visit is precautionary and that Trump will work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to continue his official duties.
When he walked out of the White House, he was wearing a mask and gave a thumbs-up to reporters. He also released a video on Twitter, saying, “I think I’m doing very well, but we’re going to make sure that things work out.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that Trump “remains in good spirits, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day.”
Shortly before he departed for the hospital, his personal physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said in a memo issued by the White House that he had received an experimental antibody cocktail.
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6:20 p.m.
President Donald Trump has appeared in public for the first time since his COVID-19 diagnosis, giving a thumbs-up before he boarded Marine One for a military hospital.
Trump walked out of the White House to the helicopter Friday evening on his way to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The White House says Trump will spend a “few days” at a military hospital on the advice of his physicians after contracting COVID-19.
The White House says that the visit is precautionary and that Trump will work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to continue his official duties.
Earlier Friday the White House said Trump remains “fatigued” and had been injected with an experimental antibody drug combination for the virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans and spread to the highest reaches of the U.S. government.
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6 p.m.
Joe Biden’s campaign is taking down its attack ads in the wake of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus infection.
That’s according to a Biden campaign official who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Friday to discuss internal planning.
The Democrat’s campaign is removing all its negative ads, although in some cases, it may take days for ads already in circulation to stop running. The official says Biden made the decision before news surfaced that Trump was being transferred to a military hospital for a “few days” of treatment.
At least so far, Trump’s campaign has not begun removing any of its attack ads against Biden.
The presidential election is just over one month away.
— AP writer Steve Peoples
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5:55 p.m.
Former President Barack Obama is extending his “best wishes” to President Donald Trump following his coronavirus diagnosis.
Obama said Friday that even during “big political battles” it’s important to remember that “we’re all Americans, and we’re all human beings.”
He spoke during a virtual fundraiser with Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Obama says he and his wife, Michelle Obama, hope for a speedy recovery for Trump and the first lady and anyone who has been affected by coronavirus around the country. Harris says she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, share their “deepest prayers” for the Trumps.
“Let it be a reminder to all of us that we must remain vigilant and take care of ourselves and take care of each other,” she said.
Their comments came amid news that Trump will be taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a “few days” on the advice of his doctors.
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5:15 p.m.
The White House says President Donald Trump will spend a “few days” at a military hospital on the advice of his physicians after contracting COVID-19.
Trump is to depart the White House by helicopter early Friday evening for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The White House says that the visit is precautionary and that Trump will work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to continue his official duties.
Earlier Friday the White House said Trump remains “fatigued” and had been injected with an experimental antibody drug combination for the virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans and spread to the highest reaches of the U.S. government.
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4:50 p.m.
Democrat Joe Biden says President Donald Trump testing positive for the coronavirus is a “bracing reminder” of the seriousness of the virus. He also says he’s received two tests, and both came back negative.
Speaking at an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday, Biden said he received a test in Delaware and one from “the former White House doctor” who came up to Delaware to administer the test, “and everything’s clear.”
The president said early Friday that he and his wife, Melania Trump, had tested positive for coronavirus. Biden was tested after spending nearly 90 minutes onstage with the president during their debate earlier this week.
Biden said he wished the president and the first lady a full recovery and that “this is not a matter of politics.” Biden said it was a “reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. It is not going away automatically.”
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4:40 p.m.
President Donald Trump’s doctor says Trump is being treated with an experimental drug aimed at supplying antibodies to help fight his coronavirus infection.
Antibodies are proteins the body makes when an infection occurs. They attach to a virus and help it be eliminated. But it can take weeks for them to form. The drugs are purified versions of ones that seemed to work best in lab and animal tests.
Trump is receiving a two-antibody combo drug that’s currently in late-stage studies from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. The company previously developed a successful treatment for Ebola using a similar approach.
It’s given as a one-time treatment through an IV.
Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said the drug was being given “as a precautionary measure,” and that Trump also was taking zinc, vitamin D, an antacid called famotidine, melatonin and aspirin. None of those have been proven to be effective against COVID-19.
Trump apparently is not receiving hydroxychloroquine, a drug he widely promoted that has been shown in many studies to be ineffective for preventing or treating COVID-19.
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4 p.m.
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and her husband had coronavirus earlier this year and recovered, according to two administration officials.
The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Barrett was nominated to the high court last week after the death of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Trump held a press conference outside where few people wore masks.
Trump announced Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus, after aide Hope Hicks was diagnosed.
Barrett has also been meeting with senators ahead of her confirmation hearing, including Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who also announced Friday that he had tested positive for the virus.
The science is unclear on whether someone who has the virus can get it again. Whether someone who’s been infected with coronavirus has protection against future infection and for how long is unknown. A large study from Iceland last month suggested that antibodies that people make to fight the virus last for at least four months. However, several cases have been confirmed of people getting COVID-19 again, months after their initial bout.
— By AP writers Colleen Long and Jonathan Lemire
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3:30 p.m.
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, a frequent target of President Donald Trump’s, is blasting him for what she calls “actively spreading a deadly virus.”
Omar said earlier this year that her father died of the virus, and she said in a statement Friday that she doesn’t wish it on anyone.
Omar, a Democrat, says the nation has been waiting for months to hear Trump say America “will get through this together.” And she says he’s saying that now because it’s about him.
Trump announced earlier Friday that he and the first lady had tested positive for the coronavirus.
She criticized Trump for holding a rally and fundraiser this week in Minnesota without wearing a mask, saying he exposed hundreds of people in a state where cases are already rising.
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2:40 p.m.
The White House does not appear to be making any changes to current virus protocol, even after President Donald Trump and the first lady tested positive for COVID-19.
A senior White House official said Friday that masks will still not be mandatory at the White House, describing facial coverings as “a personal choice,” despite overwhelming evidence that they help to stop the spread.
And the White House is not planning to move to a different, more reliable testing system after the one it uses failed to detect that adviser Hope Hicks had the virus the day she began experiencing symptoms.
The president, his White House and his campaign have generally taken a lax approach to the pandemic, continuing to hold large events and failing to abide by social distancing recommendations.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House thinking, defended the current system.
— AP writer Jill Colvin
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2:30 p.m.
The vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris next week will go on as scheduled after President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday.
An official with the Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed that no changes are anticipated to the Wednesday night debate in Salt Lake City. Both Pence and Harris underwent tests for the coronavirus on Friday and tested negative.
Pence’s physician said in a memo that the vice president was not considered a “close contact” of anyone infected with COVID-19 and was not required to quarantine.
“Vice President Mike Pence remains in good health and is free to go about his normal activities,” said Navy Lt. Commander Dr. Jesse Schonau in a statement.
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2 p.m.
President Donald Trump’s campaign manager says all campaign events involving the president and his family will either be turned into virtual events or postponed until further notice.
Bill Stepien, who heads Trump’s reelection, says Vice President Mike Pence, who has tested negative for COVID-19, plans to continue to his campaign schedule.
The announcement comes after Trump tweeted earlier Friday that he and his wife tested positive for the coronavirus.
It is not clear when the president was exposed. One of the president’s top advisers, Hope Hicks, tested positive on Thursday for the virus. Two others — Utah Sen. Mike Lee and University of Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins — who attended Trump’s Rose Garden ceremony on Saturday to announce the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court — have also tested positive for the virus.
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1:55 p.m.
Comedian Joe Piscopo attended the fundraiser at Bedminster on Thursday, which he described as a small gathering in New Jersey for Trump’s friends.
“It was meticulously run, from the Secret Service to COVID testing to masking,” Piscopo told The Associated Press on the phone. The president came out of the portico to talk to guests seated at tables “yards and yards” away. Piscopo said he was at the back of the crowd and said, “We were all social distancing and it was all outside.”
He added, “I’ve never seen him more on top of his game, warm, funny, vulnerable.” The president gave a 30-minute speech. Piscopo said he could not talk about it specifically but said that it was “all positive.” The president then answered questions. Piscopo said the president greeted the crowd of friends and called out to him specifically.
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1:30 p.m.
Minnesota health officials are urging people who attended events associated with President Donald Trump’s visit this week to consider being tested for the coronavirus.
The Minnesota Department of Health on Friday urged anyone with symptoms to be tested right away. Trump announced early Friday morning that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19, just two days after he held a campaign rally in Duluth and a fundraiser in a Minneapolis suburb.
The health department said community transmission was high in St. Louis County — which includes Duluth — before the rally, and attendees may have been infectious without realizing it.
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1:25 p.m.
University of Notre Dame’s president has confirmed he has tested positive for the coronavirus days after attending President Donald Trump’s announcement that he was nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Rev. John Jenkins was invited to the Rose Garden ceremony because Barrett is a Notre Dame University alumna and law school professor. He apologized earlier this week for not wearing a mask at the ceremony.
In a message sent to Notre Dame community Friday, Jenkins said that he had learned that a colleague he was in contact with had tested positive for the virus, and he went into self-quarantine. Jenkins said he too was tested and learned he had the virus.
Trump announced earlier Friday that he and the first lady have tested positive for the virus. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who attended the ceremony, also announced on Friday that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
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1:10 p.m.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is encouraging people who were at President Donald Trump’s campaign rally at Harrisburg International Airport on Saturday to get tested if they are feeling sick.
The department is asking people to download the COVID Alert PA phone app if they do test positive to anonymously alert people they may have come in contact with.
Thousands attended the outdoor rally, held hours after the president introduced his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, from the Rose Garden at the White House. Those at the rally were required to pass through a security checkpoint and get their temperatures taken.
Trump announced earlier Friday that he and the first lady have tested positive for the coronavirus.
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12:45 p.m.
Joe Biden is moving forward with plans to travel to Michigan on Friday after he and his wife, Jill, tested negative for the coronavirus.
The Democratic presidential nominee had planned on traveling to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to talk about the economy on Friday morning. His trip was delayed by several hours as he awaited the test results.
He was tested for the virus after attending Tuesday’s debate with President Donald Trump. The president said early Friday that he and his wife, Melania Trump, tested positive for coronavirus.
Biden spent much of the spring and early summer close to his Wilmington, Delaware, home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But he’s stepped up his travel in the final stretch of the campaign, while still taking heed of public health guidelines.
He regularly wears a mask in public, something that Trump taunted Biden for during this week’s debate. And he mostly appears in front of small, socially distanced crowds.
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12:30 p.m.
Joe Biden has tested negative for the coronavirus, his primary care doctor confirmed on Friday.
The Democratic presidential nominee and his wife were tested earlier in the day after news of President Donald Trump’s infection was announced.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor released the negative results in a statement issued by the Biden campaign. Biden was on the debate stage with Trump for more than 90 minutes earlier in the week. It’s still unclear if Biden will hold campaign events later in the day.
Biden, in a social media post, thanked his supporters for “messages of concern.” He added: “I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands.”
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12:15 p.m.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee says he has tested positive for the coronavirus after experiencing “symptoms consistent with longtime allergies.” Lee visited the White House on Saturday for President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had nominated Judge Amy Comey Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Lee’s disclosure comes after Trump said in an early-morning tweet that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus. Lee said in his statement that he had tested negative for the virus when he visited the White House for Saturday’s event, which featured little social distancing and few masks.
The Utah Republican also met with Barrett on Tuesday in the Capitol. The two sat in chairs that were distanced several feet apart but took a photo before the meeting in which they were closer together. He also spoke to reporters after the meeting, removing his mask in front of the cameras as most lawmakers generally do.
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11:55 a.m.
First lady Melania Trump says she is experiencing “mild symptoms” after she and President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19.
“Thank you for the love you are sending our way. I have mild symptoms but overall feeling good. I am looking forward to a speedy recovery,” she tweeted Friday morning.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said President Trump was also experiencing mild symptoms, but continues to work from the White House residence as he quarantines. The Trumps’ youngest child, Barron, 14, has tested negative for the virus.


mercurynews--2020-10-02--President Trump’s positive Covid-19 test throws country into fresh upheaval

A country already unnerved by a devastating health catastrophe and a turbulent political season faced fresh upheaval Friday as Americans awoke to news President Donald Trump had contracted coronavirus .
The President made the announcement on Twitter at nearly 1 a.m .
ET on Friday and the development — after months of debilitating losses , set against a badly mismanaged federal response overseen by a commander-in-chief who repeatedly downplayed the crisis — threw fresh turmoil into the country ’ s leadership at a moment of deep national strain .
In his announcement , Trump insisted : “ We will get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who also tested positive , wrote , “ We are feeling good.
” READ : Trump ’ s doctor releases statement after President and first lady test positive for Covid-19 But the optimistic outlook could hardly veil the pervading sense of destabilization setting in as the country struggles to emerge from a generation-defining crisis just as its politics seem to deteriorate to new lows .
Stock market futures tumbled .
Inside the White House , aides described a sense of panic as they worked to determine who else may have contracted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falls squarely within the highest risk category for serious complications and who has been guarded about revealing details of his health — was displaying symptoms .
The first couple ’ s positive diagnosis has also made staff at the White House Executive Residence , where the Trumps are currently isolating , “ nervous , ” a source familiar told CNN .
In light of the President ’ s positive test , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , who shared a stage with Trump in their first debate Tuesday , is expected to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a source familiar with his plans .
Vice President Mike Pence ’ s press secretary on Twitter Friday morning confirmed that Pence and his wife , Karen , tested negative for Covid-19 .
Questions remained about why the President proceeded with his schedule on Thursday , including flying to attend a fundraiser in New Jersey , despite being in close contact with an aide , Hope Hicks , who was known by a small group of aides to have tested positive .
Only hours before announcing his diagnosis , Trump told a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end .
“ I just want to say that the end of the pandemic is in sight , and next year will be one of the greatest years in the history of our country , ” Trump said during pre-recorded remarks given to the Al Smith Dinner , convened virtually this year because of the outbreak .
Four hours later , the President ’ s schedule for Friday — which had included a fundraiser in Washington and a campaign rally in Florida — was scrapped .
The only remaining event will come at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosts a phone call on Covid support to vulnerable seniors .
It was the first indication of how this year ’ s presidential race will again be reshaped by surprise circumstances , this time about a month before Election Day .
Trump will likely be required to cancel a slew of scheduled campaign events next week , including in Arizona .
Any attempt to shift attention away from the pandemic and his response — which has caused his poll numbers to plummet — now seems unlikely .
Trump has repeatedly sought to downplay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Woodward in February he “ wanted to always play it down ” — even as his administration ’ s own health experts pleaded with Americans to take the virus seriously .
Even as some of his closest global allies , including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson , came down with the disease , Trump continued to downplay it and shrug off the notion that he could contract it himself .
He has worn a mask very infrequently , and at Tuesday night ’ s chaotic debate mocked Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of heeding recommendations about social distancing , Trump has convened large campaign rallies where his supporters stand shoulder-to-shoulder , often without masks , to hear him speak .
Since the spring , Trump has pressured governors to allow businesses to reopen and has recently pressed for schools to allow in-person learning .
He has railed against restrictions on indoor churches and lambasted Democratic governors who continue to uphold rules against large gatherings .
Through it all , Trump has insisted that the extensive testing regimen at the White House would protect him from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as an example , everyone ’ s had a test and you ’ ve had social distancing and all of the things you have to , ” he said during Tuesday ’ s debate in explaining why masks weren ’ t necessary in that setting .
Yet the efforts of his staff to shield him from the virus clearly fell short .
In a memo sent after midnight on Friday , the White House physician Navy Cmdr Dr. Sean Conley said Trump was “ well , ” though did not specify whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence , ” he wrote of the President and first lady .
“ The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch , and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country ’ s greatest medical professionals and institutions , ” Conley went on , without elaborating what assistance was being provided to the White House doctors .
The diagnosis amounts to the most serious known health threat to a sitting American president in decades , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot in 1981 .
Trump has not been particularly forthcoming with details of his physical health , including when he made a last-minute trip to Walter Reed National Medical Center last year .
The White House said he was getting an early start on his physical exam , but declined to say what tests were performed at the facility .
In a readout of his physical , Conley said this spring that Trump was in “ very good health , ” but listed a height and weight that placed him in the obese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a common form of heart disease .
A temporary transition of power from the commander in chief to the vice president is laid out in section three of the 25th Amendment , a constitutional change brought on by the assassination of John F. Kennedy .
It has been used periodically since when presidents are required to go under anesthesia for medical procedures .
There were no indications that Trump was preparing to use the 25th Amendment .
“ Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you updated on any further developments , ” Conley wrote in his memo .
• Coronavirus : Alameda County will allow some schools , businesses to reopen • Amazon says 19,000 workers got COVID-19 this year Pence wrote on Twitter , “ We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery.
” If both Trump and Pence become unable to carry out their functions , the Presidential Succession Act designates the House speaker as next in line .
Asked in May whether the White House was making contingency plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nancy Pelosi , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany scoffed .
“ That ’ s not even something that we ’ re addressing , ” she said .
“ We ’ re keeping the President healthy .
We ’ re keeping the vice president healthy , and , you know , they ’ re healthy at this moment and they ’ ll continue to be .
”

A country already unnerved by a devastating health catastrophe and a turbulent political season faced fresh upheaval Friday as Americans awoke to news President Donald Trump had contracted coronavirus.
The President made the announcement on Twitter at nearly 1 a.m. ET on Friday and the development — after months of debilitating losses, set against a badly mismanaged federal response overseen by a commander-in-chief who repeatedly downplayed the crisis — threw fresh turmoil into the country’s leadership at a moment of deep national strain.
In his announcement, Trump insisted: “We will get through this TOGETHER!” His wife, who also tested positive, wrote, “We are feeling good.”
READ: Trump’s doctor releases statement after President and first lady test positive for Covid-19
But the optimistic outlook could hardly veil the pervading sense of destabilization setting in as the country struggles to emerge from a generation-defining crisis just as its politics seem to deteriorate to new lows. Stock market futures tumbled. Inside the White House, aides described a sense of panic as they worked to determine who else may have contracted the disease and whether the President — who falls squarely within the highest risk category for serious complications and who has been guarded about revealing details of his health — was displaying symptoms. The first couple’s positive diagnosis has also made staff at the White House Executive Residence, where the Trumps are currently isolating, “nervous,” a source familiar told CNN.
In light of the President’s positive test, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who shared a stage with Trump in their first debate Tuesday, is expected to get tested for coronavirus Friday morning, according to a source familiar with his plans. He tweeted Friday morning wishing the President and first lady “a swift recovery.”
Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary on Twitter Friday morning confirmed that Pence and his wife, Karen, tested negative for Covid-19.
Questions remained about why the President proceeded with his schedule on Thursday, including flying to attend a fundraiser in New Jersey, despite being in close contact with an aide, Hope Hicks, who was known by a small group of aides to have tested positive.
Only hours before announcing his diagnosis, Trump told a virtual audience the pandemic was nearing an end.
“I just want to say that the end of the pandemic is in sight, and next year will be one of the greatest years in the history of our country,” Trump said during pre-recorded remarks given to the Al Smith Dinner, convened virtually this year because of the outbreak.
Four hours later, the President’s schedule for Friday — which had included a fundraiser in Washington and a campaign rally in Florida — was scrapped. The only remaining event will come at 12:15 p.m. ET when the President hosts a phone call on Covid support to vulnerable seniors.
It was the first indication of how this year’s presidential race will again be reshaped by surprise circumstances, this time about a month before Election Day. Trump will likely be required to cancel a slew of scheduled campaign events next week, including in Arizona. Any attempt to shift attention away from the pandemic and his response — which has caused his poll numbers to plummet — now seems unlikely.
Trump has repeatedly sought to downplay the pandemic — he told journalist Bob Woodward in February he “wanted to always play it down” — even as his administration’s own health experts pleaded with Americans to take the virus seriously.
Even as some of his closest global allies, including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, came down with the disease, Trump continued to downplay it and shrug off the notion that he could contract it himself.
He has worn a mask very infrequently, and at Tuesday night’s chaotic debate mocked Biden for wearing one so often. Instead of heeding recommendations about social distancing, Trump has convened large campaign rallies where his supporters stand shoulder-to-shoulder, often without masks, to hear him speak.
Since the spring, Trump has pressured governors to allow businesses to reopen and has recently pressed for schools to allow in-person learning. He has railed against restrictions on indoor churches and lambasted Democratic governors who continue to uphold rules against large gatherings.
Through it all, Trump has insisted that the extensive testing regimen at the White House would protect him from contracting the virus himself.
“Tonight, as an example, everyone’s had a test and you’ve had social distancing and all of the things you have to,” he said during Tuesday’s debate in explaining why masks weren’t necessary in that setting.
Yet the efforts of his staff to shield him from the virus clearly fell short. In a memo sent after midnight on Friday, the White House physician Navy Cmdr Dr. Sean Conley said Trump was “well,” though did not specify whether he was displaying symptoms.
“They plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence,” he wrote of the President and first lady.
“The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions,” Conley went on, without elaborating what assistance was being provided to the White House doctors.
The diagnosis amounts to the most serious known health threat to a sitting American president in decades, at least since President Ronald Reagan was non-fatally shot in 1981.
Trump has not been particularly forthcoming with details of his physical health, including when he made a last-minute trip to Walter Reed National Medical Center last year. The White House said he was getting an early start on his physical exam, but declined to say what tests were performed at the facility.
In a readout of his physical, Conley said this spring that Trump was in “very good health,” but listed a height and weight that placed him in the obese category. He is also known to have a common form of heart disease.
A temporary transition of power from the commander in chief to the vice president is laid out in section three of the 25th Amendment, a constitutional change brought on by the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It has been used periodically since when presidents are required to go under anesthesia for medical procedures.
There were no indications that Trump was preparing to use the 25th Amendment.
“Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any further developments,” Conley wrote in his memo.
Pence wrote on Twitter, “We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery.”
If both Trump and Pence become unable to carry out their functions, the Presidential Succession Act designates the House speaker as next in line. Asked in May whether the White House was making contingency plans to hand power to the Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany scoffed.
“That’s not even something that we’re addressing,” she said. “We’re keeping the President healthy. We’re keeping the vice president healthy, and, you know, they’re healthy at this moment and they’ll continue to be.”
This story has been updated with additional developments.
The-CNN-Wire
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mercurynews--2020-10-02--Review: ‘Dick Johnson’ is a glorious celebration of life

Kirsten Johnson ’ s last film , the autobiographical collage “ Cameraperson , ” was an astonishing compendium of what she , as a cinematographer , had seen in her life behind a lens .
Her extraordinary new film , “ Dick Johnson Is Dead , ” was spurred in part by what she never captured .
Reflecting on her mother , who died after years in an Alzheimer ’ s haze , Johnson says in her latest film , “ I don ’ t have a single frame of the warm and brilliant person she once was.
” Warmth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frames of “ Dick Johnson Is Dead , ” a deeply moving celebration of Johnson ’ s father made with the knowledge that he , too , will slide away .
This time , it ’ s dementia that ’ s creeping in , and Johnson has preemptively moved against it .
“ I suggested we make a movie about him dying , ” Johnson narrates .
“ He said yes.
” When his memory starts going , Johnson moves her widowed dad , a psychiatrist in Seattle , to her New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more time together but make a film .
Together they play out various imaginary demises for Dick — a sidewalk accident , a heart attack , a mock funeral , a glittery ascension to a heaven populated by luminaries like Buster Keaton and Bruce Lee — playfully finding ways to stage the inevitable .
“ She kills me multiple times and then I come back to life , ” Dick explains , chuckling .
“ It ’ s ‘ Groundhog Day ’ all over again.
” It ’ s more than gallows humor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hang out together .
It ’ s also a way , through cinema , of holding each other closer and facing down their fears .
Along the way , Johnson films their project loosely ; the real conversations around their fictional scenes matter the most — the chats during set-up , stories while lounging in an Eames chair .
It ’ s not all a lark .
Each lost memory or surrendered freedom is painful for Dick .
From a clothes-strewn closet , Johnson narrates about her concern for the toll of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult feeling of losing her father , bit by bit .
But in “ Dick Johnson Is Dead ” he is wonderfully present , alert to his late-chapter life and alive to what still remains .
He is so absolutely , gloriously there .
A kind-hearted , big-smiling soul eager to chat with those around him , he exudes a brightness that would be treasured by anyone but , as seen through the eyes of his daughter , is potently radiant .
Johnson has crafted the cinematic eulogy to her dad that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That may sound like the stuff of family album , but Johnson has a rare gift for being so nakedly and frankly personal that she speaks for everyone .
She turns intimacy into rhapsody .
Stitching moments together from intrepid travels as a cinematographer , “ Cameraperson ” was a testament to worlds and people brought together , maybe forever , by film .
I ’ m sure for Johnson , “ Dick Johnson Is Dead ” will one day be a heaven-sent reservoir for remembering her father .
But its larger gift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortality with humor and honesty , and appreciate loved ones while they ’ re here .
Turn the camera on ; make your own memories .

By Jake Coyle | Associated Press
Kirsten Johnson’s last film, the autobiographical collage “Cameraperson,” was an astonishing compendium of what she, as a cinematographer, had seen in her life behind a lens. Her extraordinary new film, “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” was spurred in part by what she never captured. Reflecting on her mother, who died after years in an Alzheimer’s haze, Johnson says in her latest film, “I don’t have a single frame of the warm and brilliant person she once was.”
Warmth, however, abounds in the vibrant frames of “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” a deeply moving celebration of Johnson’s father made with the knowledge that he, too, will slide away. This time, it’s dementia that’s creeping in, and Johnson has preemptively moved against it. “I suggested we make a movie about him dying,” Johnson narrates. “He said yes.”
When his memory starts going, Johnson moves her widowed dad, a psychiatrist in Seattle, to her New York apartment where they can not only spend more time together but make a film. Together they play out various imaginary demises for Dick — a sidewalk accident, a heart attack, a mock funeral, a glittery ascension to a heaven populated by luminaries like Buster Keaton and Bruce Lee — playfully finding ways to stage the inevitable.
“She kills me multiple times and then I come back to life,” Dick explains, chuckling. “It’s ‘Groundhog Day’ all over again.”
It’s more than gallows humor. It’s an excuse to hang out together. It’s also a way, through cinema, of holding each other closer and facing down their fears. Along the way, Johnson films their project loosely; the real conversations around their fictional scenes matter the most — the chats during set-up, stories while lounging in an Eames chair. It’s not all a lark. Each lost memory or surrendered freedom is painful for Dick. From a clothes-strewn closet, Johnson narrates about her concern for the toll of the film on her dad, and the difficult feeling of losing her father, bit by bit.
But in “Dick Johnson Is Dead” he is wonderfully present, alert to his late-chapter life and alive to what still remains. He is so absolutely, gloriously there. A kind-hearted, big-smiling soul eager to chat with those around him, he exudes a brightness that would be treasured by anyone but, as seen through the eyes of his daughter, is potently radiant. Johnson has crafted the cinematic eulogy to her dad that she couldn’t for her mother.
That may sound like the stuff of family album, but Johnson has a rare gift for being so nakedly and frankly personal that she speaks for everyone. She turns intimacy into rhapsody. Stitching moments together from intrepid travels as a cinematographer, “Cameraperson” was a testament to worlds and people brought together, maybe forever, by film. I’m sure for Johnson, “Dick Johnson Is Dead” will one day be a heaven-sent reservoir for remembering her father. But its larger gift is in spurring us all to meet mortality with humor and honesty, and appreciate loved ones while they’re here. Turn the camera on; make your own memories.
“Dick Johnson Is Dead”
4 stars out of 4
Rating: PG-13 (for thematic elements and macabre images)
Running time: 90 minutes


mercurynews--2020-10-02--As red flag warning affects Dolan Fire area, report on Carmel, River fires released

BIG SUR — With a red flag warning now in effect for the Santa Lucia Range and the Dolan Fire area , state officials released the Watershed Emergency Response Team report for the Carmel and River fires .
The red flag warning in the Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest will last until Saturday at 6 a.m. Dry , hot conditions are expected in the area with north winds at 10-20 mph and gusts up to 25-30 mph at the highest locations .
The heat should subside in Monterey County by Sunday , with high temperatures on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70s and interior parts of the county in the 90s .
“ Unfortunately we do still have this smoke canopy over the area and that ’ s expected to stick around for the next couple of days , ” said Gerry Diaz , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service .
“ That ’ s going to affect temperatures all across the region , so temperatures might be a couple of degrees , or in some places even a few degrees , cooler than anticipated.
” The Monterey Bay Air Resources District said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category at many monitoring stations in the Monterey Bay area and recommended those with heart or lung disease ( including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD ) , older adults , and children avoid exposure for a prolonged period .
While plumes of smoke have been visible in recent days from the Dolan Fire , officials said they were from a 500-acre unburned area 3 miles into the interior of the fire perimeter near Nacimiento-Fergusson Road .
Firefighters increased the containment of the blaze to 90 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burned 124,924 acres .
Firefighters will use a helicopter and drones to try and limit any possible growth of the fire during the red flag warning .
Relative humidity is expected to stay in the teens , keeping the fire area dry overnight .
The U.S. Forest Service extended the Los Padres National Forest closure order as the Dolan Fire continues to burn .
The Dolan Fire started Aug. 18 about 10 miles south of Big Sur Village along Highway 1 north of Limekiln State Park .
The Sheriff ’ s Office arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection to the fire .
The fire destroyed 14 habitable structures and five outbuildings .
As containment increases on the Dolan Fire , state officials released the Watershed Emergency Response Team report for the River and Carmel fires earlier this week .
Kelsey Scanlon , an emergency services planner with the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services , said the report is done after every significant wildfire by Cal Fire and state geologists .
“ The team goes out and they take satellite imagery as well as ground truth observations about the slope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they look at the overall topography and the amount of heat that was applied to the surface , ” she said .
More fuel can lead to hotter conditions in a fire , which means it burns deeper into the ground , Scanlon said .
“ In the North Bay fires in 2017 , the fire was so hot and it stayed there for so long that it burned 10 feet into the ground and destroyed PVC pipes and caused erosion that led to a semi-sinkhole situation , ” she said .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carmel fires , “ most of the burned areas consist of soils burned at low and moderate severity , with a few small patches of soils burned at high severity.
” The report stated the River Fire area has an approximately 26-fold increase and the Carmel Fire area has an approximately 30-fold increase in post-fire surface erosion rates compared to pre-fire conditions when storms begin to arrive this rain season .
The report identifies actual structures at risk of flash floods , erosion and debris flows .
Residential structures located immediately adjacent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be damaged by floodwater and debris .
County and private roads will be at risk of being flooded or blocked by debris .
And there will be an increased rockfall hazard along Cachagua and San Clemente roads .
The county put the report and a map online at bit.ly/33iJliY .
“ A general rule of thumb is that if you can see a burned slope , to some degree you are at risk , ” Scanlon said .
“ If you live below a slope or on top of a slope that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk.
” If you live in an area surrounded by the burn scar and have limited ingress and egress , the Office of Emergency Services recommends preparing to be ready to be stuck for more than three days .
• Death toll in Zogg Fire climbs to four “ For instance , if you live in Cachagua and we get a debris flow at Carmel Valley Road and Cachagua and then a second one down by Cachagua and Tassajara , then you could be trapped there for several days without any way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power ’ s out , ” Scanlon said .
“ So if they are planning on staying , they need to prepare to survive on their own for more than three days.
” To be prepared , Scanlon said residents should sign up for emergency alerts at alertmontereycounty.org to stay informed .
The River Fire started Aug. 16 and the Carmel Fire started two days later .
They burned a total of approximately 55,000 acres in Monterey County .
A total of 103 structures were destroyed and 20 structures were damaged between the @ @ @

BIG SUR — With a red flag warning now in effect for the Santa Lucia Range and the Dolan Fire area, state officials released the Watershed Emergency Response Team report for the Carmel and River fires.
The red flag warning in the Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest will last until Saturday at 6 a.m. Dry, hot conditions are expected in the area with north winds at 10-20 mph and gusts up to 25-30 mph at the highest locations.
The heat should subside in Monterey County by Sunday, with high temperatures on the Monterey Peninsula Friday and Saturday in the 70s and interior parts of the county in the 90s.
“Unfortunately we do still have this smoke canopy over the area and that’s expected to stick around for the next couple of days,” said Gerry Diaz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “That’s going to affect temperatures all across the region, so temperatures might be a couple of degrees, or in some places even a few degrees, cooler than anticipated.”
The Monterey Bay Air Resources District said in a release Thursday that air quality reached the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category at many monitoring stations in the Monterey Bay area and recommended those with heart or lung disease (including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD), older adults, and children avoid exposure for a prolonged period.
While plumes of smoke have been visible in recent days from the Dolan Fire, officials said they were from a 500-acre unburned area 3 miles into the interior of the fire perimeter near Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. Firefighters increased the containment of the blaze to 90% as of Thursday morning. It has burned 124,924 acres.
Firefighters will use a helicopter and drones to try and limit any possible growth of the fire during the red flag warning. Relative humidity is expected to stay in the teens, keeping the fire area dry overnight.
The U.S. Forest Service extended the Los Padres National Forest closure order as the Dolan Fire continues to burn.
The Dolan Fire started Aug. 18 about 10 miles south of Big Sur Village along Highway 1 north of Limekiln State Park. The Sheriff’s Office arrested a Fresno man on arson charges in connection to the fire. The fire destroyed 14 habitable structures and five outbuildings.
As containment increases on the Dolan Fire, state officials released the Watershed Emergency Response Team report for the River and Carmel fires earlier this week.
Kelsey Scanlon, an emergency services planner with the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services, said the report is done after every significant wildfire by Cal Fire and state geologists.
“The team goes out and they take satellite imagery as well as ground truth observations about the slope, they take soil samples, and they look at the overall topography and the amount of heat that was applied to the surface,” she said.
More fuel can lead to hotter conditions in a fire, which means it burns deeper into the ground, Scanlon said.
“In the North Bay fires in 2017, the fire was so hot and it stayed there for so long that it burned 10 feet into the ground and destroyed PVC pipes and caused erosion that led to a semi-sinkhole situation,” she said.
According to the report for the River and Carmel fires, “most of the burned areas consist of soils burned at low and moderate severity, with a few small patches of soils burned at high severity.”
The report stated the River Fire area has an approximately 26-fold increase and the Carmel Fire area has an approximately 30-fold increase in post-fire surface erosion rates compared to pre-fire conditions when storms begin to arrive this rain season.
The report identifies actual structures at risk of flash floods, erosion and debris flows. Residential structures located immediately adjacent to or near existing watercourses and flow paths may be damaged by floodwater and debris. County and private roads will be at risk of being flooded or blocked by debris. And there will be an increased rockfall hazard along Cachagua and San Clemente roads.
The county put the report and a map online at bit.ly/33iJliY.
“A general rule of thumb is that if you can see a burned slope, to some degree you are at risk,” Scanlon said. “If you live below a slope or on top of a slope that was burned, you are likely at risk.”
If you live in an area surrounded by the burn scar and have limited ingress and egress, the Office of Emergency Services recommends preparing to be ready to be stuck for more than three days.
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Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds Crashes and Disasters | Cadaver dogs are in Maui to help find the dead. Here’s how it works and why it’s difficult “For instance, if you live in Cachagua and we get a debris flow at Carmel Valley Road and Cachagua and then a second one down by Cachagua and Tassajara, then you could be trapped there for several days without any way to get groceries or get water if the power’s out,” Scanlon said. “So if they are planning on staying, they need to prepare to survive on their own for more than three days.”
To be prepared, Scanlon said residents should sign up for emergency alerts at alertmontereycounty.org to stay informed.
The River Fire started Aug. 16 and the Carmel Fire started two days later. They burned a total of approximately 55,000 acres in Monterey County. A total of 103 structures were destroyed and 20 structures were damaged between the two fires.