latimes--2020-09-10--Monster firestorm brings death and devastation back to area hit by California's worst fire

Less than two years after the most destructive fire in California history tore through Paradise , the same region was under siege from a second monster firestorm that quickly grew to more than 250,000 acres , sweeping through mountain hamlets and killing at least three people .
On Wednesday night , Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea once again faced the grim task of announcing victims of the flames , just as he had for weeks after the destruction of the Camp fire .
Three bodies were found in the wake of the Bear fire , part of the massive North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevada foothills before dawn Wednesday .
The multiple blazes caught crews and residents off guard as they leaped southwest towards towns in Butte County , including the community of Paradise , which was largely destroyed by the 2018 Camp fire that killed 85 people .
The fires staggered a county still grieving the earlier catastrophe and besieged a state with unprecedented wildfires burning from Mexico to the Oregon border .
“ We can not underestimate what they can do to the community and what they can do to the people we love , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance , the North Complex fires , which had been burning since a barrage of lightning strikes hit the region Aug. 17 , grew by 80,000 acres overnight , forcing fire officials to divert thinly stretched resources to yet another disastrous blaze .
Across the state , 28 major wildfires have prompted more than 64,000 people to evacuate , said Daniel Berlant , a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
Fortunately for crews and residents in Southern California , Santa Ana winds were not as strong as forecast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles , San Bernardino and San Diego counties did not grow substantially .
But in Northern California , some 20,000 residents in Plumas , Butte and Yuba counties were forced to flee the North Complex fires , which exploded in size to 254,000 acres overnight .
Fire officials on that incident and the Creek fire to the south struggled to get an exact footprint of the flames because high pressure kept the intense smoke , now blanketing almost the entire state , close to the ground .
The gray shroud made it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water or surveil where the fires had been and where they were going .
“ One of the things we ’ ve seen statewide is with all the smoke , we can ’ t get a good assessment , ” said Chris Vestal , a spokesman for the Creek fire response in the Sierra National Forest .
Embers stormed across miles of rugged , dry terrain in minutes , sparking new fires and creating a high-speed , fast-morphing footprint difficult to read on the ground .
“ Right now it ’ s just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Vestal said , “ from a suppression standpoint and observation standpoint.
” When aircraft are in use , he said , fire commanders use “ those retardant lines to give us an actual idea of where we ’ re going to put our bulldozer lines.
” “ Being able to see it puts people in the most advantageous spots , ” Vestal said .
On Wednesday , crews on the Creek fire were left to work with ground tools in areas of better visibility , mostly on the southern flank , closest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Auberry and Clovis in the flatland , where winds were light .
Ash rained down throughout the day .
The forest that surrounds them carried up to 2,000 tons of burnable timber per acre , most of it dead and dry from a bark beetle infestation that grew quickly in the Sierra during a drought that began in 2012 .
Mark Van Aacken was surveying his community ’ s damage along Shaver Springs Road on Wednesday with the help of a local firefighter who helped him and a friend through the roadblock .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his neighbors than himself .
He knew his house was gone .
A firefighter showed him a photo the night before .
“ But still a picture doesn ’ t do it justice apparently , ” said Van Aacken , 40 .
“ Seeing it firsthand is kind of another situation .
I ’ m kind of bummed my wife isn ’ t with me to see it at the moment.
” Van Aacken and his wife moved to Auberry almost four years ago from Arizona to be closer to family in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their twin 7-year-old daughters in the great outdoors .
“ It ’ s been great , four-wheeling all the time … just being in the outdoors away from the city life , ” he said .
“ It ’ s always like camping — it ’ s the small town , you know ?
” The family has kept tabs on the state ’ s rash of fires over the last month and knew their area was at risk , so they evacuated as soon as Fresno County sheriff ’ s deputies knocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave .
“ I feel like we ’ ve just gotten away with it every year , ” Van Aacken said .
“ So I feel like we were a little relaxed about the fact that every tiny fire that came up they dropped so [ many resources ] on it we never thought it ’ d be that big an issue.
” His brother lost his home too .
But across the road , his father ’ s still stood .
“ We were just hoping at least one of the homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The North Complex fires are burning through similar , heavily wooded terrain .
The incident now stands as the ninth-largest wildfire in California history , one more dismal statistic in this record fire season ; the second , third and fourth largest were started by the same August lightning storm .
Photos showed devastation in the tiny Butte County hamlet of Berry Creek , where many homes and other structures were destroyed .
Officials said they don ’ t know the extent of the destruction in the town , which is north @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , incident commander for the U.S. Forest Service , said the agency was still working Wednesday morning to “ figure out where the fire footprint really is ” because of the extreme overnight activity .
Paradise and Concow were placed under evacuation warnings , and orders were issued for other areas around Lake Oroville .
Frank Martinez , 55 , lives in the Mount Ida neighborhood of Oroville , at the base of the mountains , and has numerous friends in Berry Creek .
Tuesday afternoon , as the Bear fire closed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen relatives and friends fled their homes there and headed for Martinez ’ s 1.5-acre spread for refuge .
Martinez said that by that time , flames were already threatening a bridge on the evacuation route , backing up about 100 cars .
The caravan became separated , with some vehicles stuck on the road as Cal Fire worked to clear the passage .
Just hours after some of his friends reached his house , news came that Martinez might have to leave as well .
Around 10 p.m. , “ it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a switch ” and the wind became “ crazy bad , ” he said .
By 1 a.m. Wednesday , the evacuation warning for Martinez ’ s neighborhood had turned into an order , forcing him , his eight rescue dogs and other refugees to head into more urban areas of Oroville .
He has been told his house has been destroyed , he said Wednesday , “ but I can ’ t believe it until I see it.
” He knows of at least about 25 friends who lost homes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school , church and local bar also burned .
In 2017 , Martinez was informed that he had lost his home in the Wall fire , but that turned out not to be true , though flames came just two feet from his propane tank before firefighters beat them back , he said .
In 2018 , when the Camp fire destroyed the nearby town of Paradise , his Berry Creek friends again took shelter on his property .
Though 85 people died in the Camp fire , making it California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are veterans of this , ” he said .
So , for his house , “ I am keeping my faith and I ’ m keeping my hope alive , ” he said .
“ Basically we don ’ t know until they lift the evacuation orders .
”

Anita Chabria, Joseph Serna, Matthew Ormseth, Joe Mozingo

Flames consume dry brush around Santa Barbara firefighters as they set a backfire along Oro Quincy Highway in the aftermath of the Bear fire in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A man stands on a dock at the Shaver Lake Marina as the Creek fire approaches on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Members of the Laguna Hotshots Crew walk down Huntington Lake Road to battle the Creek fire on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The Laguna Hotshots Crew out of the Cleveland National Forest battles the Creek fire as it approaches the Southern California Edison Big Creek Hydroelectric Plant on Sept. 6 in Big Creek, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A vehicle streaks by as Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffery Shipman stands along California 168, with the Creek fire in the background on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A plume rises from the Bear fire as it burns along Lake Oroville in Butte County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A crew from Trinity River Conservation Camp, a prison facility, does mop-up work on Stringtown Road on Friday, the day after a flare-up in the area. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Melted goggles lie on the ground next to the burned-out truck on Stringtown Road. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Propane gas burns Friday at the ruins of a home on Zink Road in the Berry Creek area of Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Thick smoke shrouds iconic Half Dome towering over Yosemite Valley in a view from Sentinel Bridge over the Merced River on Sept. 13. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Less than two years after the most destructive fire in California history tore through Paradise, the same region was under siege from a second monster firestorm that quickly grew to more than 250,000 acres, sweeping through mountain hamlets and killing at least three people.
On Wednesday night, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea once again faced the grim task of announcing victims of the flames, just as he had for weeks after the destruction of the Camp fire.
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Three bodies were found in the wake of the Bear fire, part of the massive North Complex blazes that raced through northern Sierra Nevada foothills before dawn Wednesday. The multiple blazes caught crews and residents off guard as they leaped southwest towards towns in Butte County, including the community of Paradise, which was largely destroyed by the 2018 Camp fire that killed 85 people.
The fires staggered a county still grieving the earlier catastrophe and besieged a state with unprecedented wildfires burning from Mexico to the Oregon border.
“We cannot underestimate what they can do to the community and what they can do to the people we love,” Honea said.
With the speedy advance, the North Complex fires, which had been burning since a barrage of lightning strikes hit the region Aug. 17, grew by 80,000 acres overnight, forcing fire officials to divert thinly stretched resources to yet another disastrous blaze.
Across the state, 28 major wildfires have prompted more than 64,000 people to evacuate, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Fortunately for crews and residents in Southern California, Santa Ana winds were not as strong as forecast, and three major fires burning in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties did not grow substantially.
But in Northern California, some 20,000 residents in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties were forced to flee the North Complex fires, which exploded in size to 254,000 acres overnight.
Fire officials on that incident and the Creek fire to the south struggled to get an exact footprint of the flames because high pressure kept the intense smoke, now blanketing almost the entire state, close to the ground.
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The gray shroud made it unsafe for pilots to drop retardant and water or surveil where the fires had been and where they were going.
“One of the things we’ve seen statewide is with all the smoke, we can’t get a good assessment,” said Chris Vestal, a spokesman for the Creek fire response in the Sierra National Forest.
Embers stormed across miles of rugged, dry terrain in minutes, sparking new fires and creating a high-speed, fast-morphing footprint difficult to read on the ground.
“Right now it’s just a challenge without having air support,” Vestal said, “from a suppression standpoint and observation standpoint.”
When aircraft are in use, he said, fire commanders use “those retardant lines to give us an actual idea of where we’re going to put our bulldozer lines.”
“Being able to see it puts people in the most advantageous spots,” Vestal said.
California 3 dead as Northern California fires spread rapidly, burning through small town The Butte County sheriff announced the deaths of three people Wednesday as fires continue to rage through a region already devastated by the Camp fire two years earlier.
On Wednesday, crews on the Creek fire were left to work with ground tools in areas of better visibility, mostly on the southern flank, closest to foothill towns such as Prather, Auberry and Clovis in the flatland, where winds were light. Ash rained down throughout the day.
The forest that surrounds them carried up to 2,000 tons of burnable timber per acre, most of it dead and dry from a bark beetle infestation that grew quickly in the Sierra during a drought that began in 2012.
(For comparison’s sake, the fires in Southern California are churning through about 14 tons of chapparal and grass per acre, consuming a lighter, quicker-burning fuel than the conifers and oak trees of the Sierra.)
Mark Van Aacken was surveying his community’s damage along Shaver Springs Road on Wednesday with the help of a local firefighter who helped him and a friend through the roadblock. It was an intel mission more for his neighbors than himself. He knew his house was gone. A firefighter showed him a photo the night before.
“But still a picture doesn’t do it justice apparently,” said Van Aacken, 40. “Seeing it firsthand is kind of another situation. I’m kind of bummed my wife isn’t with me to see it at the moment.”
Van Aacken and his wife moved to Auberry almost four years ago from Arizona to be closer to family in the area and to settle down and raise their twin 7-year-old daughters in the great outdoors.
“It’s been great, four-wheeling all the time … just being in the outdoors away from the city life,” he said. “It’s always like camping — it’s the small town, you know?”
The family has kept tabs on the state’s rash of fires over the last month and knew their area was at risk, so they evacuated as soon as Fresno County sheriff’s deputies knocked on their door and told them to leave.
“I feel like we’ve just gotten away with it every year,” Van Aacken said. “So I feel like we were a little relaxed about the fact that every tiny fire that came up they dropped so [many resources] on it we never thought it’d be that big an issue.”
His brother lost his home too. But across the road, his father’s still stood.
“We were just hoping at least one of the homes was still standing,” he said.
The North Complex fires are burning through similar, heavily wooded terrain. The incident now stands as the ninth-largest wildfire in California history, one more dismal statistic in this record fire season; the second, third and fourth largest were started by the same August lightning storm.
Photos showed devastation in the tiny Butte County hamlet of Berry Creek, where many homes and other structures were destroyed. Officials said they don’t know the extent of the destruction in the town, which is north of the Oroville Dam.
Jay Kurth, incident commander for the U.S. Forest Service, said the agency was still working Wednesday morning to “figure out where the fire footprint really is” because of the extreme overnight activity.
Paradise and Concow were placed under evacuation warnings, and orders were issued for other areas around Lake Oroville.
Frank Martinez, 55, lives in the Mount Ida neighborhood of Oroville, at the base of the mountains, and has numerous friends in Berry Creek. Tuesday afternoon, as the Bear fire closed in on that town, more than two dozen relatives and friends fled their homes there and headed for Martinez’s 1.5-acre spread for refuge. Martinez said that by that time, flames were already threatening a bridge on the evacuation route, backing up about 100 cars. The caravan became separated, with some vehicles stuck on the road as Cal Fire worked to clear the passage.
Just hours after some of his friends reached his house, news came that Martinez might have to leave as well. Around 10 p.m., “it was like all of the sudden someone turned on a switch” and the wind became “crazy bad,” he said.
By 1 a.m. Wednesday, the evacuation warning for Martinez’s neighborhood had turned into an order, forcing him, his eight rescue dogs and other refugees to head into more urban areas of Oroville. He has been told his house has been destroyed, he said Wednesday, “but I can’t believe it until I see it.” He knows of at least about 25 friends who lost homes in Berry Creek, and he said the school, church and local bar also burned.
In 2017, Martinez was informed that he had lost his home in the Wall fire, but that turned out not to be true, though flames came just two feet from his propane tank before firefighters beat them back, he said. In 2018, when the Camp fire destroyed the nearby town of Paradise, his Berry Creek friends again took shelter on his property. Though 85 people died in the Camp fire, making it California’s deadliest blaze, Berry Creek was spared. “We are veterans of this,” he said.
So, for his house, “I am keeping my faith and I’m keeping my hope alive,” he said. “Basically we don’t know until they lift the evacuation orders.”
Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-09--Bobcat fire nearly doubles in size, but moves away from cities, towns near San Gabriel Mountains

Although the Bobcat fire nearly doubled in size Wednesday , the blaze moved northeast and away from the cities and towns in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains that only a day earlier had been poised to evacuate .
By Wednesday evening , one of those communities , Arcadia , had lifted a voluntary evacuation warning , although fire officials warned that capricious Santa Ana winds could at any moment pick up and drive the flames in an unexpected direction .
The Bobcat Fire , which ignited Sunday above Azusa in the Angeles National Forest , has burned 19,796 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 7 p.m. Wednesday , officials said .
The cause of the fire remains under investigation .
Winds remained calm overnight and through the day Wednesday .
Although fire crews had feared Santa Ana gusts whipping the blaze toward the foothill cities , the winds that did blow Wednesday pushed the flames east , away from homes and structures , officials wrote in an evening update .
Although wind conditions appeared to have steadied Wednesday , officials warned that residents should have evacuation plans in place , organize their emergency evacuation supplies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vehicles should be fully fueled , facing out in driveways and ready to leave .
“ With these Santa Ana winds , you never know when they ’ re going to turn , ” said Linda Attalla , a representative of the Arcadia Fire Department .
“ Just be ready , and know if it gets down to it , you ’ re going to have a fireman beating on your door telling you to get moving.
” The fire is one of dozens burning across the state , including at least six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
Combined , the statewide fires have burned more than 2 million acres in what has been called the most destructive wildfire season on record in terms of acreage .
“ We do still have a red flag warning through this evening , ” McMorrow said Wednesday .
“ The winds are still a concern.
” Evacuations have been ordered for residents and Angeles National Forest visitors from Big Santa Anita Canyon , Mt .
Wilson , San Gabriel Canyon and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region remain closed .
Maria Taylor , another representative of the Arcadia Fire Department , said smoke and ash were contributing to unhealthy air quality .
She said the department is fully staffed , with all reserve engines ready should the fire escalate .
“ We are actively monitoring the situation , ” she said .
“ The main message that we have is get a plan , and plan ahead.
” Residents with large animals such as horses or cattle are being urged to begin moving those animals .
Limited accommodations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pomona for livestock and other large animals .
The Red Cross has set up a temporary evacuation point at Santa Anita racetrack .
At least three residents have accessed the facility , which is being used as a rest site for residents to gather and assess their needs and for the relief agency to present lodging options , said Red Cross Los Angeles communications officer Marium Mohiuddin .
More evacuees are expected , she said .
“ We are asking people to come there so we can help them get to more comfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Red Cross is working with nearby hotels and shelters to arrange potential accommodations .
“ Wildfires go fast , so just make sure you ’ re ready , ” she said .
Smoke advisories related to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires have been extended for most of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino counties , the South Coast Air Quality Management District said Tuesday night on Twitter .
Forecasts call for continued warm and dry weather , as well as gusty wind conditions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although “ diminishing winds are possible ” by Thursday , which may bring some relief .

Angeles National Forest firefighters Jessy Alvarez, left, and Gabriel Ayers get weather readings as the Bobcat fire burns along Highway 39.
Although the Bobcat fire nearly doubled in size Wednesday, the blaze moved northeast and away from the cities and towns in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains that only a day earlier had been poised to evacuate.
By Wednesday evening, one of those communities, Arcadia, had lifted a voluntary evacuation warning, although fire officials warned that capricious Santa Ana winds could at any moment pick up and drive the flames in an unexpected direction.
The Bobcat Fire, which ignited Sunday above Azusa in the Angeles National Forest, has burned 19,796 acres and was 0% contained as of 7 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
California Photos: Bobcat fire rages in the Angeles National Forest Fears of a significant spread of the Bobcat fire dissipated as Santa Ana winds failed to materialize, but foothill communities remain on high alert.
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Winds remained calm overnight and through the day Wednesday. Although fire crews had feared Santa Ana gusts whipping the blaze toward the foothill cities, the winds that did blow Wednesday pushed the flames east, away from homes and structures, officials wrote in an evening update.
Although wind conditions appeared to have steadied Wednesday, officials warned that residents should have evacuation plans in place, organize their emergency evacuation supplies and have essential personal belongings easily accessible. Vehicles should be fully fueled, facing out in driveways and ready to leave.
Ash falls on a parked car as the Bobcat fire burns in the distance Wednesday morning. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“With these Santa Ana winds, you never know when they’re going to turn,” said Linda Attalla, a representative of the Arcadia Fire Department. “Just be ready, and know if it gets down to it, you’re going to have a fireman beating on your door telling you to get moving.”
The fire is one of dozens burning across the state, including at least six in Southern California, said Christine McMorrow, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Combined, the statewide fires have burned more than 2 million acres in what has been called the most destructive wildfire season on record in terms of acreage.
“We do still have a red flag warning through this evening,” McMorrow said Wednesday. “The winds are still a concern.”
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Evacuations have been ordered for residents and Angeles National Forest visitors from Big Santa Anita Canyon, Mt. Wilson, San Gabriel Canyon and Monrovia Canyon, and national forests in the region remain closed.
Maria Taylor, another representative of the Arcadia Fire Department, said smoke and ash were contributing to unhealthy air quality. She said the department is fully staffed, with all reserve engines ready should the fire escalate.
“We are actively monitoring the situation,” she said. “The main message that we have is get a plan, and plan ahead.”
Residents with large animals such as horses or cattle are being urged to begin moving those animals. Limited accommodations are available at the Fairplex fairground in Pomona for livestock and other large animals.
The Red Cross has set up a temporary evacuation point at Santa Anita racetrack. At least three residents have accessed the facility, which is being used as a rest site for residents to gather and assess their needs and for the relief agency to present lodging options, said Red Cross Los Angeles communications officer Marium Mohiuddin. More evacuees are expected, she said.
“We are asking people to come there so we can help them get to more comfortable places,” Mohiuddin said, noting that the Red Cross is working with nearby hotels and shelters to arrange potential accommodations.
“Wildfires go fast, so just make sure you’re ready,” she said.
Smoke advisories related to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires have been extended for most of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said Tuesday night on Twitter.
Forecasts call for continued warm and dry weather, as well as gusty wind conditions, according to the National Weather Service, although “diminishing winds are possible” by Thursday, which may bring some relief.


latimes--2020-09-11--Complex, years-long litigation anticipated in major LAPD protest lawsuit

A lawsuit alleging a brutal and unconstitutional crackdown by Los Angeles police during protests this summer — potentially the largest and most expensive case of its kind in city history — is expected to take years to resolve , even if a settlement is reached along the way .
The discovery process , in which both sides solicit and collect evidence , is only just beginning .
Thousands of records must be collected and dozens of stakeholders must be deposed , including Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD Chief Michel Moore but also individual protesters who suffered injuries , attorneys for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed in U.S. District Court last month .
Presiding U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall has set a tentative date for a trial , but not for another year and a half — on April 26 , 2022 .
The city could agree to settle the lawsuit instead , making that schedule moot , but such a decision would almost certainly be followed by protracted negotiations over what is owed to those with claims against the city .
“ It ’ s complicated , ” said Carol Sobel , an attorney for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Los Angeles , the Los Angeles Community Action Network and other individual protesters .
The activist groups and individuals allege that the LAPD violated protesters ’ constitutional rights by arresting them , at times on infractions that only warranted street citations , and then subjecting them to horrible conditions — including leaving them handcuffed on buses for more than 12 hours without access to bathrooms or water .
They also allege the LAPD used projectiles and batons in brutal ways , not only to disperse crowds but to wound and harm protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared the gatherings illegal .
Many protesters were injured , some with serious wounds to the head and face , according to an investigation by The Times .
The activist groups and protesters want class status in the case , which would allow them to wrap together claims from thousands of protesters all at once and demand damages commensurate with the size of the broader collective .
In response , LAPD officials and city attorneys have maintained that police reacted in a reasonable way to dangerous street gatherings where individuals were committing crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the recent joint report , city attorneys said police were responding to “ coordinated mass looting ” and “ unprecedented lawlessness and chaos.
” City attorneys have argued against class status in the case , suggesting protesters should argue their claims individually .
In the filing last month , they said the city is already facing at least two other lawsuits and 45 tort claims related to the LAPD ’ s handling of the protests — many of which are likely to turn into lawsuits , as well .
They also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed before the statute of limitations runs out near the end of the year .
Sobel , who has litigated major class-action lawsuits against the LAPD before , said she has been in talks with City Atty .
Mike Feuer ’ s office this week about how to start moving forward with discovery , but expects roadblocks .
“ Police are going to assert all sorts of protections ” against the release of information , Sobel said , “ and we ’ re going to be fighting for a while to figure out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case to Feuer ’ s office , which declined to comment .
Among other things , Sobel said the protesters want to know how top-level decisions were made around deployments and the use of tactical weapons .
She said they want text messages , emails and other communications not only between top city officials like Garcetti and Moore , but also between them and other major stakeholders like Rick Caruso , the billionaire mall magnate and owner of the upscale Grove complex , which was threatened by individuals starting fires and burglarizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at nearby Pan Pacific Park , spiraled out of control on May 30 .
The protesters also want “ all City documents and communications regarding the protests , the use of force at the protests , dispersal orders , the arrests and other activities related to the protests , ” according to the recent filing .
The LAPD , the City Council , and the National Police Foundation working on behalf of the Police Commission are all conducting reviews of the events , which Sobel said could also inform the lawsuit — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official response are found .
It is a high-stakes process for a city already struggling to pay its bills under a coronavirus-related economic slump .
Sobel said the case is likely to produce “ the largest damages class ever in a protest in the country , ” and in their recent filing , she and other attorneys for the protesters projected that damages could easily reach into the tens of millions of dollars .
As just one example , they argued that “ several thousand ” arrestees may have a claim of $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions in detention .
Sobel said that could be nearly 4,000 arrestees — which , at $ 12,000 a piece , would approach $ 50 million in damage claims .
In addition , protesters who were detained on infractions that normally merit just a citation on the street and protesters who were injured have their own claims .
The protesters also are seeking an injunction against the LAPD using projectile weapons and batons on protesters moving forward .
The city has paid out tens of millions of dollars to settle claims in past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowds , but never in a case so large .
The current case deals with allegations spanning multiple days and nights , in various neighborhoods and involving thousands of people .
Money aside , it ’ s clear both sides also view the lawsuit as one with the potential to reshape LAPD policy for crowd control at future protests .
The protesters and activist groups in the case argued in the recent joint filing that the “ key legal issues ” to be considered are “ the basis of the arrests and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legality of arresting people for infractions that merit street citations only , and the use of batons and projectiles on protesters .
Also at issue , they argued , is “ the general question of the lawfulness of the actions in suppressing peaceful protests through the use of curfew orders , failing to provide sufficient notices to disperse and opportunities to disperse , and suppressing First Amendment activity of protesters based on the purported actions of a small number of individuals not representative of the overall character of the protests.
” Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , will be the decisions that led to the department deploying 40-mm projectile launchers , which she said are not designed to disperse protesters but to “ incapacitate ” people .
The city ’ s attorneys argued in the same filing that the key issues are “ whether there was probable cause to arrest ” the protesters after curfew violations and “ failures to disperse , ” and , once they were arrested , whether the conditions they were subjected to were a violation of their due process rights .
Also key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question of whether police were justified , “ under the totality of the circumstances , ” in using batons and projectiles to disperse the crowds .

A lawsuit alleging a brutal and unconstitutional crackdown by Los Angeles police during protests this summer — potentially the largest and most expensive case of its kind in city history — is expected to take years to resolve, even if a settlement is reached along the way.
The discovery process, in which both sides solicit and collect evidence, is only just beginning. Thousands of records must be collected and dozens of stakeholders must be deposed, including Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD Chief Michel Moore but also individual protesters who suffered injuries, attorneys for both sides said in a joint report filed in U.S. District Court last month.
Presiding U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall has set a tentative date for a trial, but not for another year and a half — on April 26, 2022.
The city could agree to settle the lawsuit instead, making that schedule moot, but such a decision would almost certainly be followed by protracted negotiations over what is owed to those with claims against the city.
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“It’s complicated,” said Carol Sobel, an attorney for the plaintiffs, who include Black Lives Matter — Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Community Action Network and other individual protesters.
The activist groups and individuals allege that the LAPD violated protesters’ constitutional rights by arresting them, at times on infractions that only warranted street citations, and then subjecting them to horrible conditions — including leaving them handcuffed on buses for more than 12 hours without access to bathrooms or water. They also allege the LAPD used projectiles and batons in brutal ways, not only to disperse crowds but to wound and harm protesters who pushed back when the department unilaterally declared the gatherings illegal.
Many protesters were injured, some with serious wounds to the head and face, according to an investigation by The Times.
The activist groups and protesters want class status in the case, which would allow them to wrap together claims from thousands of protesters all at once and demand damages commensurate with the size of the broader collective.
In response, LAPD officials and city attorneys have maintained that police reacted in a reasonable way to dangerous street gatherings where individuals were committing crimes, including assaulting officers and lighting fires.
In the recent joint report, city attorneys said police were responding to “coordinated mass looting” and “unprecedented lawlessness and chaos.”
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City attorneys have argued against class status in the case, suggesting protesters should argue their claims individually.
In the filing last month, they said the city is already facing at least two other lawsuits and 45 tort claims related to the LAPD’s handling of the protests — many of which are likely to turn into lawsuits, as well. They also said they expect more claims to be filed before the statute of limitations runs out near the end of the year.
Sobel, who has litigated major class-action lawsuits against the LAPD before, said she has been in talks with City Atty. Mike Feuer’s office this week about how to start moving forward with discovery, but expects roadblocks.
“Police are going to assert all sorts of protections” against the release of information, Sobel said, “and we’re going to be fighting for a while to figure out what happened.”
Police referred questions about the case to Feuer’s office, which declined to comment.
Among other things, Sobel said the protesters want to know how top-level decisions were made around deployments and the use of tactical weapons. She said they want text messages, emails and other communications not only between top city officials like Garcetti and Moore, but also between them and other major stakeholders like Rick Caruso, the billionaire mall magnate and owner of the upscale Grove complex, which was threatened by individuals starting fires and burglarizing stores after one of the largest protests, at nearby Pan Pacific Park, spiraled out of control on May 30.
The protesters also want “all City documents and communications regarding the protests, the use of force at the protests, dispersal orders, the arrests and other activities related to the protests,” according to the recent filing.
The LAPD, the City Council, and the National Police Foundation working on behalf of the Police Commission are all conducting reviews of the events, which Sobel said could also inform the lawsuit — and bolster it if problems with the official response are found.
It is a high-stakes process for a city already struggling to pay its bills under a coronavirus-related economic slump.
Sobel said the case is likely to produce “the largest damages class ever in a protest in the country,” and in their recent filing, she and other attorneys for the protesters projected that damages could easily reach into the tens of millions of dollars.
As just one example, they argued that “several thousand” arrestees may have a claim of $12,000 each for being subjected to unconstitutional conditions in detention. Sobel said that could be nearly 4,000 arrestees — which, at $12,000 a piece, would approach $50 million in damage claims.
In addition, protesters who were detained on infractions that normally merit just a citation on the street and protesters who were injured have their own claims. The protesters also are seeking an injunction against the LAPD using projectile weapons and batons on protesters moving forward.
The city has paid out tens of millions of dollars to settle claims in past cases where police cracked down on protest crowds, but never in a case so large. The current case deals with allegations spanning multiple days and nights, in various neighborhoods and involving thousands of people.
Money aside, it’s clear both sides also view the lawsuit as one with the potential to reshape LAPD policy for crowd control at future protests.
The protesters and activist groups in the case argued in the recent joint filing that the “key legal issues” to be considered are “the basis of the arrests and the conditions of confinement on buses,” the legality of arresting people for infractions that merit street citations only, and the use of batons and projectiles on protesters.
Also at issue, they argued, is “the general question of the lawfulness of the actions in suppressing peaceful protests through the use of curfew orders, failing to provide sufficient notices to disperse and opportunities to disperse, and suppressing First Amendment activity of protesters based on the purported actions of a small number of individuals not representative of the overall character of the protests.”
Of particular interest to the plaintiffs, Sobel said, will be the decisions that led to the department deploying 40-mm projectile launchers, which she said are not designed to disperse protesters but to “incapacitate” people.
The city’s attorneys argued in the same filing that the key issues are “whether there was probable cause to arrest” the protesters after curfew violations and “failures to disperse,” and, once they were arrested, whether the conditions they were subjected to were a violation of their due process rights.
Also key, city attorneys said, is the question of whether police were justified, “under the totality of the circumstances,” in using batons and projectiles to disperse the crowds.


latimes--2020-09-11--'We've done this before': Ravaged by Paradise fire, Butte County is again under siege

Frank Martinez considers himself a veteran of California wildfires , both as refugee and responder , feeding fire crews and survivors and running when flames hit too close to home .
“ We ’ ve done this before , ” Martinez said Thursday morning , sitting with his breathing machine inside a friend ’ s restaurant .
After fleeing from the Bear fire in the early morning darkness Wednesday , the restaurant basement had become his temporary home .
He had no idea if his own home was still standing .
It would be several hours before he had an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the rural hills outside of Oroville , where the Bear fire is wreaking destruction .
Since 2015 , flames have chased him from his double-wide trailer on four separate occasions .
And that doesn ’ t include the time he had to evacuate when the nearby dam threatened to burst .
In all of the other blazes , when he ’ s been able to remain on the acre-plus of parched land he calls home , Martinez has taken in those who had to flee from the surrounding hills and ridges — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 and a couple dozen during the Wall fire in 2017 .
He ’ s also fed thousands more by raising money online — he estimates about $ 100,000 — and cooking up meals himself — turkey and brisket and ribs with a rub made of coriander and brown sugar .
On Tuesday , with flames bearing down on the wooded enclave of Berry Creek , a hamlet of about 1,200 people northeast of Oroville , friends once again pulled into his dirt drive looking for refuge .
But this time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , he would be the one fleeing and in need of a helping hand .
By 1 a.m. , Martinez and his roommate Rick Wolfe , 60 , received their own order to evacuate , and the caravan of more than 20 people made its way to the flatlands of Oroville , spreading out over hotels , relatives ’ homes and any available space .
Despite all the planning and knowledge of previous fires , when the word came again , getting out turned chaotic .
“ I was so worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left all my clothes in the dryer , ” he said .
“ Tensions were high .
Stress was high.
” Martinez and Wolfe ’ s first stop Wednesday was the parking lot of the Oroville Walmart , which was also a de facto evacuee center after the Camp fire , when norovirus , a disease that causes diarrhea and vomiting , hit local shelters .
On Thursday , the big-box store blasted a recording asking fire victims not to stay .
Gretchen Keary slept on the front seat of her Dodge Ram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area called Kelly Ridge Tuesday night , while her boyfriend , Will Henry , made do on the ground outside .
The two had purchased sleeping bags at Walmart , along with crates for their three cats .
On Thursday morning , they were packing up to go in search of breakfast and a better place to stay .
Keary had moved from the Bay Area about two years ago and “ its been life by wildfire ever since , ” she said .
“ The planet is pissed off.
” Nearby , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last name , had evacuated on his Harley-Davidson from Berry Creek .
He , too , had no idea if his house still stood , but he wasn ’ t surprised by the destruction in the tiny town he called home .
Multiple residents of Berry Creek described it as densely overgrown with trees and brush .
Talk of it being the next Paradise was not uncommon .
“ They knew it was going to happen , ” Bill said .
“ The woods are just so thick of dead timber , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground .
There ’ s places you can ’ t even walk through.
” Patsy Oxford is principal of Berry Creek Elementary School .
Because hers is the only school in the Pioneer Union Elementary School District , she ’ s also the superintendent .
Her school is gone , burned to the ground , but her students , all 60 or so of them , still need to eat .
One hundred percent of the student body at Berry Creek Elementary receives lunch assistance ; 91 % of the students are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right now , the county is figuring out how to get food to the students and their families , she said , working to establish pickup sites , trying to arrange for nonperishable supplies that can be useful for families living in hotels and other temporary housing .
“ Still , it was a great school !
” Oxford exclaimed .
“ We just got high-speed internet , we ’ re into the 21st century !
We got it the week we went out with COVID .
It allowed us to at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chromebooks .
Some lost them [ in the fire ] .
We just gave out hotspots on Tuesday .
Some kids got them , some didn ’ t .
We ’ ll replace those.
” Oxford ’ s house in the Berry Creek neighborhood of Lake Madrone did not burn , although she has been evacuated and is staying with her daughter in nearby Chico .
Eight of the 12 staff members lost their homes .
The other three live in Chico and are fine .
When Oxford answered the phone , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching a video.
” It was on Facebook , she said , and it showed the fire ’ s devastation .
She paused .
Choked up .
Continued .
“ We thought , ‘ Oh , maybe something survived.
’ “ But nothing survived .
Only there ’ s a red door in the middle of it .
I want that door , ” Oxford said .
“ It ’ s like Paradise was .
The fire just went through and everything is gone .
One student on the street , his house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still standing is good , but it ’ s going to be a long haul.
” Echoes of nearby Paradise are everywhere in the Berry Creek fire , with so many reminded of the small town destroyed two years ago .
The Oroville School District has reached out , and people are talking about finding space , maybe a couple of vacant classrooms , for Berry Creek Elementary to use to regroup .
That space is in the same school Paradise educators used after their town was razed .
Educators from Paradise and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — have offered advice and moral support .
The community is hoping to get trailers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency left over from the 2018 inferno .
The Gridley fairgrounds have opened up for evacuees , Oxford said , just like it did in the earlier disaster .
The same foundations that helped after the Camp fire are poised to help now : The North Valley Community Foundation , Butte County Schools Long-Term Recovery Fund , the Butte Strong Fund .
“ One of the big things Paradise said was get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Let them see each other .
With COVID , that ’ s hard .
We ’ ll Zoom in a week or so .
We ’ re hoping to connect with the Paradise kids , maybe with a video , ‘ Things Get Better.
’ “ It ’ s pretty darn devastating , pretty horrible , ” she said .
“ Unfortunately , everyone in Butte County has been down this road before.
” The difference , this time , is the educational effort forced on the world by the novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate .
“ We ’ re doing distance learning , ” Oxford said .
“ That ’ s , in a bizarre way , a good thing.… “ The upside of COVID-19 .
Who knew ?
Who knew there was an upside ?
” On Thursday afternoon , smoke as thick as coastal fog hovered over the water of Lake Oroville and fire continued to burn around Berry Creek , although the main blaze had moved on .
Red licks of flame sprouted from power poles and crackled in curving lines across scrub @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power linemen to animal rescuers , trudged up the closed road to begin the work of recovery , which will take years .
A stallion and a mare were loaded into a trailer , firefighters with water trucks sprayed troublesome spots , and a few die-hards who refused the evacuation order waited in cars on or lawn chairs for the chance to return to what was left .
By Thursday afternoon , Martinez and a reporter made it to his house , which was still standing .
“ My God , my God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the low brown trailer came into site , unharmed .
An RV and a pontoon boat were nearby .
Fire had not made it here , though burned trees from the 2017 Wall fire , which came within two feet of his propane tank , still remained .
At 1:19 , he texted his friend Lilli Heart , who lives in the town of Cottonwood , not far from Redding .
When Heart lost her Paradise home in the Camp fire , Martinez reached out on Facebook nine days later .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said by Facebook Messenger .
“ What do you need right now ?
What do you need today ?
” The two have never actually met , but Heart sent money to Martinez ’ s PayPal account to help him in this terrible time .
She didn ’ t think twice , after all he ’ d done for so many people .
She wasn ’ t the only one to help the man who had helped so many .
“ Our house is still there , ” Martinez texted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the second fire we were told our house is gone .
We are not out of danger .
But it ’ s still there ... ..
I want to send you the money back ... .
I want to send everybody ’ s funds back.
” And later : “ I feel so bad .
Oh my God , I can ’ t believe this happened .
Berry Creek is gone .
All 12 people who are missing are our friends , and two have perished.
” Heart had a simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d learned from hard experience .
“ It ’ s not the time to feel bad if your home is still there , ” she texted back on Thursday afternoon .
“ It is time to celebrate your good fortune .
”

Evacuees Frank Martinez, left, and his friend Rick Wolfe sit in Martinez’s van with their dogs in the aftermath of the Bear fire in Oroville, Calif.
Frank Martinez considers himself a veteran of California wildfires, both as refugee and responder, feeding fire crews and survivors and running when flames hit too close to home.
“We’ve done this before,” Martinez said Thursday morning, sitting with his breathing machine inside a friend’s restaurant. After fleeing from the Bear fire in the early morning darkness Wednesday, the restaurant basement had become his temporary home.
He had no idea if his own home was still standing. It would be several hours before he had an answer.
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Martinez, 55, lives in the rural hills outside of Oroville, where the Bear fire is wreaking destruction. Since 2015, flames have chased him from his double-wide trailer on four separate occasions. And that doesn’t include the time he had to evacuate when the nearby dam threatened to burst.
In all of the other blazes, when he’s been able to remain on the acre-plus of parched land he calls home, Martinez has taken in those who had to flee from the surrounding hills and ridges — about 30 people during the Camp fire in 2018 and a couple dozen during the Wall fire in 2017.
He’s also fed thousands more by raising money online — he estimates about $100,000 — and cooking up meals himself — turkey and brisket and ribs with a rub made of coriander and brown sugar.
On Tuesday, with flames bearing down on the wooded enclave of Berry Creek, a hamlet of about 1,200 people northeast of Oroville, friends once again pulled into his dirt drive looking for refuge. But this time, his hospitality was short lived. This time, he would be the one fleeing and in need of a helping hand.
By 1 a.m., Martinez and his roommate Rick Wolfe, 60, received their own order to evacuate, and the caravan of more than 20 people made its way to the flatlands of Oroville, spreading out over hotels, relatives’ homes and any available space. Despite all the planning and knowledge of previous fires, when the word came again, getting out turned chaotic.
“I was so worried about the dogs and my roommate, I left all my clothes in the dryer,” he said. “Tensions were high. Stress was high.”
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Martinez and Wolfe’s first stop Wednesday was the parking lot of the Oroville Walmart, which was also a de facto evacuee center after the Camp fire, when norovirus, a disease that causes diarrhea and vomiting, hit local shelters. On Thursday, the big-box store blasted a recording asking fire victims not to stay.
Not everyone listened.
Gretchen Keary slept on the front seat of her Dodge Ram truck after running from flames in an area called Kelly Ridge Tuesday night, while her boyfriend, Will Henry, made do on the ground outside. The two had purchased sleeping bags at Walmart, along with crates for their three cats. On Thursday morning, they were packing up to go in search of breakfast and a better place to stay.
Keary had moved from the Bay Area about two years ago and “it’s been life by wildfire ever since,” she said. “The planet is pissed off.”
Nearby, Bill, who declined to give his last name, had evacuated on his Harley-Davidson from Berry Creek. He, too, had no idea if his house still stood, but he wasn’t surprised by the destruction in the tiny town he called home. Multiple residents of Berry Creek described it as densely overgrown with trees and brush. Talk of it being the next Paradise was not uncommon.
“They knew it was going to happen,” Bill said. “The woods are just so thick of dead timber, it’s four feet thick on the ground. There’s places you can’t even walk through.”
Patsy Oxford is principal of Berry Creek Elementary School. Because hers is the only school in the Pioneer Union Elementary School District, she’s also the superintendent.
Her school is gone, burned to the ground, but her students, all 60 or so of them, still need to eat. One hundred percent of the student body at Berry Creek Elementary receives lunch assistance; 91% of the students are “socioeconomically disadvantaged,” she said.
Right now, the county is figuring out how to get food to the students and their families, she said, working to establish pickup sites, trying to arrange for nonperishable supplies that can be useful for families living in hotels and other temporary housing.
“Still, it was a great school!” Oxford exclaimed. “We just got high-speed internet, we’re into the 21st century! We got it the week we went out with COVID. It allowed us to at least get kids connected.… All the kids had Chromebooks. Some lost them [in the fire]. We just gave out hotspots on Tuesday. Some kids got them, some didn’t. We’ll replace those.”
Oxford’s house in the Berry Creek neighborhood of Lake Madrone did not burn, although she has been evacuated and is staying with her daughter in nearby Chico. Eight of the 12 staff members lost their homes. The other three live in Chico and are fine.
When Oxford answered the phone, she said, “we’re just watching a video.” It was on Facebook, she said, and it showed the fire’s devastation. She paused. Choked up. Continued. “We thought, ‘Oh, maybe something survived.’
“But nothing survived. Only there’s a red door in the middle of it. I want that door,” Oxford said. “It’s like Paradise was. The fire just went through and everything is gone. One student on the street, his house, it’s still standing. Still standing is good, but it’s going to be a long haul.”
Echoes of nearby Paradise are everywhere in the Berry Creek fire, with so many reminded of the small town destroyed two years ago. The Oroville School District has reached out, and people are talking about finding space, maybe a couple of vacant classrooms, for Berry Creek Elementary to use to regroup. That space is in the same school Paradise educators used after their town was razed.
Educators from Paradise and Concow — victims of the Camp fire — have offered advice and moral support. The community is hoping to get trailers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency left over from the 2018 inferno. The Gridley fairgrounds have opened up for evacuees, Oxford said, just like it did in the earlier disaster.
The same foundations that helped after the Camp fire are poised to help now: The North Valley Community Foundation, Butte County Schools Long-Term Recovery Fund, the Butte Strong Fund.
“One of the big things Paradise said was get the kids to connect,” Oxford said. “Let them see each other. With COVID, that’s hard. We’ll Zoom in a week or so. We’re hoping to connect with the Paradise kids, maybe with a video, ‘Things Get Better.’
“It’s pretty darn devastating, pretty horrible,” she said. “Unfortunately, everyone in Butte County has been down this road before.”
The difference, this time, is the educational effort forced on the world by the novel coronavirus, the circumstance everyone loves to hate.
“We’re doing distance learning,” Oxford said. “That’s, in a bizarre way, a good thing.…
“The upside of COVID-19. Who knew? Who knew there was an upside?”
On Thursday afternoon, smoke as thick as coastal fog hovered over the water of Lake Oroville and fire continued to burn around Berry Creek, although the main blaze had moved on. Red licks of flame sprouted from power poles and crackled in curving lines across scrub grass.
Hundreds of workers, from power linemen to animal rescuers, trudged up the closed road to begin the work of recovery, which will take years. A stallion and a mare were loaded into a trailer, firefighters with water trucks sprayed troublesome spots, and a few die-hards who refused the evacuation order waited in cars on or lawn chairs for the chance to return to what was left.
By Thursday afternoon, Martinez and a reporter made it to his house, which was still standing.
“My God, my God, my God,” he said, as the low brown trailer came into site, unharmed. An RV and a pontoon boat were nearby. Fire had not made it here, though burned trees from the 2017 Wall fire, which came within two feet of his propane tank, still remained.
At 1:19, he texted his friend Lilli Heart, who lives in the town of Cottonwood, not far from Redding. When Heart lost her Paradise home in the Camp fire, Martinez reached out on Facebook nine days later. “I have resources, sweetheart,” he said by Facebook Messenger. “What do you need right now? What do you need today?”
The two have never actually met, but Heart sent money to Martinez’s PayPal account to help him in this terrible time. She didn’t think twice, after all he’d done for so many people. She wasn’t the only one to help the man who had helped so many.
“Our house is still there,” Martinez texted to Heart. “Oh my God. This is the second fire we were told our house is gone. We are not out of danger. But it’s still there..... I want to send you the money back.... I want to send everybody’s funds back.”
And later: “I feel so bad. Oh my God, I can’t believe this happened. Berry Creek is gone. All 12 people who are missing are our friends, and two have perished.”
Heart had a simple response. It was one she’d learned from hard experience.
“It’s not the time to feel bad if your home is still there,” she texted back on Thursday afternoon. “It is time to celebrate your good fortune.”


latimes--2020-09-11--In effort to change sex-crimes law, Newsom's LGBTQ rights record faces a test

A California bill intended to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ people in sex crime convictions has captured the attention of Republicans and far-right conspiracy theorists , who are demanding a veto from Gov .
Gavin Newsom and say state Democratic leaders are putting teenagers at risk .
The measure , Senate Bill 145 , would amend existing state law that allows judges to decide whether an adult convicted of having vaginal sexual intercourse with a minor should register as a sex offender in cases in which the minor is 14 years or older and the adult is not more than 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adults who are convicted of having oral or anal sex with a minor under those circumstances are automatically added to the state ’ s sex offender registry .
SB 145 would eliminate automatic sex offender registration in those cases , and give judges discretion to make that decision .
Newsom ’ s decision to sign or veto the legislation promises to have both a state and national political impact .
Along with opposition from Republicans in the state Legislature , supporters of President Trump and far-right conspiracy theorists have seized on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure as a political wedge issue and rallying cry , with some falsely claiming on social media that California is legalizing pedophilia .
Assemblyman Chad Mayes , an independent from Yucca Valley , warned fellow lawmakers about the potential political consequences just moments before he voted in favor of SB 145 on Aug. 31 , the final night of the state legislative session .
“ This is one of those bills you will take a political hit for , ” said Mayes , who left the Republican Party in 2019 .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ righteous and just .
This is the time to step up.
” The bill ’ s author , state Sen. Scott Wiener ( D-San Francisco ) , said the disparity in current state law that SB 145 would address is a remnant of California ’ s old anti-sodomy laws , many since repealed , that were intended to criminalize sex between gay men .
The intent of SB 145 , he said , is to address cases in which two people close in age — an 18-year-old and 17-year-old dating in high school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual relationship .
The 18-year-old can still be convicted of a sex offense but should not automatically be registered as a sex offender , a lifelong designation that is an impediment to finding employment , a place to live and other necessities of life , Weiner said .
“ We need to stop criminalizing teenagers for having sex , ” he said .
The vast majority of the criticism toward the bill is focused on a provision that has been in the state ’ s sex offender registry law for decades — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the adult .
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas recently accused California Democrats of believing “ we need more adults having sex with children , ” and Donald Trump Jr. used the bill to attack his father ’ s opponent in the presidential race , tweeting , “ Why are Joe Biden Democrats working in California to pander to the wishes of pedophiles and child rapists ?
” Despite the transparent attempts by some opponents to distort and weaponize the issue , those efforts could present enough of a political threat to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Nathan Ballard , who worked as an aide to Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco .
“ It ’ s a tough call for the governor , ” Ballard said .
“ There might be some wisdom in Gov .
Newsom rejecting this draft and asking for modifications to eliminate the 10-year age gap.
” Dana Williamson , a Democratic political strategist and Cabinet secretary to then-Gov .
Jerry Brown , said sex offender registry laws discriminating against the LGBTQ community have been a long-standing problem in California , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into law despite the attacks .
Williamson said Newsom may come under fire , but she doubts it would harm Newsom politically given his history of support for LGBTQ rights .
“ It ’ s the double-edged sword of leadership , ” she said .
Newsom has been an outspoken champion of LGBTQ rights since he was mayor of San Francisco and directed the city to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004 .
That defiant act became a catalyst for a nationwide political battle over the issue that ended when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LGBTQ people to marry in 2015 .
Newsom ’ s history-making decision faced opposition from the right and in his own party .
Republicans pounced on the issue , and some Democrats feared same-sex marriage would energize social conservatives during the 2004 election .
Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) said at the time that Newsom was partly to blame for John Kerry ’ s presidential loss .
Weiner said opponents have deliberately distorted what the legislation would do in order to exploit anti-LGBTQ sentiment for their own political gain .
He noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill , something he said they would not do if it put children at risk .
Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey helped draft the bill , which is supported by the California District Attorneys Assn.
, the California Police Chiefs Assn .
and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault .
“ This bill allows judges and prosecutors to evaluate cases involving consensual sex acts between young people , regardless of their sexual orientation , on an individual basis .
I drafted this bill because I believe the law must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all Californians , ” Lacey said in a written statement .
Among Wiener ’ s legislative colleagues , it was a Democrat , Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego , who delivered one of the most impassioned attacks on the bill .
“ I can not , in my mind , as a mother , understand how sex between a 24-year-old and a 14-year-old could ever be consensual , how it could ever not be a registerable offense , ” Gonzalez said during debate on the bill on the Assembly floor Aug. 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me a situation where a 24-year-old had sex with a 14-year-old , any kind of sex , and it wasn ’ t predatory.
” State Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove of Bakersfield also castigated the bill , posting on Facebook after it passed that California Democrats had “ placed protecting sexual predators over protecting our children.
” Wiener called those arguments grossly disingenuous .
He noted that the 10-year age difference provision in California ’ s sexual offender registry law has been on the books for decades and said that none of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change the law to address judicial discretion in cases involving heterosexual sex with a minor .
“ If it ’ s been a problem , people would have heard about it .
You would have had district attorneys complaining about it , ” Weiner said .
“ It didn ’ t become a problem until the gay people came forward and said please treat us the same way.
” Grove said she objects to the bill ’ s attempt to remove the provision in current state law mandating that adults convicted of having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — who might be 10 years younger than the adult — be added to the sex offender registry .
“ California shouldn ’ t go down that path , regardless of what type of sex it was , ” Grove said .
Wiener said that he ’ s received hundreds of death threats because of his work on the legislation and that an adherent of QAnon , a fringe , pro-Trump conspiracy theory , published his home address in a social media post .
But as Newsom weighs his decision on the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legislation say weathering such attacks is worth it in order to change a law that they argue discriminates against LGBTQ people .
“ I ran for office to try to make positive change in the world , and that means sometimes you get attacked , and sometimes you get attacked viciously , ” said Wiener , who is chairman of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus .
“ The LGTBQ community deserves equality and we can ’ t shy away from that .
And the Democratic Party needs to stand for something .
@

Discrimination against LGBTQ people in sex crime convictions will be outlawed under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom late Friday evening.
The measure, Senate Bill 145, will amend existing state law that allows judges to decide whether an adult convicted of having vaginal sexual intercourse with a minor should register as a sex offender in cases in which the minor is 14 years or older and the adult is not more than 10 years older than the minor.
Currently, adults who are convicted of having oral or anal sex with a minor under those circumstances are automatically added to the state’s sex offender registry. SB 145 will eliminate automatic sex offender registration in those cases and give judges discretion to make that decision.
Newsom’s decision to sign the legislation promises to have both a state and national political impact. Along with opposition from Republicans in the state Legislature, supporters of President Trump and far-right conspiracy theorists have seized on the bill in an attempt to use the measure as a political wedge issue and rallying cry, with some falsely claiming on social media that California is legalizing pedophilia.
Assemblyman Chad Mayes, an independent from Yucca Valley, warned fellow lawmakers about the potential political consequences just moments before he voted in favor of SB 145 on Aug. 31, the final night of the state legislative session.
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“This is one of those bills you will take a political hit for,” said Mayes, who left the Republican Party in 2019. “But we also know that it’s righteous and just. This is the time to step up.”
The bill’s author, state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), said the disparity in current state law that SB 145 will address is a remnant of California’s old anti-sodomy laws, many since repealed, that were intended to criminalize sex between gay men.
The intent of SB 145, he said, is to address cases in which two people close in age — an 18-year-old and 17-year-old dating in high school, for example — are in a sexual relationship. The 18-year-old can still be convicted of a sex offense but should not automatically be registered as a sex offender, a lifelong designation that is an impediment to finding employment, a place to live and other necessities of life, Wiener said.
“It’s appalling that in 2020, California continues to discriminate against LGBTQ people, by mandating that LGBTQ young people be placed on the sex offender registry in situations where straight people aren’t required to be placed on the registry,” Wiener said in a statement Friday night. “SB 145 simply ends that discrimination by treating LGBTQ young people the exact same way that straight young people have been treated since 1944.”
The vast majority of the criticism toward the bill was focused on a provision that has been in the state’s sex offender registry law for decades — the 10-year age gap between the minor and the adult.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas recently accused California Democrats of believing “we need more adults having sex with children,” and Donald Trump Jr. used the bill to attack his father’s opponent in the presidential race, tweeting, “Why are Joe Biden Democrats working in California to pander to the wishes of pedophiles and child rapists?”
Nathan Ballard, who worked as an aide to Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco, had said Newsom may have been wise to veto the legislation and recommend that state lawmakers change the provision with the 10-year age gap, given how the Republicans were weaponizing the issue politically.
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Dana Williamson, a Democratic political strategist and Cabinet secretary to then-Gov. Jerry Brown, said sex offender registry laws discriminating against the LGBTQ community have been a long-standing problem in California, and she had urged Newsom to sign the bill into law despite the attacks.
Williamson said Newsom will probably come under fire, but she doubted signing the bill would harm him politically given his history of support for LGBTQ rights.
“It’s the double-edged sword of leadership,” she said.
Newsom has been an outspoken champion of LGBTQ rights since he was mayor of San Francisco and directed the city to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004. That defiant act became a catalyst for a nationwide political battle over the issue that ended when the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of LGBTQ people to marry in 2015.
Newsom’s history-making decision faced opposition from the right and in his own party. Republicans pounced on the issue, and some Democrats feared same-sex marriage would energize social conservatives during the 2004 election. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said at the time that Newsom was partly to blame for John Kerry’s presidential loss.
Wiener said opponents have deliberately distorted what the legislation will do in order to exploit anti-LGBTQ sentiment for their own political gain. He noted that police chiefs and prosecutors supported the bill, something he said they would not do if it put children at risk.
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey helped draft the bill, which was supported by the California District Attorneys Assn., the California Police Chiefs Assn. and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
“This bill allows judges and prosecutors to evaluate cases involving consensual sex acts between young people, regardless of their sexual orientation, on an individual basis. I drafted this bill because I believe the law must be applied equally to ensure justice for all Californians,” Lacey said in a written statement before the bill was signed by Newsom.
Among Wiener’s legislative colleagues, it was a Democrat, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, who delivered one of the most impassioned attacks on the bill.
“I cannot, in my mind, as a mother, understand how sex between a 24-year-old and a 14-year-old could ever be consensual, how it could ever not be a registerable offense,” Gonzalez said during debate on the bill on the Assembly floor Aug. 31. “I challenge everybody: Give me a situation where a 24-year-old had sex with a 14-year-old, any kind of sex, and it wasn’t predatory.”
State Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove of Bakersfield also castigated the bill, posting on Facebook after it passed that California Democrats had “placed protecting sexual predators over protecting our children.”
Wiener called those arguments grossly disingenuous. He noted that the 10-year age difference provision in California’s sexual offender registry law has been on the books for decades and said that none of the lawmakers criticizing the bill have attempted to change the law to address judicial discretion in cases involving heterosexual sex with a minor.
“If it’s been a problem, people would have heard about it. You would have had district attorneys complaining about it,” Wiener said. “It didn’t become a problem until the gay people came forward and said please treat us the same way.”
Grove said she objects to the bill’s removing the provision in current state law mandating that adults convicted of having anal or oral sex with a minor — who might be 10 years younger than the adult — be added to the sex offender registry.
“California shouldn’t go down that path, regardless of what type of sex it was,” Grove said.
Wiener said that he’s received hundreds of death threats because of his work on the legislation and that an adherent of QAnon, a fringe, pro-Trump conspiracy theory, published his home address in a social media post.
Wiener and others who voted for the legislation said weathering such attacks was worth it in order to change a law that they argue discriminates against LGBTQ people.
“I ran for office to try to make positive change in the world, and that means sometimes you get attacked, and sometimes you get attacked viciously,” said Wiener, who is chairman of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. “The LGBTQ community deserves equality and we can’t shy away from that. And the Democratic Party needs to stand for something.”


latimes--2020-09-11--California's staggering fire toll: A record 3 million acres, and it's still early

Even before the peak of fire season , a record 3 million acres have burned across California this year , with so many blazes simultaneously whipping through dry wilderness that many have converged into massive “ complexes , ” the scope of which the state has never seen .
On Thursday , the August Complex — the product of 37 fires in and around Tehama County — became the largest ever recorded in California at 471,000 acres .
But its remoteness made it less a priority than several other major fires edging closer to mountain towns and foothill suburbs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ blaze near Oroville , mushroomed this week into an inferno that was blamed for 10 deaths as of Thursday evening , with 16 people missing .
It has scorched more than 252,000 acres and forced some 20,000 residents in Plumas , Butte and Yuba counties from their homes .
The smoke layer was so thick midweek that officials were just getting a grasp of the devastation Thursday as the winds died down .
Lake Oroville still lay shrouded in a dense layer of smoke .
In the city , shell-shocked evacuees drove with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much for the coronavirus as to filter ash wafting like snow .
They searched for scarce hotel rooms , hot meals and friendly places to park cars packed with their chosen possessions .
Up on the mountain , where the fire still burned , a small number of people remained behind the evacuation lines with power cut off and wells not working — bone-tired from this fire and the many before it .
Kendall Hill , 15 , sat in a camp chair in a parking lot with his dad , helping friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exhausted first-responders .
Hill fled his home in Berry Creek on Tuesday night , leaving before flames arrived .
Fortunately , his home survived , but some of his family in the area lost theirs .
“ It ’ s sad , ” he said , exhaustion in his eyes .
“ Emotional.
” Little was left but chimneys , washing machines and the smoking remains of cars and trucks in tiny Berry Creek .
In a community many described as “ family , ” Butte County Animal Control officer Lynette Brennan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for firefighters to deliver two injured dogs they recovered .
Inside a trailer , she had two horses , one burned , waiting to be taken down the hill .
She has worked this job for eight years and been through multiple fires .
“ It ’ s daunting , ” she said .
“ You see everything destroyed.
” Brennan said one of the hardest parts is personally knowing so many people who lost homes , and that many will not be able to rebuild .
“ You know they lost everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
The many fires of the North Complex had calmed down enough Thursday for some to start taking stock of their losses .
But in the last month , when one blaze slowed , another inevitably exploded .
In the far north , the Slater fire took off Wednesday night , growing from 30,000 acres to more than 120,000 by 7 a.m. Thursday .
It crossed the border into Oregon , a state already besieged by its own fires , with half a million people under evacuation orders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ footprint of the blaze .
With that fire ’ s expansion , Gov .
Gavin Newsom added Siskiyou County to its list of 17 other counties in a state of emergency .
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said dangerously dry conditions led “ to explosive fires that have really just skyrocketed us past the 3-million mark for the first time in our recorded history.
” “ Unfortunately , with several more months of fire season to go , this number could continue to increase , ” he said Thursday .
The sheer number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West has left fire crews stretched like never before .
The U.S. Forest Service reported that just 1,117 personnel were on the August Complex .
By comparison , nearly 4,000 personnel battled the 2018 Mendocino Complex that had been the state ’ s largest until it was surpassed by the August Complex .
The 2017 Thomas Fire had nearly 9,000 people on the scene at one point .
The complex fires burning now date back to a freak mid-August siege of dry lightning across Northern California , sparking four of the 10 largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the August and North Complex fires were ignited in that storm , continued burning in the back country , then exploded with this week ’ s heatwave and high winds .
Two others — the SCU Lightning Complex in the hills east of San Jose and the LNU Lightning Complex in the North Bay and wine country — are still burning but almost entirely contained .
They account for the third and fourth largest since California began keeping records in 1932 .
The Dolan fire , which ignited Aug. 18 north of Limekiln @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also seen extreme growth this week , tripling in size to 110,000 acres .
A second salvo of new fire ignitions worsened the dire situation , with the Bobcat fire in the San Gabriel Mountains , the Valley Fire southeast San Diego County , the El Dorado fire near Yucaipa , the Creek fire roaring out of the Sierra National Forest .
At the Creek fire , lighter winds cleared the air long enough beginning Wednesday afternoon to finally give aircraft an opportunity to line the forest with retardant , as crews on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to harden the defenses around areas such as Meadow Lakes and Tollhouse .
“ We ’ re really trying to start gaining containment on this fire , ” said Chris Vestal , a spokesman for the Creek fire response .
“ A lot of what we want to do is make sure everything that is standing stays standing.
” Above Monrovia , the Bobcat fire was updated to a “ Type 1 ” incident Thursday by forest service officials , reflecting a need for more personnel and equipment .
“ Potential size and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reclassification , according to Forest Service representative Micah Bell .
“ I ’ ve actually seen Type 1 teams handle fires that were barely 2,000 acres , but it was the complexity of managing it that requires a bigger team , ” Bell said .
Though the fire has swelled significantly — nearly doubling in size Wednesday — much of the growth was in its northeastern portion , Bell said , away from threatened foothill communities .
Six areas remain under an evacuation warning : Duarte , Bradbury , Monrovia , Sierra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope is that weather conditions will “ improve across the state today , with most areas experiencing seasonal temperatures and dry conditions , ” according to Cal Fire .
“ Northern California should expect average temperatures through the weekend , with a possible cooling trend next week , ” officials wrote Thursday .
“ In Southern California , temperatures will be at or slightly above normal.
” Chabria reported from Oroville , St. John from Chico , Money and Mozingo from Los Angeles .
Times Staff Writers Joseph Serna , Hayley Smith , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .

Anita Chabria, Paige St. John, Luke Money, Joe Mozingo

Flames consume dry brush around Santa Barbara firefighters as they set a backfire along Oro Quincy Highway in the aftermath of the Bear fire in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A man stands on a dock at the Shaver Lake Marina as the Creek fire approaches on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Flames leap into the sky as fire engulfs trees near Shaver Lake. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A duck swims in Shaver Lake as the Creek fire approaches on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter conducts a back-burn operation along California 168 as the Creek fire approaches the Shaver Lake Marina. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A member of the Laguna Hotshots Crew battles the Creek fire on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A vehicle streaks along California 168 as the Creek fire creeps closer to Shaver Lake, Calif., on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A member of the Laguna Hotshots Crew is silhouetted against a background of flames. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Members of the Laguna Hotshots Crew walk down Huntington Lake Road to battle the Creek fire on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The Laguna Hotshots Crew out of the Cleveland National Forest battles the Creek fire as it approaches the Southern California Edison Big Creek Hydroelectric Plant on Sept. 6 in Big Creek, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A vehicle streaks by as Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffery Shipman stands along California 168, with the Creek fire in the background on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A table stands outside the destroyed Cressman’s General Store in Fresno County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A plume rises from the Bear fire as it burns along Lake Oroville in Butte County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Frank Martinez, left, and Rick Wolfe with their nine dogs in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter battles the Creek fire as it threatens homes in Madera County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A crew from Trinity River Conservation Camp, a prison facility, does mop-up work on Stringtown Road on Friday, the day after a flare-up in the area. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Melted goggles lie on the ground next to the burned-out truck on Stringtown Road. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Propane gas burns Friday at the ruins of a home on Zink Road in the Berry Creek area of Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Thick smoke shrouds iconic Half Dome towering over Yosemite Valley in a view from Sentinel Bridge over the Merced River on Sept. 13. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A deer grazes in Cook’s Meadow as thick smoke shrouds the iconic landmarks of Yosemite Valley. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Thick smoke from multiple forest fires shrouds iconic El Capitan, right, and the walls of Yosemite Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Lance Georgeson of Mammoth Lakes paddleboards on Tenaya Lake on Sept. 13 in Yosemite National Park. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Even before the peak of fire season, a record 3 million acres have burned across California this year, with so many blazes simultaneously whipping through dry wilderness that many have converged into massive “complexes,” the scope of which the state has never seen.
On Thursday, the August Complex — the product of 37 fires in and around Tehama County — became the largest ever recorded in California at 471,000 acres.
But its remoteness made it less a priority than several other major fires edging closer to mountain towns and foothill suburbs.
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VIDEO | 01:05 California wildfires have created unprecedented destruction Even before the peak of fire season, six of the 20 largest blazes in California history have occurred this year.
One of those, the North Complex blaze near Oroville, mushroomed this week into an inferno that was blamed for 10 deaths as of Thursday evening, with 16 people missing. It has scorched more than 252,000 acres and forced some 20,000 residents in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties from their homes. The smoke layer was so thick midweek that officials were just getting a grasp of the devastation Thursday as the winds died down.
A fox pauses amid burned brush in the forest in the aftermath of the Bear fire in Berry Creek. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Lake Oroville still lay shrouded in a dense layer of smoke. In the city, shell-shocked evacuees drove with headlights all day, wearing masks as much for the coronavirus as to filter ash wafting like snow. They searched for scarce hotel rooms, hot meals and friendly places to park cars packed with their chosen possessions.
Up on the mountain, where the fire still burned, a small number of people remained behind the evacuation lines with power cut off and wells not working — bone-tired from this fire and the many before it.
Kendall Hill, 15, sat in a camp chair in a parking lot with his dad, helping friends give out free hot dogs and chips to exhausted first-responders. Hill fled his home in Berry Creek on Tuesday night, leaving before flames arrived. Fortunately, his home survived, but some of his family in the area lost theirs.
“It’s sad,” he said, exhaustion in his eyes. “Emotional.”
Little was left but chimneys, washing machines and the smoking remains of cars and trucks in tiny Berry Creek.
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World & Nation Climate change brings Santa Ana-like winds and explosive wildfires to Oregon Like the winds that race down the mountainsides near Los Angeles each fall, gaining heat and fanning the flames as they go, the gales that struck Oregon over the weekend have turned small fires into infernos.
In a community many described as “family,” Butte County Animal Control officer Lynette Brennan waited by the side of the road for firefighters to deliver two injured dogs they recovered.
Inside a trailer, she had two horses, one burned, waiting to be taken down the hill. She has worked this job for eight years and been through multiple fires.
“It’s daunting,” she said. “You see everything destroyed.”
Brennan said one of the hardest parts is personally knowing so many people who lost homes, and that many will not be able to rebuild. “You know they lost everything, and there is no recouping that,” she said.
The many fires of the North Complex had calmed down enough Thursday for some to start taking stock of their losses.
But in the last month, when one blaze slowed, another inevitably exploded.
Flames consume dry brush around City of Santa Barbara firefighters Eric Cole, left, and Mark Kramer as the crew sets a backfire along Oro Quincy Hwy. in the aftermath of the Bear fire on Thursday in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
In the far north, the Slater fire took off Wednesday night, growing from 30,000 acres to more than 120,000 by 7 a.m. Thursday. It crossed the border into Oregon, a state already besieged by its own fires, with half a million people under evacuation orders. Two bodies have been recovered in the footprint of the blaze.
With that fire’s expansion, Gov. Gavin Newsom added Siskiyou County to its list of 17 other counties in a state of emergency.
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said dangerously dry conditions led “to explosive fires that have really just skyrocketed us past the 3-million mark for the first time in our recorded history.”
“Unfortunately, with several more months of fire season to go, this number could continue to increase,” he said Thursday.
The sheer number of wildfires across California and the parched West has left fire crews stretched like never before.
The U.S. Forest Service reported that just 1,117 personnel were on the August Complex.
A horse stands motionless in a field along Bald Rock Rd. in the aftermath of the Bear fire on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 in Berry Creek, CA. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
By comparison, nearly 4,000 personnel battled the 2018 Mendocino Complex that had been the state’s largest until it was surpassed by the August Complex. The 2017 Thomas Fire had nearly 9,000 people on the scene at one point.
The complex fires burning now date back to a freak mid-August siege of dry lightning across Northern California, sparking four of the 10 largest fires on record in California.
Both the August and North Complex fires were ignited in that storm, continued burning in the back country, then exploded with this week’s heatwave and high winds.
Two others — the SCU Lightning Complex in the hills east of San Jose and the LNU Lightning Complex in the North Bay and wine country — are still burning but almost entirely contained. They account for the third and fourth largest since California began keeping records in 1932.
The Dolan fire, which ignited Aug. 18 north of Limekiln State Park in Monterey County, has also seen extreme growth this week, tripling in size to 110,000 acres.
A second salvo of new fire ignitions worsened the dire situation, with the Bobcat fire in the San Gabriel Mountains, the Valley Fire southeast San Diego County, the El Dorado fire near Yucaipa, the Creek fire roaring out of the Sierra National Forest.
At the Creek fire, lighter winds cleared the air long enough beginning Wednesday afternoon to finally give aircraft an opportunity to line the forest with retardant, as crews on the fire’s southern portion worked to harden the defenses around areas such as Meadow Lakes and Tollhouse.
“We’re really trying to start gaining containment on this fire,” said Chris Vestal, a spokesman for the Creek fire response. “A lot of what we want to do is make sure everything that is standing stays standing.”
Above Monrovia, the Bobcat fire was updated to a “Type 1” incident Thursday by forest service officials, reflecting a need for more personnel and equipment.
Evacuees Frank Martinez, left, and friend Rick Wolfe sit in Martinez’s Dodge van with their nine dogs in the aftermath of the Bear fire in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
“Potential size and potential complexity” were both factors in the reclassification, according to Forest Service representative Micah Bell.
“I’ve actually seen Type 1 teams handle fires that were barely 2,000 acres, but it was the complexity of managing it that requires a bigger team,” Bell said.
Though the fire has swelled significantly — nearly doubling in size Wednesday — much of the growth was in its northeastern portion, Bell said, away from threatened foothill communities.
Six areas remain under an evacuation warning: Duarte, Bradbury, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena and Altadena.
The hope is that weather conditions will “improve across the state today, with most areas experiencing seasonal temperatures and dry conditions,” according to Cal Fire.
Boats are shrouded in smoke and ash at Loafer Point on Lake Oroville in the aftermath of the Bear fire on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
“Northern California should expect average temperatures through the weekend, with a possible cooling trend next week,” officials wrote Thursday. “In Southern California, temperatures will be at or slightly above normal.”
Chabria reported from Oroville, St. John from Chico, Money and Mozingo from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Joseph Serna, Hayley Smith, Tony Barboza and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-10--Family of San Quentin inmate who contracted COVID-19 files wrongful death claim

The family of a San Quentin inmate who contracted the coronavirus has filed the first death claim against the California correctional system related to the pandemic , citing the botched transfer of infected prisoners as the cause of his death .
Daniel Ruiz , 61 , is one of 27 inmates and employees who died of virus-related illnesses after San Quentin , California ’ s oldest prison , took in 121 transfers from the California Institution for Men in Chino , which had become a hotbed for the virus .
Civil rights attorneys for Ruiz ’ s three children and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is a precursor to a lawsuit accusing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation of wrongful and unconstitutional death .
About 2,237 San Quentin inmates have tested positive for the virus , whereas before the May 30 transfer , no one had .
At the time of the moves , the Chino prison reported more than 600 cases of the coronavirus and nine COVID-19 deaths .
During a state hearing , a federal monitor overseeing inmate health in the California prisons conceded three or four weeks had passed since some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The folks in our prisons are human beings .
Many who died at San Quentin had done nonviolent crimes and should have been coming back to their families soon , ” Ruiz family attorney Michael Haddad said .
“ It is tragic and unacceptable that some prison bureaucrats treated them as less than human.
” While San Quentin is known as home to California ’ s death row , it also houses many of lower-level offenders .
Haddad said Ruiz was serving time for a minor drug crime .
He had been notified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release for good behavior as a nonviolent offender , according to the legal claim .
But on July 11 he died .
Haddad said Ruiz was known to be among the 40,000 high-risk inmates housed in California prisons because of asthma and other health issues .
Because of corrections policies , the Ruiz family did not learn he had developed COVID-19 and had been hospitalized for two weeks , when he was near death , said attorney Julia Sherwin .
“ Daniel suffered alone while the CDCR kept his mom , kids and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
About 288 correctional and medical staff at the Bay Area prison have tested positive for the virus .
Deaths so far have included 26 inmates and one employee , Sgt .
Gilbert Polanco , 55 , a veteran officer .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has acknowledged that the Chino inmates “ should not have been transferred.
” To stem outbreaks , Newsom has slashed the prison population by several thousand , including about 3,500 inmate releases so far , with a commitment to release about 8,000 more .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in open tiers that facilitated the spread of the disease , according to the Ruiz family claim .
Corrections officials knew the combination of tight quarters and poor ventilation and older inmates and underlying health problems meant there was a high risk of morbidity , the claim says .
It also alleges that corrections officials failed to conduct proper testing .
In the wake of the massive outbreak , the head physician for inmates across the state was replaced .

The family of a San Quentin inmate who contracted the coronavirus has filed the first death claim against the California correctional system related to the pandemic, citing the botched transfer of infected prisoners as the cause of his death.
Daniel Ruiz, 61, is one of 27 inmates and employees who died of virus-related illnesses after San Quentin, California’s oldest prison, took in 121 transfers from the California Institution for Men in Chino, which had become a hotbed for the virus.
Civil rights attorneys for Ruiz’s three children and his mother filed a legal claim Thursday that is a precursor to a lawsuit accusing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation of wrongful and unconstitutional death. About 2,237 San Quentin inmates have tested positive for the virus, whereas before the May 30 transfer, no one had.
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At the time of the moves, the Chino prison reported more than 600 cases of the coronavirus and nine COVID-19 deaths. During a state hearing, a federal monitor overseeing inmate health in the California prisons conceded three or four weeks had passed since some of the transferred inmates had been tested.
“The folks in our prisons are human beings. Many who died at San Quentin had done nonviolent crimes and should have been coming back to their families soon,” Ruiz family attorney Michael Haddad said. “It is tragic and unacceptable that some prison bureaucrats treated them as less than human.”
While San Quentin is known as home to California’s death row, it also houses many of lower-level offenders. Haddad said Ruiz was serving time for a minor drug crime. He had been notified in March he was eligible for early release for good behavior as a nonviolent offender, according to the legal claim.
But on July 11 he died. Haddad said Ruiz was known to be among the 40,000 high-risk inmates housed in California prisons because of asthma and other health issues.
Because of corrections policies, the Ruiz family did not learn he had developed COVID-19 and had been hospitalized for two weeks, when he was near death, said attorney Julia Sherwin.
“Daniel suffered alone while the CDCR kept his mom, kids and siblings in the dark about his condition,” she said.
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About 288 correctional and medical staff at the Bay Area prison have tested positive for the virus. Deaths so far have included 26 inmates and one employee, Sgt. Gilbert Polanco, 55, a veteran officer.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has acknowledged that the Chino inmates “should not have been transferred.”
To stem outbreaks, Newsom has slashed the prison population by several thousand, including about 3,500 inmate releases so far, with a commitment to release about 8,000 more. San Quentin had housed more than 3,000 people in open tiers that facilitated the spread of the disease, according to the Ruiz family claim.
Corrections officials knew the combination of tight quarters and poor ventilation and older inmates and underlying health problems meant there was a high risk of morbidity, the claim says. It also alleges that corrections officials failed to conduct proper testing.
In the wake of the massive outbreak, the head physician for inmates across the state was replaced.