latimes--2020-08-23--Another coronavirus inequity: Those who can afford to stay in place and those who must move

Ivan Mirabelli cruised through Westwood Hills , past manicured lawn , big houses and scattered laborers keeping his well-off neighborhood ’ s appearance up , even in a pandemic .
Besides short walks and a few outdoor meetups , Mirabelli said he ’ s holed up at home .
His job in finance — typically travel heavy , but now fully online — gives him that flexibility .
“ I don ’ t want to get sick , ” said Mirabelli , 34 , who called the adaptability of his gig a privilege .
“ I don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and my safety.
” But not all jobs changed with the coronavirus .
Along the district ’ s rolling streets , people delivered packages , painted walls and pruned trees .
“ It ’ s like any other day .
… It seems pretty normal , ” said Jose Ochoa , 28 , who was landscaping a few blocks over .
For workers , the attitude is “ more like , ‘ nothing ’ s going to really happen to me , ’ because we have to do it either way , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they ’ re more cautious.
” Five months into the pandemic , the coronavirus has preyed upon the fault lines of American society to expand inequities .
Economic fallout hits poorer Californians hardest , and infection and death rates among Latino and Black communities tower over those in white communities , where more have the means to stay home .
A remarkable role reversal in mobility emerges as a product and producer of that growing disparity .
Social distancing varies by income , a new study published by UC Davis to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s wealthiest , who are typically the country ’ s most mobile , became its most stationary as the coronavirus spread , while poorer people went from the most inert to the biggest movers .
“ People in poor areas may be at more risk of infection because they are social distancing less , ” economist Joakim Weill said .
Wealthier people became the least mobile because they can adapt their work and consumption , said Michael Springborn , a UC Davis professor who worked with Weill and studies environmental and resource @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with your level of income .
… The more income you have , the more flexibility you have , ” Springborn said .
“ Lower-income communities tend to have jobs that are typically considered essential work and lend themselves less to work from home.
” “ They may have less liquidity and less cash on hand , and that may force them to do more trips to buy groceries , for instance , ” Weill added .
The economists identified the trend after splitting America ’ s counties and census tracts into five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Using mobile location data , they then compared income to the mobility of people living within each area .
The results show a stark difference between upper-class and working people .
“ There ’ s a massive jump as you get to that final category , ” Springborn said , referring to the elevated percentage of people staying completely at home in America ’ s wealthiest census tracts , where median income sits between $ 40,500 and $ 148,000 .
Among the three poorest quintiles , the measure of people staying completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly a fifth smaller than the richest group ’ s , representing a large , mobile working class .
“ It ’ s a reflection of the distribution of income level in the United States .
You have a lot of people earning a relatively low or modest amount , and then a much smaller amount of communities that are really , really far out on the high end , ” Springborn said .
Non-wealthy people ’ s increased coronavirus exposure fits alongside their higher rates of preexisting health conditions and decreased access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s becoming clear from various lines of evidence that poor communities are bearing a disproportionate share of the burden of the pandemic , ” he said .
In Los Angeles , communities with higher poverty rates have three times as many cases as wealthier communities , Advancement Project senior fellow Maria Cabildo said .
Cabildo foresaw the coronavirus ’ spread to Los Angeles ’ poorer areas back when the virus was reported to primarily affect wealthy people .
“ You couldn ’ t even get a test unless you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been in China or have been in Italy .
I had a sense , like , this is going to happen ... this thing ’ s going to spread into our communities , ” the born East-sider said .
Skyrocketing mortality rates for Latino and Black Angelenos prove her expectations turned true , she said .
The coronavirus ravaged poor communities while slowing in wealthier ones .
Poor households — often facing eviction , food shortage and more unmet needs — don ’ t have the flexibility to choose safety over money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and face exposure , Cabildo said .
“ If they ’ re lucky enough to have a family member that ’ s working , they ’ re out working , ” she said .
“ The consequence of that is people come into contact with many more people.
” That increased exposure combines with other factors , like higher home density , to devastate poor Latino and Black households in Los Angeles , she said .
“ We owe something to these workers , who are moving L.A. forward so that the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have to respond with resources in those communities that are most severely impacted , ” she said .
Springborn and Weill , whose research team also included academics from UC Santa Barbara and Stanford , said their findings should inform policy decisions too .
“ These type of findings should urge them to really consider prioritizing lower communities in the distribution of vaccines , ” Weill said .
Worker protections , information campaigns and masks could also be targeted toward poorer communities , they added .
Back in the Westwood Hills , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the side of the road and got out to deliver a package .
He said his name was Matt , and paused for a second as he tried to figure out how to get past a house ’ s metal gate .
“ If I didn ’ t have to be out here , no , I wouldn ’ t be out here .
There ’ s no way I ’ d be out here , ” the 52-year-old said .
The sun beamed .
Matt was sweaty .
He said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about contracting the coronavirus , he understands that flexibility comes with higher income — flexibility that would allow him to quit his grueling delivery job where “ everyone walks around like a zombie , ” and maybe move back across the country to live by family again .

Ivan Mirabelli cruised through Westwood Hills, past manicured lawn, big houses and scattered laborers keeping his well-off neighborhood’s appearance up, even in a pandemic.
Besides short walks and a few outdoor meetups, Mirabelli said he’s holed up at home. His job in finance — typically travel heavy, but now fully online — gives him that flexibility.
“I don’t want to get sick,” said Mirabelli, 34, who called the adaptability of his gig a privilege. “I don’t have to make the tradeoff between my job and my safety.”
But not all jobs changed with the coronavirus. Along the district’s rolling streets, people delivered packages, painted walls and pruned trees. “It’s like any other day. … It seems pretty normal,” said Jose Ochoa, 28, who was landscaping a few blocks over.
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For workers, the attitude is “more like, ‘nothing’s going to really happen to me,’ because we have to do it either way,” Ochoa said. “People from here, they’re more cautious.”
Five months into the pandemic, the coronavirus has preyed upon the fault lines of American society to expand inequities. Economic fallout hits poorer Californians hardest, and infection and death rates among Latino and Black communities tower over those in white communities, where more have the means to stay home.
A remarkable role reversal in mobility emerges as a product and producer of that growing disparity.
Social distancing varies by income, a new study published by UC Davis to the National Academy of Sciences shows. America’s wealthiest, who are typically the country’s most mobile, became its most stationary as the coronavirus spread, while poorer people went from the most inert to the biggest movers.
“People in poor areas may be at more risk of infection because they are social distancing less,” economist Joakim Weill said.
Wealthier people became the least mobile because they can adapt their work and consumption, said Michael Springborn, a UC Davis professor who worked with Weill and studies environmental and resource economics.
“Flexibility almost certainly increases with your level of income. … The more income you have, the more flexibility you have,” Springborn said. “Lower-income communities tend to have jobs that are typically considered essential work and lend themselves less to work from home.”
“They may have less liquidity and less cash on hand, and that may force them to do more trips to buy groceries, for instance,” Weill added.
The economists identified the trend after splitting America’s counties and census tracts into five different income groups based on median income. Using mobile location data, they then compared income to the mobility of people living within each area. The results show a stark difference between upper-class and working people.
“There’s a massive jump as you get to that final category,” Springborn said, referring to the elevated percentage of people staying completely at home in America’s wealthiest census tracts, where median income sits between $40,500 and $148,000. Among the three poorest quintiles, the measure of people staying completely at home bunches together at a rate nearly a fifth smaller than the richest group’s, representing a large, mobile working class.
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“It’s a reflection of the distribution of income level in the United States. You have a lot of people earning a relatively low or modest amount, and then a much smaller amount of communities that are really, really far out on the high end,” Springborn said. Non-wealthy people’s increased coronavirus exposure fits alongside their higher rates of preexisting health conditions and decreased access to quality healthcare, Springborn said.
“It’s becoming clear from various lines of evidence that poor communities are bearing a disproportionate share of the burden of the pandemic,” he said.
In Los Angeles, communities with higher poverty rates have three times as many cases as wealthier communities, Advancement Project senior fellow Maria Cabildo said. Cabildo foresaw the coronavirus’ spread to Los Angeles’ poorer areas back when the virus was reported to primarily affect wealthy people.
“You couldn’t even get a test unless you’d been traveling. You need to have been in China or have been in Italy. I had a sense, like, this is going to happen ... this thing’s going to spread into our communities,” the born East-sider said. Skyrocketing mortality rates for Latino and Black Angelenos prove her expectations turned true, she said. The coronavirus ravaged poor communities while slowing in wealthier ones.
Poor households — often facing eviction, food shortage and more unmet needs — don’t have the flexibility to choose safety over money, so they have to go out and face exposure, Cabildo said.
“If they’re lucky enough to have a family member that’s working, they’re out working,” she said. “The consequence of that is people come into contact with many more people.” That increased exposure combines with other factors, like higher home density, to devastate poor Latino and Black households in Los Angeles, she said.
“We owe something to these workers, who are moving L.A. forward so that the rest of us can shelter in place. We have to respond with resources in those communities that are most severely impacted,” she said.
Springborn and Weill, whose research team also included academics from UC Santa Barbara and Stanford, said their findings should inform policy decisions too.
“These type of findings should urge them to really consider prioritizing lower communities in the distribution of vaccines,” Weill said. Worker protections, information campaigns and masks could also be targeted toward poorer communities, they added.
Back in the Westwood Hills, a driver parked his sleek gray van on the side of the road and got out to deliver a package. He said his name was Matt, and paused for a second as he tried to figure out how to get past a house’s metal gate.
“If I didn’t have to be out here, no, I wouldn’t be out here. There’s no way I’d be out here,” the 52-year-old said.
The sun beamed. Matt was sweaty. He said that even though he’s not worried about contracting the coronavirus, he understands that flexibility comes with higher income — flexibility that would allow him to quit his grueling delivery job where “everyone walks around like a zombie,” and maybe move back across the country to live by family again.
“You know, wealth equals freedom,” Matt said. “Green equals freedom. Money equals freedom.”


latimes--2020-08-23--'Fires of hell': How dry lightning has sparked some of California's biggest infernos

Federal officials described them as the “ fires of hell , ” a “ holocaust ” that blackened 775,000 acres of timber and chaparral and produced miles-high clouds resembling a nuclear bomb blast .
It was the Siege of ’ 87 , when two weeks of dry lightning strikes in late August and early September sparked thousands of wildfires in Northern California and Oregon , drawing an army of 19,000 firefighters .
In 1999 , hundreds of lightning-caused fires in the Big Sur region and the state ’ s north merged into two of the nation ’ s top blazes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June of 2008 , more than 5,000 lightning strikes ignited some 1,000 fires across Northern California , the Sierra Nevada and the Central Coast .
This month ’ s explosion of lightning-sparked fires in the Bay Area will undoubtedly go down in the record books as the Siege of 2020 .
In the span of a week , some of them have merged together to form the second- and third- largest wildfires in modern state history .
But big fires ignited by storms that streak the skies with thousands of lightning bolts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s most destructive wildfires are often caused by people or equipment during high winds , many of the state ’ s largest recorded blazes have started with lightning strikes in the north or the Central Coast .
As of Saturday morning , the LNU Lightning Complex fire in the Napa-Sonoma County region had scorched more than 300,000 acres , making it the state ’ s second-largest after 2018 ’ s human-caused Mendocino Complex fire .
At roughly 292,000 acres , the SCU Complex fire in the East Bay region is the third-largest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some 12,000 — and the number of ignitions — 585 so far — makes it impossible for firefighting crews to contain many of the starts before they blend together , forming monsters that can burn for weeks or even months before dying out .
There is likely more to come , given the forecasts of thunderstorms , dry lightning and wind gusts for the Bay Area on Sunday and Monday .
Though the scale of the last week ’ s dry lightning strikes seems extraordinary , Cindy Palmer , a meteorologist in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service , said it wasn ’ t that unusual .
“ I think people have short memories , ” she said .
Two colliding weather systems — tropical moisture from the south and a high-pressure ridge from the east — are producing thunderstorms that spit out lightning but little rain .
Last weekend , Palmer said , lightning struck in one spot 10 miles from the nearest rainfall .
The moisture in the storm systems is in the higher atmosphere , and much of it evaporates before it reaches Earth ’ s surface @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these storms aren ’ t raining , ” Palmer said .
“ It ’ s that they ’ re not producing enough rain to stop a fire from starting.
” That is especially true after an exceptionally dry winter in Northern California , and a heat wave that has parched wildland vegetation .
Lightning strikes are relatively rare in coastal Southern California .
But they do occur in the mountains and deserts during the summer monsoon season .
A recent lightning strike sparked the Dome fire , which incinerated stands of Joshua trees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jon Keeley , a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey , and research ecologist Alexandra Syphard analyzed California wildfire ignitions , they found that lightning was the cause of the majority of blazes in Northern California forests but accounted for less than a quarter of the starts in Southern California ’ s four national forests .
The Southland ’ s worst wildfires are driven by Santa Ana winds — and are almost always caused by people , downed power lines or equipment sparks .

Federal officials described them as the “fires of hell,” a “holocaust” that blackened 775,000 acres of timber and chaparral and produced miles-high clouds resembling a nuclear bomb blast.
It was the Siege of ’87, when two weeks of dry lightning strikes in late August and early September sparked thousands of wildfires in Northern California and Oregon, drawing an army of 19,000 firefighters.
In 1999, hundreds of lightning-caused fires in the Big Sur region and the state’s north merged into two of the nation’s top blazes that year.
During a 33-hour period in June of 2008, more than 5,000 lightning strikes ignited some 1,000 fires across Northern California, the Sierra Nevada and the Central Coast.
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This month’s explosion of lightning-sparked fires in the Bay Area will undoubtedly go down in the record books as the Siege of 2020. In the span of a week, some of them have merged together to form the second- and third- largest wildfires in modern state history.
But big fires ignited by storms that streak the skies with thousands of lightning bolts are nothing new.
Though California’s most destructive wildfires are often caused by people or equipment during high winds, many of the state’s largest recorded blazes have started with lightning strikes in the north or the Central Coast.
Firefighters protect a home in the Berryessa Estates neighborhood of unincorporated Napa County, Calif., as the LNU Lightning Complex fires burn. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
As of Saturday morning, the LNU Lightning Complex fire in the Napa-Sonoma County region had scorched more than 300,000 acres, making it the state’s second-largest after 2018’s human-caused Mendocino Complex fire.
At roughly 292,000 acres, the SCU Complex fire in the East Bay region is the third-largest.
The enormous volume of lightning strikes — some 12,000 — and the number of ignitions — 585 so far — makes it impossible for firefighting crews to contain many of the starts before they blend together, forming monsters that can burn for weeks or even months before dying out.
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There is likely more to come, given the forecasts of thunderstorms, dry lightning and wind gusts for the Bay Area on Sunday and Monday.
Though the scale of the last week’s dry lightning strikes seems extraordinary, Cindy Palmer, a meteorologist in the Bay Area office of the National Weather Service, said it wasn’t that unusual.
“I think people have short memories,” she said.
Two colliding weather systems — tropical moisture from the south and a high-pressure ridge from the east — are producing thunderstorms that spit out lightning but little rain. Last weekend, Palmer said, lightning struck in one spot 10 miles from the nearest rainfall.
The moisture in the storm systems is in the higher atmosphere, and much of it evaporates before it reaches Earth’s surface.
“It’s not that these storms aren’t raining,” Palmer said. “It’s that they’re not producing enough rain to stop a fire from starting.”
That is especially true after an exceptionally dry winter in Northern California, and a heat wave that has parched wildland vegetation.
Lightning strikes are relatively rare in coastal Southern California. But they do occur in the mountains and deserts during the summer monsoon season.
A recent lightning strike sparked the Dome fire, which incinerated stands of Joshua trees in the Mojave National Preserve.
When Jon Keeley, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, and research ecologist Alexandra Syphard analyzed California wildfire ignitions, they found that lightning was the cause of the majority of blazes in Northern California forests but accounted for less than a quarter of the starts in Southern California’s four national forests.
The Southland’s worst wildfires are driven by Santa Ana winds — and are almost always caused by people, downed power lines or equipment sparks.


latimes--2020-08-22--Over 1 million California acres have burned since July as monster fires rage in Bay Area

With more than 1 million acres already burned in California since July , emergency officials braced for yet another day of dangerous fire weather on Sunday as the Bay Area reeled from deadly blazes that had destroyed hundreds of homes and caused tens of thousands of people to evacuate .
The second- and third-largest fires in California history are expected to grow in the next few days as a new thunderstorm system moves over the state , producing dry lightning and gusty winds .
The National Weather Service issued red-flag warnings across large swaths of Northern and Central California that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sunrise Sunday .
The new weather system will include frequent lightning strikes and gusty erratic winds , forecasters said .
It ’ s unwelcome news for firefighters , who are already stretched thin as they battle multiple fires throughout the state .
Crews on Saturday were battling dangerous blazes from the Santa Cruz Mountains to wine country and beyond .
Also on Saturday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced the White House had approved California ’ s request for a presidential major disaster declaration to bolster the state ’ s emergency response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times analysis has found 1.2 million acres have burned in the state in just a month — an astonishing toll so early in the fire season .
In all of 2019 , about 259,000 acres in California burned , according to the Idaho-based National Interagency Fire Center .
In all , more than 1.1 million acres have burned in Northern and Central California — the equivalent of more than 1,700 square miles , more than three times the size of the city of Los Angeles .
At least 1,000 structures have been destroyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a million acres have burned since Aug. 15 , which marked the start of a “ lightning siege ” during which 12,000 strikes started 585 new wildland fires .
The blazes include the LNU Lightning Complex fire , which at more than 325,000 acres is the third-largest fire in California history .
The SCU Lightning Complex fire , currently covering more than 339,000 acres , is the second-largest .
The fires , fanned by strong winds , heat and low humidity , have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate and prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send assistance .
The Guard is providing helicopter support and a dozen 20-person crews to fires throughout the state , and the military has sent several C-130 aircraft specially equipped to act as air tankers , said Jeremy Rahn , public information officer for the LNU fire .
Even so , authorities are reporting depleted resources , with manpower and tools overtaxed by the sheer scale and number of fires across the state .
One of the biggest concerns was the CZU August Lightning Complex fire , which was raging in the remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the border of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties .
That fire has burned 67,000 acres and spurred the evacuation of at least 77,000 people .
Officials evacuated the UC Santa Cruz campus and expressed concerns about some of the small mountain towns north of Santa Cruz including Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek .
The CZU fire has destroyed 105 structures and threatens more than 24,000 others .
It is 5 % contained , officials said Saturday .
Billy See , incident commander for the fire , said the weather forecast would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning is going to hamper all of our efforts , ” he said .
“ We ’ re going to see an increase in acreage over the next few days.
” The LNU Lightning Complex fire has destroyed 845 structures and triggered the evacuation of nonessential personnel from Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and patients from Adventist Health St. Helena hospital in Napa County .
Four civilians have died .
There were about 1,429 personnel fighting the fire as of Saturday , which Cal Fire Incident Commander Sean Kavanaugh contrasted with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which drew about 5,000 personnel , and the Wine Country fires of 2017 , to which nearly 6,000 firefighters were assigned .
Still , the fire remains the state ’ s top priority for resources as they become available , Shana Jones , Cal Fire unit chief , said Saturday .
“ Within an incident of this size and complexity , ” she said , “ and with all of the fire activity throughout the state , all of our resources remain stretched to a capacity that we have not seen in recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shift in weather .
The National Weather Service issued the red flag warning for the Bay Area and Central Coast for 5 a.m. Sunday through 5 p.m. Monday .
Remnant moisture and atmospheric instability from what was once Hurricane Genevieve were expected to affect the area , bringing a threat of thunderstorms capable of producing 50-mph winds and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes , said Cindy Palmer , meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey .
She said that , normally , forecasters ’ primary fear would be that the lightning strikes would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t generate enough rain to suppress the flames .
“ But because we have fire already on the ground , ” she said , “ we ’ re really concerned about the gusty and erratic winds as well.
” Lightning was already striking off the coast , about 500 miles southwest of San Francisco , on Saturday afternoon , she said .
Forecasters were predicting the brunt of the storm activity would hit California on Sunday into Monday .
On the eastern edge of , the SCU Lightning Complex fire has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Silicon Valley and the East Bay and west of the Central Valley .
The fire started as 20 separate blazes but merged into three , which were mostly burning through grass and ranchlands .
About 6,000 people were ordered to evacuate , and roughly 20,000 structures were threatened .
Josh Rubinstein , public information officer for Cal Fire , said the expected drop in humidity , dry lightning and rising winds were a destructive combination .
“ Those three things help drive or change fire behavior , ” Rubinstein said .
“ So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working out there at that time is to have a heightened sense of awareness.
” Like other fire officials , those managing the incident were contending with depleted staffing and equipment , he said .
“ No fire has the resources that they would like to have right now , ” he said .
The SCU Lightning Complex “ would probably have 25 helicopters on , and we have five .
Because there are other areas that need them more desperately than we do.
” He said the state would continue to assign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posed the greatest risk to life .
“ It ’ s a marathon , not a sprint , ” he said , “ and not on just this fire , but some of the surrounding fires that we ’ re dealing with.
” The Butte County Sheriff ’ s Office also issued an evacuation warning Thursday afternoon of Philbrook Reservoir and Inskip .
The county is contending with the Butte Lightning Complex fire , a collection of 34 confirmed lightning-caused fires that have burned a combined 2,623 acres .
Also burning in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 47,000 acres in steep mountainous terrain south of Salinas in Monterey County , destroying 19 structures , damaging eight others and forcing , according to Cal Fire .
At least 6,300 structures remain threatened by the blaze , which was 15 % contained as of Saturday night .
, burning just southwest of the River fire , has charred more than 6,600 acres and destroyed seven structures , fire officials said .
In Marin County , the Woodward fire had burned 2,259 acres in the Point Reyes National Seashore and was 5 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire was chewing through huge Douglas firs draped with moss and knobcone pines mixed with dead brush , incident commander Bernard Spielman said Saturday .
“ Stuff that ’ s usually dripping wet during the summer is not dripping wet at all , ” he said .
“ It ’ s very dry out there.
” Two firefighters with the Marin County Fire Department were rescued by helicopter after flames trapped them on a ridgeline Friday night .
The Sonoma County Sheriff ’ s Office , which posted video of the dramatic rescue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75 yards from the advancing flames , which were creating their own strong , gusting winds that intensified as the helicopter neared the blaze .
A tactical officer was able to attach both firefighters to a 100-foot line trailing from the helicopter , which airlifted all three to safety .
“ Had it not been for that helicopter there , those firefighters would certainly have perished , ” Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said Saturday at a news conference .
“ So that ’ s a quick example that even public safety personnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that can quickly change direction under changing conditions.
” Times staff writers Joe Serna and Leila Miller contributed to this report .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Alex Wigglesworth, Susanne Rust

With more than 1 million acres already burned in California since July, emergency officials braced for yet another day of dangerous fire weather on Sunday as the Bay Area reeled from deadly blazes that had destroyed hundreds of homes and caused tens of thousands of people to evacuate.
The second- and third-largest fires in California history are expected to grow in the next few days as a new thunderstorm system moves over the state, producing dry lightning and gusty winds.
The National Weather Service issued red-flag warnings across large swaths of Northern and Central California that were set to go into effect before sunrise Sunday.
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The new weather system will include frequent lightning strikes and gusty erratic winds, forecasters said. It’s unwelcome news for firefighters, who are already stretched thin as they battle multiple fires throughout the state.
Crews on Saturday were battling dangerous blazes from the Santa Cruz Mountains to wine country and beyond.
Also on Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the White House had approved California’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration to bolster the state’s emergency response to wildfires burning in Northern California.
A Times analysis has found 1.2 million acres have burned in the state in just a month — an astonishing toll so early in the fire season. In all of 2019, about 259,000 acres in California burned, according to the Idaho-based National Interagency Fire Center.
In all, more than 1.1 million acres have burned in Northern and Central California — the equivalent of more than 1,700 square miles, more than three times the size of the city of Los Angeles. At least 1,000 structures have been destroyed in the last month.
More than a million acres have burned since Aug. 15, which marked the start of a “lightning siege” during which 12,000 strikes started 585 new wildland fires.
The blazes include the LNU Lightning Complex fire, which at more than 325,000 acres is the third-largest fire in California history. The SCU Lightning Complex fire, currently covering more than 339,000 acres, is the second-largest.
The fires, fanned by strong winds, heat and low humidity, have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate and prompted the National Guard and U.S. military to send assistance.
The Guard is providing helicopter support and a dozen 20-person crews to fires throughout the state, and the military has sent several C-130 aircraft specially equipped to act as air tankers, said Jeremy Rahn, public information officer for the LNU fire.
Even so, authorities are reporting depleted resources, with manpower and tools overtaxed by the sheer scale and number of fires across the state.
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One of the biggest concerns was the CZU August Lightning Complex fire, which was raging in the remote mountainous area southwest of Silicon Valley, on the border of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. That fire has burned 67,000 acres and spurred the evacuation of at least 77,000 people. Officials evacuated the UC Santa Cruz campus and expressed concerns about some of the small mountain towns north of Santa Cruz including Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek.
The CZU fire has destroyed 105 structures and threatens more than 24,000 others. It is 5% contained, officials said Saturday.
Billy See, incident commander for the fire, said the weather forecast would make firefighting difficult.
“This red-flag warning is going to hamper all of our efforts,” he said. “We’re going to see an increase in acreage over the next few days.”
The LNU Lightning Complex fire has destroyed 845 structures and triggered the evacuation of nonessential personnel from Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and patients from Adventist Health St. Helena hospital in Napa County. Four civilians have died.
There were about 1,429 personnel fighting the fire as of Saturday, which Cal Fire Incident Commander Sean Kavanaugh contrasted with the Mendocino Complex fire in 2018, which drew about 5,000 personnel, and the Wine Country fires of 2017, to which nearly 6,000 firefighters were assigned.
Still, the fire remains the state’s top priority for resources as they become available, Shana Jones, Cal Fire unit chief, said Saturday.
“Within an incident of this size and complexity,” she said, “and with all of the fire activity throughout the state, all of our resources remain stretched to a capacity that we have not seen in recent history.”
Fire officials were bracing for the shift in weather. The National Weather Service issued the red flag warning for the Bay Area and Central Coast for 5 a.m. Sunday through 5 p.m. Monday.
Remnant moisture and atmospheric instability from what was once Hurricane Genevieve were expected to affect the area, bringing a threat of thunderstorms capable of producing 50-mph winds and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, said Cindy Palmer, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.
She said that, normally, forecasters’ primary fear would be that the lightning strikes would start new fires, as the thunderstorms won’t generate enough rain to suppress the flames.
“But because we have fire already on the ground,” she said, “we’re really concerned about the gusty and erratic winds as well.”
Lightning was already striking off the coast, about 500 miles southwest of San Francisco, on Saturday afternoon, she said. Forecasters were predicting the brunt of the storm activity would hit California on Sunday into Monday.
On the eastern edge of San Jose , the SCU Lightning Complex fire has burned in multiple locations generally east of Silicon Valley and the East Bay and west of the Central Valley.
The fire started as 20 separate blazes but merged into three, which were mostly burning through grass and ranchlands. About 6,000 people were ordered to evacuate, and roughly 20,000 structures were threatened.
Josh Rubinstein, public information officer for Cal Fire, said the expected drop in humidity, dry lightning and rising winds were a destructive combination.
“Those three things help drive or change fire behavior,” Rubinstein said. “So the message to the crews that are working out there at that time is to have a heightened sense of awareness.”
Like other fire officials, those managing the incident were contending with depleted staffing and equipment, he said.
“No fire has the resources that they would like to have right now,” he said. The SCU Lightning Complex “would probably have 25 helicopters on, and we have five. Because there are other areas that need them more desperately than we do.”
He said the state would continue to assign aircraft and crews to areas where fire posed the greatest risk to life.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he said, “and not on just this fire, but some of the surrounding fires that we’re dealing with.”
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office also issued an evacuation warning Thursday afternoon covering the areas of Philbrook Reservoir and Inskip. The county is contending with the Butte Lightning Complex fire, a collection of 34 confirmed lightning-caused fires that have burned a combined 2,623 acres.
Also burning in California is the River fire , which has consumed more than 47,000 acres in steep mountainous terrain south of Salinas in Monterey County, destroying 19 structures, damaging eight others and forcing mandatory evacuations , according to Cal Fire.
At least 6,300 structures remain threatened by the blaze, which was 15% contained as of Saturday night.
The Carmel fire , burning just southwest of the River fire, has charred more than 6,600 acres and destroyed seven structures, fire officials said.
In Marin County, the Woodward fire had burned 2,259 acres in the Point Reyes National Seashore and was 5% contained as of Saturday morning.
The fire was chewing through huge Douglas firs draped with moss and knobcone pines mixed with dead brush, incident commander Bernard Spielman said Saturday.
“Stuff that’s usually dripping wet during the summer is not dripping wet at all,” he said. “It’s very dry out there.”
Two firefighters with the Marin County Fire Department were rescued by helicopter after flames trapped them on a ridgeline Friday night.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, which posted video of the dramatic rescue online, said the firefighters were about 75 yards from the advancing flames, which were creating their own strong, gusting winds that intensified as the helicopter neared the blaze.
A tactical officer was able to attach both firefighters to a 100-foot line trailing from the helicopter, which airlifted all three to safety.
“Had it not been for that helicopter there, those firefighters would certainly have perished,” Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said Saturday at a news conference. “So that’s a quick example that even public safety personnel are facing extreme danger, with fires that can quickly change direction under changing conditions.”
Times staff writers Joe Serna and Leila Miller contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-24--In a rural California town, schools try something extraordinary and risky: Classrooms with children

On the first day of school at Weaverville Elementary , third-grade teacher Saundra Murphy asked the 14 boys and girls in her class if anyone could define the phrase “ social distancing.
” A hand shot up in the back of the room .
“ Social distancing means staying 6 feet or more away from each other , ” said a boy in a “ Minecraft ” T-shirt , his voice muffled by a camouflage face mask .
“ Does that mean we don ’ t like the person ?
” Murphy asked last week .
The students shook their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re just trying to be safe and respectful of our situation ?
” They nodded .
While the vast majority of California students are starting the academic year online , something extraordinary happened in this public school district in rural Northern California : Students sat in classrooms .
With the region ’ s low case count , school administrators and teachers said they are confident they can reopen safely and quickly adjust if infections emerge .
If the district is successful , it could be a preview for other California schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infections begin to decline .
The start of in-person instruction in the Trinity Alps Unified School District felt both surreal and comfortingly routine , an act of desperate , fragile hope five months after the COVID-19 pandemic closed campuses across the Golden State .
In Darsi Green ’ s second-grade classroom , 7- and 8-year-olds watched a “ Baby Shark ” cartoon with brightly colored sea creatures singing : “ So-cial di-stancing !
Every day !
...
Even if you meet your closest friend , no handshake , just a friendly wave !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he got really good at the video game “ Plants vs. Zombies ” this summer but was super excited to come play with his friends at recess — pointed to his school-issued neck gaiter with the Weaverville Elementary School Wildcats mascot .
“ I like this mask because my favorite color is green , and this is green , ” he said .
On the playground , Lisa Saulsbery , a first- and second-grade teacher whose blonde bangs hung over a plastic face shield , giddily shouted the names of children she hadn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ran toward her , she stopped them from hugging her by stretching her arms wide and patting the air , yelling : “ Air hug !
Air hug !
” Her students were more fidgety than normal after five months outside the classroom , but they seemed to understand that they have to follow new rules .
The district was allowed to open classrooms because it is in Trinity County , which has never been on the state ’ s coronavirus watch list .
Under state rules , a school can resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the watch list for 14 consecutive days .
Since the start of the pandemic , 10 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in mountainous Trinity County , which lends itself to natural social distancing with 12,300 residents spread across an area bigger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware .
In Trinity County — where there are no incorporated cities , crowded shopping malls don ’ t exist , and the planned installation of the county ’ s first permanent traffic light irked people who said it ’ s an unwelcome sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of people to school campuses presents the biggest risk yet for the spread of the coronavirus .
Across the state , school closures and distance learning have exacerbated the deep educational disparities faced by students of color and low-income students .
In Trinity County , which is 82 % white , about 22 % of people lived in poverty before the pandemic — nearly double the national average .
Around 64 % of the district ’ s students officially qualify for free or reduced-price meals , but administrators think the percentage is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an independent streak , an old logging community where people bristle at government regulation and fly the green “ double-cross ” flag of the State of Jefferson , a proposed new state carved out of California ’ s rural , conservative northern counties .
After schools closed in March , many isolated students here battled apathy and anxiety , witnessed increased drug and alcohol abuse by their parents , and fought more with their stressed-out families , the county noted in its school reopening plan .
As in other rural areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have less access to the internet and bad cellphone service and who rely on schools to feed them .
“ There ’ s a lot of despair , ” said Sheree Beans , the school nurse for the Trinity County Office of Education who helped write the schools ’ reopening plan .
“ I feel like COVID took away hope , and that lack of hope , it spans generations.
” Even before the pandemic , it had been a difficult year .
In June 2019 , the county shut down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School after the discovery of toxic black mold .
The district gutted both schools , which were also filled with asbestos tile .
Students got used to seeing people walking into their old classrooms in hazmat suits while they learned in portable buildings .
Then came COVID-19 , which preys on the lungs , exacerbating the same respiratory conditions that mold does .
“ The bottom line is , what you can ’ t see will kill you , ” Supt .
Jaime Green said .
“ We all like what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great white shark coming .
That ’ s going to eat me .
But what ’ s way more dangerous is all this microscopic garbage floating in the air.
” Green is a relentless optimist , but that didn ’ t make him any less stressed about the first week of school .
He hadn ’ t slept much .
A 16-ounce Red Bull stood on his desk .
Of the financially strapped district ’ s 700 or so students , just over 100 are starting remotely , Green said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down and we quarantine , we will distance learn for 14 days , ” he said .
“ Then we will come back to school , and we will do it again , and again , and again.
” The first day of school started at 5:06 a.m. Monday for bus driver Carl Treece , who drives a 104-mile round-trip mountain route on State Highway 299 — one of the longest in the state .
Treece left the Weaverville bus barn before sunrise in his own car , coasting around hairpin turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past , his route has been obstructed by boulders and black bears .
Treece picked up Bus No .
6 at Burnt Ranch Elementary School , which recently rebuilt after it , too , was found to have toxic mold .
Treece sprayed the bus seats with a bottle of pink-colored disinfectant before finishing the drive to his farthest stop .
After schools closed , Treece kept driving this route to deliver meals and homework packets .
He worries about the students keeping on their masks — required for all students third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ younger — when it gets hot .
There is no air conditioning onboard .
At 6:47 a.m. , he made his first bus stop at a boarded-up restaurant called The Whole Enchilada in the minuscule town of Salyer , and picked up three high school boys .
Billy Atkission , a 17-year-old senior from Willow Creek , got up at 5:30 for his mom to drive him to the bus stop .
He ’ ll have to get used to waking up early again , he said from behind a black cloth mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these dudes after five months , ” he said , nodding at the other boys .
“ I haven ’ t seen anybody at all , just because everybody I ’ m friends with lives so far away .
I miss my friends a lot.
” He added : “ I ’ m not really worried about the corona .
Not that much.
” As the bus pulled into Trinity High School at 8:06 a.m. , Treece said : “ Do your part to prevent the spread .
Right ?
Wear your masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do your social distancing .
...
Anybody wan na place any bets on how long we ’ ll be able to stay open ?
” In the hallway before classes began at Weaverville Elementary , Principal Katie Poburko cheerfully greeted a third-grade boy in a blue surgical mask .
He pinched his nose and said he didn ’ t like it .
“ You have something else you could try , ” she said .
“ It ’ s called a shield.
” A few hours later , Poburko spotted a boy standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard .
He had gotten hot and overwhelmed in his face red face mask .
He smiled shyly as she brought him a face shield .
At 10:58 a.m. , the transitional kindergarteners filed into the cafeteria , where a masked and gloved cafeteria worker stood behind a clear sheet of plastic and handed each child a lunch — peanut butter and jelly sandwiches , strawberries , carrots and Cheez-Its — to eat outside .
Darsi Green ’ s class sat cross-legged and far apart on the basketball court .
A chorus of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pea-nut butter jell-y time !
Pea-nut butter jell-y time !
” On the playground , a boy with a green neck gaiter pulled over his whole face danced around a tetherball pole with the ball removed .
A girl in a lacy maroon dress , pink cowgirl boots and a pink cloth face mask giggled as she chased her friends .
As the students played outside , maintenance worker Aaron Gonzalez disinfected their classroom , wiping desks and doorknobs .
After class , teachers gathered in the gym to discuss what worked and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need more outdoor lunch tables .
And the playground games of basketball and wallball would have to be nixed out of concern so much hand-to-ball contact could risk the spread of infection .
Give lots of praise for following rules , Poburko suggested .
And give the kids time , “ to talk about how mad or scared they are.
” At Trinity High School the next day , students wore masks in the classrooms , but many pulled them down as they hung out in the schoolyard during lunch .
They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their campus is still being rebuilt .
Many students figure it ’ s just a matter of time before they get shut down again .
After what happened with the mold , they ’ ve gotten used to the school year being upended and high school rituals being lost .
Fall sports have already been postponed until at least January .
“ The mold felt like the end of the world , and then all this happened and it ’ s so much worse , ” said Tyler Sprague , a 16-year-old senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated out of concern for his grandmother ’ s health .
“ Last year , when we walked into those portables , I remember thinking , ‘ This is gross , ’ ” added his friend , Kylee Scribner , a 16-year-old senior .
“ But now ?
I ’ m just grateful we ’ re here .
Now , I ’ m like , OK , portables ?
A classroom ?
That ’ s better than virtual.
” Scribner joked that , some day — “ if the world doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to brag to her children that she survived a pandemic and a high school full of toxic mold .
This week , hanging on to tradition while they can , the senior class gathered on a mountaintop to watch the sunrise .
Coming back down for class , Tesla Ehlerding , 17 , she felt at peace about this year , no matter what happens .
“ It might not be ideal , but this is what we have , ” she said .
“ I think we ’ re lucky , despite @ @ @ @ @

On the first day of school at Weaverville Elementary, third-grade teacher Saundra Murphy asked the 14 boys and girls in her class if anyone could define the phrase “social distancing.” A hand shot up in the back of the room.
“Social distancing means staying 6 feet or more away from each other,” said a boy in a “Minecraft” T-shirt, his voice muffled by a camouflage face mask.
“Does that mean we don’t like the person?” Murphy asked last week. The students shook their heads.
“Does that mean we’re just trying to be safe and respectful of our situation?” They nodded.
While the vast majority of California students are starting the academic year online, something extraordinary happened in this public school district in rural Northern California: Students sat in classrooms.
With the region’s low case count, school administrators and teachers said they are confident they can reopen safely and quickly adjust if infections emerge. If the district is successful, it could be a preview for other California schools, including in Los Angeles County, as infections begin to decline.
Students in Darsi Green’s second-grade class line up for recess at Weaverville Elementary School. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
The start of in-person instruction in the Trinity Alps Unified School District felt both surreal and comfortingly routine, an act of desperate, fragile hope five months after the COVID-19 pandemic closed campuses across the Golden State.
In Darsi Green’s second-grade classroom, 7- and 8-year-olds watched a “Baby Shark” cartoon with brightly colored sea creatures singing: “So-cial di-stancing! Every day! ... Even if you meet your closest friend, no handshake, just a friendly wave!”
A 7-year-old boy — who said he got really good at the video game “Plants vs. Zombies” this summer but was super excited to come play with his friends at recess — pointed to his school-issued neck gaiter with the Weaverville Elementary School Wildcats mascot.
“I like this mask because my favorite color is green, and this is green,” he said.
Teacher Lisa Saulsbery gives air hugs to a student during recess at Weaverville Elementary School. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
On the playground, Lisa Saulsbery, a first- and second-grade teacher whose blonde bangs hung over a plastic face shield, giddily shouted the names of children she hadn’t seen since March. As they ran toward her, she stopped them from hugging her by stretching her arms wide and patting the air, yelling: “Air hug! Air hug!”
Her students were more fidgety than normal after five months outside the classroom, but they seemed to understand that they have to follow new rules.
Advertisement
The district was allowed to open classrooms because it is in Trinity County, which has never been on the state’s coronavirus watch list. Under state rules, a school can resume in-person instruction if its county stays off the watch list for 14 consecutive days.
Since the start of the pandemic, 10 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in mountainous Trinity County, which lends itself to natural social distancing with 12,300 residents spread across an area bigger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware.
Students Josalyn Spagel and Emma Case, both 15, work together outside their classroom at Trinity High School. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
In Trinity County — where there are no incorporated cities, crowded shopping malls don’t exist, and the planned installation of the county’s first permanent traffic light irked people who said it’s an unwelcome sign of big-city life — the return of hundreds of people to school campuses presents the biggest risk yet for the spread of the coronavirus.
Across the state, school closures and distance learning have exacerbated the deep educational disparities faced by students of color and low-income students. In Trinity County, which is 82% white, about 22% of people lived in poverty before the pandemic — nearly double the national average.
Around 64% of the district’s students officially qualify for free or reduced-price meals, but administrators think the percentage is actually higher.
This is a place with an independent streak, an old logging community where people bristle at government regulation and fly the green “double-cross” flag of the State of Jefferson, a proposed new state carved out of California’s rural, conservative northern counties.
“The bottom line is, what you can’t see will kill you. We all like what’s tangible. We want to see the great white shark coming. That’s going to eat me. But what’s way more dangerous is all this microscopic garbage floating in the air.” — Jaime Green, Superintendent of Trinity Alps Unified School District
Second-graders attend the first day of in-person classes at Weaverville Elementary School. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
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After schools closed in March, many isolated students here battled apathy and anxiety, witnessed increased drug and alcohol abuse by their parents, and fought more with their stressed-out families, the county noted in its school reopening plan. As in other rural areas, the district struggled to teach far-flung students who have less access to the internet and bad cellphone service and who rely on schools to feed them.
“There’s a lot of despair,” said Sheree Beans, the school nurse for the Trinity County Office of Education who helped write the schools’ reopening plan. “I feel like COVID took away hope, and that lack of hope, it spans generations.”
Students walk to their first class of the day at Trinity High School in Weaverville. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Even before the pandemic, it had been a difficult year. In June 2019, the county shut down the campuses of Weaverville Elementary and Trinity High School after the discovery of toxic black mold. The district gutted both schools, which were also filled with asbestos tile. Students got used to seeing people walking into their old classrooms in hazmat suits while they learned in portable buildings.
Then came COVID-19, which preys on the lungs, exacerbating the same respiratory conditions that mold does.
Kendrick Bowman and other third-graders read silently in Saundra Murphy’s class. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
“The bottom line is, what you can’t see will kill you,” Supt. Jaime Green said. “We all like what’s tangible. We want to see the great white shark coming. That’s going to eat me. But what’s way more dangerous is all this microscopic garbage floating in the air.”
Green is a relentless optimist, but that didn’t make him any less stressed about the first week of school. He hadn’t slept much. A 16-ounce Red Bull stood on his desk.
Of the financially strapped district’s 700 or so students, just over 100 are starting remotely, Green said.
“We are prepared for, if we get shut down and we quarantine, we will distance learn for 14 days,” he said. “Then we will come back to school, and we will do it again, and again, and again.”
Driver Carl Tereece inspects his bus before starting his route at Burnt Ranch Elementary in Burnt Ranch. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The first day of school started at 5:06 a.m. Monday for bus driver Carl Treece, who drives a 104-mile round-trip mountain route on State Highway 299 — one of the longest in the state.
Advertisement
Treece left the Weaverville bus barn before sunrise in his own car, coasting around hairpin turns and narrowly missing two deer. In the past, his route has been obstructed by boulders and black bears.
Treece picked up Bus No. 6 at Burnt Ranch Elementary School, which recently rebuilt after it, too, was found to have toxic mold. Treece sprayed the bus seats with a bottle of pink-colored disinfectant before finishing the drive to his farthest stop.
After schools closed, Treece kept driving this route to deliver meals and homework packets. He worries about the students keeping on their masks — required for all students third grade and older, recommended for those younger — when it gets hot. There is no air conditioning onboard.
At 6:47 a.m., he made his first bus stop at a boarded-up restaurant called The Whole Enchilada in the minuscule town of Salyer, and picked up three high school boys.
Trinity High student Billy Atkission, 17, looks at his phone while riding the bus to school. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Billy Atkission, a 17-year-old senior from Willow Creek, got up at 5:30 for his mom to drive him to the bus stop. He’ll have to get used to waking up early again, he said from behind a black cloth mask.
“I finally get to see these dudes after five months,” he said, nodding at the other boys. “I haven’t seen anybody at all, just because everybody I’m friends with lives so far away. I miss my friends a lot.”
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He added: “I’m not really worried about the corona. Not that much.”
As the bus pulled into Trinity High School at 8:06 a.m., Treece said: “Do your part to prevent the spread. Right? Wear your masks at all times on the bus. Do your social distancing. ... Anybody wanna place any bets on how long we’ll be able to stay open?”
“A month!” one boy shouted.
“Better be forever,” yelled another.
Principal Katie Poburko watches students line up to enter classes at Weaverville Elementary School. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
In the hallway before classes began at Weaverville Elementary, Principal Katie Poburko cheerfully greeted a third-grade boy in a blue surgical mask. He pinched his nose and said he didn’t like it.
“You have something else you could try,” she said. “It’s called a shield.”
“A shield?” his friend interjected. “A Captain America shield?!”
A few hours later, Poburko spotted a boy standing alone outside his fifth-grade classroom, breathing hard. He had gotten hot and overwhelmed in his red face mask. He smiled shyly as she brought him a face shield.
Advertisement
At 10:58 a.m., the transitional kindergarteners filed into the cafeteria, where a masked and gloved cafeteria worker stood behind a clear sheet of plastic and handed each child a lunch — peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, strawberries, carrots and Cheez-Its — to eat outside.
Darsi Green’s second-grade class practices social distancing while eating lunch on the basketball court at Weaverville Elementary School. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Darsi Green’s class sat cross-legged and far apart on the basketball court. A chorus of silly songs bounced between them: “Pea-nut butter jell-y time! Pea-nut butter jell-y time!”
On the playground, a boy with a green neck gaiter pulled over his whole face danced around a tetherball pole with the ball removed. A girl in a lacy maroon dress, pink cowgirl boots and a pink cloth face mask giggled as she chased her friends.
As the students played outside, maintenance worker Aaron Gonzalez disinfected their classroom, wiping desks and doorknobs.
After class, teachers gathered in the gym to discuss what worked and what didn’t. They would need more outdoor lunch tables. And the playground games of basketball and wallball would have to be nixed out of concern so much hand-to-ball contact could risk the spread of infection.
Advertisement
Give lots of praise for following rules, Poburko suggested. And give the kids time, “to talk about how mad or scared they are.”
At Trinity High School the next day, students wore masks in the classrooms, but many pulled them down as they hung out in the schoolyard during lunch. They are still learning out of portable buildings while their campus is still being rebuilt.
Many students figure it’s just a matter of time before they get shut down again. After what happened with the mold, they’ve gotten used to the school year being upended and high school rituals being lost. Fall sports have already been postponed until at least January.
“The mold felt like the end of the world, and then all this happened and it’s so much worse,” said Tyler Sprague, a 16-year-old senior who spent the last five months mostly isolated out of concern for his grandmother’s health.
Maintenance worker Larry Horrocks disinfects desks at Weaverville Elementary School. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
“Last year, when we walked into those portables, I remember thinking, ‘This is gross,’” added his friend, Kylee Scribner, a 16-year-old senior. “But now? I’m just grateful we’re here. Now, I’m like, OK, portables? A classroom? That’s better than virtual.”
Advertisement
Scribner joked that, some day — “if the world doesn’t end” — she’ll get to brag to her children that she survived a pandemic and a high school full of toxic mold.
This week, hanging on to tradition while they can, the senior class gathered on a mountaintop to watch the sunrise. Coming back down for class, Tesla Ehlerding, 17, she felt at peace about this year, no matter what happens.
“It might not be ideal, but this is what we have,” she said. “I think we’re lucky, despite all the bad.”


latimes--2020-08-24--Column: Landlords need to stop whining about the unfairness of California's eviction ban

Gov .
Gavin Newsom likes to talk about California “ meeting the moment.
” Well , for millions of renters , there ’ s perhaps no moment more worth meeting than Sept. 1 .
That ’ s the day — a mere eight days from now — when a statewide moratorium on evictions is set to expire and families across the state , including many families with children , could suddenly find themselves being booted from their homes into the street .
As least one study has predicted that as many as 5.4 million households could go off the so-called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can save them now is a last-minute legislative compromise from state lawmakers , guided by the governor ’ s office .
But when asked about the chances of doing so in time to , you know , meet the moment , Newsom has often veered from vague to flippant to defensive .
It ’ s a reflection of the worrisome political reality that , even now , with disastrous consequences drawing ever nearer for a state that already leads the nation in homelessness , his office and state lawmakers are trying to figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Every day , I ’ m asked this question and every day I make the same point , and forgive me for all of you having to make it again , ” Newsom said in a clipped tone on Friday , flanked by emergency personnel gathered to discuss the wildfires burning homes and forests across Northern California .
“ As I ’ ve said , we ’ ve had very good conversations and made tremendous progress .
The progress includes considerations of large landlords , large apartment owners , small apartment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like.
” “ We are committed to getting it done , ” he added tersely .
“ It is one of our top priorities .
Everybody recognizes we need to deliver and I ’ m confident we will.
” To be sure , the cost of failure would be unacceptably high for a state that , in addition to the number of people living in encampments under bridges and alleys , leads the nation in poverty when the cost of living is factored in .
Those most at risk for eviction come Sept. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic and now have lost their jobs because of it .
And yet , the powerful and well-funded California Apartment Assn .
and California Chamber of Commerce have come out against the last anti-eviction bill standing .
AB 1436 from Assemblyman David Chiu ( D-San Francisco ) would prohibit the removal of renters who miss payments for either until 90 days after the COVID-19 state of emergency ends or April 2021 , whichever occurs first .
The bill also would provide a year of mortgage relief , allowing a pause or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and landlords .
But they are understandably skeptical about that promise of forbearance because of concerns about whether out-of-state banks would actually honor it .
Instead , they would prefer to prevent evictions by receiving tax credits in place of rent — a proposal that was in another bill that state lawmakers sidelined earlier this month .
Under AB 1436 , warned Debra Carlton , the apartment association ’ s executive vice president , landlords “ will lose their rental units and tenants will eventually lose their homes.
” It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property managers who flooded my inbox after I wrote about what the coming “ eviction cliff ” — as many have dubbed it — would do the most vulnerable California residents .
“ Why are we expected to bear nearly the entire financial burden of families who are out of work ?
” one wanted to know .
Another , citing the need to pay property taxes and utilities and to make repairs , demanded : “ Who is supposed to pay these expenses ?
” Many griped about how tenants will abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an excuse to skip rent even when they have the money to pay .
Others pointed out that as mom-and-pop landlords , they use the rent they get from their tenants to pay their own mortgage and , without a reprieve , could soon end up homeless themselves .
I get it .
The fear of foreclosure is real , as is the painful possibility that corporate investors will come in snap up their properties .
There is no doubt that what has been happening to many landlords over the last few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what has been happening to many tenants has been deeply unfair for a lot longer than that .
Consider that between 2010 and 2019 , for example , the average rent in the city of Los Angeles climbed 65 % to $ 2,527 .
During the same period , the median household income grew 36 % to $ 64,036 .
There ’ s a reason about 150 people become homeless in L.A. County every day and only about 130 homeless people get into housing — and sky-high rental prices have a lot to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story is much the same .
Today , according to Zillow , the median rent in California is $ 2,775 , with many people using more than a third of their income to pay for it .
And though there have been signs that rental prices have been falling lately , most of the declines seem to be for the most expensive apartments , while rents in more affordable neighborhoods , at least in L.A. , are essentially flat , as my Times colleague Andrew Khouri reported .
It ’ s also worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Multifamily Housing Council , some 93 % of tenants have been paying at least part of their rent every month during the pandemic .
That ’ s a percentage , I imagine , that will decline as unemployment checks shrink .
Meanwhile , the numbers show that Californians who bought homes and investment properties after the Great Recession , have seen mostly gains since then .
The median home price has jumped from $ 251,000 in 2012 to $ 533,500 in 2020 .
Study after study shows that property owners , in general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tend to be better off financially than those who rent .
And it ’ s renters pulling in the most meager incomes who have found themselves most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the economic upheaval it has wrought .
For sure , there are exceptions .
All renters aren ’ t on the verge of financial ruin and landlords aren ’ t sitting pretty .
But landlords have indeed benefited from a system that , though not of their creation , has long been tilted in their favor with beneficial tax policies and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise mostly unchecked .
It could be that this is what a pandemic-induced market correction looks like .
The fundamental problem is that by giving too much weight to the demands of landlords , California would be enabling what could only be construed as a return to the status quo , in which renters — many of them Black and Latino — continue to pay exorbitant sums to keep a roof over their heads .
As if the status quo was ever acceptable .
I do hope that Newsom and lawmakers can hammer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the eviction cliff .
But if they must choose , there ’ s only one acceptable choice .
This time , it must be renters .

Gov. Gavin Newsom likes to talk about California “meeting the moment.” Well, for millions of renters, there’s perhaps no moment more worth meeting than Sept. 1.
That’s the day — a mere eight days from now — when a statewide moratorium on evictions is set to expire and families across the state, including many with children, could suddenly find themselves being booted from their homes into the street. At least one study has predicted that as many as 5.4 million households could go off the so-called eviction cliff.
The only thing that can save them now is a last-minute legislative compromise from state lawmakers, guided by the governor’s office. But when asked about the chances of doing so in time to, you know, meet the moment, Newsom has often veered from vague to flippant to defensive.
Advertisement
It’s a reflection of the worrisome political reality that, even now, with disastrous consequences drawing ever nearer for a state that already leads the nation in homelessness, his office and state lawmakers are trying to figure out a way to make landlords happy.
“Every day, I’m asked this question and every day I make the same point, and forgive me for all of you having to make it again,” Newsom said in a clipped tone on Friday, flanked by emergency personnel gathered to discuss the wildfires burning homes and forests across Northern California.
“As I’ve said, we’ve had very good conversations and made tremendous progress. The progress includes considerations of large landlords, large apartment owners, small apartment owners, advocates for tenants and the like.”
“We are committed to getting it done,” he added tersely. “It is one of our top priorities. Everybody recognizes we need to deliver and I’m confident we will.”
To be sure, the cost of failure would be unacceptably high for a state that, in addition to the number of people living in encampments under bridges and alleys, leads the nation in poverty when the cost of living is factored in. Those most at risk for eviction come Sept. 1 were living paycheck to paycheck before the COVID-19 pandemic and now have lost their jobs because of it.
And yet, the powerful and well-funded California Apartment Assn. and California Chamber of Commerce have come out against the last anti-eviction bill standing. AB 1436 from Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) would prohibit the removal of renters who miss payments for either until 90 days after the COVID-19 state of emergency ends or April 2021, whichever occurs first.
The bill also would provide a year of mortgage relief, allowing a pause or reduction in payments to some property owners and landlords. But they are understandably skeptical about that promise of forbearance because of concerns about whether out-of-state banks would actually honor it. Instead, they would prefer to prevent evictions by receiving tax credits in place of rent — a proposal that was in another bill that state lawmakers sidelined earlier this month.
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Under AB 1436, warned Debra Carlton, the apartment association’s executive vice president, landlords “will lose their rental units and tenants will eventually lose their homes.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by dozens of landlords and property managers who flooded my inbox after I wrote about what the coming “eviction cliff” — as many have dubbed it — would do to the most vulnerable California residents.
“Why are we expected to bear nearly the entire financial burden of families who are out of work?” one wanted to know. Another, citing the need to pay property taxes and utilities and to make repairs, demanded: “Who is supposed to pay these expenses?”
Many griped about how tenants will abuse an extended eviction ban, using it as an excuse to skip rent even when they have the money to pay. Others pointed out that as mom-and-pop landlords, they use the rent they get from their tenants to pay their own mortgage and, without a reprieve, could soon end up homeless themselves.
I get it. The fear of foreclosure is real, as is the painful possibility that corporate investors will come in to snap up their properties. There is no doubt that what has been happening to many landlords over the last few months has been deeply unfair.
But what has been happening to many tenants has been deeply unfair for a lot longer than that.
Consider that between 2010 and 2019, for example, the average rent in the city of Los Angeles climbed 65% to $2,527. During the same period, the median household income grew 36% to $64,036. There’s a reason about 150 people become homeless in L.A. County every day and only about 130 homeless people get into housing — and sky-high rental prices have a lot to do with it.
Statewide, the story is much the same. Today, according to Zillow, the median rent in California is $2,775, with many people using more than a third of their income to pay for it. And though there have been signs that rental prices have been falling lately, most of the declines seem to be for the most expensive apartments, while rents in more affordable neighborhoods, at least in L.A., are essentially flat, as my Times colleague Andrew Khouri reported.
It’s also worth noting that, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council, some 93% of tenants have been paying at least part of their rent every month during the pandemic. That’s a percentage, I imagine, that will decline as unemployment checks shrink.
Meanwhile, the numbers show that Californians who bought homes and investment properties after the Great Recession, have seen mostly gains since then. The median home price has jumped from $251,000 in 2012 to $533,500 in 2020.
Study after study shows that property owners, in general, and landlords, in particular, tend to be better off financially than those who rent. And it’s renters pulling in the most meager incomes who have found themselves most vulnerable to COVID-19 and the economic upheaval it has wrought.
For sure, there are exceptions. All renters aren’t on the verge of financial ruin and all landlords aren’t sitting pretty. But landlords have indeed benefited from a system that, though not of their creation, has long been tilted in their favor with beneficial tax policies and a housing shortage that has allowed rents to rise mostly unchecked.
It could be that this is what a pandemic-induced market correction looks like.
The fundamental problem is that by giving too much weight to the demands of landlords, California would be enabling what could only be construed as a return to the status quo, in which renters — many of them Black and Latino — continue to pay exorbitant sums to keep a roof over their heads. As if the status quo was ever acceptable.
I do hope that Newsom and lawmakers can hammer out a compromise before the state goes off the eviction cliff. But if they must choose, there’s only one acceptable choice. This time, it must be renters.