latimes--2020-09-10--'Crazy, unbreathable' air forces Southern Californians indoors, clogging daily routines

Normally , Lyn Salgado meets up with friends each week to walk along San Gabriel Valley trails , as the women and their eager rescue mutts seek to commune with a benevolent Mother Nature , escaping home quarantine for what she calls “ a spot of sanity.
” But not Thursday — nor for the foreseeable future .
“ Are you kidding ?
Everyone is already hypersensitive about their health in this pandemic .
With flu , the virus and now the crazy , unbreathable air , we ’ re just asking for more trouble if we don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager from Alhambra , who ’ s in her 40s .
As a recent outbreak of fires terrifies communities and poisons skies across California , Salgado is staying in and turning to Netflix .
“ Everyone I know in the state is freaking out now that we have fires burning everywhere.
” The unprecedented wreckage left by seemingly endless eruptions up and down the Golden State is creating horrific air quality , according to residents , forcing them to find options to release stress , count their steps and exercise .
Officials from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have warned that smoke and ash will continue to saturate large swaths of Los Angeles , Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino counties this week , sparked by two major fires locally and smoke flowing The advisory said that most of the Southern California region will be affected by smoke , with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution , tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5 , in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires .
Salgado has a cousin living near the San Gabriel Mountains who ’ s been evacuated due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s busily checking Twitter alerts to update her relative .
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“ It creeps me out to see these psychedelic colors of the sun — or sometimes , not even see a sun , ” she said .
The Bobcat fire has been producing “ substantial amounts of smoke , ” according to the agency , generating unhealthy air in Azusa , Glendora and other San Gabriel Valley communities while sending falling ash over much of the L.A. Basin .
Erik Pfeifer , 50 , woke up Thursday to a gray and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandon his usual 5½-mile running route on the promenade from the corner of San Pedro Street and Pierpont Boulevard in Ventura , ending up at Main Street near the entrance to the 101 North Freeway heading to Santa Barbara .
It ’ s a path he charts every other day , keeping to a fitness regimen as important as his commitment to plant-based food .
For the clinical analyst for surgical services at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks , this week “ is a wash unless we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What concerns me is if you inhale , you may get particles attached to your lungs , and who knows what develops later on.
” Pfeifer and others worry that the intensity and prevalence of the firestorms — which already have killed 12 people and destroyed more than 3,900 structures — means that overburdened firefighters may not be able to contain some of the blazes until October , forcing more Southern Californians indoors and clogging their daily routines .
“ We ’ ve got to pay more attention to the environment , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Nature is telling us that we can ’ t go on the way we are .
I just think everyone can do their part , however small , you can make a difference even if you use a washcloth and just stop buying paper towels.
” In times when it ’ s wise to remain indoors , experts offer guidelines for those devoted to exercise .
Michael Kleinman , professor of occupational and environmental medicine at UC Irvine , said people should first check the air quality index before going out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the air quality is OK. ” Kleinman , associate director of the school ’ s Air Pollution Health Effects Laboratory , also suggests stretching or a low-impact routine that includes a few sets of resistance work or squats and “ not to the extent where you ’ re increasing your heart rate or ventilation rate.
” “ If you are subject to asthma or if you have difficulty breathing under normal circumstances , when we have these extreme situations , take a break.
” Vince Le , 35 , is grateful that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , completed during quarantine with the addition of an elliptical machine .
With both his regular Peters Canyon hikes in Tustin and monthly hike in Runyon Canyon interrupted , he had to invest in getting more equipment .
“ For those of us worried about smoking , well , going outdoors and doing strenuous exercise these days is like lighting up a cigarette .
Imagine what it ’ s doing to your lungs , ” said the Garden Grove businessman .
Healthcare experts counsel those who must exercise to do it in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the afternoon .
Moreover , the public should make preparations for the long term .
“ The number of fires , the intensity of the fires , the spread of the fires — they keep escalating every year .
The predictions are for more and more fires , ” Kleinman said .
“ With a few small exposures , our bodies can fight it .
But our fire season is now lasting months , not weeks like it used to be .
People need to educate themselves .
Paper marks don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from smoke .
What we should use is a N-95 respirator.
” Le , who runs an e-commerce company selling motorcycle parts , said he would wear a gas mark to if he must venture outdoors for rigorous activity .
“ I usually sleep with the window open , but now , they ’ re all shut .
How do we stay healthy if we don ’ t take care of details ?
”

Air quality in Los Angeles has deteriorated due to smoke and ash from the fires burning across the state.
Normally, Lyn Salgado meets up with friends each week to walk along San Gabriel Valley trails, as the women and their eager rescue mutts seek to commune with a benevolent Mother Nature, escaping home quarantine for what she calls “a spot of sanity.”
But not Thursday — nor for the foreseeable future.
“Are you kidding? Everyone is already hypersensitive about their health in this pandemic. With flu, the virus and now the crazy, unbreathable air, we’re just asking for more trouble if we don’t keep away,” said the office manager from Alhambra, who’s in her 40s. As a recent outbreak of fires terrifies communities and poisons skies across California, Salgado is staying in and turning to Netflix.
“Everyone I know in the state is freaking out now that we have fires burning everywhere.”
The unprecedented wreckage left by seemingly endless eruptions up and down the Golden State is creating horrific air quality, according to residents, forcing them to find options to release stress, count their steps and exercise.
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Officials from the South Coast Air Quality Management District have warned that smoke and ash will continue to saturate large swaths of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties this week, sparked by two major fires locally and smoke flowing from Northern California blazes.
The advisory said that most of the Southern California region will be affected by smoke, with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution, tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5, in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires .
Salgado has a cousin living near the San Gabriel Mountains who’s been evacuated due to the Bobcat blaze, so she’s busily checking Twitter alerts to update her relative. . “It creeps me out to see these psychedelic colors of the sun — or sometimes, not even see a sun,” she said.
The Bobcat fire has been producing “substantial amounts of smoke,” according to the agency, generating unhealthy air in Azusa, Glendora and other San Gabriel Valley communities while sending falling ash over much of the L.A. Basin.
Are Pfeifer, 50, woke up Thursday to a gray and yellow haze, knowing he had to abandon his usual 5½-mile running route on the promenade from the corner of San Pedro Street and Pierpont Boulevard in Ventura, ending up at Main Street near the entrance to the 101 North Freeway heading to Santa Barbara. It’s a path he charts every other day, keeping to a fitness regimen as important as his commitment to plant-based food.
For the clinical analyst for surgical services at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, this week “is a wash unless we don’t care what we breathe in. What concerns me is if you inhale, you may get particles attached to your lungs, and who knows what develops later on.”
Pfeifer and others worry that the intensity and prevalence of the firestorms — which already have killed 12 people and destroyed more than 3,900 structures — means that overburdened firefighters may not be able to contain some of the blazes until October, forcing more Southern Californians indoors and clogging their daily routines.
“We’ve got to pay more attention to the environment, to our climate,” he said. “Nature is telling us that we can’t go on the way we are. I just think everyone can do their part, however small, you can make a difference even if you use a washcloth and just stop buying paper towels.”
In times when it’s wise to remain indoors, experts offer guidelines for those devoted to exercise.
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Michael Kleinman, professor of occupational and environmental medicine at UC Irvine, said people should first check the air quality index before going out and perhaps “limit yourself to gentle walking if the air quality is OK.”
Kleinman, associate director of the school’s Air Pollution Health Effects Laboratory, also suggests stretching or a low-impact routine that includes a few sets of resistance work or squats and “not to the extent where you’re increasing your heart rate or ventilation rate.”
“If you are subject to asthma or if you have difficulty breathing under normal circumstances, when we have these extreme situations, take a break.”
Vince Le, 35, is grateful that he can count on his home gym, completed during quarantine with the addition of an elliptical machine. With both his regular Peters Canyon hikes in Tustin and monthly hike in Runyon Canyon interrupted, he had to invest in getting more equipment.
“For those of us worried about smoking, well, going outdoors and doing strenuous exercise these days is like lighting up a cigarette. Imagine what it’s doing to your lungs,” said the Garden Grove businessman.
Healthcare experts counsel those who must exercise to do it in the morning because ozone levels tend to worsen in the afternoon. Moreover, the public should make preparations for the long term.
“The number of fires, the intensity of the fires, the spread of the fires — they keep escalating every year. The predictions are for more and more fires,” Kleinman said. “With a few small exposures, our bodies can fight it. But our fire season is now lasting months, not weeks like it used to be. People need to educate themselves. Paper marks don’t filter out teeny particles which can come from smoke. What we should use is a N-95 respirator.”
Le, who runs an e-commerce company selling motorcycle parts, said he would wear a gas mark to if he must venture outdoors for rigorous activity.
“I usually sleep with the window open, but now, they’re all shut. How do we stay healthy if we don’t take care of details?”
Times staff writer Tony Barboza contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-10--Massive fire in Sierra destroys 360 structures, burns 175,000 acres

The massive Creek fire , which has chewed through more than 175,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada , destroyed an estimated 360 structures and prompted in the foothills northeast of Fresno , is currently the 17th-largest in state history .
The fire was 6 % contained Thursday night , and officials said that could grow as weather conditions continue to work in their favor .
After exploding in high heat and strong wind in its first days , the Creek fire ’ s run through the Sierra National Forest has slowed to a crawl .
Winds cleared the air long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an opportunity to line the forest with retardant , as crews on the fire ’ s southern portion worked to harden the defenses around areas like 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.
” Much of firefighters ’ defensive efforts this week were focused on protecting homes on the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents have been evacuated since the weekend .
“ We ’ re hoping that we can have some changes shortly , but it ’ s still going to be just a little bit , ” Fresno County Sheriff ’ s Lt. Brandon Purcell said .
Meanwhile , hikers continue to slowly trickle out of the forest to designated points where authorities can pick them up and move them out of the fire ’ s footprint .
An additional 10 are supposed to be picked up Friday morning to join the hundreds who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On the fire ’ s eastern face , firefighters have not only navigated difficult terrain , but also in one case , a cache of explosives .
At the China Peak ski resort , flames reached an area that houses explosives used for avalanche control in the winter .
Once the fire got there , the explosives ignited .
“ We had no injuries with that and we are still working an investigation to determine all causes and to make sure everything is stored properly , ” Purcell said .
Firefighting officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday night — a strategy of burning vegetation in a controlled way to eliminate it as fuel .
The operation was taking place on the western flank to shore up defenses around the Mammoth Pool Mobile Home Park .
With the change in weather , officials said the air may clear in the next two days and the flames could begin to grow again , but with all of the containment lines scraped into the earth by bulldozers and firefighters , they are confident they can keep the fire from raging out of @ @ @

The smoldering remains of Cressman’s General Store and Gas Station along CA-168, where the Creek fire tore through and jumped the highway Tuesday in Fresno County.
The massive Creek fire, which has chewed through more than 175,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada, destroyed an estimated 360 structures and prompted widespread evacuations in the foothills northeast of Fresno, is currently the 17th-largest in state history.
The fire was 6% contained Thursday night, and officials said that could grow as weather conditions continue to work in their favor.
After exploding in high heat and strong wind in its first days, the Creek fire’s run through the Sierra National Forest has slowed to a crawl. Winds cleared the air long enough 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 like 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.”
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Much of firefighters’ defensive efforts this week were focused on protecting homes on the fire’s southern flanks, where many residents have been evacuated since the weekend.
“We’re hoping that we can have some changes shortly, but it’s still going to be just a little bit,” Fresno County Sheriff’s Lt. Brandon Purcell said.
Meanwhile, hikers continue to slowly trickle out of the forest to designated points where authorities can pick them up and move them out of the fire’s footprint. An additional 10 are supposed to be picked up Friday morning to join the hundreds who have been shuttled out in recent days.
On the fire’s eastern face, firefighters have not only navigated difficult terrain, but also in one case, a cache of explosives.
At the China Peak ski resort, flames reached an area that houses explosives used for avalanche control in the winter. Once the fire got there, the explosives ignited.
“We had no injuries with that and we are still working an investigation to determine all causes and to make sure everything is stored properly,” Purcell said.
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Firefighting officials said they planned to do more back burning Thursday night — a strategy of burning vegetation in a controlled way to eliminate it as fuel. The operation was taking place on the western flank to shore up defenses around the Mammoth Pool Mobile Home Park.
With the change in weather, officials said the air may clear in the next two days and the flames could begin to grow again, but with all of the containment lines scraped into the earth by bulldozers and firefighters, they are confident they can keep the fire from raging out of control again.


latimes--2020-09-10--Death toll rises as California wildfires continue destructive path

The death toll from a massive fire that swept through the mountain communities of Butte , Plumas and Yuba counties has risen to 10 , and 16 people remain missing , fire officials said Thursday evening .
The North Complex fire mushroomed in size this week , scorching a total of more than 252,000 acres and forcing some 20,000 residents in Plumas , Butte and Yuba counties from their homes .
Officials said the bodies of seven more people were found Thursday as they searched through hamlets where the fire burned .
A hand crew was overrun by flames in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Butte County , which had become extremely unpredictable due to erratic weather changes .
The crew was able to escape , but two firefighters suffered minor injuries .
The North Complex was one of the fires that exploded in size this week as record-high temperatures and strong winds beset the state .
Flames raced through the northern Sierra Nevada foothills before dawn Wednesday — catching crews and residents off-guard as they leaped southwest toward towns in Butte County , including the community of Paradise , which was largely destroyed by the 2018 Camp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the fire ’ s response team , said 2,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged , though that number may increase after crews further assess the area Friday .
So much smoke enveloped the region that it shaded the fire from the sun , reducing temperatures and increasing the humidity Thursday , according to an incident meteorologist .
Though the smoke impedes firefighters ’ aircraft response , it has helped with the firefight slightly .
As of Thursday evening , the North Complex fire is 23 % contained .
The incident is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
Wildfires have burned more than 3.1 million acres statewide this year — the largest amount on record .
At least 19 people have died and thousands of structures have been destroyed .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
The Dolan fire , which ignited Aug. 18 north of Limekiln State Park in Monterey County , has also seen extreme growth this week .
Officials said the combination of high temperatures , dry fuels and wind combined to more than triple the size of the fire , to more than 111,000 acres .
The fire also has spread to the Army ’ s Ft. Hunter Liggett , though that property has not been forced to evacuate , officials said .
Near the Oregon border , the Slater fire has grown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Klamath National Forest .
The fire is threatening the communities of O ’ Brien , Takilma , Cave Junction and Gasquet , and destroyed 150 structures in Happy Camp .
While the mid-August lightning siege set California on the path toward a historic and horrifyingly active fire season , a second salvo of summer infernos has since pushed the toll to more devastating heights .
The unprecedented firestorm prompted the U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday to temporarily close all national forests in California .
Many officials , including Gov .
Gavin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change have helped set the stage for this year ’ s prolific fire season .
“ I quite literally have no patience for climate change deniers , ” he said Tuesday .
“ You may not believe it intellectually , ” he added .
“ But your own eyes , your own experiences , tell a different story.
” So far this year , almost 7,700 fires have ignited statewide , according to Berlant .
“ This year has already been a very destructive fire season , and it is nowhere close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
Six of the state ’ s 20 largest wildfires have started in the past month or so , according to Cal Fire .
That includes the August Complex , which has burned an all-time record 471,185 acres in a remote area in and around Tehama County .
That complex — which started Aug. 17 as a cluster of 37 distinct fires in the Mendocino National Forest — was 24 % contained as of Thursday .
The most recent acreage figure pushed it well past the 2018 Mendocino Complex fire , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have almost completely hemmed in the SCU Lightning and LNU Lightning complexes , which rank as the third- and fourth-largest wildfires in state history , at 396,624 and 363,220 acres , respectively .
The SCU complex — which began as a collection of about 20 blazes in Contra Costa , Alameda , Santa Clara , Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties — is now 98 % contained .
Containment is at 95 % for the LNU complex , which has charred parts of Napa , Sonoma , Lake , Solano , Yolo and Colusa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distressing leaderboard is the Elkhorn fire , which is burning in the Mendocino , Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests .
It has scorched 255,309 acres — the ninth-largest burn zone — and was 27 % contained as of Thursday .
The massive Creek fire , which has chewed through more than 175,000 acres , destroyed an estimated 360 structures and prompted widespread evacuations in the Sierra foothills northeast of Fresno , is currently the 17th-largest in state history .
The fire caused an explosion in China Peak Mountain Resort , igniting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avalanche mitigation , Fresno sheriff ’ s officials said .
There was some damage to the resort , but no one was injured .
As is the case for the North Complex fire , the layer of smoke over the Creek fire has helped improve weather conditions .
Milder winds and temperatures allowed firefighters to make progress for the first time , increasing the fire ’ s containment to 6 % .
“ We ’ re really trying to start gaining containment on this fire , ” said Chris Vestal , a spokesman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A lot of what we want to do is make sure everything that is standing stays standing.
” Firefighters also made progress with the fast-growing Bobcat fire , which doubled in size in one day to nearly 24,000 acres .
The fire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains is now 6 % contained , according to an incident report .
The fire ’ s growth was largely in the northeast direction Thursday , sparing foothill residential communities .
Six areas remain under an evacuation warning : Duarte , Bradbury , Monrovia , Sierra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yucaipa , the El Dorado fire had burned almost 14,000 acres and was 31 % contained as of Thursday morning .
Though there ’ s no current threat to communities in Big Bear Valley , Cal Fire officials issued an advisory asking visitors to postpone visits to the area in case evacuations are ordered .
In San Diego County near the Mexican border , the Valley fire grew to 17,665 acres and was 35 % contained , according to Cal Fire .
Officials were reporting 15 % containment for the 1,300-acre Willow fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yuba County on Wednesday .
That fire has destroyed 30 structures , according to Cal Fire , while 700 others are considered threatened .
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 .
“ Northern California should expect average temperatures through the weekend , with a possible cooling trend next week , ” officials wrote in a statewide situation update Thursday .
“ In Southern California , temperatures will be at or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a boon to firefighters , who have had to contend with a pair of scorching heat waves in the past few weeks .
UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said that last month was “ the warmest August on record in California.
” With fires raging throughout the West Coast , the skies over California have taken an apocalyptic turn — choking the air with ash and smoke in some regions , while snuffing out sunlight in others .
Rarely have so many Californians breathed such unhealthy air .
The South Coast Air Quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ash are likely to hit much of Los Angeles , Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino counties Thursday due to the two major fires locally and smoke flowing in from Northern California blazes .
The air district ’ s smoke advisory said that most of the Southern California region will be affected by smoke , with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution , tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5 , in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires .
Smoke blowing in from Northern California “ may also contribute to widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district said , but due to shifting winds , the smoke impacts “ will be highly variable in both space and time.
” The air district said to expect “ noticeable smoke and ash impacts ” in southwest Los Angeles County , Orange County and southwest Riverside County .
The bad air is being generated by fires raging in California , Oregon and Washington that are lofting smoke into the air in a massive plume that is blanketing the entire West Coast and extends far out into the Pacific .
But in Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aloft .
At the ground level , air quality remained in the “ good ” to “ moderate ” range Thursday morning across most of the region , except for areas near the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa and Glendora , and the El Dorado fire in the San Bernardino Mountains near Yucaipa , where readings showed air quality in the “ unhealthy ” range .
Air quality has been significantly worse in Northern California , where raging fires this week have choked the air with smoke and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casting a gloomy , orange pall over San Francisco and other areas .
Air monitoring data Thursday morning showed unhealthy pollution levels in most of San Francisco and in other parts of the Bay Area .
Times staff writers Anita Chabria , Matthew Ormseth and Joe Mozingo contributed to this report .

Luke Money, Hayley Smith, Tony Barboza, Joseph Serna, Paige St. John, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

Wildfires of historic magnitude have led to daring escapes and wrenching devastation.
The death toll from a massive fire that swept through the mountain communities of Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties has risen to 10, and 16 people remain missing, fire officials said Thursday evening.
The North Complex fire mushroomed in size this week, scorching a total of more than 252,000 acres and forcing some 20,000 residents in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties from their homes. Officials said the bodies of seven more people were found Thursday as they searched through hamlets where the fire burned.
A hand crew was overrun by flames in the fire’s West Zone in Butte County, which had become extremely unpredictable due to erratic weather changes. The crew was able to escape, but two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
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1 / 42 Lance Georgeson of Mammoth Lakes paddleboards on Tenaya Lake on Sept. 13 in Yosemite National Park. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 42 Thick smoke from multiple forest fires shrouds iconic El Capitan, right, and the walls of Yosemite Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 42 Benjamin Lewis takes a photo for a group of San Diego firefighters in Yosemite. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 42 A deer grazes in Cook’s Meadow as thick smoke shrouds the iconic landmarks of Yosemite Valley. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 42 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) 6 / 42 Thick smoke shrouds Tenaya Lake on Sept. 13 in Yosemite National Park. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 42 A Cal Fire truck passes a burned-out vehicle on Stringtown Road on Friday in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 42 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) 9 / 42 Melted goggles lie on the ground next to the burned-out truck on Stringtown Road. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 42 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) 11 / 42 Scorched cars in Brush Creek, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 42 A firefighter battles the Creek fire as it threatens homes in Madera County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 13 / 42 Flames from the Bear fire in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 42 A horse in a field in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 42 Frank Martinez, left, and Rick Wolfe with their nine dogs in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 42 A fox pauses amid burned brush in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 42 A statue is singed in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 42 Lake Oroville in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 42 Firefighters work to save a home in Butte County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 20 / 42 A burned truck in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 42 A firefighter battles the Creek fire in Madera County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 22 / 42 A plume rises from the Bear fire as it burns along Lake Oroville in Butte County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 23 / 42 A table stands outside the destroyed Cressman’s General Store in Fresno County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 24 / 42 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) 25 / 42 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) 26 / 42 Members of the Laguna Hotshots Crew walk down Huntington Lake Road to battle the Creek fire on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 42 A member of the Laguna Hotshots Crew is silhouetted against a background of flames. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 42 The Creek fire burns along Huntington Lake Road on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 42 A vehicle streaks along California 168 as the Creek fire creeps closer to Shaver Lake, Calif., on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 42 A member of the Laguna Hotshots Crew battles the Creek fire on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 42 A firefighter conducts a back-burn operation along California 168 as the Creek fire approaches the Shaver Lake Marina. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 42 Firefighter Ricardo Gomez sets a back burn amid the Creek fire near Shaver Lake Marina on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 42 A firefighter works on the back-burn operation near Shaver Lake Marina. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 42 A duck swims in Shaver Lake as the Creek fire approaches on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 42 Firefighter Ricardo Gomez battles the Creek fire with a back burn. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 42 The sky glows orange around Shaver Lake on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 42 A firefighter conducts a back-burn operation amid the Creek fire near Shaver Lake on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 42 Flames leap into the sky as fire engulfs trees near Shaver Lake. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 42 The Creek fire approaches the Shaver Lake Marina on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 42 Firefighter Ricardo Gomez sets a back burn amid the Creek fire near Shaver Lake Marina on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 42 A man stands on a dock at the Shaver Lake Marina as the Creek fire approaches on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 42 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)
The North Complex was one of the fires that exploded in size this week as record-high temperatures and strong winds beset the state. Flames raced through the northern Sierra Nevada foothills before dawn Wednesday — catching crews and residents off-guard as they leaped southwest toward towns in Butte County, including the community of Paradise, which was largely destroyed by the 2018 Camp fire.
Steve Kaufmann, a spokesman for the fire’s response team, said 2,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged, though that number may increase after crews further assess the area Friday.
So much smoke enveloped the region that it shaded the fire from the sun, reducing temperatures and increasing the humidity Thursday, according to an incident meteorologist. Though the smoke impedes firefighters’ aircraft response, it has helped with the firefight slightly. As of Thursday evening, the North Complex fire is 23% contained.
The incident is now the 10th-largest wildfire in state history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Wildfires have burned more than 3.1 million acres statewide this year — the largest amount on record. At least 19 people have died and thousands of structures have been destroyed.
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.”
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“Unfortunately, with several more months of fire season to go, this number could continue to increase,” he said Thursday.
California Monster firestorm brings death and devastation back to area hit by California’s worst fire Less than two years after the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history tore through Butte County, the region is again under siege from a fire complex that has burned more than 250,000 acres.
The Dolan fire, which ignited Aug. 18 north of Limekiln State Park in Monterey County, has also seen extreme growth this week. Officials said the combination of high temperatures, dry fuels and wind combined to more than triple the size of the fire, to more than 111,000 acres.
The fire also has spread to the Army’s Ft. Hunter Liggett, though that property has not been forced to evacuate, officials said.
Near the Oregon border, the Slater fire has grown to 120,000 acres since it ignited Monday in the Klamath National Forest. The fire is threatening the communities of O’Brien, Takilma, Cave Junction and Gasquet, and destroyed 150 structures in Happy Camp.
Embers fly across a roadway as the Bear fire burns in Oroville. (Noah Berger/Associated Press)
While the mid-August lightning siege set California on the path toward a historic and horrifyingly active fire season, a second salvo of summer infernos has since pushed the toll to more devastating heights.
The unprecedented firestorm prompted the U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday to temporarily close all national forests in California.
Many officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have said the effects of climate change have helped set the stage for this year’s prolific fire season.
“I quite literally have no patience for climate change deniers,” he said Tuesday.
“You may not believe it intellectually,” he added. “But your own eyes, your own experiences, tell a different story.”
So far this year, almost 7,700 fires have ignited statewide, according to Berlant.
“This year has already been a very destructive fire season, and it is nowhere close to being over,” he said Wednesday.
Six of the state’s 20 largest wildfires have started in the past month or so, according to Cal Fire. That includes the August Complex, which has burned an all-time record 471,185 acres in a remote area in and around Tehama County.
The smoldering remains of a structure along Auberry Road, where the Creek fire tore through and jumped Highway 168 in Fresno County. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
That complex — which started Aug. 17 as a cluster of 37 distinct fires in the Mendocino National Forest — was 24% contained as of Thursday. The most recent acreage figure pushed it well past the 2018 Mendocino Complex fire, which burned more than 459,000 acres.
Crews have almost completely hemmed in the SCU Lightning and LNU Lightning complexes, which rank as the third- and fourth-largest wildfires in state history, at 396,624 and 363,220 acres, respectively.
The SCU complex — which began as a collection of about 20 blazes in Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties — is now 98% contained. Containment is at 95% for the LNU complex, which has charred parts of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Solano, Yolo and Colusa counties.
Joining those complexes on the distressing leaderboard is the Elkhorn fire, which is burning in the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests. It has scorched 255,309 acres — the ninth-largest burn zone — and was 27% contained as of Thursday.
Firefighters conduct a back burn operation along Highway 68 during the Creek fire as it approaches the Shaver Lake Marina. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
The massive Creek fire, which has chewed through more than 175,000 acres, destroyed an estimated 360 structures and prompted widespread evacuations in the Sierra foothills northeast of Fresno, is currently the 17th-largest in state history.
The fire caused an explosion in China Peak Mountain Resort, igniting a bunker of explosives that were used for avalanche mitigation, Fresno sheriff’s officials said. There was some damage to the resort, but no one was injured.
As is the case for the North Complex fire, the layer of smoke over the Creek fire has helped improve weather conditions. Milder winds and temperatures allowed firefighters to make progress for the first time, increasing the fire’s containment to 6%.
“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.”
Firefighters also made progress with the fast-growing Bobcat fire, which doubled in size in one day to nearly 24,000 acres. The fire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains is now 6% contained, according to an incident report. The fire’s growth was largely in the northeast direction Thursday, sparing foothill residential communities.
The Transamerica Pyramid and Salesforce Tower in San Francisco are shrouded by wildfire smoke. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press )
Six areas remain under an evacuation warning: Duarte, Bradbury, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena and Altadena.
Near Yucaipa, the El Dorado fire had burned almost 14,000 acres and was 31% contained as of Thursday morning. Though there’s no current threat to communities in Big Bear Valley, Cal Fire officials issued an advisory asking visitors to postpone visits to the area in case evacuations are ordered.
In San Diego County near the Mexican border, the Valley fire grew to 17,665 acres and was 35% contained, according to Cal Fire. Officials were reporting 15% containment for the 1,300-acre Willow fire, which sparked north of Smartsville in Yuba County on Wednesday. That fire has destroyed 30 structures, according to Cal Fire, while 700 others are considered threatened.
A firefighter watches flames ignite a tree as fire continues to spread at the Bear fire in Oroville. (Josh Edelson / AFP )
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.
“Northern California should expect average temperatures through the weekend, with a possible cooling trend next week,” officials wrote in a statewide situation update Thursday. “In Southern California, temperatures will be at or slightly above normal.”
That would be a boon to firefighters, who have had to contend with a pair of scorching heat waves in the past few weeks. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said that last month was “the warmest August on record in California.”
With fires raging throughout the West Coast, the skies over California have taken an apocalyptic turn — choking the air with ash and smoke in some regions, while snuffing out sunlight in others. Rarely have so many Californians breathed such unhealthy air.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is warning that smoke and ash are likely to hit much of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties Thursday due to the two major fires locally and smoke flowing in from Northern California blazes.
The air district’s smoke advisory said that most of the Southern California region will be affected by smoke, with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution, tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5, in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires.
Smoke blowing in from Northern California “may also contribute to widespread elevated PM2.5 concentrations,” the air district said, but due to shifting winds, the smoke impacts “will be highly variable in both space and time.”
The air district said to expect “noticeable smoke and ash impacts” in southwest Los Angeles County, Orange County and southwest Riverside County.
1 / 23 Brooks Hubbard with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes photos from the historic North Broadway Bridge over the Los Angeles River Tuesday morning as smoke and ash from the Bobcat fire cloak the area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 23 Elijah Simpson practices shooting hoops against a backdrop of smokey skies from the Bobcat Fire at Angel’s Gate Park in the San Pedro on September 16, 2020. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 23 A helicopter fights the Bobcat fire burning dangerously close to Mt. Wilson Observatory. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 23 An aerial view of Dodger Stadium and the downtown Los Angeles skyline at sunset is obscured by smoke, ash and smog on Sept. 14. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 23 Visitors check their photos at Griffith Observatory with a smoky view of the Hollywood sign behind them. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 23 Two people get ready to surf as a hazy red sun sets off Hermosa Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 23 Smoke from the Bobcat fire burning in the Angeles National Forest blankets the Southland. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 23 An airplane flies through smoky skies in downtown Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 23 A smoky haze envelopes Santa Monica Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 23 Beachgoers walk along the shoreline in Laguna Beach beneath a hazy sky. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 23 A crow on a cypress tree in Garden Grove is silhouetted by a sun obscured by ash from Southland wildfires. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 23 The sky is gray over the Santa Monica Pier as a family plays in the breakwater. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 23 A man walks his dog past the historic lifeguard tower in Laguna Beach as the sun is obscured by smoke from wildfires. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 23 An upbeat message on the South Coast Cinemas marquee in Laguna Beach is dimmed by the smoky air. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 23 Surfers near the Manhattan Beach Pier under a smoky sunset. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 23 Gray skies over the Santa Monica Pier. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 23 A hazy sun is seen behind the Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 23 Despite the unhealthful air quality, Fabian Ortez of Riverside enjoys an afternoon of fishing off the pier in Seal Beach. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 23 The Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 23 A bicyclist travels along the 1st Street Bridge as smoke hovers east of downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 23 Haze from the Bobcat fire looms over Azusa as it burns in Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 23 The Los Angeles skyline is shrouded in smoke from the Bobcat fire as seen from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 23 Haze from the Bobcat fire looms over Kare Park in Irwindale. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The bad air is being generated by fires raging in California, Oregon and Washington that are lofting smoke into the air in a massive plume that is blanketing the entire West Coast and extends far out into the Pacific.
But in Southern California much of that smoke has remained aloft. At the ground level, air quality remained in the “good” to “moderate” range Thursday morning across most of the region, except for areas near the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa and Glendora, and the El Dorado fire in the San Bernardino Mountains near Yucaipa, where readings showed air quality in the “unhealthy” range.
Air quality has been significantly worse in Northern California, where raging fires this week have choked the air with smoke and ash and snuffed out the sunlight, casting a gloomy, orange pall over San Francisco and other areas. Air monitoring data Thursday morning showed unhealthy pollution levels in most of San Francisco and in other parts of the Bay Area.
Times staff writers Anita Chabria, Matthew Ormseth and Joe Mozingo contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-11--LAPD says man pointed rifle during argument at Trump rally

The Los Angeles Police Department said Friday that it arrested a man on suspicion of pointing a rifle at cars @ @ @ @ @ caravan for President Trump .
Assistant Chief Horace Frank said the man pointed the weapon @ @ @ @ @ with someone at the Aug. 30 rally .
Although the LAPD initially said it got @ @ @ @ @ a weapon , the investigation found that the suspect ’ s rifle had not been @ @ @ @ @ Andre Allen Young was arrested Thursday evening and booked into the Van Nuys jail on @ @ @ @ @ deadly weapon .
He could not immediately be reached for comment .

The LAPD says no shots were fired during an Aug. 30 rally for President Trump, contrary to an earlier report.
The Los Angeles Police Department said Friday that it arrested a man on suspicion of pointing a rifle at cars taking part in a recent caravan for President Trump.
Assistant Chief Horace Frank said the man pointed the weapon after getting into an argument with someone at the Aug. 30 rally. Although the LAPD initially said it got reports that someone had shot a weapon, the investigation found that the suspect’s rifle had not been fired, Frank added.
Andre Allen Young was arrested Thursday evening and booked into the Van Nuys jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He could not immediately be reached for comment.


latimes--2020-09-11--Column: All of these California wildfire 'complexes' are starting to give me a complex

We ’ ve got the North Complex fire and the August Complex fire .
Then there ’ s the CZU Lightning Complex fire and the LNU Lightning Complex fire , not to mention the SCU Lightning Complex fire .
It ’ s just all so complex .
In normal times — whatever that means anymore — most wildfires in California were named after landmarks .
The emergency dispatcher who fields the first call about flames typically looks up the coordinates for the incident on a map and finds a nearby valley , river or canyon , sometimes a road , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sometimes it ’ s the incident commander who decides .
Either way , they keep it short , using a name that ’ s just one word .
That ’ s why the wildfire that ignited in July along Apple Tree Lane in Riverside County , for example , became the Apple fire .
But these are abnormal times .
Or new normal times ?
Or new abnormal times ?
Or maybe just the end of times .
All I know is that , this year , there are so many wildfires scorching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flames have merged into masses called “ complexes.
” According to the U.S. Forest Service , a “ complex ” is two or more individual fire incidents in the same general area that are assigned to the same commander or unified command .
The August Complex , for example , is actually made up of about 40 individual fires burning in and around Tehama County .
“ When we have these lightning events that happen every few years , we get into this quote-unquote ‘ complex issue , ’ ” said Tom Harbour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aviation for the U.S. Forest Service .
“ A complex issue is just for the ease of the incident management team to deal with the group of fires .
I will tell you that it ’ s confusing.
” Indeed , what might be handy for firefighters managing a rapidly changing situation on the ground is not so handy for the rest of us .
We won ’ t even talk about how long it took me to figure out what the LNU in “ LNU Lightning Complex ” stood for .
Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known by most Californians who live in a fire zone ( which is all of us now ) , the social media platform has become one of the best ways to get real-time information from reliable sources , whether that ’ s from Cal Fire , the local sheriff ’ s department or journalists .
It ’ s all about the hashtags .
# CreekFire , # BobcatFire , # OakFire , # BearFire .
Well , the fire formerly known as # BearFire .
This year , such once-trusty hashtags have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll let Ventura County Fire Capt .
Steve Kaufmann , the public information officer for the team on the ground in Butte County , explain why .
“ Hopefully you can follow me on this , ” he said at a news conference Thursday evening , after flames had decimated the mountain town of Berry Creek , killing at least 10 people , including a teenager .
“ There were two fires up in the Plumas National Forest .
One was called the Claremont fire [ # ClaremontFire ] .
One was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires merged , they take on the name of the largest fire .
The largest fire was the Bear fire , so the entire fire got called the Bear fire .
Both of those were in what we call the North Complex.
” “ For a little bit of history , ” Kaufmann continued , “ when there ’ s a lot of fires in the state of California and they assign an incident management team to manage those fires , when there ’ s multiple fires in an area they will call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was called the North Complex .
“ In the early hours , when the fire was pressing into Butte County , they were using terms like ‘ Bear fire ’ or ‘ Bear contingency.
’ We have completely renamed and taken the ‘ Bear fire ’ or ‘ Bear contingency ’ out of the equation to reduce the confusion .
So going forward , it will be known as the North Complex , and when we speak about the fire that is directly affecting Butte County , it will be known as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of Friday , most people were still calling the North Complex West Zone the Bear fire .
So now , in order to find that real-time , reliable information , it might be under any of those hashtags — # BearFire , # NorthComplex , # NorthComplexFire or # NorthComplexWestZone .
There has been similar confusion over the behemoth that is the August Complex fire .
By one estimate , it now tops 491,000 acres .
But by another estimate , it ’ s more like 725,000 acres — if you include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller Hopkins fire among others burning in the Mendocino , Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests .
It just depends on how complex you want make it .
Meanwhile , the August Complex has now been divided into three zones : North , West and South .
But Humboldt County , at least as of Friday on Twitter , was still hanging onto the # HopkinsFire .
# AugustComplex was suspiciously missing .
So you figure it out .
Rather , you shouldn ’ t have to do that , and neither should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a chuckle out of the confusion , the truth is clear communication has never been more vital at a time when megafires are ravaging the state without mercy .
Missing , even by a few minutes , an order to evacuate or a warning about incoming flames could easily be the difference between life and death .
“ Years ago , there was no Twitter .
There was no Facebook .
There , in fact , weren ’ t nearly the demands for public information that we have today , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer at Cornea , an Arizona data company specializing in disaster management .
“ But we want people to know where the risks are .
And so we ’ ve got to figure it out.
” It really doesn ’ t have to be this complex .

Santa Barbara firefighters Eric Cole, left, and Mark Kramer monitor a backfire along Oro Quincy Highway in the aftermath of the Bear fire, part of the North Complex blazes, on Thursday in Oroville, Calif.
We’ve got the North Complex fire and the August Complex fire. Then there’s the CZU Lightning Complex fire and the LNU Lightning Complex fire, not to mention the SCU Lightning Complex fire.
It’s just all so complex.
In normal times — whatever that means anymore — most wildfires in California were named after landmarks. The emergency dispatcher who fields the first call about flames typically looks up the coordinates for the incident on a map and finds a nearby valley, river or canyon, sometimes a road, after which to name the conflagration. Sometimes it’s the incident commander who decides.
Either way, they keep it short, using a name that’s just one word. That’s why the wildfire that ignited in July along Apple Tree Lane in Riverside County, for example, became the Apple fire.
But these are abnormal times. Or new normal times? Or new abnormal times? Or maybe just the end of times.
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Whatever.
All I know is that, this year, there are so many wildfires scorching the parched wilderness in California that the flames have merged into masses called “complexes.” According to the U.S. Forest Service, a “complex” is two or more individual fire incidents in the same general area that are assigned to the same commander or unified command.
The August Complex, for example, is actually made up of about 40 individual fires burning in and around Tehama County.
“When we have these lightning events that happen every few years, we get into this quote-unquote ‘complex issue,’” said Tom Harbour, a former director of fire and aviation for the U.S. Forest Service. “A complex issue is just for the ease of the incident management team to deal with the group of fires. I will tell you that it’s confusing.”
Indeed, what might be handy for firefighters managing a rapidly changing situation on the ground is not so handy for the rest of us. We won’t even talk about how long it took me to figure out what the LNU in “LNU Lightning Complex” stood for.
Twitter is another mess entirely.
As is known by most Californians who live in a fire zone (which is all of us now), the social media platform has become one of the best ways to get real-time information from reliable sources, whether that’s from Cal Fire, the local sheriff’s department or journalists.
It’s all about the hashtags. #CreekFire, #BobcatFire, #OakFire, #BearFire. Well, the fire formerly known as #BearFire. This year, such once-trusty hashtags have been morphing at a rapid pace.
I’ll let Ventura County Fire Capt. Steve Kaufmann, the public information officer for the team on the ground in Butte County, explain why.
“Hopefully you can follow me on this,” he said at a news conference Thursday evening, after flames had decimated the mountain town of Berry Creek, killing at least 10 people, including a teenager.
“There were two fires up in the Plumas National Forest. One was called the Claremont fire [#ClaremontFire]. One was called the Bear fire. When those fires merged, they take on the name of the largest fire. The largest fire was the Bear fire, so the entire fire got called the Bear fire. Both of those were in what we call the North Complex.”
Uh huh.
“For a little bit of history,” Kaufmann continued, “when there’s a lot of fires in the state of California and they assign an incident management team to manage those fires, when there’s multiple fires in an area they will call it a complex. So that fire was called the North Complex.
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“In the early hours, when the fire was pressing into Butte County, they were using terms like ‘Bear fire’ or ‘Bear contingency.’ We have completely renamed and taken the ‘Bear fire’ or ‘Bear contingency’ out of the equation to reduce the confusion. So going forward, it will be known as the North Complex, and when we speak about the fire that is directly affecting Butte County, it will be known as the North Complex West Zone.”
Only, as of Friday, most people were still calling the North Complex West Zone the Bear fire. So now, in order to find that real-time, reliable information, it might be under any of those hashtags — #BearFire, #NorthComplex, #NorthComplexFire or #NorthComplexWestZone.
There has been similar confusion over the behemoth that is the August Complex fire. By one estimate, it now tops 491,000 acres. But by another estimate, it’s more like 725,000 acres — if you include the Elkhorn fire, which swallowed the smaller Hopkins fire among others burning in the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests.
An air tanker drops fire retardant in the hills above Monrovia as the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest on Wednesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
It just depends on how complex you want make it.
Meanwhile, the August Complex has now been divided into three zones: North, West and South. But Humboldt County, at least as of Friday on Twitter, was still hanging onto the #HopkinsFire. #AugustComplex was suspiciously missing.
So you figure it out.
Rather, you shouldn’t have to do that, and neither should I. Though many of us might get a chuckle out of the confusion, the truth is clear communication has never been more vital at a time when megafires are ravaging the state without mercy. Missing, even by a few minutes, an order to evacuate or a warning about incoming flames could easily be the difference between life and death.
“Years ago, there was no Twitter. There was no Facebook. There, in fact, weren’t nearly the demands for public information that we have today,” said Harbour, who also is chief fire officer at Cornea, an Arizona data company specializing in disaster management. “But we want people to know where the risks are. And so we’ve got to figure it out.”
It really doesn’t have to be this complex.


latimes--2020-09-11--Newsom endorses November ballot measure to limit Prop. 13 property tax rules

Wading into a contentious battle over the legacy of California ’ s landmark property tax law , Proposition 13 , Gov .
Gavin Newsom endorsed on Friday a November ballot measure that would make commercial property owners subject to billions of dollars in additional taxes each year .
Newsom announced his support for Proposition 15 in an email to supporters , calling the proposal “ a fair , phased-in and long-overdue reform to state tax policy.
” “ It ’ s consistent with California ’ s progressive fiscal values , it will exempt small businesses and residential property owners , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public schools and public safety , and , most importantly , it will be decided by a vote of the people , ” the governor said in a written statement released by his political advisors .
If approved by voters in November , Proposition 15 would create separate tax rules for commercial and residential property .
Since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978 , the value of all property has been based on what it sold for when last purchased .
That initiative capped property tax rates at 1 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 2 % .
Californians who hold on to their property for long periods of time end up paying significantly less in taxes than those who have bought similar property more recently .
Proposition 15 would require commercial and industrial properties , excluding those zoned as commercial agriculture , to be taxed based on current market value .
It would not change the low-tax provisions of Proposition 13 for homeowners .
The new ballot measure exempts some commercial property owners whose holdings are valued at $ 3 million or less .
Few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public policy experts and interest groups than whether California ’ s commercial property owners deserve the same low-tax protections as homeowners .
An estimate by the independent Legislative Analyst ’ s Office found that Proposition 15 would generate as much as $ 12.5 billion more in tax revenues once it fully takes effect in 2025 .
The ballot measure requires that 60 % of the revenues go to local governments and 40 % to K-12 schools and community colleges .
For schools , those funds would be on top of what is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and state levels .
While large corporations would see their tax liabilities rise , the opponents of Proposition 15 have instead sought to focus on what they say is the tax increase ’ s effect on small businesses , including those that pay property taxes as a condition of their lease .
The leading business-backed opposition campaign said Friday that Newsom ’ s endorsement of Proposition 15 would lead to “ increased costs for the same small and minority-owned businesses he ’ s forced to close for the last six months.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest property tax in California history and make our cost of living crisis even worse , ” a written statement from the campaign said .
With organized labor and businesses pitted against each other , a blockbuster battle over Proposition 15 is likely in store .
State campaign finance records show supporters and opponents have raised a combined $ 60 million — most of that coming from groups in support of the ballot measure .
Few public polls have been released , though a slim majority of Californians surveyed by the nonpartisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea of higher taxes paid by commercial property owners .
The effort to put Proposition 15 on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot was well underway when Newsom became governor in 2019 .
Just days after taking office , he said he would try to broker a deal between labor and business — one that would examine a number of issues regarding the state ’ s tax structure .
“ My desire is to use this as an exercise in bringing the parties together to see if we can compromise on a more comprehensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time .
But that effort was rarely mentioned again and no agreement was ever reached .
Newsom did , however , use his endorsement of Proposition 15 to send a signal to those who have sought a variety of other tax increases — including efforts in the Legislature this summer to raise income taxes on the state ’ s wealthiest residents .
“ In a global , mobile economy , now is not the time for the kind of state tax increases on income we saw proposed at the end of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such proposals into law , ” he said .

Gov. Gavin Newsom has endorsed Proposition 15, a measure to allow new taxes on commercial properties in California.
Wading into a contentious battle over the legacy of California’s landmark property tax law, Proposition 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed on Friday a November ballot measure that would make commercial property owners subject to billions of dollars in additional taxes each year.
Newsom announced his support for Proposition 15 in an email to supporters, calling the proposal “a fair, phased-in and long-overdue reform to state tax policy.”
“It’s consistent with California’s progressive fiscal values, it will exempt small businesses and residential property owners, it will fund essential services such as public schools and public safety, and, most importantly, it will be decided by a vote of the people,” the governor said in a written statement released by his political advisors.
If approved by voters in November, Proposition 15 would result in separate tax rules for commercial and residential property. Since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, the value of all property has been based on what it sold for when last purchased. That initiative capped property tax rates at 1% of the assessed value with annual increases of no more than 2%. Californians who hold on to their property for long periods of time end up paying significantly less in taxes than those who have bought similar property more recently.
Proposition 15 would require commercial and industrial properties, excluding those zoned as commercial agriculture, to be taxed based on current market value. It would not change the low-tax provisions of Proposition 13 for homeowners. The new ballot measure exempts some commercial property owners whose holdings are valued at $3 million or less.
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Few topics have been more intensely debated by public policy experts and interest groups than whether California’s commercial property owners deserve the same low-tax protections as homeowners. An estimate by the independent Legislative Analyst’s Office found that Proposition 15 would generate as much as $12.5 billion more in tax revenues once it fully takes effect in 2025.
The ballot measure requires that 60% of the revenues go to local governments and 40% to K-12 schools and community colleges. For schools, those funds would be on top of what is already provided by taxes collected at the local and state levels.
While large corporations would see their tax liabilities rise, the opponents of Proposition 15 have instead sought to focus on what they say is the tax increase’s effect on small businesses, including those that pay property taxes as a condition of their lease.
The leading business-backed opposition campaign said Friday that Newsom’s endorsement of Proposition 15 would lead to “increased costs for the same small and minority-owned businesses he’s forced to close for the last six months.”
“Now is not the time to support the largest property tax in California history and make our cost of living crisis even worse,” a written statement from the campaign said.
With organized labor and businesses pitted against each other, a blockbuster battle over Proposition 15 is likely in store.
State campaign finance records show supporters and opponents have raised a combined $60 million — most of that coming from groups in support of the ballot measure. Few public polls have been released, though a slim majority of Californians surveyed by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California supported the idea of higher taxes paid by commercial property owners.
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The effort to put Proposition 15 on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot was well underway when Newsom became governor in 2019. Just days after taking office, he said he would try to broker a deal between labor and business — one that would examine a number of issues regarding the state’s tax structure.
“My desire is to use this as an exercise in bringing the parties together to see if we can compromise on a more comprehensive tax package,” Newsom said at the time.
But that effort was rarely mentioned again and no agreement was ever reached. Newsom did, however, use his endorsement of Proposition 15 to send a signal to those who have sought a variety of other tax increases — including efforts in the Legislature this summer to raise income taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents.
“In a global, mobile economy, now is not the time for the kind of state tax increases on income we saw proposed at the end of this legislative session and I will not sign such proposals into law,” he said.


latimes--2020-09-11--Autopsy report: 'Unclear' whether SoFi Stadium worker was wearing harness properly

The construction worker who died after falling from SoFi Stadium ’ s roof was wearing a fall protection harness , according to the autopsy report by the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner , but it ’ s “ unclear and unconfirmed ” if the harness was properly secured to a safety line .
Juan Becerra fell more than 100 feet from the southeast corner of the stadium in Inglewood on June 5 .
“ The decedent was reported to have been transporting large bundles of ratchet straps across the scaffolding near the rooftop of the stadium at a height of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released in response to a request by The Times .
“ For an unknown reason , the decedent fell from the scaffold , impacting the hardened concrete surface below.
” The report added : “ There was no history of suicidal ideation or attempt .
There were no reports of the presence of any environmental factors , intoxication , illnesses , or injuries which may have influenced the fall .
There was no foul play suspected.
” The medical examiner-coroner ’ s office gathered information at the scene from Inglewood Police Department and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representatives .
The harness was an immediate focus .
“ Upon inspecting the fall protection harness , it was determined that it appeared in working order , with no obvious faults or defects present , ” the report said .
“ However , it was noted that there was no ‘ cat line ’ or safety line seen attached or ‘ clipped ’ onto the harness.
” The report said the harness was “ released as evidence ” to the L.A. County district attorney .
In response to a question about the matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office said “ a case has not been presented to our office for filing consideration.
” Cal/OSHA ’ s investigation of the death is ongoing , according to an agency spokesman .
Last month , Becerra ’ s family filed a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court against Stadco LA , the company behind the privately financed project ; two companies that make up the Turner-AECOM Hunt joint venture coordinating construction ; and two subcontractors .
Becerra , who lived in Brownsville , Texas , is survived by his wife and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ fall protection equipment ” wasn ’ t present “ at and around the location of the fall ” and that a roof panel on the stadium was removed “ without notice to workers including Decedent or barriers being placed to protect against the newly-created fall hazard.
” The family ’ s Houston-based attorney didn ’ t respond to a request for comment on the autopsy report .
A second worker , Simon Fite , died at the stadium in July .
The joint venture said at the time that the cause of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related.
” The medical examiner-coroner hasn ’ t released a cause of death pending further investigation .
SoFi Stadium will host its first major event Sunday night when the Rams open the regular season against the Dallas Cowboys .

Construction workers can be seen at the SoFi Stadium site in Inglewood on March 19.
The construction worker who died after falling from SoFi Stadium’s roof was wearing a fall protection harness, according to the autopsy report by the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner, but it’s “unclear and unconfirmed” if the harness was properly secured to a safety line.
Juan Becerra fell more than 100 feet from the southeast corner of the stadium in Inglewood on June 5.
“The decedent was reported to have been transporting large bundles of ratchet straps across the scaffolding near the rooftop of the stadium at a height of 120 feet,” said the report released in response to a request by The Times. “For an unknown reason, the decedent fell from the scaffold, impacting the hardened concrete surface below.”
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The report added: “There was no history of suicidal ideation or attempt. There were no reports of the presence of any environmental factors, intoxication, illnesses, or injuries which may have influenced the fall. There was no foul play suspected.”
The medical examiner-coroner’s office gathered information at the scene from Inglewood Police Department and California Division of Occupational Safety and Health representatives. The harness was an immediate focus.
“Upon inspecting the fall protection harness, it was determined that it appeared in working order, with no obvious faults or defects present,” the report said. “However, it was noted that there was no ‘cat line’ or safety line seen attached or ‘clipped’ onto the harness.”
The report said the harness was “released as evidence” to the L.A. County district attorney. In response to a question about the matter, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office said “a case has not been presented to our office for filing consideration.”
Cal/OSHA’s investigation of the death is ongoing, according to an agency spokesman.
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Last month, Becerra’s family filed a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court against Stadco LA, the company behind the privately financed project; two companies that make up the Turner-AECOM Hunt joint venture coordinating construction; and two subcontractors. Becerra, who lived in Brownsville, Texas, is survived by his wife and three children.
The complaint alleged that “fall protection equipment” wasn’t present “at and around the location of the fall” and that a roof panel on the stadium was removed “without notice to workers including Decedent or barriers being placed to protect against the newly-created fall hazard.”
The family’s Houston-based attorney didn’t respond to a request for comment on the autopsy report.
A second worker, Simon Fite, died at the stadium in July. The joint venture said at the time that the cause of death “appears to be personal health related.” The medical examiner-coroner hasn’t released a cause of death pending further investigation.
SoFi Stadium will host its first major event Sunday night when the Rams open the regular season against the Dallas Cowboys.


latimes--2020-09-11--What happens when COVID shuts civil courts?

It was a question of what would happen first for the Los Angeles hotel owner whose business had been decimated by the coronavirus lockdown : a financial settlement with the angry employees he had fired — or bankruptcy .
Across town , a Black man wanted to fight his recent termination , contending it was because of racial discrimination not a coronavirus-related business downturn .
In another case , a woman suddenly out of work was ready to accuse her boss of using pandemic layoffs to cover up his sexual harassment .
Employers were wrangling with workers claiming extended paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided proof that they had contracted COVID-19 .
And former employees were asserting that bosses were using pandemic business losses as an excuse to settle scores and selectively fire those they considered difficult .
All are real examples from the last six months — with names and details removed to protect client privacy — that employment lawyers , mediators and arbitrators cite for why they are more busy than ever since coronavirus protection measures upended workplaces and left California courthouses largely empty .
But having to rely on mediation and arbitration to resolve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible position , consumer and personal injury attorneys say , contending that such alternative dispute resolution favors corporations and employers .
Civil trials , particularly in the largest counties , have been postponed , perhaps for months , leaving employment and other disputes in limbo .
Presiding Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kevin C. Brazile issued an order Thursday saying the court will prioritize criminal jury trials as it works to expand operations and must postpone all civil jury trials until January .
In early September , the court completed its first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than 7,000 criminal cases await trial to satisfy the defendants ’ right to a speedy trial , he said .
Small claims cases and nonjury traffic cases resumed in August .
For six months , attorneys and human resource experts say , pandemic-fueled confusion and a sense that rules no longer apply have been crashing into the reality of California labor , workplace safety , consumer protection and other laws , some of which have been strengthened since March , such as ordinances governing worker right of recall and retention adopted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The COVID made me do it ” is the ultimate scapegoat nowadays claimed by either side in employment litigation , said Coby Turner , a Sacramento attorney who represents employers for international law firm Seyfarth Shaw .
Before the novel coronavirus , lawyers would often hash these matters out before a judge or jury .
They would at least use the threat of a reasonably quick court date to force a solution .
But with some courts just beginning to ramp up operations , alternative forms of dispute resolution are booming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Face-to-face negotiations with mediators or arbitrators — known in legal circles as “ the neutrals ” — mean dueling videoconference screens as remote work remains the norm .
“ When you are faced with the possibility that you won ’ t get on a court calendar for two , possibly three years , you ’ re not going to want to wait that long , ” said attorney Angela Reddock-Wright , a panel member for dispute resolution company Judicate West and managing partner of Reddock Law Group , which mediates and arbitrates disputes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims on behalf of business , education and government clients .
“ I ’ ve had to add Saturday hours and offer meeting times that run to 11 p.m. on weeknights , just to keep up .
I ’ m having to turn down investigation cases , ” said Reddock-Wright , who is immediate past president of the Southern California Mediation Assn .
Reddock-Wright wears many “ neutral ” hats , and can serve as a mediator , an arbitrator or a workplace investigator .
Her mediation business has jumped 50 % over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been tracking COVID-related labor and employment litigation for the last few months , and Turner said the firm is seeing as many as 50 new lawsuits a week nationally , with California having the largest share .
A widely cited tracker by law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth shows California plaintiffs filed 662 lawsuits through Sept. 8 , with 93 involving labor and employment , including exposure to the novel coronavirus at work .
Nationwide , the total was 4,813 lawsuits , of which 553 were categorized as labor and employment , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic , business operators are struggling to figure out what they are allowed to do to survive .
Normally , the Society for Human Resource Management , the nation ’ s largest human resources membership organization , fields about 50,000 calls for information annually .
In 2020 , that figure is expected to reach as high as 75,000 , according to Amber Clayton , director of the society ’ s Knowledge Center .
Among the most common questions from both employers and workers : Can employees refuse a recall to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep furloughed or laid-off employees on our group health plan ?
Are employers able to reduce exempt employees ’ salaries because of the business impact of the coronavirus ?
How can a company conduct a layoff or reduction in force ?
Can employers demand COVID-19 test results ?
How can a company help employees navigate unemployment during COVID-19 ?
Non-COVID civil disputes haven ’ t stopped developing during the pandemic , and the courts ’ normally heavy caseload — California Superior Courts had more than 665,000 civil cases filed in fiscal 2018 — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With jury trials out until next year for civil cases , “ all of the cases scheduled for trial between March and December are going to need to be rescheduled , ” said Mark Lemke , president of the Southern California Mediation Assn .
“ All of the trial dates on calendar between January and December of next year may be looking at having those dates vacated or continued.
” Some court systems are worse than others , Turner said , singling out the Los Angeles County Superior Court as one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I work in are developing Zoom-type systems , doing a lot more telephonic hearings .
Some courts have even developed distance jury trials where they have people via Zoom , ” Turner said .
“ So this has been a baptism by fire.
” Brazile said pandemic closures pushed Los Angeles County Superior Court staff to accelerate the adoption of technology for remote visual and audio appearances , squeezing 18 months of work into three .
Remote options are now available but can ’ t be mandated , he said .
There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t involve full-fledged court hearings : mediation and arbitration .
A mediator serves as an impartial party to help both sides forge an agreement to keep a matter out of the courts .
Without agreement , there ’ s no resolution .
Arbitration — either nonbinding or binding — usually is ruled over by a judge or a retired judge , attorneys and perhaps an expert in the field of the case involved .
There can be one arbitrator or a panel of three , which makes the decision on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side can reject the decision and request a trial .
In binding arbitration , the decision is final .
Arbitration becomes controversial when aggrieved employees find that among the documents they signed when hired was an agreement to go to arbitration to settle disputes rather than sue .
California companies often have mandatory arbitration rules , signed during the onboarding process , Reddock-Wright said , although the employer is supposed to pay arbitration costs .
Arbitration agreements also appear frequently in consumer contracts .
Having to rely on mediation and arbitration to resolve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ painful limbo , said Oakland attorney Micha Star Liberty , president of Consumer Attorneys of California .
Liberty ’ s law practice represents people whose claims include wrongful termination from work , sexual harassment and serious injury or abuse .
“ Regular folks who depend on an ability to petition the courts to remedy wrongdoing are in dire straits , ” Liberty said .
“ Systems like arbitration favor corporations and are extremely expensive .
Mediation is extremely expensive , ” she said .
“ With the courts failing to function at full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working and people are getting hurt.
” Lemke , who is handling the mediation between the hotel owner and the former employees , said that the cases can be complicated .
“ The defense counsel for the hotel owner said that they needed for me to give them a few minutes for a call in the afternoon .
And I said , no problem , ” Lemke said .
“ It turned out that they were also talking to bankruptcy counsel about a possible bankruptcy filing .
That gives you a little bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate is playing out in mediation.
” “ A lot of employers , ” he said , “ who are having economic difficulties are saying , ‘ Take an amount of money now and know that you ’ re going to get it or you can stand in line with a bunch of creditors and even after having fought this thing out for a year or two years , three years , you may not actually wind up recuperating anything.
’ ” Consumer attorney Liberty said civil trial delays are serious enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force the courts to respond more quickly to the backlogs .
“ We are hearing about strenuous attempts to pressure parties to accept whatever offer is on the table , ” she said .
“ So people who have been harmed or fired through no fault of their own or have had their civil rights violated have a Hobson ’ s choice of settling for little or nothing of what they deserve .
It ’ s really grotesque.
” Many mediators and arbitrators aren ’ t expecting the courts to bounce back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re convinced their business has gained permanent growth .
Mediation , they say , has easily made the transition to electronic videoconferencing on such platforms as Zoom .
Reddock-Wright said .
“ With the court systems being backed up for at least a year or two years in some instances , before cases are able to get to trial , I ’ m glad that we have this option .
These cases aren ’ t just sitting , waiting for the court system to be able to accommodate , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases resolved and allowing folks to be able to move on with their lives , ” Reddock-Wright said .
At least one mediator-arbitrator said she is able to do a better job through videoconferencing .
Documents are easy to examine closely on one video screen while another is reserved for the people in the mediation or arbitration meeting , said Laura A. Kaster , who practices in New Jersey and New York and is a fellow in the College of Commercial Arbitrators and an executive committee member for the National Academy of Distinguished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walk up to a witness or plaintiff and stand inches away to analyze each facial expression and tic that might help establish whether a person is telling the truth , she can in a Zoom meeting .
“ The screen that I have is closer to me than I would be to a witness , ” Kaster said .
“ There ’ s less distraction around and I can see and hear very well .
And I personally think I see and read the body language just as well , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s helping me do a better job .
”

The Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on March 21, a few days after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a “Safer at Home” order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
It was a question of what would happen first for the Los Angeles hotel owner whose business had been decimated by the coronavirus lockdown: a financial settlement with the angry employees he had fired — or bankruptcy.
Across town, a Black man wanted to fight his recent termination, contending it was because of racial discrimination not a coronavirus-related business downturn. In another case, a woman suddenly out of work was ready to accuse her boss of using pandemic layoffs to cover up his sexual harassment.
Employers were wrangling with workers claiming extended paid sick leave when they hadn’t provided proof that they had contracted COVID-19. And former employees were asserting that bosses were using pandemic business losses as an excuse to settle scores and selectively fire those they considered difficult.
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All are real examples from the last six months — with names and details removed to protect client privacy — that employment lawyers, mediators and arbitrators cite for why they are more busy than ever since coronavirus protection measures upended workplaces and left California courthouses largely empty.
But having to rely on mediation and arbitration to resolve cases has left many people in a terrible position, consumer and personal injury attorneys say, contending that such alternative dispute resolution favors corporations and employers.
Civil trials, particularly in the largest counties, have been postponed, perhaps for months, leaving employment and other disputes in limbo.
Presiding Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Kevin C. Brazile issued an order Thursday saying the court will prioritize criminal jury trials as it works to expand operations and must postpone all civil jury trials until January.
In early September, the court completed its first criminal jury trial since the shutdown, and more than 7,000 criminal cases await trial to satisfy the defendants’ right to a speedy trial, he said. Small claims cases and nonjury traffic cases resumed in August.
Advertisement
For six months, attorneys and human resource experts say, pandemic-fueled confusion and a sense that rules no longer apply have been crashing into the reality of California labor, workplace safety, consumer protection and other laws, some of which have been strengthened since March, such as ordinances governing worker right of recall and retention adopted recently by Los Angeles city and county.
“The COVID made me do it” is the ultimate scapegoat nowadays claimed by either side in employment litigation, said Coby Turner, a Sacramento attorney who represents employers for international law firm Seyfarth Shaw.
Before the novel coronavirus, lawyers would often hash these matters out before a judge or jury. They would at least use the threat of a reasonably quick court date to force a solution.
But with some courts just beginning to ramp up operations, alternative forms of dispute resolution are booming in California and other hard-hit states. Face-to-face negotiations with mediators or arbitrators — known in legal circles as “the neutrals” — mean dueling videoconference screens as remote work remains the norm.
Angela Reddock-Wright, in her home office in Carson, has seen her mediation business surge during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
“When you are faced with the possibility that you won’t get on a court calendar for two, possibly three years, you’re not going to want to wait that long,” said attorney Angela Reddock-Wright, a panel member for dispute resolution company Judicate West and managing partner of Reddock Law Group, which mediates and arbitrates disputes between employers and employees and investigates workplace claims on behalf of business, education and government clients.
“I’ve had to add Saturday hours and offer meeting times that run to 11 p.m. on weeknights, just to keep up. I’m having to turn down investigation cases,” said Reddock-Wright, who is immediate past president of the Southern California Mediation Assn.
Reddock-Wright wears many “neutral” hats, and can serve as a mediator, an arbitrator or a workplace investigator. Her mediation business has jumped 50% over 2019, Reddock-Wright said.
Seyfarth Shaw has been tracking COVID-related labor and employment litigation for the last few months, and Turner said the firm is seeing as many as 50 new lawsuits a week nationally, with California having the largest share.
A widely cited tracker by law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth shows California plaintiffs filed 662 COVID-related lawsuits through Sept. 8, with 93 involving labor and employment, including exposure to the novel coronavirus at work. Nationwide, the total was 4,813 lawsuits, of which 553 were categorized as labor and employment, according to the tracker.
In the midst of the pandemic, business operators are struggling to figure out what they are allowed to do to survive.
Normally, the Society for Human Resource Management, the nation’s largest human resources membership organization, fields about 50,000 calls for information annually. In 2020, that figure is expected to reach as high as 75,000, according to Amber Clayton, director of the society’s Knowledge Center.
Among the most common questions from both employers and workers: Can employees refuse a recall to work and still collect unemployment? Can we keep furloughed or laid-off employees on our group health plan? Are employers able to reduce exempt employees’ salaries because of the business impact of the coronavirus? How can a company conduct a layoff or reduction in force? Can employers demand COVID-19 test results? How can a company help employees navigate unemployment during COVID-19?
“This is uncharted territory,” Clayton said.
Non-COVID civil disputes haven’t stopped developing during the pandemic, and the courts’ normally heavy caseload — California Superior Courts had more than 665,000 civil cases filed in fiscal 2018 — means an unprecedented logjam has developed.
With jury trials out until next year for civil cases, “all of the cases scheduled for trial between March and December are going to need to be rescheduled,” said Mark Lemke, president of the Southern California Mediation Assn. “All of the trial dates on calendar between January and December of next year may be looking at having those dates vacated or continued.”
Some court systems are worse than others, Turner said, singling out the Los Angeles County Superior Court as one of the laggards.
“Most of the courts I work in are developing Zoom-type systems, doing a lot more telephonic hearings. Some courts have even developed distance jury trials where they have people via Zoom,” Turner said. “So this has been a baptism by fire.”
Brazile said pandemic closures pushed Los Angeles County Superior Court staff to accelerate the adoption of technology for remote visual and audio appearances, squeezing 18 months of work into three. Remote options are now available but can’t be mandated, he said.
There are two kinds of alternative dispute resolution that don’t involve full-fledged court hearings: mediation and arbitration.
A mediator serves as an impartial party to help both sides forge an agreement to keep a matter out of the courts. Without agreement, there’s no resolution.
Arbitration — either nonbinding or binding — usually is ruled over by a judge or a retired judge, attorneys and perhaps an expert in the field of the case involved. There can be one arbitrator or a panel of three, which makes the decision on the case.
In nonbinding arbitration, either side can reject the decision and request a trial. In binding arbitration, the decision is final.
Arbitration becomes controversial when aggrieved employees find that among the documents they signed when hired was an agreement to go to arbitration to settle disputes rather than sue. California companies often have mandatory arbitration rules, signed during the onboarding process, Reddock-Wright said, although the employer is supposed to pay arbitration costs.
Arbitration agreements also appear frequently in consumer contracts.
Having to rely on mediation and arbitration to resolve cases has left many plaintiffs in a painful limbo, said Oakland attorney Micha Star Liberty, president of Consumer Attorneys of California. Liberty’s law practice represents people whose claims include wrongful termination from work, sexual harassment and serious injury or abuse.
“Regular folks who depend on an ability to petition the courts to remedy wrongdoing are in dire straits,” Liberty said.
“Systems like arbitration favor corporations and are extremely expensive. Mediation is extremely expensive,” she said. “With the courts failing to function at full capacity, delay and denying tactics are working and people are getting hurt.”
Lemke, who is handling the mediation between the hotel owner and the former employees, said that the cases can be complicated.
“The defense counsel for the hotel owner said that they needed for me to give them a few minutes for a call in the afternoon. And I said, no problem,” Lemke said. “It turned out that they were also talking to bankruptcy counsel about a possible bankruptcy filing. That gives you a little bit of a sense of how the economic climate is playing out in mediation.”
“A lot of employers,” he said, “who are having economic difficulties are saying, ‘Take an amount of money now and know that you’re going to get it or you can stand in line with a bunch of creditors and even after having fought this thing out for a year or two years, three years, you may not actually wind up recuperating anything.’”
Consumer attorney Liberty said civil trial delays are serious enough to demand legislative hearings to consider ways to force the courts to respond more quickly to the backlogs.
“We are hearing about strenuous attempts to pressure parties to accept whatever offer is on the table,” she said. “So people who have been harmed or fired through no fault of their own or have had their civil rights violated have a Hobson’s choice of settling for little or nothing of what they deserve. It’s really grotesque.”
Many mediators and arbitrators aren’t expecting the courts to bounce back to their pre-virus pace anytime soon, and they’re convinced their business has gained permanent growth.
Mediation, they say, has easily made the transition to electronic videoconferencing on such platforms as Zoom, Reddock-Wright said.
“With the court systems being backed up for at least a year or two years in some instances, before cases are able to get to trial, I’m glad that we have this option. These cases aren’t just sitting, waiting for the court system to be able to accommodate,” she said.
“We’re getting cases resolved and allowing folks to be able to move on with their lives,” Reddock-Wright said.
At least one mediator-arbitrator said she is able to do a better job through videoconferencing.
Documents are easy to examine closely on one video screen while another is reserved for the people in the mediation or arbitration meeting, said Laura A. Kaster, who practices in New Jersey and New York and is a fellow in the College of Commercial Arbitrators and an executive committee member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.
Although Kaster can’t walk up to a witness or plaintiff and stand inches away to analyze each facial expression and tic that might help establish whether a person is telling the truth, she can in a Zoom meeting.
“The screen that I have is closer to me than I would be to a witness,” Kaster said.
“There’s less distraction around and I can see and hear very well. And I personally think I see and read the body language just as well,” she said. “In many ways, it’s helping me do a better job.”