latimes--2020-10-01--Crews battling fires in California's wine country brace for dangerously dry, windy conditions

Dangerously dry and windy conditions will challenge crews battling the Glass fire in California ’ s wine country over the coming days , as officials warn that gusts could potentially push the blaze toward communities in Napa County .
The ominous forecast comes as the nearly 57,000-acre blaze remains largely uncontrolled .
Officials on Thursday reported that the fire , burning in Napa and Sonoma counties , was 5 % contained — up a bit overnight , but still too low for comfort .
“ Our concerns are coming up here in the next 48 hours as that wind starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ west , coming around to the northwest , and starts to push this fire back in toward the community of Angwin and over toward Pope Valley , ” fire behavior analyst Brian Newman said Wednesday night .
“ So we ’ re trying to look at what it ’ s going to do and what kind of heads-up we need to give our operations folks.
” Angwin , in the northern Napa Valley , is home to a number of wineries , the liberal arts Pacific Union College and a small airfield .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ evacuation order .
“ Fire is impinging upon the outskirts of that community , ” Mark Brunton , battalion chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , said during a briefing Thursday afternoon .
“ We have structure defense actively engaged in that area.
” Officials issued a new evacuation order covering all areas of Napa County north of the Calistoga city limits between Highway 128 , the Sonoma County line and Highway 29 .
The order also covers all addresses on both sides of Highway 29 between the Calistoga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as all addresses on Old Lawley Toll Road .
After a midweek reprieve , the National Weather Service issued red flag warnings starting Thursday afternoon for the San Francisco Bay Area ’ s hills , as well as portions of Lake , Mendocino and Monterey counties .
They are expected to last through Saturday morning .
Red flag warnings are issued when meteorologists say there ’ s high confidence of dangerous fire weather .
“ What that means is the fire now has more energy behind it with the weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more difficult to control , ” said Tom Bird , incident meteorologist for the Glass fire .
Winds could gust up to 30 mph Thursday afternoon , and the air is expected to remain considerably dry through Friday morning .
Even worse , temperatures were expected to again spike across Northern California , climbing as much as 25 degrees above average for this time of year .
Santa Rosa is expected to see a high of 104 degrees Thursday .
Billy See , a Cal Fire incident commander , said , “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wind event ” as when “ this fire first started moving out ” after igniting early Sunday .
“ Mother Nature is something that we don ’ t try to guess , so we ’ re preparing for the worst-case scenario and we ’ re hoping for the best , ” he said during a briefing Wednesday .
The adverse weather comes as crews continue their arduous work to hem in the blaze , which has already destroyed numerous structures — including 107 homes in Napa County and 36 in Sonoma County .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26,000 other structures , officials said Thursday .
Its cause remains under investigation .
“ It ’ s a scene that ’ s all so very familiar with people in the Napa and Sonoma regions that have been torn asunder by wildfires seemingly every single year — this drumbeat where people are exhausted , concerned , anxious about their fate and their future , not just their safety , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Thursday as he surveyed fire damage .
One major concern when winds whip up is that gusts can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spark new spot fires .
“ In these conditions , these hot , dry conditions with these winds , the vast majority of those embers actually will ignite fires , ” Newsom said .
“ It ’ s not the exception , it ’ s almost the rule .
And that ’ s why it ’ s absolutely incumbent upon people to take these mandatory and recommended evacuations very , very seriously.
” Newsom said the approach to addressing wildfires has to be multipronged and address both near-term needs — such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources and assets for suppression efforts — as well as the long-term impacts and challenges of climate change .
“ We ’ re seeing hots getting much hotter , the dries getting much drier , ” he said .
“ We ’ re seeing what traditionally have been smaller , containable fires become unprecedented megafires.
” The Glass fire is one of roughly two dozen such major wildfires burning throughout California .
Another is the Zogg fire , which has scorched more than 55,000 acres in Shasta County , southwest of Redding .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ overnight , increasing containment to 26 % as of Thursday morning .
However , the blaze has still taken a severe toll .
It ’ s been blamed for four deaths and destroyed 147 structures .
On Thursday , Shasta County identified two of the victims .
Sheriff ’ s Lt. Logan Stonehouse , the county ’ s chief deputy coroner , said the body of Karin King , 79 , was discovered about 7 a.m. Monday on Zogg Mine Road in Igo .
Kenneth Vossen , 52 , of Igo died Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where he was being treated for injuries suffered in the fire .
Two others found in the fire zone haven ’ t been positively identified yet , Stonehouse said , adding that the cases are still under investigation .
He declined to reveal more details about the circumstances of the deaths .
“ Our staff would like to send our deepest condolences to the victims and families affected by this tragic incident , ” he said .
Incident Commander Sean Kavanaugh said he hopes it will soon be safe enough to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area to return home .
“ What I do not want to do is to have an evacuation ... put people back in , and then have to re-evacuate , ” he said during a briefing Thursday .
More than 96,000 Californians are still away from their homes because of fire , according to state figures .
That ’ s just one of the sobering statistics that ’ s emerged from this year ’ s historic firestorm .
Statewide , more than 8,100 wildfires have ignited this year and , together , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acres , according to Cal Fire .
“ It ’ s likely that , over the next day or two , we will crest the 4-million-acre mark , ” Cal Fire director Thom Porter said Thursday .
“ The biggest year before this year : 1.54 million .
We are dwarfing that previous record , and we have a lot of season left to go.
” Thirty people have perished in wildfires , and flames have consumed more than 7,500 structures .
“ This is a very extreme fire year for all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public information officer for the Zogg fire .
Given the enormity and extent of this year ’ s fire season , “ clearly , we have our work cut out for us to deal with not only suppression , but prevention strategies , ” Newsom said .
Weather conditions like those forecast for the coming days raise concerns even for older blazes .
The six-week-old Dolan fire burning in the Big Sur area of Monterey County is 87 % contained , but , like with the Glass fire , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 mph could worsen it .
And as always , where there ’ s smoke , there ’ s worsening air quality .
The air reached unhealthy levels in some parts of the San Francisco Bay Area on Thursday , as well as across swaths of the Central Valley and Northern California .

Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Maura Dolan

Smoke from the Glass fire is visible from along Highway 128 in Calistoga on Wednesday.
Dangerously dry and windy conditions will challenge crews battling the Glass fire in California’s wine country over the coming days, as officials warn that gusts could potentially push the blaze toward communities in Napa County.
The ominous forecast comes as the nearly 59,000-acre blaze remains largely uncontrolled. Officials on Thursday reported that the fire, burning in Napa and Sonoma counties, was 5% contained — up a bit overnight, but still too low for comfort.
“Our concerns are coming up here in the next 48 hours as that wind starts to shift around from the south and west, coming around to the northwest, and starts to push this fire back in toward the community of Angwin and over toward Pope Valley,” fire behavior analyst Brian Newman said Wednesday night. “So we’re trying to look at what it’s going to do and what kind of heads-up we need to give our operations folks.”
Advertisement
Angwin, in the northern Napa Valley, is home to a number of wineries, the liberal arts Pacific Union College and a small airfield. The town is currently under a mandatory evacuation order.
“Fire is impinging upon the outskirts of that community,” Mark Brunton, battalion chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said during a briefing Thursday afternoon. “We have structure defense actively engaged in that area.”
Officials issued a new evacuation order covering all areas of Napa County north of the Calistoga city limits between Highway 128, the Sonoma County line and Highway 29. The order also covers all addresses on both sides of Highway 29 between the Calistoga city limits and the Lake County line, as well as all addresses on Old Lawley Toll Road.
After a midweek reprieve, the National Weather Service issued red flag warnings starting Thursday afternoon for the San Francisco Bay Area’s hills, as well as portions of Lake, Mendocino and Monterey counties. They are expected to last through Saturday morning.
Red flag warnings are issued when meteorologists say there’s high confidence of dangerous fire weather.
Advertisement
“What that means is the fire now has more energy behind it with the weather to actually get more active and become more difficult to control,” said Tom Bird, incident meteorologist for the Glass fire.
Winds could gust up to 30 mph Thursday afternoon, and the air is expected to remain considerably dry through Friday morning.
Even worse, temperatures were expected to again spike across Northern California, climbing as much as 25 degrees above average for this time of year.
Santa Rosa is expected to see a high of 104 degrees Thursday.
California Fourth death confirmed as fires continue to torch Northern California The Zogg fire has burned more than 55,000 acres and claimed a fourth victim, while the Glass fire has charred more than 51,000 acres in Northern California.
Billy See, a Cal Fire incident commander, said, “We’re looking at a very similar wind event” as when “this fire first started moving out” after igniting early Sunday.
“Mother Nature is something that we don’t try to guess, so we’re preparing for the worst-case scenario and we’re hoping for the best,” he said during a briefing Wednesday.
The adverse weather comes as crews continue trying to hem in the blaze, which has destroyed 153 homes in Napa County and 67 in Sonoma County.
The fire is threatening another 28,800 structures, officials said Thursday. Its cause remains under investigation.
“It’s a scene that’s all so very familiar with people in the Napa and Sonoma regions that have been torn asunder by wildfires seemingly every single year — this drumbeat where people are exhausted, concerned, anxious about their fate and their future, not just their safety,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday as he surveyed fire damage.
One major concern when winds whip up is that gusts can carry embers outside an existing burn area and spark new spot fires.
“In these conditions, these hot, dry conditions with these winds, the vast majority of those embers actually will ignite fires,” Newsom said. “It’s not the exception, it’s almost the rule. And that’s why it’s absolutely incumbent upon people to take these mandatory and recommended evacuations very, very seriously.”
Newsom said the approach to addressing wildfires has to be multipronged and address both near-term needs — such as proactive forest and vegetation management and earmarking resources and assets for suppression efforts — as well as the long-term impacts and challenges of climate change.
“We’re seeing hots getting much hotter, the dries getting much drier,” he said. “We’re seeing what traditionally have been smaller, containable fires become unprecedented megafires.”
The Glass fire is one of roughly two dozen such major wildfires burning throughout California.
Another is the Zogg fire, which has scorched more than 55,000 acres in Shasta County, southwest of Redding.
Officials made substantial progress on that fire overnight, increasing containment to 39% as of Thursday evening.
Yet the blaze has still taken a severe toll: Four people have died and 153 structures have been destroyed.
On Thursday, Shasta County identified two of the victims. Sheriff’s Lt. Logan Stonehouse, the county’s chief deputy coroner, said the body of Karin King, 79, was discovered about 7 a.m. Monday on Zogg Mine Road in Igo.
Kenneth Vossen, 52, of Igo died Tuesday at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where he was being treated for injuries suffered in the fire.
Two others found in the fire zone haven’t been positively identified yet, Stonehouse said, adding that the cases are still under investigation. He declined to reveal more details about the circumstances of the deaths.
“Our staff would like to send our deepest condolences to the victims and families affected by this tragic incident,” he said.
Incident Commander Sean Kavanaugh said he hopes it will soon be safe enough to allow residents who have been evacuated from the area to return home.
“What I do not want to do is to have an evacuation ... put people back in, and then have to re-evacuate,” he said during a briefing Thursday.
More than 96,000 Californians are still away from their homes because of fire, according to state figures.
That’s just one of the sobering statistics that’s emerged from this year’s historic firestorm. Statewide, more than 8,100 wildfires have ignited this year and, together, they’ve burned close to 4 million acres, according to Cal Fire.
“It’s likely that, over the next day or two, we will crest the 4-million-acre mark,” Cal Fire director Thom Porter said Thursday. “The biggest year before this year: 1.54 million. We are dwarfing that previous record, and we have a lot of season left to go.”
Thirty people have perished in wildfires, and flames have consumed more than 7,500 structures.
“This is a very extreme fire year for all of us,” said Jeremy Rahn, a public information officer for the Zogg fire.
Given the enormity and extent of this year’s fire season, “clearly, we have our work cut out for us to deal with not only suppression, but prevention strategies,” Newsom said.
Weather conditions like those forecast for the coming days raise concerns even for older blazes.
The six-week-old Dolan fire burning in the Big Sur area of Monterey County is 87% contained, but, like with the Glass fire, there’s worry that wind gusts of up to 30 mph could worsen it.
And as always, where there’s smoke, there’s worsening air quality. The air reached unhealthy levels in some parts of the San Francisco Bay Area on Thursday, as well as across swaths of the Central Valley and Northern California.


latimes--2020-10-01--California adds COVID-19 equity requirement. It could trip up counties' reopenings

California ’ s larger counties will not be permitted to reopen their economies further unless they reduce coronavirus infections in the hardest hit places where the poor , Black people , Latinos and Pacific Islanders live .
Under a new state requirement for reopening during the pandemic , counties with more than 106,000 residents must bring infections down in these places and invest heavily there in testing , contact tracing , outreach and providing means for infected people to isolate .
Los Angeles is one county sure to be affected , along with others in Southern California .
The measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods do not significantly exceed a county ’ s overall rate , a disparity that has been widespread during the pandemic .
The new requirements , which take effect Oct. 6 , may make it difficult for some counties to reopen as quickly and broadly as local leaders would like .
Black people , Latinos and Pacific Islanders have been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic .
Many are essential workers , lack easy access to healthcare or live in crowded conditions .
In San Francisco , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s infections stem from the Mission District , which is heavily Latino .
“ Our entire state has come together to redouble our efforts to reduce the devastating toll COVID-19 has had on our Latino , Black and Pacific Islander communities , ” Acting State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan said in a news release .
“ This isn ’ t just a matter of higher cases in these communities — it is an issue of life and death that is hurting all Californians , ” she added.
`` An all-community , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transmission of COVID in all populations will help ensure we reopen our economy safely , protect our essential workers , and support our local partners.
” State officials announced weeks ago that a new “ equity ” measure would be added .
It was unveiled on the state ’ s Department of Public Health website on Wednesday .
Most counties have significant differences in the coronavirus positivity rate between richer and poorer neighborhoods .
The prevalence of disease in one neighborhood adds to the risks for the entire county , the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce disease transmission in all communities to ensure California reopens its economy safely , ” the Department of Public Health said in announcing the new metric .
The larger county ’ s census tracts will be divided into quartiles based on the California Healthy Places index , a measure of socioeconomic opportunity that takes into account economic , social , education , housing and transportation factors .
The lowest quartile of these tracts is now home to 24 % of Californians but accounts for 40 % of COVID-19 cases , the state said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate numbers that larger counties must meet in their poorer cities and neighborhoods to move to a less restrictive level of reopening .
These counties also will have to submit plans targeting those communities for health investments .
Counties that fail to meet the new metric will not be moved to a more restrictive tier .
They just won ’ t be able to advance in reopening .
The new metric also rewards counties that bring down disease in their low income regions , making it easier for them to reopen even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requirements now in place .
Those two requirements allow for reopening only if weekly new infections are no more than seven for each 100,000 residents and test positivity rates are at certain levels .
Heavily Latino communities in Los Angeles County have recorded the most confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
As of Thursday , health authorities had recorded 6,375 confirmed , reported cases of COVID-19 in East Los Angeles , according to The Times ’ coronavirus tracker .
By comparison , Glendale , with a higher population , has had 3,793 reported cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to an email Thursday morning asking about the potential effect of the new requirement .
The county Public Health Department on Thursday confirmed 35 new deaths and 1,148 new cases of COVID-19 .
Cumulatively , the county has identified 271,371 cases of COVID-19 and a6,610 deaths .
The county is now slowly reopening after failing to see a surge of new cases after the Labor Day weekend .
Indoor nail salons were able to reopen at 25 % capacity Thursday .
Outdoor card rooms will be able to open without food and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will reopen Wednesday at 25 % capacity .
“ We must be sure that every business or sector that is reopening complies with 100 % of the safety directives , ” said Barbara Ferrer , the county ’ s director of public health .
“ If the new reopenings result in increased community transmission , our recovery journey may need to slow down.
” San Francisco , which has worked for months to devote more resources to the heavily Latino Mission District , said it welcomed the new equity metric .
“ As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the state , ” the city ’ s COVID Command Center said , “ this virus exploits historic inequities and structural racism.
” In an email , the command center said San Francisco has invested extensively in “ equitable emergency response , ” offering free testing , free isolation and quarantine accommodations and an outbreak management program for vulnerable communities , among other programs .
San Francisco is now in the orange reopening tier , which means the spread of disease is moderate .

California’s larger counties will not be permitted to reopen their economies further unless they reduce coronavirus infections in the hardest-hit places where the poor, Black people, Latinos and Pacific Islanders live.
Under a new state requirement for reopening during the pandemic, counties with more than 106,000 residents must bring infections down in these places and invest heavily there in testing, contact tracing, outreach and providing means for infected people to isolate. Los Angeles is one county sure to be affected, along with others in Southern California.
The measure is designed to ensure that test positivity rates in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods do not significantly exceed a county’s overall rate, a disparity that has been widespread during the pandemic.
The new requirements, which take effect Tuesday, may make it difficult for some counties to reopen as quickly and broadly as local leaders would like.
Advertisement
Black people, Latinos and Pacific Islanders have been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic. Many are essential workers, lack easy access to healthcare or live in crowded conditions. In San Francisco, at least half of all the the city’s infections stem from the Mission District, which is heavily Latino.
“Our entire state has come together to redouble our efforts to reduce the devastating toll COVID-19 has had on our Latino, Black and Pacific Islander communities,” the state’s acting public health officer, Dr. Erica Pan, said in a news release.
“This isn’t just a matter of higher cases in these communities — it is an issue of life and death that is hurting all Californians,” she said. “An all-community, cross-sector approach to work together to slow the transmission of COVID in all populations will help ensure we reopen our economy safely, protect our essential workers and support our local partners.”
State officials announced weeks ago that a new “equity” measure would be added. It was unveiled on the state’s Department of Public Health website Wednesday.
Most counties have significant differences in the coronavirus positivity rate between richer and poorer neighborhoods. The prevalence of disease in one neighborhood adds to the risks for the entire county, the state said.
“It is imperative to reduce disease transmission in all communities to ensure California reopens its economy safely,” the Department of Public Health said in announcing the new metric.
The larger counties’ census tracts will be divided into quartiles based on the California Healthy Places index, a measure of socioeconomic opportunity that takes into account economic, social, education, housing and transportation factors. The lowest quartile of these tracts is now home to 24% of Californians but accounts for 40% of COVID-19 cases, the state said.
The requirement establishes specific positive case rate numbers that larger counties must meet in their poorer cities and neighborhoods to move to a less restrictive level of reopening. These counties also will have to submit plans targeting those communities for health investments.
Counties that fail to meet the new metric will not be moved to a more restrictive tier. They just won’t be able to advance in reopening.
The new metric also rewards counties that bring down disease in their low-income regions, making it easier for them to reopen even if they fall behind the two other state requirements now in place.
Advertisement
Those two requirements allow for reopening only if weekly new infections are no more than seven for each 100,000 residents and test positivity rates are at certain levels.
Heavily Latino communities in Los Angeles County have recorded the most confirmed cases of COVID-19. As of Thursday, health authorities had recorded 6,375 confirmed, reported cases of COVID-19 in East Los Angeles, according to The Times’ coronavirus tracker. By comparison, Glendale, with a higher population, has had 3,793 reported cases.
Los Angeles County did not immediately respond to an email Thursday morning asking about the potential effect of the new requirement.
The county Public Health Department on Thursday confirmed 35 new deaths and 1,148 new cases of COVID-19. Cumulatively, the county has identified 271,371 cases of COVID-19 and 6,610 deaths.
The county is now slowly reopening after failing to see a surge of new cases after the Labor Day weekend. Indoor nail salons were able to reopen at 25% capacity Thursday. Outdoor card rooms will be able to open without food and beverages Monday, and indoor shopping centers will reopen Wednesday at 25% capacity.
“We must be sure that every business or sector that is reopening complies with 100% of the safety directives,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health. “If the new reopenings result in increased community transmission, our recovery journey may need to slow down.”
Which California counties are reopening? To contain the spread of COVID-19, parks, restaurants and stores are slowly reopening.
San Francisco, which has worked for months to devote more resources to the heavily Latino Mission District, said it welcomed the new equity metric.
“As we have seen in San Francisco and across the state,” the city’s COVID Command Center said, “this virus exploits historic inequities and structural racism.”
In an email, the command center said San Francisco has invested extensively in “equitable emergency response,” offering free testing, free isolation and quarantine accommodations and an outbreak management program for vulnerable communities, among other programs.
San Francisco is now in the orange reopening tier, which means the spread of disease is moderate.


latimes--2020-10-01--After disastrous March election, L.A. County faces 'huge challenge' in November

After a disastrous March election marked by breakdowns and delays at the polls , Los Angeles County election officials are approaching the November vote with a whole new set of challenges brought on by the pandemic as well as new scrutiny about the integrity of balloting .
It will mark the first election since the problem-riddled debut of the county ’ s new $ 300-million voting system , which officials have spent months trying to fix .
And it will be the first election where ballots will be mailed to all 5.6 million registered voters , not just those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top elections official , Dean Logan , says his team is ready , but many with a stake in the election remain nervous about how it will perform amid the hurdles .
“ Am I concerned ?
Yeah , and I am going to be concerned until Nov. 4 , ” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn , who has been vocal in her criticism after long lines and computer problems frustrated some voters in March .
“ We have a huge challenge in front of us.
” Shaping up as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how they cast ballots .
Officials want more residents to vote from home , despite a historical preference for in-person voting in Los Angeles .
The decision to provide mail-in ballots to every registered voter wasn ’ t originally planned until after the election , to better prepare the county ’ s systems and vendors for printing , processing and mailing the ballots .
Officials fast-tracked it because of an order by Gov .
Gavin Newsom in response to the pandemic as well as local fears that the new in-person voting system wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another election after its problem-plagued debut earlier this year .
Distributing and counting mail ballots presents its own set of difficulties .
The ability to accurately mail ballots to all voters depends heavily on the accuracy of the state ’ s voter registration database , Logan has said , and also the ability of the U.S .
Postal Service to deliver them .
To help , Logan sent advance mailers over the summer to prepare voters and update their address information .
A surge of mail-in ballots is expected .
In the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Logan ’ s office only had to process 1.1 million mailed ballots .
But the general election could mean as many as 3.7 million ballots cast overall , if presidential turnout trends hold .
By early October , each registered voter will receive a ballot via the mail .
Voters can cast those ballots , which are trackable online , by using the postal service or by placing them in one of 400 secure drop boxes at parks and other public places .
Voters can also cast their completed mail ballots at vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on election day .
“ We are encouraging voters who are able to do so to vote safely at home using their vote by mail ballot , ” said Logan , the registrar-recorder/county clerk , noting the options for returning them .
“ At the same time , we want voters who need or desire an in-person voting experience to know those options are available and that safety precautions are in place.
” There will be 800 vote centers across the county where residents can cast a ballot specific to their home address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primary , the centers will be sprinkled throughout the county at schools and other quasi-public facilities , including sports venues used by the Dodgers , Rams , Lakers and Clippers .
Logan said his office has been “ heads down ” working to correct the capacity and procedural problems from the primary — and to prepare for the challenges posed by COVID-19 , which will require sanitizing equipment and selecting venues capable of allowing voters to spread out .
Logan said his office plans to use as many as 16,000 election workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county workforce , who are undergoing extra training on working in vote centers .
The county workers are being used because Logan ’ s office expected the pandemic to cause a drop-off in volunteers .
Clerks working in vote centers must complete a three-hour online course and a five-hour in-person session .
Their supervisors get the same online training but are also required to attend two eight-hour in-person sessions to ensure they ’ re ready .
They must also do a walk-through at their respective vote centers the day before opening .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused on access to safe and secure voting options , ” he said .
The upcoming test of the county ’ s voting system come only months after delays and long lines marred voting in the March 3 primary .
Problems with the county ’ s new $ 300-million electronic voting system — the first major changes in the county ’ s voting process in more than a decade — included network and capacity issues which were compounded by election workers who lacked the authority and training to address the issues .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ action items ” to address the frustrations felt by voters , particularly those who tried to cast ballots on election day itself .
Logan ’ s office noted in the report , for example , that roughly 15 % of respondents said they had to wait up to two hours to vote .
A key reason for the delays were synchronization issues with the system ’ s new digital poll books , which were supposed to allow voters to check in at any vote center regardless of where they live in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have enough poll books , exacerbating the delays , according to the report .
And there were difficulties trying to find voters in the system due to a lookup search interface that was too limited for the size of the county ’ s electorate .
Logan said those issues have been addressed by working with state officials to improve the poll book interface so that election workers can more easily find voters using multiple search criteria .
Logan said each vote center will also have at least five poll books to speed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office said it has worked to fix paper jam issues on some of the thousands of new ballot marking devices that also caused delays .
Logan ’ s office submitted its changes to the ballot devices and vote tallying system to Secretary of State Alex Padilla , who hired an independent contractor to test them .
A public hearing was held in late August , and certification is expected any day .
The poll books have also been reviewed by Padilla ’ s office in a separate process .
Those with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they hope Logan ’ s office has fixed the problems .
Mark Gonzalez , who chairs the Los Angeles County Democratic Party , said he ’ s worried about systems failing or long lines for voters who still prefer to vote in person .
“ I ’ m again cautiously optimistic , but at that moment I was disappointed in a system that we were assured was going to work , ” said Gonzalez , referring to his reaction in March .
Gonzalez said Logan ’ s office pledged to have enhanced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election workers , and to have at least one on-site technical staffer to tackle any problems .
“ Whether that will actually happen , I can ’ t say , but I ’ ve been assured , ” said Gonzalez , who is encouraging voters to use mail ballots and do so early given concern about postal delays .
“ It ’ s important that the county registrar-recorder remains committed to what they promised .
”

For the first time, Los Angeles County is sending a mail ballot to every voter ahead of the November election.
After a disastrous March election marked by breakdowns and delays at the polls, Los Angeles County election officials are approaching the November vote with a whole new set of challenges brought on by the pandemic as well as new scrutiny about the integrity of balloting.
It will mark the first election since the problem-riddled debut of the county’s new $300-million voting system, which officials have spent months trying to fix. And it will be the first election where ballots will be mailed to all 5.6 million registered voters, not just those who request them.
The county’s top elections official, Dean Logan, says his team is ready, but many with a stake in the election remain nervous about how it will perform amid the hurdles.
Advertisement
“Am I concerned? Yeah, and I am going to be concerned until Nov. 4,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who has been vocal in her criticism after long lines and computer problems frustrated some voters in March. “We have a huge challenge in front of us.”
Shaping up as the biggest challenge is getting voters to rethink how they cast ballots. Officials want more residents to vote from home, despite a historical preference for in-person voting in Los Angeles.
The decision to provide mail-in ballots to every registered voter wasn’t originally planned until after the election, to better prepare the county’s systems and vendors for printing, processing and mailing the ballots. Officials fast-tracked it because of an order by Gov. Gavin Newsom in response to the pandemic as well as local fears that the new in-person voting system wasn’t up to the task of another election after its problem-plagued debut earlier this year.
Distributing and counting mail ballots presents its own set of difficulties. The ability to accurately mail ballots to all voters depends heavily on the accuracy of the state’s voter registration database, Logan has said, and also the ability of the U.S. Postal Service to deliver them. To help, Logan sent advance mailers over the summer to prepare voters and update their address information.
A surge of mail-in ballots is expected. In the primary election, which had lower turnout, Logan’s office only had to process 1.1 million mailed ballots. But the general election could mean as many as 3.7 million ballots cast overall, if presidential turnout trends hold.
By early October, each registered voter will receive a ballot via the mail. Voters can cast those ballots, which are trackable online, by using the postal service or by placing them in one of 400 secure drop boxes at parks and other public places. Voters can also cast their completed mail ballots at vote centers in the 10 days before or on election day.
× Mail-in ballots, registration deadlines, voting centers — we’ve got you covered with the basics of voting in the Nov. 3 election.
“We are encouraging voters who are able to do so to vote safely at home using their vote by mail ballot,” said Logan, the registrar-recorder/county clerk, noting the options for returning them. “At the same time, we want voters who need or desire an in-person voting experience to know those options are available and that safety precautions are in place.”
There will be 800 vote centers across the county where residents can cast a ballot specific to their home address, regardless of location. Like in the primary, the centers will be sprinkled throughout the county at schools and other quasi-public facilities, including sports venues used by the Dodgers, Rams, Lakers and Clippers.
Logan said his office has been “heads down” working to correct the capacity and procedural problems from the primary — and to prepare for the challenges posed by COVID-19, which will require sanitizing equipment and selecting venues capable of allowing voters to spread out.
Logan said his office plans to use as many as 16,000 election workers, many of them pulled from the county workforce, who are undergoing extra training on working in vote centers. The county workers are being used because Logan’s office expected the pandemic to cause a drop-off in volunteers.
Clerks working in vote centers must complete a three-hour online course and a five-hour in-person session. Their supervisors get the same online training but are also required to attend two eight-hour in-person sessions to ensure they’re ready. They must also do a walk-through at their respective vote centers the day before opening.
“Significant work has occurred and continues, focused on access to safe and secure voting options,” he said.
Advertisement
The upcoming test of the county’s voting system come only months after delays and long lines marred voting in the March 3 primary.
Problems with the county’s new $300-million electronic voting system — the first major changes in the county’s voting process in more than a decade — included network and capacity issues which were compounded by election workers who lacked the authority and training to address the issues.
An investigation ordered by county supervisors identified 47 “action items” to address the frustrations felt by voters, particularly those who tried to cast ballots on election day itself. Logan’s office noted in the report, for example, that roughly 15% of respondents said they had to wait up to two hours to vote.
A key reason for the delays were synchronization issues with the system’s new digital poll books, which were supposed to allow voters to check in at any vote center regardless of where they live in the county. Vote centers didn’t have enough poll books, exacerbating the delays, according to the report. And there were difficulties trying to find voters in the system due to a lookup search interface that was too limited for the size of the county’s electorate.
Logan said those issues have been addressed by working with state officials to improve the poll book interface so that election workers can more easily find voters using multiple search criteria. Logan said each vote center will also have at least five poll books to speed up the process.
In addition, Logan’s office said it has worked to fix paper jam issues on some of the thousands of new ballot marking devices that also caused delays.
A voter navigates a ballot marking device. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Logan’s office submitted its changes to the ballot devices and vote tallying system to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who hired an independent contractor to test them. A public hearing was held in late August, and certification was granted Thursday. The poll books have also been reviewed by Padilla’s office in a separate process.
Those with a big stake in the election say they hope Logan’s office has fixed the problems.
Mark Gonzalez, who chairs the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, said he’s worried about systems failing or long lines for voters who still prefer to vote in person.
“I’m again cautiously optimistic, but at that moment I was disappointed in a system that we were assured was going to work,” said Gonzalez, referring to his reaction in March.
Gonzalez said Logan’s office pledged to have enhanced the hardware and tools used by voters and election workers, and to have at least one on-site technical staffer to tackle any problems.
“Whether that will actually happen, I can’t say, but I’ve been assured,” said Gonzalez, who is encouraging voters to use mail ballots and do so early given concern about postal delays. “It’s important that the county registrar-recorder remains committed to what they promised.”
Sacramento bureau chief John Myers contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-10-01--Column: Trump's war on election integrity follows a racist playbook used in 1980s Orange County

Their Republican bosses gave the uniformed security guards one task on election day : Scare away people from voting during a tight , crucial race .
They stood with arms crossed behind ballot boxes , asked for ID from confused voters outside polling places and wrote down license plates numbers .
Some held signs in English and Spanish that read “ Non-Citizens Can ’ t Vote.
” Others just glowered .
The move caused a national uproar .
But the GOP officials who orchestrated it didn ’ t care .
They claimed the actions were “ honorable ” and done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot ” because they heard rumors that Democrats planned to rig the election by dropping off busloads of undocumented residents at voting booths .
Sound familiar ?
This is the Donald Trump playbook for Nov. 3 , according to the vow he made during his first presidential debate against Democratic candidate Joe Biden .
“ I ’ m urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully , ” he snarled when moderator Chris Wallace asked if Trump pledged not to declare victory until the election was independently certified .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen ” because “ they ” — he didn ’ t specify who , but it was obviously Democrats — “ cheat.
” But it was also the voter suppression that happened in Orange County on Nov. 8 , 1988 .
That morning , 20 goons hired by the local Republican Party spread across Santa Ana .
They haunted voting spots with special meaning to the city ’ s Mexican community : a Catholic church .
A Boys & Girls Club .
A senior center .
The tactic was designed to help Curt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacant Assembly seat that year .
By the time FBI agents chased off the rent-a-cops , their job was done : The drapery-store worker won his race by fewer than 1,000 votes .
The sordid episode crossed my mind almost as soon as Trump issued his cynical call for electoral eagle eyes .
This is what voter suppression looks like .
Trump , like the O.C .
GOP back then , is trying to sow distrust in an election that ’ s also a referendum on diversity .
In 1988 , Republicans tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maligned ethnic group in Orange County — from gaining a political foothold in central Orange County .
Their triumph was Pyrrhic : Latinos organized to eventually beat Pringle in 1990 .
Those battles helped Loretta Sanchez topple longtime Congressman Bob Dornan — a Trump before Trump — in 1996 .
And that was the first domino that fell in a political chain reaction that culminated with Orange County electing an all-Democratic congressional delegation in 2018 for the first time ever .
What Trump is proposing is something far more grandiose — and sinister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely be a handful of hired guns to lounge around .
He ’ s calling for legions to , as he proclaimed , “ go into the polls.
” It would make what Orange County did look tame by comparison .
Back then , Pringle ’ s camp pulled a bully move on a fast-growing minority and thought they could get away with it .
Today , Trump ’ s people want to intimidate anyone who doesn ’ t pledge fealty to MAGA and know they ’ ll have the backing of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Deukmejian — a Republican — signed a bill in the wake of the poll-guard scandal that outlawed security guards from standing closer than 100 feet from polling booths .
On Tuesday , Trump asked the alt-loser Proud Boys to “ stand by ” for heaven-knows-what .
Back then , more than a few prominent Republicans blasted their party over what they characterized as a travesty of democracy .
Santa Ana City Council member John Acosta claimed it “ smack [ ed ] of Nazism ” and that “ the dignity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Raoul Silva , a member of the California Republican Central Committee , described the gambit as “ a public lynching.
” Orange County Supervisor Gaddi Vasquez — who just months earlier gave remarks at the Republican National Convention that marked him as the party ’ s Great Brown Hope — said he was “ extremely disappointed ” at the “ tremendous lapse in judgment.
” Today ?
Well , today those pangs of conscience from GOP officials seem like relics from a distant and almost quaint past .
You don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s brays .
But also because Republicans have tethered their future and their political soul to this president with caudillo tendencies .
He ’ s their guy .
And they are his eager apostles .
State Sen. Tom Umberg , who represents the 34th District , which encompasses nearly all of Santa Ana , remembers the poll-guard fiasco well .
He was a federal prosecutor based in Orange County at the time and received multiple phone calls the day of the 1988 general election about thugs threatening voters .
He initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weird reports ” that partisans toss around on election day that almost always don ’ t turn out to be true .
Once the FBI confirmed the allegations , Umberg and a colleague went down to Santa Ana High School .
From 50 yards away , they saw a woman holding a “ huge sign ” that warned non-citizens to stay away .
A Latino couple approached the high school , looked at the woman , and returned to their cars .
“ So we walked toward the woman , and she looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone .
“ She dropped her sign and then ran away.
” Umberg — who currently serves as chair of the state Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee — was so enraged that he ran for office two years later to handily beat Pringle .
“ This is the kind of stuff that goes on in autocracies , ” said the retired U.S. Army colonel .
“ Screwing around with the electoral process is a very personal thing to me .
I served in Afghanistan .
People were literally dying to vote.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know all the vagaries of election law and that not just anyone can be a poll watcher .
People who might decide not to vote out of trepidation .
“ Whether the president ’ s words are intentional or not , ” Umberg said , “ the consequence is to impact the vote.
” Pringle — who has long denied any involvement in the 1988 poll-guard controversy — didn ’ t return a request for comment .
We need to hear more from people like Umberg , people who know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look like .
We need to hear stories like what happened in Orange County 32 years ago , to never forget that politicians will take any chance to disenfranchise communities of color .
But if you want me to tell you there was a completely happy ending to what happened in Orange County … I can ’ t .
Although six plaintiffs ultimately won more than half a million dollars in civil settlements from the Orange County and California Republican Party , no criminal charges were ever filed by local , state or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat to Umberg in 1990 , but he won in a different district two years later and eventually became California ’ s speaker of the Assembly , the last Republican to hold that seat .
Even worse ?
Pringle became Anaheim ’ s mayor in 2002 with the help of some of the very Latino leaders who once wanted him canceled .
But here ’ s the thing : This column itself is a rehash of a story my colleague Kurtis Lee wrote four years ago .
Back then , candidate Trump asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election day to fight what he was already calling a “ rigged ” election — one he ended up winning .
He ’ s still belting out the same fearful tune because Trump knows it works , just like the O.C .
GOP knew back in 1988 .
But this tide that tries to crash against the walls of our democracy again and again can be beaten back with the most potentially effective and powerful tool the U.S. Constitution gave us :

A police officer holds part of a sign seized at a polling place in Santa Ana in 1988, when guards were stationed at polling sites in the city by the GOP.
Their Republican bosses gave the uniformed security guards one task on election day: Scare away people from voting during a tight, crucial race.
They stood with arms crossed behind ballot boxes, asked for ID from confused voters outside polling places and wrote down license plates numbers. Some held signs in English and Spanish that read “Non-Citizens Can’t Vote.” Others just glowered.
The move caused a national uproar. But the GOP officials who orchestrated it didn’t care.
Advertisement
They claimed the actions were “honorable” and done to protect the “sanctity of the ballot” because they heard rumors that Democrats planned to rig the election by dropping off busloads of undocumented residents at voting booths.
Sound familiar? This is the Donald Trump playbook for Nov. 3, according to the vow he made during his first presidential debate against Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
“I’m urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully,” he snarled when moderator Chris Wallace asked if Trump pledged not to declare victory until the election was independently certified. “That’s what has to happen” because “they” — he didn’t specify who, but it was obviously Democrats — “cheat.”
But it was also the voter suppression that happened in Orange County on Nov. 8, 1988.
That morning, 20 goons hired by the local Republican Party spread across Santa Ana. They haunted voting spots with special meaning to the city’s Mexican community: a Catholic church. A Boys & Girls Club. A senior center.
The tactic was designed to help Curt Pringle, a Republican running for a vacant Assembly seat that year. By the time FBI agents chased off the rent-a-cops, their job was done: The drapery-store worker won his race by fewer than 1,000 votes.
Advertisement
The sordid episode crossed my mind almost as soon as Trump issued his cynical call for electoral eagle eyes.
This is what voter suppression looks like.
Trump, like the O.C. GOP back then, is trying to sow distrust in an election that’s also a referendum on diversity.
In 1988, Republicans tried to prevent Latinos — long the most maligned ethnic group in Orange County — from gaining a political foothold in central Orange County. Their triumph was Pyrrhic: Latinos organized to eventually beat Pringle in 1990. Those battles helped Loretta Sanchez topple longtime Congressman Bob Dornan — a Trump before Trump — in 1996.
And that was the first domino that fell in a political chain reaction that culminated with Orange County electing an all-Democratic congressional delegation in 2018 for the first time ever.
What Trump is proposing is something far more grandiose — and sinister. His poll watchers wouldn’t merely be a handful of hired guns to lounge around. He’s calling for legions to, as he proclaimed, “go into the polls.”
It would make what Orange County did look tame by comparison.
Back then, Pringle’s camp pulled a bully move on a fast-growing minority and thought they could get away with it.
Today, Trump’s people want to intimidate anyone who doesn’t pledge fealty to MAGA and know they’ll have the backing of the commander-in-chief.
Back then, Gov. George Deukmejian — a Republican — signed a bill in the wake of the poll-guard scandal that outlawed security guards from standing closer than 100 feet from polling booths.
On Tuesday, Trump asked the alt-loser Proud Boys to “stand by” for heaven-knows-what.
Back then, more than a few prominent Republicans blasted their party over what they characterized as a travesty of democracy.
Santa Ana City Council member John Acosta claimed it “smack[ed] of Nazism” and that “the dignity of the Republican Party has been damaged beyond belief.”
Raoul Silva, a member of the California Republican Central Committee, described the gambit as “a public lynching.”
Orange County Supervisor Gaddi Vasquez — who just months earlier gave remarks at the Republican National Convention that marked him as the party’s Great Brown Hope — said he was “extremely disappointed” at the “tremendous lapse in judgment.”
Then-state Sen. Doris Allen called the poll guards a “vigilante force.”
Today? Well, today those pangs of conscience from GOP officials seem like relics from a distant and almost quaint past.
You don’t even hear the conservative crickets because of Trump’s brays. But also because Republicans have tethered their future and their political soul to this president with caudillo tendencies. He’s their guy. And they are his eager apostles.
State Sen. Tom Umberg, who represents the 34th District, which encompasses nearly all of Santa Ana, remembers the poll-guard fiasco well. He was a federal prosecutor based in Orange County at the time and received multiple phone calls the day of the 1988 general election about thugs threatening voters. He initially dismissed them as just the usual “weird reports” that partisans toss around on election day that almost always don’t turn out to be true.
Tom Umberg, with wife Robin, in 2005. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)
Once the FBI confirmed the allegations, Umberg and a colleague went down to Santa Ana High School. From 50 yards away, they saw a woman holding a “huge sign” that warned non-citizens to stay away. A Latino couple approached the high school, looked at the woman, and returned to their cars.
“So we walked toward the woman, and she looked at us,” he said via phone. “She dropped her sign and then ran away.”
Umberg — who currently serves as chair of the state Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee — was so enraged that he ran for office two years later to handily beat Pringle.
“This is the kind of stuff that goes on in autocracies,” said the retired U.S. Army colonel. “Screwing around with the electoral process is a very personal thing to me. I served in Afghanistan. People were literally dying to vote.”
That’s why he calls Trump’s intonations “absolutely frightening.”
He especially worries about first-time voters who don’t know all the vagaries of election law and that not just anyone can be a poll watcher. People who might decide not to vote out of trepidation.
“Whether the president’s words are intentional or not,” Umberg said, “the consequence is to impact the vote.”
Pringle — who has long denied any involvement in the 1988 poll-guard controversy — didn’t return a request for comment.
We need to hear more from people like Umberg, people who know what actual rigged elections and voter suppression look like. We need to hear stories like what happened in Orange County 32 years ago, to never forget that politicians will take any chance to disenfranchise communities of color.
But if you want me to tell you there was a completely happy ending to what happened in Orange County … I can’t.
Although six plaintiffs ultimately won more than half a million dollars in civil settlements from the Orange County and California Republican Party, no criminal charges were ever filed by local, state or federal officials. Pringle did lose his seat to Umberg in 1990, but he won in a different district two years later and eventually became California’s speaker of the Assembly, the last Republican to hold that seat.
Even worse? Pringle became Anaheim’s mayor in 2002 with the help of some of the very Latino leaders who once wanted him canceled.
But here’s the thing: This column itself is a rehash of a story my colleague Kurtis Lee wrote four years ago. Back then, candidate Trump asked his fans to serve as observers on election day to fight what he was already calling a “rigged” election — one he ended up winning.
He’s still belting out the same fearful tune because Trump knows it works, just like the O.C. GOP knew back in 1988.
But this tide that tries to crash against the walls of our democracy again and again can be beaten back with the most potentially effective and powerful tool the U.S. Constitution gave us:
The vote.


latimes--2020-10-01--Fall heat wave breaks records, prompts statewide flex alert to conserve energy

More dangerous conditions are in store Thursday for Southern California , as a possible electricity shortage arrives amid a record-breaking heat wave .
“ Max temps today will be 15 to 25 degrees above normal with a few Central Coast locations a whopping 30 degrees above normal !
” the in an advisory .
Temperatures in Los Angeles County could reach as high as 105 degrees in inland areas and 95 at the coast .
At least six daily heat records were broken in Central and Southern California on Wednesday , including the hottest-ever Sept. 30 at Los Angeles International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach Airport ( 105 ) .
A 98-degree reading at UCLA tied the record for the date set in 1999 .
David Sweet , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard , said the system behind these high temperatures is massive .
“ The weather feature that is driving this heat wave is covering the entire West Coast , ” he said .
“ It ’ s a very , very large area of high pressure .
It ’ s basically a dome of very hot air sitting over the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Coast.
” The extreme conditions have pushed the California Independent Systems Operator , the agency that runs much of the state ’ s electrical grid , to issue a calling for residents to conserve electricity between 3 and 10 p.m. “ The power grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand , primarily from air conditioning use , ” the ISO said .
“ Reduced capacity , along with fire activity and heat , has led to a potential shortage of energy supply.
” Consumers are urged to set air conditioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of major appliances , turn off unnecessary lights , unplug unused electrical devices , close blinds and drapes , use fans when possible and limit time the refrigerator door is open .
The flex alert comes on the heels of Sunday and Monday ’ s power outage in Northern California , where about 65,000 Pacific Gas & Electric customers were left without electricity following a preemptive shutdown of some equipment in response to blazing wildfires and red flag warnings .
PG & E spokesman Jeff Smith said no additional public safety power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted that the weather is dynamic and that officials are continuing to monitor the situation closely .
“ We encourage all of our customers to conserve as much energy as possible given the circumstances of the flex alert , ” he said .
Officials said that heat-related illnesses are a possibility and that people should avoid spending time outdoors .
For those without air conditioning or in need relief , a number of emergency cooling centers will be open across Los Angeles County .
The dangerous weather conditions arrive amid a devastating wildfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state ’ s high temperatures , combined with very dry conditions marked by single-digit humidity levels , will continue to create an elevated fire danger across the area .
The weather service has issued both a heat advisory and a critical fire danger warning through Friday , citing the potential for large smoke plumes and rapid fire spread .
As a result , seven national forests in the state will remain closed for at least another week , the U.S. Forest Service said , in an effort to continue to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Closures include the Angeles National Forest , where the Bobcat fire has seared through more than 114,000 acres since igniting Sept. 6 .
Containment of that blaze is estimated for Oct. 30 .
The Sequoia National Forest , Sierra National Forest , Cleveland National Forest , San Bernardino National Forest , Los Padres National Forest and Inyo National Forest also will be closed through next week .
There is some relief from the heat on the horizon , though it ’ s far from a shift to fall weather , Sweet said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cool down ” is expected Friday and through the weekend , he said , noting that temperatures early next week “ may only be about five or 10 degrees above normal .
”

Dartagnan Molinar, 38, enjoys taking his children Noah Molinar, 6, middle, and Lulu Molinar, 2, front, for a ride on his skateboard on Thursday, in Pasadena, where temperatures reach 106 degrees.
More dangerous conditions are in store Thursday for Southern California, as a possible electricity shortage arrives amid a record-breaking heat wave.
“Max temps today will be 15 to 25 degrees above normal with a few Central Coast locations a whopping 30 degrees above normal!” the National Weather Service warned in an advisory.
For the record: An earlier version of this article said that 87,500 Pacific Gas & Electric customers were left without electricity following a preemptive shutdown of some equipment earlier this week. That number was estimated at 65,000.
Temperatures in Los Angeles County could reach as high as 105 degrees in inland areas and 95 at the coast.
A person walks on the shady side of the street against a tiled mural in the hot afternoon sun in Santa Monica. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
At least six daily heat records were broken in Central and Southern California on Wednesday, including the hottest-ever Sept. 30 at Los Angeles International Airport (92 degrees) and Long Beach Airport (105).
A 98-degree reading at UCLA tied the record for the date set in 1999.
David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, said the system behind these high temperatures is massive.
“The weather feature that is driving this heat wave is covering the entire West Coast,” he said. “It’s a very, very large area of high pressure. It’s basically a dome of very hot air sitting over the state of California and the rest of the West Coast.”
The extreme conditions have pushed the California Independent Systems Operator, the agency that runs much of the state’s electrical grid, to issue a statewide flex alert calling for residents to conserve electricity between 3 and 10 p.m.
Advertisement
September is going out with a sizzle! We had a bunch of record high temperatures today, check out the graphic for the details! We're expecting another super hot day to begin October and there may be some more records broken tomorrow so stay tuned... #CAwx #LAheat pic.twitter.com/WuuvvZrhhP — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) October 1, 2020
“The power grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use,” the ISO said. “Reduced capacity, along with fire activity and heat, has led to a potential shortage of energy supply.”
Consumers are urged to set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees, defer the use of major appliances, turn off unnecessary lights, unplug unused electrical devices, close blinds and drapes, use fans when possible and limit time the refrigerator door is open.
The flex alert comes on the heels of Sunday and Monday’s power outage in Northern California, where about 65,000 Pacific Gas & Electric customers were left without electricity following a preemptive shutdown of some equipment in response to blazing wildfires and red flag warnings.
PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said no additional public safety power shutoffs are in the forecast, but noted that the weather is dynamic and that officials are continuing to monitor the situation closely.
“We encourage all of our customers to conserve as much energy as possible given the circumstances of the flex alert,” he said.
Officials said that heat-related illnesses are a possibility and that people should avoid spending time outdoors. For those without air conditioning or in need relief, a number of emergency cooling centers will be open across Los Angeles County.
The dangerous weather conditions arrive amid a devastating wildfire season that is tormenting much of California.
The state’s high temperatures, combined with very dry conditions marked by single-digit humidity levels, will continue to create an elevated fire danger across the area. The weather service has issued both a heat advisory and a critical fire danger warning through Friday, citing the potential for large smoke plumes and rapid fire spread.
As a result, seven national forests in the state will remain closed for at least another week, the U.S. Forest Service said, in an effort to continue to “prevent any new fires on the landscape.”
Closures include the Angeles National Forest, where the Bobcat fire has seared through more than 114,000 acres since igniting Sept. 6. Containment of that blaze is estimated for Oct. 30.
The Sequoia National Forest, Sierra National Forest, Cleveland National Forest, San Bernardino National Forest, Los Padres National Forest and Inyo National Forest also will be closed through next week.
There is some relief from the heat on the horizon, though it’s far from a shift to fall weather, Sweet said. “A little bit of a cool down” is expected Friday and through the weekend, he said, noting that temperatures early next week “may only be about five or 10 degrees above normal.”


latimes--2020-10-01--3 found dead in pool at Norwalk home, prompting investigation

Authorities are investigating after three men were found dead early Thursday morning in the pool of a Norwalk home .
@ @ @ @ @ Department responded to a reported drowning at the residence in the 12000 block of Portugal @ @ @ @ @ , according to department spokesman Christopher Thomas .
Thomas said paramedics performed CPR at the @ @ @ @ @ not appear anyone was taken to a hospital .
A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ said authorities were still assessing the situation as of about 7 a.m .
The investigation @ @ @ @ @ of the deceased were not disclosed , and no other information about the incident was @ @ @ @ @ the scene showed a large response from law enforcement .

The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a reported drowning at the residence in the 12000 block of Portugal.
Authorities are investigating after three men were found dead early Thursday morning in the pool of a Norwalk home.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a reported drowning at the residence in the 12000 block of Portugal Court shortly after 3 a.m., according to department spokesman Christopher Thomas.
Thomas said paramedics performed CPR at the scene, but it did not appear anyone was taken to a hospital.
Advertisement
A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said authorities were still assessing the situation as of about 7 a.m. The investigation is ongoing.
The names of the deceased were not disclosed, and no other information about the incident was immediately available.
Video from the scene showed a large response from law enforcement.
An investigation is underway in Norwalk, after three men were found dead in a backyard pool early Thursday morning. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
City News Service contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-10-01--Why an L.A.-area school district banned, then quietly reinstated Toni Morrison's 'The Bluest Eye'

“ We write to encourage the Colton Joint Unified Board of Education to reverse its recent decision to remove the renowned ‘ The Bluest Eye ’ by Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison from its core and extended reading list for upper-level AP English Literature classes , ” the letter stated .
“ The decision to remove this book is educationally and constitutionally unsound .
We urge you to reinstate the book as soon as possible.
” Within an hour , the president of the board of the district , in San Bernardino County , responded that “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no longer banned .
After being removed from the reading list in February to some public consternation , it had been quietly reinstated during an August board meeting .
“ In preparing for this decision , our approach was to personally reach out directly to those who are most impacted by it , our teachers and families , ” school board spokeswoman Katie Orloff wrote The Times in an email .
“ For us this issue also involved improving our processes and procedures for book selection ... as well as the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanding their representation in the book selection committee.
” PEN quickly reversed its own plan to publish the open letter , which was set for Monday to mark the beginning of Banned Books Week .
The organization recognizes the issue each year with a variety of programming , including book drives , readings , appearances , petitions and events .
Morrison ’ s 1970 novel frequently draws controversy for its content , including rape and incest , and has been banned in states including Colorado and North Carolina — despite being part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author the Nobel Prize in Literature .
Back in February , four out of seven Colton school board members voted to remove “ The Bluest Eye ” from the district ’ s reading list .
Two members opposed the motion and one member abstained .
The San Bernardino Sun reported Morrison ’ s novel was the only book removed from a district list of almost 500 works of literature .
District officials at the time could not remember another instance of such a removal , according to the Sun .
Parents , teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board with emails and comments both opposing and advocating for the book .
On Aug. 20 , the Colton school board held a regular ( albeit virtual ) meeting that was quickly overtaken by the book debate .
Members listened to almost an hour ’ s worth of public comments and eventually voted to reinstate “ The Bluest Eye , ” six months after its removal .
Three board members reversed their votes from February : President Patt Haro , Frank Ibarra and Israel Fuentes .
Five members voted to put the book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed the motion .
“ A decision to remove a book , particularly a Toni Morrison book , one of the prominent Black authors in American literature — regardless of the individual motivation of those parents , which I think was valid — the message that that decision sends to the Black community within our school district was one that I just couldn ’ t support , ” Colton School Board Vice President Dan Flores told The Times .
Although the change caught PEN by surprise , Flores clarified that the board hadn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under wraps .
In fact , both the meeting minutes and a video of the meeting ( recorded over Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic ) are publicly available online .
Local reporters who had written about the original ban simply hadn ’ t covered its reversal .
“ We ’ re very pleased that the school board reversed their decision , ” James Tager , PEN ’ s deputy director of free expression research and policy , told The Times .
“ It shows that it ’ s never too late to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] it ’ s never too late to reverse a bad decision .
“ And it ’ s a demonstration that these concerns are taken seriously and that there is utility to raising your voice .
I hope it sends a message to convince parents , teachers , librarians across the country that there ’ s a point and a purpose to expressing opposition to book bans anywhere they happen.
” On the August Zoom call , some community members suggested that teachers had asked the local press to cover the removal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ could all drag these people through the [ mud ] to prove your point and be the loud voice — does that make your opinions correct ?
” parent Nicole Littlefield asked in August .
“ Need I remind you who puts you in those seats you hold ?
” Others argued the ban should stay .
“ I could not continue to read this book , as its contents overwhelmed me and compromised my morals and beliefs , ” former student Alexis Nicols said at the meeting .
“ I have always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , always keep in mind : if your mom , dad or God was standing next to you , would you continue to participate in that activity ?
” “ The Bluest Eye ” tells the story of Pecola Breedlove , an 11-year-old Black girl in Ohio who prays every day for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will make her beautiful .
“ Being a minority in both caste and class , we moved about anyway on the hem of life , struggling to consolidate our weaknesses and hang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in in 2019 , wrote in the novel .
“ Or to creep singly up into the major folds of the garment.
” Pecola is raped and impregnated by her father , developments that have sparked controversy before .
The novel made the American Library Assn.
’ s “ Top 10 Most Challenged Books ” list in 2006 , 2013 and 2014 ; on Monday the association announced “ The Bluest Eye ” was on its combined list for the past decade .
The Colton district ’ s initial removal of the novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool and raised constitutional concerns , effectively resulting in censorship , Tager said : “ We ’ ve seen other examples around the country where Morrison ’ s books have been singled out for banning in ways that raised the obvious inference that it was selected , in part , because it grapples with the uncomfortable realities of race and racism in America.
” In particular , PEN ’ s letter cites the 1982 case of Board of Education vs. Pico , in which the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment limits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ books from middle and high school libraries .
“ This is a theme that has been consistent throughout decades when it comes to book banning in the United States , ” Tager said .
“ It ’ s ingrained in one of the most important court decisions , and yet the problem remains : Books written by or featuring people of color are disproportionately likely to be challenged or banned.
” Books by and about people of color offer Black students — who of the Colton district — representation , as one student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Being an African American girl transitioning into adulthood , I formed a special connection with this book , ” Grand Terrace High School senior Destany Lewis said .
“ This was the first time I had read a book at school following a main character that looked like me.
” Colton ’ s African American Parent Advisory Committee also advocated for the reversal of the “ Bluest Eye ” ban .
“ We continue to tell our Black community that they matter , but our actions show otherwise , ” AAPAC commented at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we support a marginalized community and build trusting relationships with them when actions represented from the school board go against the words of support echoed for the African American community ?
” Lewis said that only 13 out of 300 books , or roughly 4 % , on Colton ’ s approved list for English classes are written by Black authors .
The reversal coincided with an ongoing movement for civil rights ignited by the police killing of George Floyd in May .
Activists have subsequently pushed for more African American history taught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed back .
“ In the political environment that we ’ re in right now and the emphasis on Black Lives Matter and the Black community , it definitely elevates that conversation , brings it to the forefront , ” Flores said .
“ Unless we ’ re lifting everybody up and providing an opportunity and voice and space [ and ] representation for everyone , then we ’ re not really doing a great service to our students , ” he added .
The PEN letter cited an “ obvious alternative ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” process that gives any parent the right to object to a book on Colton ’ s reading list and to select an alternative .
“ There is no educational or constitutional justification for allowing members of the community to dictate reading lists for students who are not their own children , ” read the letter .
Opting out allows parents to choose which books their children read without forcing those choices on others , Tager said .
Otherwise , “ You are taking the option away from other parents who would want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

On Sunday, free speech organization PEN America sent a California school district a letter.
“We write to encourage the Colton Joint Unified Board of Education to reverse its recent decision to remove the renowned ‘The Bluest Eye’ by Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison from its core and extended reading list for upper-level AP English Literature classes,” the letter stated.
“The decision to remove this book is educationally and constitutionally unsound. We urge you to reinstate the book as soon as possible.”
Advertisement
Within an hour, the president of the board of the district, in San Bernardino County, responded that “The Bluest Eye” was, in fact, no longer banned. After being removed from the reading list in February to some public consternation, it had been quietly reinstated during an August board meeting.
“In preparing for this decision, our approach was to personally reach out directly to those who are most impacted by it, our teachers and families,” school board spokeswoman Katie Orloff wrote The Times in an email. “For us this issue also involved improving our processes and procedures for book selection ... as well as the process for parents opting their students out and expanding their representation in the book selection committee.”
PEN quickly reversed its own plan to publish the open letter, which was set for Monday to mark the beginning of Banned Books Week.
The organization recognizes the issue each year with a variety of programming, including book drives, readings, appearances, petitions and events.
Morrison’s 1970 novel frequently draws controversy for its content, including rape and incest, and has been banned in states including Colorado and North Carolina — despite being part of the body of work that earned the author the Nobel Prize in Literature.
× The American Library Assn. tracked 377 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2019. Of the 566 books that were challenged or banned, these are the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2019.”
Back in February, four out of seven Colton school board members voted to remove “The Bluest Eye” from the district’s reading list. Two members opposed the motion and one member abstained.
The San Bernardino Sun reported Morrison’s novel was the only book removed from a district list of almost 500 works of literature. District officials at the time could not remember another instance of such a removal, according to the Sun.
Advertisement
Parents, teachers and students throughout the district deluged the board with emails and comments both opposing and advocating for the book.
On Aug. 20, the Colton school board held a regular (albeit virtual) meeting that was quickly overtaken by the book debate. Members listened to almost an hour’s worth of public comments and eventually voted to reinstate “The Bluest Eye,” six months after its removal. Three board members reversed their votes from February: President Patt Haro, Frank Ibarra and Israel Fuentes. Five members voted to put the book back on the reading list. Two opposed the motion.
× At the Colton Joint Unified School District board meeting on Aug. 20, the school board voted to reinstate “The Bluest Eye” onto the reading list.
“A decision to remove a book, particularly a Toni Morrison book, one of the prominent Black authors in American literature — regardless of the individual motivation of those parents, which I think was valid — the message that that decision sends to the Black community within our school district was one that I just couldn’t support,” Colton School Board Vice President Dan Flores told The Times.
Although the change caught PEN by surprise, Flores clarified that the board hadn’t intended to keep the reversal under wraps. In fact, both the meeting minutes and a video of the meeting (recorded over Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic) are publicly available online. Local reporters who had written about the original ban simply hadn’t covered its reversal.
“We’re very pleased that the school board reversed their decision,” James Tager, PEN’s deputy director of free expression research and policy, told The Times. “It shows that it’s never too late to reverse a book ban, [and] it’s never too late to reverse a bad decision.
“And it’s a demonstration that these concerns are taken seriously and that there is utility to raising your voice. I hope it sends a message to convince parents, teachers, librarians across the country that there’s a point and a purpose to expressing opposition to book bans anywhere they happen.”
On the August Zoom call, some community members suggested that teachers had asked the local press to cover the removal.
“To call the media so you could all drag these people through the [mud] to prove your point and be the loud voice — does that make your opinions correct?” parent Nicole Littlefield asked in August. “Need I remind you who puts you in those seats you hold?”
Others argued the ban should stay. “I could not continue to read this book, as its contents overwhelmed me and compromised my morals and beliefs,” former student Alexis Nicols said at the meeting. “I have always been taught that when participating in something, always keep in mind: if your mom, dad or God was standing next to you, would you continue to participate in that activity?”
“The Bluest Eye” tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, an 11-year-old Black girl in Ohio who prays every day for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will make her beautiful.
“Being a minority in both caste and class, we moved about anyway on the hem of life, struggling to consolidate our weaknesses and hang on,” Morrison, who died in in 2019, wrote in the novel. “Or to creep singly up into the major folds of the garment.”
Pecola is raped and impregnated by her father, developments that have sparked controversy before. The novel made the American Library Assn.’s “Top 10 Most Challenged Books” list in 2006, 2013 and 2014; on Monday the association announced “The Bluest Eye” was on its combined list for the past decade.
The No. 2 most-challenged novel: “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. Complaints against Morrison’s novel: “Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group and violence.” (Random House / Guillermo Arias / Associated Press)
The Colton district’s initial removal of the novel had deprived students of an important teaching tool and raised constitutional concerns, effectively resulting in censorship, Tager said: “We’ve seen other examples around the country where Morrison’s books have been singled out for banning in ways that raised the obvious inference that it was selected, in part, because it grapples with the uncomfortable realities of race and racism in America.”
In particular, PEN’s letter cites the 1982 case of Board of Education vs. Pico, in which the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment limits the discretion of school boards to remove books from middle and high school libraries.
“This is a theme that has been consistent throughout decades when it comes to book banning in the United States,” Tager said. “It’s ingrained in one of the most important court decisions, and yet the problem remains: Books written by or featuring people of color are disproportionately likely to be challenged or banned.”
Books by and about people of color offer Black students — who make up 6% of the Colton district — representation, as one student attested at the August meeting.
“Being an African American girl transitioning into adulthood, I formed a special connection with this book,” Grand Terrace High School senior Destany Lewis said. “This was the first time I had read a book at school following a main character that looked like me.”
Colton’s African American Parent Advisory Committee also advocated for the reversal of the “Bluest Eye” ban.
“We continue to tell our Black community that they matter, but our actions show otherwise,” AAPAC commented at the August meeting. “How can we support a marginalized community and build trusting relationships with them when actions represented from the school board go against the words of support echoed for the African American community?”
Lewis said that only 13 out of 300 books, or roughly 4%, on Colton’s approved list for English classes are written by Black authors.
Toni Morrison speaks at the PEN World Voices Festival in 2010. (Beowulf Sheehan / PEN American Center)
The reversal coincided with an ongoing movement for civil rights ignited by the police killing of George Floyd in May. Activists have subsequently pushed for more African American history taught in schools — and President Trump has pushed back.
“In the political environment that we’re in right now and the emphasis on Black Lives Matter and the Black community, it definitely elevates that conversation, brings it to the forefront,” Flores said.
“Unless we’re lifting everybody up and providing an opportunity and voice and space [and] representation for everyone, then we’re not really doing a great service to our students,” he added.
The PEN letter cited an “obvious alternative” to censorship: an “opt out” process that gives any parent the right to object to a book on Colton’s reading list and to select an alternative.
“There is no educational or constitutional justification for allowing members of the community to dictate reading lists for students who are not their own children,” read the letter.
Opting out allows parents to choose which books their children read without forcing those choices on others, Tager said. Otherwise, “You are taking the option away from other parents who would want their kids to read those books.”


latimes--2020-10-01--More than 600 earthquakes strike small California town in swarm around Salton Sea

A swarm of hundreds of small earthquakes struck in and around the town of Westmoreland in Imperial County over the past couple days The Southern California Seismic Network recorded nearly 600 earthquakes , the smallest a magnitude 1.1 , as of 6 a.m. Thursday , according to a report from the project by Caltech and the U.S. Geological Survey .
The biggest of the temblors measured a magnitude 4.9 and struck about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday near the town of Westmorland , the USGS said .
The other , smaller quakes included at least seven that measured magnitude 4.0 or greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to preliminary figures from the USGS .
At least 45 of those earthquakes took place within two and a half hours Wednesday , seismologist Lucy Jones wrote on Twitter .
She described the event as “ one of the largest swarms we have had in the Imperial Valley , ” which itself is one of the most active regions for earthquake swarms in Southern California .
The swarm was continuing Thursday at a lower frequency , with four magnitude 3 earthquakes recorded in the first seven hours of the day versus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Wednesday , the USGS said .
Past earthquake swarms have lasted between one and 20 days and average about a week , according to the USGS .
The quakes were largely felt in relatively remote regions of Imperial and Riverside counties , the USGS said .
The earthquakes were taking place in the Brawley Seismic Zone , a seismically active network of small faults that connects the much larger San Andreas fault to the north and the Imperial fault to the south , Jones tweeted .
The seismic zone extends about 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , across the Salton Sea ’ s southern half , and ends near Bombay Beach .
The zone is known for producing earthquake swarms , with a 1981 swarm in Westmorland that included a magnitude 5.8 earthquake and one in Brawley in 2012 that included a magnitude 5.4 quake that damaged a handful of buildings , the USGS said .
Another swarm took place near Bombay Beach in August .
USGS researchers said at the time that the event increased the chance of a big earthquake on the San Andreas fault , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s most dangerous , during the week that followed .
This week ’ s earthquake swarm took place took place about 25 miles south — too far away from the San Andreas to increase the probability of a quake there , Jones tweeted .
The swarm could still trigger a larger earthquake over the next week , with the probability of a magnitude 7 quake or greater taking place in the vicinity of the swarm increasing to about 1 in 300 from about 1 in 3,000 during a typical week , the USGS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a roughly 10 % chance of a nearby quake with a magnitude of 5.5 to 6.9 , similar to the one seen in the 1981 swarm .
But the probability is only heightened in the area within a couple miles of the earthquake swarm , Jones tweeted .
“ In other words , there is no scientific reason to predict a big quake in another location today , ” she wrote .

A swarm of hundreds of small earthquakes struck in and around the town of Westmoreland in Imperial County over the past couple days
The Southern California Seismic Network recorded nearly 600 earthquakes, the smallest a magnitude 1.1, as of 6 a.m. Thursday, according to a report from the project by Caltech and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The biggest of the temblors measured a magnitude 4.9 and struck about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday near the town of Westmorland, the USGS said.
Advertisement
The other, smaller quakes included at least seven that measured magnitude 4.0 or greater and 59 that measured 3.0 or greater, according to preliminary figures from the USGS.
At least 45 of those earthquakes took place within two and a half hours Wednesday, seismologist Lucy Jones wrote on Twitter. She described the event as “one of the largest swarms we have had in the Imperial Valley,” which itself is one of the most active regions for earthquake swarms in Southern California.
The swarm was continuing Thursday at a lower frequency, with four magnitude 3 earthquakes recorded in the first seven hours of the day versus 40 recorded in the last seven hours of Wednesday, the USGS said. Past earthquake swarms have lasted between one and 20 days and average about a week, according to the USGS.
The quakes were largely felt in relatively remote regions of Imperial and Riverside counties, the USGS said.
The earthquakes were taking place in the Brawley Seismic Zone, a seismically active network of small faults that connects the much larger San Andreas fault to the north and the Imperial fault to the south, Jones tweeted. The seismic zone extends about 30 miles northwest from the city of Brawley, across the Salton Sea’s southern half, and ends near Bombay Beach.
The zone is known for producing earthquake swarms, with a 1981 swarm in Westmorland that included a magnitude 5.8 earthquake and one in Brawley in 2012 that included a magnitude 5.4 quake that damaged a handful of buildings, the USGS said.
Advertisement
Another swarm took place near Bombay Beach in August. USGS researchers said at the time that the event increased the chance of a big earthquake on the San Andreas fault, which is considered one of the state’s most dangerous, during the week that followed.
This week’s earthquake swarm took place took place about 25 miles south — too far away from the San Andreas to increase the probability of a quake there, Jones tweeted.
The swarm could still trigger a larger earthquake over the next week, with the probability of a magnitude 7 quake or greater taking place in the vicinity of the swarm increasing to about 1 in 300 from about 1 in 3,000 during a typical week, the USGS said. The USGS was also forecasting a roughly 10% chance of a nearby quake with a magnitude of 5.5 to 6.9, similar to the one seen in the 1981 swarm.
But the probability is only heightened in the area within a couple miles of the earthquake swarm, Jones tweeted.
“In other words, there is no scientific reason to predict a big quake in another location today,” she wrote.