latimes--2020-08-20--Bay Area has the world's worst air quality thanks to this week's Northern California fires

Massive fires ringing the San Francisco Bay Area are continuing to create dangerous air quality — perhaps among the worst in the world .
In many neighborhoods , a layer of ash has covered the ground , distributed by gusty winds and adding to the much of the area .
By midafternoon Thursday , air quality was unhealthy or very unhealthy throughout the Central Valley , Solano County and in the Santa Cruz County and Monterey Bay areas , including the Salinas Valley , according to local air quality officials .
Northern California was home to perhaps the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the website PurpleAir .
“ We are in this perfect storm of a lot of uncertainty with not a ton of reassurance things are going to get substantially better in the next few months , ” said Dr. Jahan Fahimi , the director of UC San Francisco ’ s emergency department .
“ I think we ’ re hunkering down and preparing for kind of a longer-term response to what is happening in our community.
” While the study of wildfire smoke , specifically , is relatively young , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of smoke and air pollution that experts confidently say there ’ s reason to be concerned for people ’ s health .
Particulates from the smoke can enter and irritate the lungs , making them more vulnerable to other types of infections , said UCSF lung specialist Dr. John Balmes .
Considering unhealthy air and a virus than can spread through respiratory droplets , experts suggested staying in doors at home is safest , but if you need to go outside , wear a mask .
A mask that can insulate well from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The American Lung Assn .
warned that excessive heat , wildfire smoke and COVID-19 posed risks to those most vulnerable to respiratory problems .
“ The combination of uncontained wildfires and extreme heat has created conditions that put even healthy individuals at risk , ” said Dr. Afif El-Hasan , an association spokesman .
“ The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic only makes these potential effects more serious.
” Intense smoke and heat can trigger coughing and wheezing , worsen lung function and lead to bronchitis or even death , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to avoid exposure to outdoor air by staying indoors with windows and doors closed , ” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said .
Dr. Grant Colfax , San Francisco ’ s public health director , said anyone exposed to the smoke might experience adverse health effects , but those with lung conditions , the elderly and children were especially vulnerable .
The poor air quality is likely to continue until the fires are mostly contained , officials said .
A status report Wednesday from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LNU Lightning Complex suggests conditions may not improve until Sept. 1 .
Officials noted that although most cloth masks , including bandannas , help protect against the spread of COVID-19 , they do not protect against particulate matter from the smoke .
The Air Quality Index is the yardstick the Environmental Protection Agency uses for reporting air quality .
Levels ranging from 151 to 200 are considered unhealthy ; from 201 to 300 , very unhealthy ; and 301 and above , hazardous .
“ Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throat and irritated sinuses , ” the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said .
“ Elevated particulate matter in the air can trigger wheezing in those who suffer from asthma , emphysema ” and other chronic respiratory ailments .
Here are some tips and warnings from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on dealing with the bad air : • Staying indoors , where the air quality is better , with windows and doors closed is the best way to protect your health .
During high-heat and heavy-smoke events , keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center .
• Set air conditioning units and car vent systems to recirculate to help prevent outside air from moving inside .
• Avoid adding additional air pollution .
Curtail activities such as wood burning , lawn mowing , leaf blowing , driving , barbecuing or other dust-producing activities .
• Bandannas and typical surgical masks do nothing to protect against wildfire smoke particles .
• None If individuals desire a mask , only N-95 or N-100 respirator masks should be worn .
But there ’ s no clear evidence that N-95 respirator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an individual ’ s health during wildfire smoke air quality events .
Further , officials warn that , when dealing with heavy smoke from fires , taking a mask on and off can cause fine particulate matter to build up in the mask , which the wearer will breathe when it is put back on the face .
In addition , those who wear a mask to protect from fire smoke can have a false sense of security that leads to overexertion .
• Do not save and reuse N-95 masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , N-95s may be dangerous for some people with lung or heart conditions .
• Certified N-95s are not available for children .
Children should not wear these masks — they do not fit properly and can impede breathing .

Joseph Serna, Susanne Rust, Rong-Gong Lin II, Maura Dolan

The San Francisco skyline, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the foreground, is obscured by smoke from wildfires on Wednesday.
Massive fires ringing the San Francisco Bay Area are continuing to create dangerous air quality — perhaps among the worst in the world.
In many neighborhoods, a layer of ash has covered the ground, distributed by gusty winds and adding to the pollution that is clouding much of the area. By midafternoon Thursday, air quality was unhealthy or very unhealthy throughout the Central Valley, Solano County and in the Santa Cruz County and Monterey Bay areas, including the Salinas Valley, according to local air quality officials.
Northern California was home to perhaps the world’s worst air quality Thursday, according to the website PurpleAir.
“We are in this perfect storm of a lot of uncertainty with not a ton of reassurance things are going to get substantially better in the next few months,” said Dr. Jahan Fahimi, the director of UC San Francisco’s emergency department. “I think we’re hunkering down and preparing for kind of a longer-term response to what is happening in our community.”
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While the study of wildfire smoke, specifically, is relatively young, there’s enough science out there about other types of smoke and air pollution that experts confidently say there’s reason to be concerned for people’s health.
Particulates from the smoke can enter and irritate the lungs, making them more vulnerable to other types of infections, said UCSF lung specialist Dr. John Balmes.
Considering unhealthy air and a virus than can spread through respiratory droplets, experts suggested staying in doors at home is safest, but if you need to go outside, wear a mask.
A mask that can insulate well from breathing unfiltered air is best, they said.
The American Lung Assn. warned that excessive heat, wildfire smoke and COVID-19 posed risks to those most vulnerable to respiratory problems.
“The combination of uncontained wildfires and extreme heat has created conditions that put even healthy individuals at risk,” said Dr. Afif El-Hasan, an association spokesman. “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic only makes these potential effects more serious.”
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Intense smoke and heat can trigger coughing and wheezing, worsen lung function and lead to bronchitis or even death, he said.
“The best thing you can do is to avoid exposure to outdoor air by staying indoors with windows and doors closed,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said.
Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s public health director, said anyone exposed to the smoke might experience adverse health effects, but those with lung conditions, the elderly and children were especially vulnerable.
The poor air quality is likely to continue until the fires are mostly contained, officials said. A status report Wednesday from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on the fires that make up the LNU Lightning Complex suggests conditions may not improve until Sept. 1.
Officials noted that although most cloth masks, including bandannas, help protect against the spread of COVID-19, they do not protect against particulate matter from the smoke.
The Air Quality Index is the yardstick the Environmental Protection Agency uses for reporting air quality. Levels ranging from 151 to 200 are considered unhealthy; from 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and 301 and above, hazardous.
“Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a dry, scratchy throat and irritated sinuses,” the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said. “Elevated particulate matter in the air can trigger wheezing in those who suffer from asthma, emphysema” and other chronic respiratory ailments.
Here are some tips and warnings from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on dealing with the bad air:


latimes--2020-08-20--Education is a top U.S. priority, and there's wide support for online learning, poll finds

As children begin school in Los Angeles on Thursday , public education is among Americans ’ top priorities , and most believe students should continue their education through some form of distance learning , a national poll has found .
More than half , 54 % , of the 2,200 adults surveyed said public school education should be a top priority for local officials , along with COVID-19 , health care , the economy and safety/crime , according to the poll conducted by Morning Consult , a private company that does national political polling .
Nearly the same share of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed reopening K-12 schools for in-person instruction in fall 2020 amid the pandemic , and close to 80 % said they believed hybrid , online-only or home-school instruction would be most beneficial for students .
Notably , some of these respondents wanted to persist with online education despite also saying that parenting had become more stressful because of COVID-19 and that the pandemic had forced them to become more involved in their children ’ s education .
Roughly three-quarters of respondents said the pandemic had exacted tolls on instructional quality in schools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meals , mental health counseling , and support with special emotional or learning needs .
The findings mirrored what educators , students and families in Los Angeles and California have described since pandemic-related school closures began in March .
Across southern California , a deep digital divide left some schools scrambling to provide laptops and Internet connections to students , who in some cases received little to no instruction in the spring .
In Los Angeles Unified School District , where the majority of students are Black and Latino and eligible to receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of students were absent from online learning last spring or were not in daily contact with their teachers .
Of the 760,000 California children with disabilities , including 64,000 in Los Angeles Unified , many are not receiving the education , services or assessments they need — despite a mandate that school districts continue to provide special education .
Parents have described enormous stress over providing adequate services to their children and worry that the gains they ’ ve made will be undone .
At the same time , while parents have expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inadequacy of Zoom and missed social opportunities for their children , many are simply unwilling to take chances with the safety and health of their children .
The risk is compounded for Black and Latino families , who have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic .
“ Schools are the heartbeat of these communities — they are the one institution that levels the playing field a tiny bit , ” civil rights attorney and activist Connie Rice said .
“ We ’ re not making up for that.
” Among the poll ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved of the way their school/school system had responded to the pandemic and had a favorable opinion of their children ’ s teachers last year .
At the national level , nearly 90 % of voters identified education as an important issue when considering how they might cast their ballots in the presidential election this fall .
Most also said they did not trust President Trump or the federal government to ensure that schools operate safely this fall — but they did trust teachers to do so .
The poll was conducted online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2,200 adults .
The data were weighted to approximate a target sample .
The poll was commissioned by Murmuration , an organization led by Michael Bloomberg ’ s daughter .

What a classroom would look like at Academia Moderna, a charter school, when the Huntington Park campus is allowed to reopen in person.
As children begin school in Los Angeles on Thursday, public education is among Americans’ top priorities, and most believe students should continue their education through some form of distance learning, a national poll has found.
More than half, 54%, of the 2,200 adults surveyed said public school education should be a top priority for local officials, along with COVID-19, health care, the economy and safety/crime, according to the poll conducted by Morning Consult, a private company that does national political polling.
Nearly the same share of adults, 52%, said they opposed reopening K-12 schools for in-person instruction in fall 2020 amid the pandemic, and close to 80% said they believed hybrid, online-only or home-school instruction would be most beneficial for students.
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Notably, some of these respondents wanted to persist with online education despite also saying that parenting had become more stressful because of COVID-19 and that the pandemic had forced them to become more involved in their children’s education.
Roughly three-quarters of respondents said the pandemic had exacted tolls on instructional quality in schools and students’ access to free or reduced-price meals, mental health counseling, and support with special emotional or learning needs.
The findings mirrored what educators, students and families in Los Angeles and California have described since pandemic-related school closures began in March.
Across southern California, a deep digital divide left some schools scrambling to provide laptops and Internet connections to students, who in some cases received little to no instruction in the spring. In Los Angeles Unified School District, where the majority of students are Black and Latino and eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch, large numbers of students were absent from online learning last spring or were not in daily contact with their teachers.
Of the 760,000 California children with disabilities, including 64,000 in Los Angeles Unified, many are not receiving the education, services or assessments they need — despite a mandate that school districts continue to provide special education. Parents have described enormous stress over providing adequate services to their children and worry that the gains they’ve made will be undone.
At the same time, while parents have expressed angst over the loss of services, inadequacy of Zoom and missed social opportunities for their children, many are simply unwilling to take chances with the safety and health of their children. The risk is compounded for Black and Latino families, who have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic.
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“Schools are the heartbeat of these communities — they are the one institution that levels the playing field a tiny bit,” civil rights attorney and activist Connie Rice said. “We’re not making up for that.”
Among the poll’s other results, most respondents said they approved of the way their school/school system had responded to the pandemic and had a favorable opinion of their children’s teachers last year.
At the national level, nearly 90% of voters identified education as an important issue when considering how they might cast their ballots in the presidential election this fall.
Most also said they did not trust President Trump or the federal government to ensure that schools operate safely this fall — but they did trust teachers to do so. The poll was conducted online from Aug. 4-10 among a national sample of 2,200 adults. The data were weighted to approximate a target sample.
The poll was commissioned by Murmuration, an organization led by Michael Bloomberg’s daughter.


latimes--2020-08-20--'Catastrophe' or 'new era'? Mail shake-up at L.A. public housing complex alarms residents

Renters at the Mar Vista Gardens public housing complex were skeptical as Roderick Strong laid out the plan : Instead of getting mail delivered to their doors , residents would pick it up at new , centralized spots around the 43-acre community in Del Rey , a Los Angeles neighborhood west of Culver City .
Strong , the Culver City Post Office postmaster , called the new system “ the launch of a new era.
” He said the shift was being considered to ensure the safety of mail carriers who had been menaced by dog bites and other threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as they listened by phone and the web during a remote meeting on a recent weekday .
Daisy Vega , president of the resident advisory council , asked Strong why such a change was being planned for their housing complex and not for “ the other side of town.
” “ They ’ re only doing it in an area for the poor , ” Ground Game L.A. organizer José Estrada , who works with tenants at the complex , said in Spanish during a later interview , complaining that there had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change or consultation with the community .
“ And why now ?
Is it because the elections are coming ?
” U.S .
Postal Service spokeswoman Evelina Ramirez said that there was no decision yet on when mail delivery might be changed at the Mar Vista Gardens complex and that such changes are made on a “ case-by-case basis.
” The housing complex “ has had numerous delivery and safety concerns for both customers and our postal employees , ” Ramirez said .
If the plan is adopted , there will be clusters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as lockers for residents to get packages .
Nine clusters were deemed adequate for the complex , Ramirez said .
Strong told Vega during the meeting that the Postal Service does not discriminate and that mail would continue to be delivered daily .
Elderly people will obviously have to come outside , he said , but “ the way we will centralize the boxes will be very convenient for all that live in Mar Vista Gardens.
” The ultimate decision , he told residents , was up to him .
The possible change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who argued that it would harm seniors and disabled residents who rely on door-to-door delivery to pay their rent and get important documents .
Amid growing concerns about the Trump administration ’ s undermining the Postal Service to limit voting by mail , many are especially alarmed that the change could make it harder for poor residents of color to vote in the coming election .
Mar Vista Gardens houses more than 1,800 low-income tenants , 95 % of whom are Black or Latino , according to the city .
When asked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vista Gardens would affect voting , Ramirez said the Postal Service was committed to delivering election mail in a timely manner .
Postmaster Gen. Louis DeJoy recently announced that he was postponing controversial changes to the postal system until after election day to head off concerns , but Democrats have said they remain worried and want DeJoy to reverse changes that have already taken effect .
In an interview , Vega rejected the talk of dog bites as an excuse , saying that she believes the real reason is that “ we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She also lamented that it has been harder to get out the word about the possible shake-up to residents at the 601-unit complex because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles , which oversees the Mar Vista Gardens complex , has also been skeptical .
Authority spokesman Eric Brown said that the safety issues raised by the postal services were unsubstantiated and that the agency had not provided any details to follow up on its claims of dog attacks and other safety issues .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Housing Authority site targeted for such a change , Brown said ; all but one of its public housing sites have door-to-door delivery .
Brown added that the USPS had initially suggested 17 clusters of mailboxes spread over the 43-acre site , but had since scaled back its proposal to nine , “ which will be a further impediment to our residents.
” Councilman Mike Bonin , who represents the area , contended in a July letter to Strong that centralizing mailboxes would expose seniors , disabled people and other vulnerable residents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman David Graham-Caso said the Del Rey complex was the only place in the council district where they were aware of such a change .
Several Mar Vista Gardens residents raised concerns about heading outside to get their mail amid the threat of the coronavirus .
During the meeting with Strong , one resident who is blind and has an asthmatic child said in Spanish , “ This is not the time for us to go outside.
” María Alarcón , who has lived in Mar Vista Gardens for more than a decade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her ill husband and relies on the mail to get information about a potential transplant .
During the pandemic , “ his doctor said he can ’ t go anywhere because it could be fatal , ” Alarcón said in Spanish .
Changing the mail delivery would be “ a catastrophe , ” she said .

Renters at the Mar Vista Gardens public housing complex were skeptical as Roderick Strong laid out the plan: Instead of getting mail delivered to their doors, residents would pick it up at new, centralized spots around the 43-acre community in Del Rey, a Los Angeles neighborhood west of Culver City.
Strong, the Culver City Post Office postmaster, called the new system “the launch of a new era.” He said the shift was being considered to ensure the safety of mail carriers who had been menaced by dog bites and other threats.
Few tenants seemed swayed, however, as they listened by phone and the web during a remote meeting on a recent weekday. Daisy Vega, president of the resident advisory council, asked Strong why such a change was being planned for their housing complex and not for “the other side of town.”
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“They’re only doing it in an area for the poor,” Ground Game L.A. organizer José Estrada, who works with tenants at the complex, said in Spanish during a later interview, complaining that there had been no public analysis of the proposed change or consultation with the community. “And why now? Is it because the elections are coming?”
U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Evelina Ramirez said that there was no decision yet on when mail delivery might be changed at the Mar Vista Gardens complex and that such changes are made on a “case-by-case basis.”
The housing complex “has had numerous delivery and safety concerns for both customers and our postal employees,” Ramirez said. If the plan is adopted, there will be clusters of mailboxes or receptacles, as well as lockers for residents to get packages. Nine clusters were deemed adequate for the complex, Ramirez said.
Strong told Vega during the meeting that the Postal Service does not discriminate and that mail would continue to be delivered daily.
Elderly people will obviously have to come outside, he said, but “the way we will centralize the boxes will be very convenient for all that live in Mar Vista Gardens.” The ultimate decision, he told residents, was up to him.
Advertisement
The possible change has worried tenants at the complex, who argued that it would harm seniors and disabled residents who rely on door-to-door delivery to pay their rent and get important documents.
Amid growing concerns about the Trump administration’s undermining the Postal Service to limit voting by mail, many are especially alarmed that the change could make it harder for poor residents of color to vote in the coming election. Mar Vista Gardens houses more than 1,800 low-income tenants, 95% of whom are Black or Latino, according to the city.
When asked about concerns about how the changes at Mar Vista Gardens would affect voting, Ramirez said the Postal Service was committed to delivering election mail in a timely manner.
Postmaster Gen. Louis DeJoy recently announced that he was postponing controversial changes to the postal system until after election day to head off concerns, but Democrats have said they remain worried and want DeJoy to reverse changes that have already taken effect.
In an interview, Vega rejected the talk of dog bites as an excuse, saying that she believes the real reason is that “we have people here that vote as Democrats.” She also lamented that it has been harder to get out the word about the possible shake-up to residents at the 601-unit complex because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, which oversees the Mar Vista Gardens complex, has also been skeptical.
Authority spokesman Eric Brown said that the safety issues raised by the postal services were unsubstantiated and that the agency had not provided any details to follow up on its claims of dog attacks and other safety issues.
So far, Mar Vista Gardens is the only Housing Authority site targeted for such a change, Brown said; all but one of its public housing sites have door-to-door delivery. Brown added that the USPS had initially suggested 17 clusters of mailboxes spread over the 43-acre site, but had since scaled back its proposal to nine, “which will be a further impediment to our residents.”
Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents the area, contended in a July letter to Strong that centralizing mailboxes would expose seniors, disabled people and other vulnerable residents to “unnecessary public health risks.” His spokesman David Graham-Caso said the Del Rey complex was the only place in the council district where they were aware of such a change.
Several Mar Vista Gardens residents raised concerns about heading outside to get their mail amid the threat of the coronavirus. During the meeting with Strong, one resident who is blind and has an asthmatic child said in Spanish, “This is not the time for us to go outside.”
María Alarcón, who has lived in Mar Vista Gardens for more than a decade and a half, cares at home for her ill husband and relies on the mail to get information about a potential transplant. During the pandemic, “his doctor said he can’t go anywhere because it could be fatal,” Alarcón said in Spanish.
Changing the mail delivery would be “a catastrophe,” she said.


latimes--2020-08-20--Bay Area firestorms send thousands fleeing and cause dangerous air quality

Already reeling from a pandemic and a record heat wave that has millions sweltering indoors , the San Francisco Bay Area is now besieged by fire , forcing tens of thousands to evacuate and leaving others inhaling air so smoky that experts warned of serious health risks .
Many residents say they ’ ve never seen such wildfire conditions , a product of high temperatures , strong winds and thousands of lightning strikes from unusual thunderstorms that started Sunday .
As of Wednesday afternoon , the Bay Area was home to several of the 23 major fires statewide , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
“ Those storms were not ordinary , ” said Steve Cobb , a Dearborn Park resident and one of the thousands forced to flee their homes .
“ They were tropical … [ with ] constant flashes of light , crashing thunder and rain.
” As of late Wednesday , the most threatened area was Solano County , along the Interstate 80 corridor .
After a fire roared close to Vacaville , a city of 100,000 northeast of San Francisco , it was beaten back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freeway in the afternoon .
Traffic was temporarily blocked in both directions as authorities worked to evacuate an area south of the interstate .
By Wednesday night , the fire and others in the area — collectively known as the LNU Lightning Complex — had burned more than 124,000 acres with zero containment .
Vacaville Fire Chief Kris Concepcion warned residents online of a “ long night ahead ” with unstable and unpredictable weather conditions .
Another branch of that complex menaced Napa , Sonoma and Lake counties , forcing the evacuation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of St. Helena and remaining largely out of control as night fell .
Farther south , a grouping of 20 fires threatened the Silicon Valley area , while the rural areas north of Santa Cruz also saw a blaze that drove people down hilly mountain slopes toward the ocean , with fire close behind .
Such conflagrations would challenge emergency responders even in normal times , but these come as the coronavirus complicates the job of running evacuation centers and camps for firefighters .
Early Wednesday , Shawnee Whaley escaped her north Vacaville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitaker , 79 .
A phone call from a friend woke her minutes before they realized they had to go .
When Whaley saw that the power was out , she said she flung open her front door “ and saw the glow of the fire.
” They made it to an evacuation center , only to be turned away because it was full .
They finally found shelter at the local cultural center , where they set up two cots away from others .
Asked if they were concerned about the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Getting burnt in a fire is way worse than getting COVID-19 at this point , ” said Whaley , wrapped in a Red Cross blanket .
With so many blazes burning at the same time , state officials acknowledged Wednesday that they needed help and had asked for equipment and assistance from other states .
“ We are experiencing fires the likes of which we haven ’ t seen in many , many years , ” Newsom said at a news conference .
Jeremy Rahn , a public information officer with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protection , said the state had already requested 375 additional fire engines as well as hand crews from out-of-state agencies , and hired “ nearly all available private firefighting ‘ call-when-needed ’ aircraft in the Western United States.
” “ Firefighting resources are depleted as new fires continue to ignite , ” he said during a media briefing Wednesday .
Officials say nearly 7,000 personnel from state , local and federal agencies are assigned to the California fires .
Sunday ’ s lightning bolts were the Bay Area ’ s most widespread and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck on one of the hottest nights in years , said Daniel Swain , a climate scientist with UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research .
They were the result of three separate weather phenomena : A high-pressure system that swirled hot desert air from Arizona and Nevada across the state ; moisture floating in from Tropical Storm Elida off the coast of Mexico ; and a thunderstorm in Sonora , Mexico , that sent a wave of uplifting pressure through the atmosphere , combining with the heat and moisture to create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday was Vacaville , in the path of part of the LNU Lightning Complex fire .
That complex comprises at least three major incidents in Napa , Sonoma , Solano , Yolo and Lake counties .
It jumped from 46,000 to more than 124,000 acres over the course of the day .
As of Wednesday night , 105 structures had been destroyed , 70 more had been damaged and 25,000 were threatened , .
In the Santa Cruz Mountains , nearly two dozen fires — known as the CZU August Lightning Complex — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25,000 people , with at least 20 structures destroyed .
On Wednesday , a small but steady trickle of San Mateo County coast residents streamed into the evacuation center at the high school in Pescadero , a town south of Half Moon Bay .
Rita Mancera , the executive director of Puente , a local community organization , helped evacuees find hotel rooms and arrange accommodations for pets and livestock .
She said roughly 70 families had visited the center since Tuesday evening , when evacuations were ordered .
Lance Storm , 39 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were unlike anything he ’ d ever witnessed .
Storm lives on a communal farm in the Pescadero hills , and when the fire approached , he and six others decided to get out early — fearing a repeat of the people trapped in Paradise in 2018 .
“ I put everything I could into the bus , ” he said , standing by his vehicle and holding a kitten named Energy .
He said he set his two pigs , Delilah and Daisy , free — unable to get them into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had closed the Pescadero shelter as fires threatened the community and others to the south in Santa Cruz County .
In many areas , a layer of ash covered the ground , kicked up by winds and adding to the pollution that clouded much of the Bay Area .
The American Lung Assn .
warned that excessive heat , wildfire smoke and COVID-19 pose risks to those most vulnerable to respiratory problems .
“ The combination of uncontained wildfires and extreme heat has created conditions that put even healthy individuals at risk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ association spokesman .
“ The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic only makes these potential effects more serious.
” Intense smoke and heat trigger coughing and wheezing , worsen lung function and can lead to bronchitis or even death , he said .
“ The best thing you can do is to avoid outdoor air , ” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said .
Several cities set up cooling centers to help people without air conditioning .
In Redwood City , staff had equipped the Red Morton Community Center with air conditioning , bottles of water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space to maintain physical distance .
But Wednesday afternoon , the only two occupants were employees from the city ’ s facilities department .
“ We think the site is just so new that nobody really knows about it , ” said Rachael Grant , a city employee .
The fires have sent American Red Cross staff and county workers from across Northern California scrambling to prepare for a potential wave of evacuees , said Denise Everhart , the Red Cross ’ Pacific Division disaster executive .
The Red Cross has set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents ’ needs are assessed before they ’ re sent to a hotel or motel , Everhart said .
She said that the organization has put precautions in place against the coronavirus and that people should not hesitate to go to shelters .
“ If you ’ re told to go , go .
We ’ re all working together to keep people safe… .
The fire is the risk.
” In Vacaville , 78-year-old Lloyd Broughton evacuated with his family after a firetruck came up his road at 3 a.m .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and daughter Kristine , 35 , gathered their seven rescue cats and packed two cars .
All three suffer from breathing problems , and with a heavy layer of ash falling , they were already coughing and having trouble breathing , Kristine said .
“ No one is ready for it , ” Lloyd Broughton said of having to leave in the middle of a pandemic .
Times staff writers Luke Money , Colleen Shalby , Leila Miller and Maura Dolan contributed to this report .

Susanne Rust, Anita Chabria, Rong-Gong Lin II, Joseph Serna

Matt Nichols sprays water on his home as fire bears down on Vacaville, Calif., on Wednesday.
Already reeling from a pandemic and a record heat wave that has millions sweltering indoors, the San Francisco Bay Area is now besieged by fire, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate and leaving others inhaling air so smoky that experts warned of serious health risks.
Many residents say they’ve never seen such wildfire conditions, a product of high temperatures, strong winds and thousands of lightning strikes from unusual thunderstorms that started Sunday. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Bay Area was home to several of the 23 major fires statewide, a subset of the 367 blazes across California, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“Those storms were not ordinary,” said Steve Cobb, a Dearborn Park resident and one of the thousands forced to flee their homes. “They were tropical … [with] constant flashes of light, crashing thunder and rain.”
As of late Wednesday, the most threatened area was Solano County, along the Interstate 80 corridor. After a fire roared close to Vacaville, a city of 100,000 northeast of San Francisco, it was beaten back but then blew up and jumped the freeway in the afternoon. Traffic was temporarily blocked in both directions as authorities worked to evacuate an area south of the interstate.
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By Wednesday night, the fire and others in the area — collectively known as the LNU Lightning Complex — had burned more than 124,000 acres with zero containment. Vacaville Fire Chief Kris Concepcion warned residents online of a “long night ahead” with unstable and unpredictable weather conditions.
Another branch of that complex menaced Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties, forcing the evacuation of a hospital in the wine country town of St. Helena and remaining largely out of control as night fell.
Farther south, a grouping of 20 fires threatened the Silicon Valley area, while the rural areas north of Santa Cruz also saw a blaze that drove people down hilly mountain slopes toward the ocean, with fire close behind.
Such conflagrations would challenge emergency responders even in normal times, but these come as the coronavirus complicates the job of running evacuation centers and camps for firefighters.
Early Wednesday, Shawnee Whaley escaped her north Vacaville trailer park with her mother, Sharon Whitaker, 79. A phone call from a friend woke her minutes before they realized they had to go. When Whaley saw that the power was out, she said she flung open her front door “and saw the glow of the fire.”
They made it to an evacuation center, only to be turned away because it was full. They finally found shelter at the local cultural center, where they set up two cots away from others. Asked if they were concerned about the virus, they said: not so much.
“Getting burnt in a fire is way worse than getting COVID-19 at this point,” said Whaley, wrapped in a Red Cross blanket.
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With so many blazes burning at the same time, state officials acknowledged Wednesday that they needed help and had asked for equipment and assistance from other states.
“We are experiencing fires the likes of which we haven’t seen in many, many years,” Newsom said at a news conference.
California From ‘firenadoes’ to record heat, California extreme weather a glimpse of future As one of the worst heat waves in years continues to broil California, millions are experiencing the havoc that ensues with the type of extreme weather that is growing more frequent with climate change.
Jeremy Rahn, a public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said the state had already requested 375 additional fire engines as well as hand crews from out-of-state agencies, and hired “nearly all available private firefighting ‘call-when-needed’ aircraft in the Western United States.”
“Firefighting resources are depleted as new fires continue to ignite,” he said during a media briefing Wednesday. Officials say nearly 7,000 personnel from state, local and federal agencies are assigned to the California fires.
Sunday’s lightning bolts were the Bay Area’s most widespread and violent in recent memory, and they struck on one of the hottest nights in years, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
They were the result of three separate weather phenomena: A high-pressure system that swirled hot desert air from Arizona and Nevada across the state; moisture floating in from Tropical Storm Elida off the coast of Mexico; and a thunderstorm in Sonora, Mexico, that sent a wave of uplifting pressure through the atmosphere, combining with the heat and moisture to create lightning strikes.
The most threatened city Wednesday was Vacaville, in the path of part of the LNU Lightning Complex fire. That complex comprises at least three major incidents in Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo and Lake counties. It jumped from 46,000 to more than 124,000 acres over the course of the day.
As of Wednesday night, 105 structures had been destroyed, 70 more had been damaged and 25,000 were threatened, fire officials said .
In the Santa Cruz Mountains, nearly two dozen fires — known as the CZU August Lightning Complex — have prompted the evacuation of at least 25,000 people, with at least 20 structures destroyed.
On Wednesday, a small but steady trickle of San Mateo County coast residents streamed into the evacuation center at the high school in Pescadero, a town south of Half Moon Bay.
Rita Mancera, the executive director of Puente, a local community organization, helped evacuees find hotel rooms and arrange accommodations for pets and livestock. She said roughly 70 families had visited the center since Tuesday evening, when evacuations were ordered.
Lance Storm, 39, said the lightning storms and fires were unlike anything he’d ever witnessed.
Storm lives on a communal farm in the Pescadero hills, and when the fire approached, he and six others decided to get out early — fearing a repeat of the people trapped in Paradise in 2018.
“I put everything I could into the bus,” he said, standing by his vehicle and holding a kitten named Energy. He said he set his two pigs, Delilah and Daisy, free — unable to get them into the bus.
By late Wednesday, authorities had closed the Pescadero shelter as fires threatened the community and others to the south in Santa Cruz County.
In many areas, a layer of ash covered the ground, kicked up by winds and adding to the pollution that clouded much of the Bay Area.
The American Lung Assn. warned that excessive heat, wildfire smoke and COVID-19 pose risks to those most vulnerable to respiratory problems.
“The combination of uncontained wildfires and extreme heat has created conditions that put even healthy individuals at risk,” said Dr. Afif El-Hasan, an association spokesman. “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic only makes these potential effects more serious.”
Intense smoke and heat trigger coughing and wheezing, worsen lung function and can lead to bronchitis or even death, he said.
“The best thing you can do is to avoid outdoor air,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said.
Several cities set up cooling centers to help people without air conditioning. In Redwood City, staff had equipped the Red Morton Community Center with air conditioning, bottles of water, free public Wi-Fi and plenty of space to maintain physical distance.
But Wednesday afternoon, the only two occupants were employees from the city’s facilities department.
“We think the site is just so new that nobody really knows about it,” said Rachael Grant, a city employee.
The fires have sent American Red Cross staff and county workers from across Northern California scrambling to prepare for a potential wave of evacuees, said Denise Everhart, the Red Cross’ Pacific Division disaster executive.
The Red Cross has set up 10 to 15 temporary evacuation points where residents’ needs are assessed before they’re sent to a hotel or motel, Everhart said. She said that the organization has put precautions in place against the coronavirus and that people should not hesitate to go to shelters.
“If you’re told to go, go. We’re all working together to keep people safe…. The fire is the risk.”
In Vacaville, 78-year-old Lloyd Broughton evacuated with his family after a firetruck came up his road at 3 a.m. He, his wife, Anne, 73, and daughter Kristine, 35, gathered their seven rescue cats and packed two cars.
All three suffer from breathing problems, and with a heavy layer of ash falling, they were already coughing and having trouble breathing, Kristine said.
“No one is ready for it,” Lloyd Broughton said of having to leave in the middle of a pandemic.
Times staff writers Luke Money, Colleen Shalby, Leila Miller and Maura Dolan contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-20--Monster California fires threaten dozens of communities as tens of thousands flee

Evacuations widened in the San Francisco Bay Area overnight as wildfires ringing the region scorched hundreds of square miles , edged toward San Jose and produced perhaps the world ’ s worst air quality .
In all , more than 492,000 acres have burned in Northern and Central California — the equivalent of 762 square miles , greater than the land area of the city of Los Angeles .
The fires , fanned by strong winds , hot temperatures and low humidity , have forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate .
As of Thursday evening , nearly 100,000 residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 134 structures have been destroyed , and the fire-fanning weather conditions that have brought record temperatures and thousands of lightning strikes in the past few days are not expected to abate soon .
One major cluster of fires overnight was in the wine country .
The LNU Lightning Complex fire has blackened a combined 131,000 acres , destroyed 105 structures and triggered the evacuation of nonessential personnel from Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and patients from Adventist Health St. Helena hospital in Napa County .
See the location of fires burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ map .
“ Extreme fire behavior with short- and long-range spotting [ is ] continuing to challenge firefighting efforts , ” officials wrote in an update Thursday morning .
“ Fires continue to make runs in multiple directions ... impacting multiple communities.
” Several people have also died while battling the fire .
A firefighting helicopter crashed in Fresno County on Wednesday , killing the pilot and briefly sparking another brush fire to join the dozens burning across the state .
And the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee who was found unresponsive in his vehicle after clearing infrastructure - like utility poles and lines - in the Gates Canyon area outside of Vacaville for emergency responders .
In Sonoma County , the city of Healdsburg was under an evacuation warning early Thursday .
Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick stressed that residents who were ordered to evacuate should do so “ calmly yet quickly , ” and not delay in making their way to safety .
“ We also are concerned that many people are pulling over on the sides of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and view the fire , ” he said during a briefing .
“ We really urge you to fight that urge and continue to evacuate.
” Residents also should refrain from returning to their homes until given official word to do so , he added .
About 30,500 structures around the LNU Lightning Complex are still threatened .
“ We have had some minor reports of people reentering evacuation areas , and they ’ ve had to be rescued , ” Essick said .
“ When we have to rescue you from an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burden on police and fire services and adds to the problem.
” Harvest Echols is tired of running from fire , tired of packing up her kids , tired of her wine country town that seems to come close to burning every year .
“ I want to move , ” she said Thursday .
“ There are lots of more relaxing places to live.
” These moments seem increasingly inevitable in California ’ s pastoral farmlands north of San Francisco , with their rolling hills , old forests and miles of dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under an evacuation warning , Echols remembers the middle-of-the-night run she had to do last October when the Kincade fire was close enough that its orange glow crested the nearby hills .
Two year before that , the Tubbs fire sent them running .
This time , it would be an organized retreat to a lake up north , an attempt to make it seem more like a vacation than another looming disaster .
Her husband , Healdsburg vice mayor Shaun McCaffery , said their anxiety is normal in the city , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were getting anxious ” and everybody is leery of the wind picking up .
“ It just kind of wears on people that they might have to go , ” he said .
Others share his anxiety and the frustration that comes from frequently having to flee wildfires .
Near the Healdsburg town square , Gina Gandeza smoked a cigarette in front of her chartreuse green apartment complex .
A lifelong resident , she said “ a lot of people have been talking about Oregon lately.
” She evacuated last year during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night too , but her two adult daughters work at businesses that are still open - a gas station and a convenience store .
Those places won ’ t close until there is a mandatory evacuation order , she said , and she won ’ t leave without them .
“ Of course , we ’ ve got the car packed , ” she said .
Evacuation orders were also prompted on the eastern edge of San Jose by the SCU Lightning Complex fire , which has burned 137,475 acres in multiple locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East Bay and west of the Central Valley .
Flames were nearing the famed Lick Observatory , which serves astronomers from the University of California .
Officials on Thursday ordered additional evacuations , covering portions of San Joaquin County south of West Corral Hollow Road to the Stanislaus County line ; west of the 580 Freeway to the Alameda County line ; and east of the Alameda County line to the 580 and the Stanislaus County line .
They also ordered new evacuations for Santa Clara County , including east of Anderson Lake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ east of Highway 152 .
Excluded from the order are the PAR Estates and Tracy Golf and Country Club , both of which are instead under an evacuation warning .
Additional evacuation orders were issued in the path of the CZU August Lightning Complex fire , which was raging in the remote mountainous area southwest of Silicon Valley , on the border of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties .
That fire has burned 40,000 acres and forced the evacuation of more than 22,000 people , officials said Thursday morning .
Jonathan Cox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , said the CZU fire has destroyed 20 structures and threatens 8,600 others .
The fire has caused extensive damage at Big Basin Redwoods State Park and forced the evacuation of staff , campers and other visitors .
The state park , California ’ s oldest , sustained damage to its headquarters , campgrounds and historic core .
Officials with the California Department of Parks and Recreation said that the agency did not yet know the number of acres that had burned within the park and were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are devastated to report that Big Basin , as we have known it , loved it , and cherished it for generations , is gone , ” said the Sempervirens Fund , an organization that focuses on protecting redwood forests and wildlife , in a statement on its website .
“ We do not yet know the fate of the park ’ s grandest old trees.
” Cal Fire officials said Thursday morning that the fire was extremely active overnight , creating “ significant burning conditions that were unprecedented and unseen by veteran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities of Pescadero and La Honda in San Mateo County .
In Santa Cruz County , structures have been lost in the Swanton Road area , and a Cal Fire station was under threat .
The evacuation zone for this fire has expanded rapidly and now includes the communities of Davenport , Ben Lomond , Boulder Creek , Lompico , Felton and the area of Zayante Canyon .
Officials also issued evacuation warnings for downtown Scotts Valley , a mountainous city of about 12,000 people just north of Santa Cruz along Highway 17 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more the importance of leaving when those orders come out , I really can ’ t , ” Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Chief Deputy Chris Clark said during a briefing Thursday .
“ There are people that are unaccounted for that we are looking to try to determine where they are , so I stress that because , with this fire , you just don ’ t know how things are going to go.
” Cal Fire authorities enacted voluntary evacuations for on-campus students and staff in the early afternoon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a safe place to go please do so now.
” “ At this point the evacuation is voluntary , but at any moment the campus evacuation could become mandatory , ” officials wrote on the school ’ s Facebook page .
“ Once an evacuation order becomes mandatory , the campus will declare a campus emergency.
” An evacuation location will be set up in the area of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk starting at 2 p.m. , officials added .
The weather conditions for the next three days make the outlook grim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That makes that threat very direct and very real , ” he said .
“ We ’ re doing everything we possibly can to protect life and property.
” The Butte County Sheriff ’ s office also issued an evacuation warning Thursday afternoon covering the areas of Philbrook Reservoir and Inskip .
The county is currently contending with its own Lightning Complex , a collection of 34 confirmed lightning-caused fires that have burned a combined 1,900 acres .
Many of those fires are under control , fire officials said , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 20 % as of Thursday morning .
According to the website PurpleAir , the Bay Area was home to the world ’ s worst air quality overnight Thursday .
Air quality is especially bad in Silicon Valley , San Mateo County and Livermore Valley , according to local air quality management officials .
“ Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways , causing coughing , a dry scratchy throat and irritated sinuses , ” the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said .
“ Elevated particulate matter in the air can trigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , emphysema ” and other chronic respiratory ailments .
“ Very dry and warm conditions will persist across the interior and in the region ` 's higher elevations , ” the National Weather Service said .
“ Smoky and hazy conditions are likely to impact portions of the region through at least this upcoming weekend.
” Given the unhealthy air and continuing presence of the coronavirus — which can spread through respiratory droplets — experts suggested that staying indoors at home is safest .
But , if you need to go outside , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this perfect storm of a lot of uncertainty with not a ton of reassurance things are going to get substantially better in the next few months , ” said Dr. Jahan Fahimi , director of UC San Francisco ’ s emergency department .
“ I think we ’ re hunkering down and preparing for kind of a longer-term response to what is happening in our community.
” There have been more than 370 new wildfires across the state in the past four days , according to Cal Fire .
At this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of 4,007 fires throughout the state , according to Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
They ’ ve already been dispatched to at least 6,754 this year .
Formed in the last 3 to 4 million years as tectonic plates grind past each other underneath California , the state ’ s northern coastal mountain range provides fires a range of slopes , canyons and cliffs to run up , funnel through and climb .
The Jarbo Gap at the Feather River channel in Butte County , for example , turned the small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Paradise into an inferno , said Don Hankin , a geography and planning professor at Chico State University .
As fires have revisited recent burn scars repeatedly in the last few years , some areas of land are transitioning from shrub and oak woodland to highly flammable invasive species , like areas around Napa and Butte counties where ripgut brome grass is expanding , Hankins said .
A similar issue plagues the Los Padres National Forest in Southern California .
At the same time , humans continue to expand and install infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County in 2015 was sparked by a faulty electrical connection , and the worst fires in state history , which occurred in northern California 2017 and 2018 , were caused by power lines .
The area that burned from 2015-2018 amounted to 50 % of what had burned there in the previous 65 years , said John Abatzoglou , an associate professor in UC Merced ’ s school of engineering .
“ The complex terrain [ in northern California ] does make it more challenging for fire suppression and there ’ s just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of , ” he said , contrasting it with Southern California ’ s urban sprawl .
Also currently burning in California is the River fire , which has consumed more than 33,000 acres in steep mountainous terrain south of Salinas in Monterey County , destroying six structures , damaging two others and forcing mandatory evacuations , according to Cal Fire .
Nearly 2,800 structures remain threatened by the blaze , which was 7 % contained as of Thursday morning .
The Carmel fire , burning just southwest of the River fire , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structures , fire officials said .
Crews are also battling a sizable blaze in Tehama County .
The Elkhorn fire , originally referred to as the 3-4 fire , broke out southwest of Red Bank Road on Wednesday and has already grown to 15,250 acres and prompted a number of evacuations .
There ’ s promising news , however , out of Southern California , where firefighters are making progress on a few older wildfires .
The Lake fire , which has burned a little more than 27,000 acres in Los Angeles County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % contained , officials said Thursday morning .
That blaze started , which started Aug. 12 , has destroyed 12 structures and 21 outbuildings .
Officials also reported 33 % containment on the Ranch 2 fire near Azusa .
That 4,237-acre fire started Aug. 13 and is the result of suspected arson , authorities say .
Crews are also nearing full containment of the Apple fire , which has charred 33,424 acres in the Inland Empire since it broke out July 31 .
Progress anywhere is welcome news in fire-ravaged California , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretched the state ’ s firefighting resources to their limit .
Getting a handle on some fires , officials said , will free additional assets that can then be redeployed as needed .
Given the severity of the state ’ s firestorm , California also has turned to some of its fellow states for assistance .
Jeremy Rahn , the lead Cal Fire public information officer for the LNU Lightning Complex fire , said Wednesday that the state had already requested 375 additional fire engines as well as additional hand crews from out-of-state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available private firefighting ‘ call when needed ’ aircraft in the Western United States.
” At a press conference Thursday morning for the LNU Lightning Complex incident , Cal Fire firefighters warned that it would take time to take control of the fires , with officials saying they were short on manpower and resources .
“ This is a very large fire .
It ’ s one of many in the state of California , and honestly , our resources are stretched , ” said Shana Jones , a Cal Fire chief with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties unit .
Cal Fire Incident Commander Sean Kavanaugh said the sheer number of fires statewide has meant that the fire zone in Sonoma , Lake , Napa , Solano and Yolo counties has not received the firefighting manpower officials had been accustomed to getting .
“ We ’ re used to lots of resources , and that ’ s not where we ’ re at today , ” he said .
“ With the amount of large fires that we have throughout the entire Northern California , we ’ re just one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kavanaugh said in the coming days , there will be additional resources coming in from out-of-state , and he ’ s hoping personnel who are fighting smaller fires in other counties — where they ’ ve made progress surrounding the fire with containment lines — will be brought to the LNU Lightning Complex fires in the North Bay , which is 0 % contained .
Newsom announced Thursday that the state had received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that will allow local , state and tribal governments responding to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reimbursement for up to 75 % of certain firefighting costs .
The state has also secured grants over the last week to help fight blazes in Monterey , Napa and Nevada counties .
Another wrinkle in this year ’ s fire season is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic , which has raised concerns among displaced residents who would normally pack into emergency shelters and created new challenges for the agencies that operate them .
“ This is obviously a new dynamic that we ’ re dealing with across the state in the COVID moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendation ... is try to find family and friends that you are comfortable with before you go into these large environments with multiple people where they may be an additional risk for exposure.
” Lin reported from San Francisco and Miller , Money and Serna from Los Angeles .
Times staff writers Anita Chabria in Vacaville , Taryn Luna in Sacramento , Susanne Rust in San Francisco and Colleen Shalby in Los Angeles contributed to this report .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money, Leila Miller, Joseph Serna, Anita Chabria

Firefighter Ian Johnson watches as an air tanker drops retardant to keep the River fire from reaching a home in Salinas. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A home in the Sky Ranch community burns in the Carmel fire near Carmel Valley. (Nic Coury / Associated Press)
A plume rises over a vineyard in unincorporated Napa County as the Hennessey fire burns. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Members of the Grizzly Firefighters fight the Carmel fire near Carmel Valley. (Nic Coury / Associated Press)
Mobile homes burn at Spanish Flat Mobile Villa as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Flames consume a cabin at the Nichelini Family Winery in unincorporated Napa County as the Hennessey fire burns in Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Horses stand in an enclosure as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through the Spanish Flat community in unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Seen in a long-exposure photograph, embers burn along a hillside above Lake Berryessa as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Matt Nichols sprays water while trying to save his home as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through Vacaville. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Seen in a long-exposure photograph, embers burn along a hillside as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Bill Nichols, 84, works to save his home as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through Vacaville. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
An air tanker drops retardant as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through the Spanish Flat community in unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires jump Interstate 80 in Vacaville on Wednesday. The highway was closed in both directions shortly afterward. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
The charred carcass of a cow rests beside a road in Vacaville. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A firefighter walks through an area burned by the Hennessey fire along Solar Hills drive in Vacaville. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Flames from the the CZU August Lightning Complex fire approach a structure along Pine Flat Road in Felton. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The remains of a house burned by the CZU August Lightning Complex fire in Felton. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters from Eugene, Ore., walk beside an area burning along Pine Flat Road during the CZU August Lightning Complex fire in Felton. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A plume of smoke billows over Healdsburg as the LNU Lightning Complex fire continues to burn. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Scorched homes and vehicles fill Spanish Flat Mobile Villa struck by the LNU Lightning Complex fire in unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Charles Chavira, left, and Thomas Henney watch a plume of smoke spread over Healdsburg as the LNU Lightning Complex fire continues to burn. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A crew cuts down foliage and trees near some structures in preparation in Boulder Creek. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Ben Lomond firefighters work on a blaze at The Sequoia Retreat Center during the CZU August Lightning Complex Fires on Friday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters keeps watch as the fire line creeps up on Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning complex fire. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters respond to a structure fire along Riverdale Blvd. during the CZU Lightning complex fire on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Smoke hangs low in the air at Big Basin Redwoods State Park as some redwoods are still on fire on Saturday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
The Big Basin Redwoods State Park Headquarters & Visitor Center which was built in 1936 was one of the structures lost to the blaze that tore through the state park. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Hand crews work on a hillside above the Boulder Creek Community Church as the fire line creeps up on Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning complex fire on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
A house is engulfed with flame during the CZU Lightning complex fire on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters watches as the fire line creeps up on Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning complex fire on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Burned vehicles and rubble from homes are left after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire tore through Sunday in Boulder Creek, Calif. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
Firefighters protect a home in the Berryessa Estates neighborhood of unincorporated Napa County, Calif., as the LNU Lightning Complex fires burn on Friday. The blaze forced thousands to flee and destroyed hundreds of homes and other structures. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Firefighters from Barstow tackle hotspots along Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning Complex fire Sunday in Boulder Creek, Calif. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Wildfires ringing the Bay Area and other parts of the state killed at least five people, destroyed more than 500 structures and scorched hundreds of square miles as evacuations expanded Thursday.
In all, more than 694,000 acres have burned in Northern and Central California — the equivalent of 1,085 square miles, more than twice the size of the city of Los Angeles. The fires, fanned by strong winds, heat and low humidity, have forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate.
At least 539 structures have been destroyed, and the fire-fanning weather conditions that have brought record temperatures and thousands of lightning strikes in the past few days are not expected to abate soon.
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One major cluster of fires was in the wine country. The LNU Lightning Complex fire has blackened a combined 215,000 acres, destroyed 480 structures and triggered the evacuation of nonessential personnel from Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and patients from Adventist Health St. Helena hospital in Napa County. It was 0% contained as of 7:30 p.m.
See the location of fires burning across the state in our California wildfires map.
“Extreme fire behavior with short- and long-range spotting [is] continuing to challenge firefighting efforts,” officials wrote in an update Thursday morning. “Fires continue to make runs in multiple directions ... impacting multiple communities.”
Firefighters battle the Hennessey fire in Vacaville on Wednesday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
There have been reports of fatalities — including four civilian deaths tied to the LNU Lightning Complex fire and a pilot who was killed when his firefighting helicopter crashed in Fresno County on Wednesday, briefly sparking another brush fire to join the dozens burning across the state.
On Thursday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection also announced the death of a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. employee who was found unresponsive in his vehicle after clearing infrastructure — such as utility poles and lines — in the Gates Canyon area outside Vacaville for crews responding to the fires. Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director Daniel Berlant later said that the employee’s death was determined to be unrelated to the fires so it is not included in the agency’s fatality count.
In Sonoma County, the city of Healdsburg was under an evacuation warning early Thursday.
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Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick stressed that residents who were ordered to evacuate should do so “calmly yet quickly” and not delay in making their way to safety.
“We also are concerned that many people are pulling over on the sides of busy highways and roads to take pictures and view the fire,” he said during a briefing. “We really urge you to fight that urge and continue to evacuate.”
Residents also should refrain from returning to their homes until given official word to do so, he added. About 30,500 structures around the LNU Lightning Complex are still threatened.
“We have had some minor reports of people reentering evacuation areas, and they’ve had to be rescued,” Essick said. “When we have to rescue you from an evacuation area, it creates a secondary burden on police and fire services and adds to the problem.”
Healdsburg resident Harvest Echols said Thursday that she’s tired of running from fires, tired of packing up her kids, tired of her wine country town that seems to come close to burning every year.
“I want to move,” she said. “There are lots of more relaxing places to live.”
These moments seem increasingly inevitable in California’s pastoral farmlands north of San Francisco, with their rolling hills, old forests and miles of dry brown grass.
Though Healdsburg is only under an evacuation warning, Echols remembers the middle-of-the-night run she had to do last October when the Kincade fire was close enough that its orange glow crested the nearby hills. Two years before that, the Tubbs fire sent them running.
This time, it would be an organized retreat to a lake up north, an attempt to make it seem more like a vacation than another looming disaster.
Her husband, Healdsburg Vice Mayor Shaun McCaffery, said their nervousness is normal in the city, where for the last few days “people were getting anxious” and everybody is leery of the wind picking up.
“It just kind of wears on people that they might have to go,” he said.
Others share his anxiety and the frustration that comes from frequently having to flee wildfires. Near the Healdsburg town square, Gina Gandeza smoked a cigarette in front of her chartreuse green apartment complex. A lifelong resident, she said “a lot of people have been talking about Oregon lately.”
She evacuated last year during the Kincade fire and would have done so again this week, but her two adult daughters work at businesses that are still open — a gas station and a convenience store. Those places won’t close until there is a mandatory evacuation order, she said, and she won’t leave without them.
“Of course, we’ve got the car packed,” she said.
Evacuation orders were also prompted on the eastern edge of San Jose by the SCU Lightning Complex fire, which has burned more than 157,000 acres in multiple locations generally east of Silicon Valley and the East Bay and west of the Central Valley. Flames have neared the famed Lick Observatory, which serves astronomers from the University of California. It was threatening 20,000 structures and was 5% contained as of Thursday evening.
Officials on Thursday ordered additional evacuations, covering portions of San Joaquin County south of West Corral Hollow Road to the Stanislaus County line; west of the 580 Freeway to the Alameda County line; and east of the Alameda County line to the 580 and the Stanislaus County line. They also ordered new evacuations for Santa Clara County, including east of Anderson Lake and Coyote Creek, and north and east of Highway 152.
Excluded from the order are the PAR Estates and Tracy Golf and Country Club, both of which are instead under an evacuation warning.
Additional evacuation orders were issued in the path of the CZU August Lightning Complex fire, which was raging in the remote mountainous area southwest of Silicon Valley, on the border of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. That fire has burned 48,000 acres and forced the evacuation of at least 48,000 people, officials said Thursday evening.
Jonathan Cox, a deputy chief with Cal Fire, said the CZU fire has destroyed 50 structures and threatens 20,000 others. It is 0% contained.
The fire has caused extensive damage at Big Basin Redwoods State Park and forced the evacuation of staff, campers and other visitors. The state park, California’s oldest, sustained damage to its headquarters, campgrounds and historic core. Officials with the California Department of Parks and Recreation said the agency did not yet know the number of acres that had burned within the park and were assessing the damage.
“We are devastated to report that Big Basin, as we have known it, loved it and cherished it for generations, is gone,” said the Sempervirens Fund, an organization that focuses on protecting redwood forests and wildlife, in a statement on its website. “We do not yet know the fate of the park’s grandest old trees.”
Cal Fire officials said Thursday morning that the fire was extremely active overnight, creating “significant burning conditions that were unprecedented and unseen by veteran firefighters.”
The fire was threatening the communities of Pescadero and La Honda in San Mateo County. In Santa Cruz County, structures have been lost in the Swanton Road area, and a Cal Fire station was under threat.
The evacuation zone for this fire has expanded rapidly and now includes the communities of Davenport, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Lompico, Felton and the area of Zayante Canyon. Officials also issued evacuation warnings for downtown Scotts Valley, a mountainous city of about 12,000 people just north of Santa Cruz along Highway 17. At about 7 pm, evacuation orders were issued for UC Santa Cruz’s campus, in addition to other areas.
On Twitter, the school wrote that all on-campus residents must evacuate and be prepared to not return for at least two weeks.
“I couldn’t stress more the importance of leaving when those orders come out, I really can’t,” Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Chris Clark said during a briefing Thursday. “There are people that are unaccounted for that we are looking to try to determine where they are, so I stress that because, with this fire, you just don’t know how things are going to go.”
The weather conditions for the next three days make the outlook grim, said Mark Brunton of Cal Fire.
“That makes that threat very direct and very real,” he said. “We’re doing everything we possibly can to protect life and property.”
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office also issued an evacuation warning Thursday afternoon covering the areas of Philbrook Reservoir and Inskip. The county is contending with its own Lightning Complex, a collection of 34 confirmed lightning-caused fires that have burned a combined 1,900 acres.
Many of those fires are under control, fire officials said, and containment for the overall complex was reported at 20% as of Thursday morning.
According to the website PurpleAir, the Bay Area was home to the world’s worst air quality overnight Thursday. Air quality is especially bad in Silicon Valley, San Mateo County and Livermore Valley, according to local air quality management officials.
“Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a dry scratchy throat and irritated sinuses,” the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said. “Elevated particulate matter in the air can trigger wheezing in those who suffer from asthma, emphysema” and other chronic respiratory ailments.
“Very dry and warm conditions will persist across the interior and in the region`’s higher elevations,” the National Weather Service said. “Smoky and hazy conditions are likely to impact portions of the region through at least this upcoming weekend.”
Given the unhealthy air and continuing presence of the coronavirus — which can spread through respiratory droplets — experts suggested that staying indoors at home is safest. But, if you need to go outside, wear a mask.
“We are in this perfect storm of a lot of uncertainty with not a ton of reassurance things are going to get substantially better in the next few months,” said Dr. Jahan Fahimi, director of UC San Francisco’s emergency department. “I think we’re hunkering down and preparing for kind of a longer-term response to what is happening in our community.”
There have been more than 370 new wildfires across the state in the past four days, according to Cal Fire.
At this time last year, crews had responded to a total of 4,007 fires throughout the state, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom. They’ve already been dispatched to at least 6,754 this year.
Formed in the last 3 million to 4 million years as tectonic plates grind past each other underneath California, the state’s North Coast mountain range provides fires a range of slopes, canyons and cliffs to run up, funnel through and climb.
The Jarbo Gap at the Feather River channel in Butte County, for example, turned the small flames from a utility-caused grass fire outside Paradise into an inferno, said Don Hankins, a geography and planning professor at Chico State University.
As fires have revisited burn scars repeatedly in the last few years, some areas of land are transitioning from shrub and oak woodland to highly flammable invasive species, such as areas around Napa and Butte counties where ripgut brome grass is expanding, Hankins said. A similar issue plagues the Los Padres National Forest in Southern California.
At the same time, humans continue to expand and install infrastructure. The Valley fire that ravaged Lake County in 2015 was sparked by a faulty electrical connection, and the worst fires in state history, which occurred in Northern California 2017 and 2018, were caused by power lines. The area that burned from 2015-18 amounted to 50% of what had burned there in the previous 65 years, said John Abatzoglou, an associate professor in UC Merced’s school of engineering.
“The complex terrain [in Northern California] does make it more challenging for fire suppression and there’s just more land for fires to take advantage of,” he said, contrasting it with Southern California’s urban sprawl.
Also burning in California is the River fire, which has consumed more than 33,000 acres in steep mountainous terrain south of Salinas in Monterey County, destroying 10 structures, damaging two others and forcing mandatory evacuations, according to Cal Fire.
At least 3,000 structures remain threatened by the blaze, which was 9% contained as of Thursday evening.
The Carmel fire, burning just southwest of the River fire, has charred more than 4,400 acres and destroyed 28 structures, fire officials said.
Crews are also battling a sizable blaze in Tehama County. The Elkhorn fire, originally referred to as the 3-4 fire, broke out southwest of Red Bank Road on Wednesday and has already grown to 15,250 acres and prompted a number of evacuations.
There’s promising news, however, out of Southern California, where firefighters are making progress on a few older wildfires.
The Lake fire, which has burned more than 27,000 acres in Los Angeles County near Lake Hughes, is now 52% contained, officials said Thursday evening. That blaze, which started Aug. 12, has destroyed 12 structures and 21 outbuildings.
Officials also reported 39% containment on the Ranch 2 fire near Azusa. That more than 4,000-acre fire started Aug. 13 and is the result of suspected arson, authorities say.
Crews are also nearing full containment of the Apple fire, which has charred 33,424 acres in the Inland Empire since it broke out July 31.
California Massive wildfire spawns fire tornadoes in Northern California Videos posted to social media showed twister-like formations in the path of the Loyalton fire, which started Friday evening in the Tahoe National Forest.
Progress anywhere is welcome news in fire-ravaged California, where the rapid outbreak of new blazes has stretched the state’s firefighting resources to their limit.
Getting a handle on some fires, officials said, will free additional assets that can then be redeployed as needed.
Given the severity of the state’s firestorm, California also has turned to some of its fellow states for assistance.
Jeremy Rahn, the lead Cal Fire public information officer for the LNU Lightning Complex fire, said Wednesday that the state had already requested 375 additional fire engines as well as additional hand crews from out-of-state agencies, and hired “nearly all available private firefighting ‘call when needed’ aircraft in the Western United States.”
At a media briefing Thursday morning for the LNU Lightning Complex incident, Cal Fire firefighters warned that it would take time to get control of the fires, with officials saying they were short on manpower and resources.
“This is a very large fire. It’s one of many in the state of California, and honestly, our resources are stretched,” said Shana Jones, a Cal Fire chief with the agency’s Sonoma and Lake counties unit.
Cal Fire Incident Commander Sean Kavanaugh said the sheer number of fires statewide has meant that the fire zone in Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Solano and Yolo counties has not received the firefighting manpower officials had been accustomed to getting.
“We’re used to lots of resources, and that’s not where we’re at today,” he said. “With the amount of large fires that we have throughout the entire Northern California, we’re just one small piece of the bigger picture.”
Kavanaugh said in the coming days, there will be additional resources coming in from out of state, and he’s hoping personnel who are fighting smaller fires in other counties — where they’ve made progress surrounding fires with containment lines — will be brought to the LNU Lightning Complex fires in the North Bay, which is 0% contained.
Newsom announced Thursday that the state had received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that will allow local, state and tribal governments responding to the CZU August Lightning Complex fire to receive reimbursement for up to 75% of certain firefighting costs.
The state has also secured grants over the last week to help fight blazes in Monterey, Napa and Nevada counties.
Another wrinkle in this year’s fire season is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has raised concerns among displaced residents who would normally pack into emergency shelters and created new challenges for the agencies that operate them.
“This is obviously a new dynamic that we’re dealing with across the state in the COVID moment,” Cox, the Cal Fire deputy chief, said. “The recommendation ... is try to find family and friends that you are comfortable with before you go into these large environments with multiple people where they may be an additional risk for exposure.”
Lin reported from San Francisco and Miller, Money and Serna from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Anita Chabria in Vacaville, Taryn Luna in Sacramento, Susanne Rust in San Francisco and Colleen Shalby in Los Angeles contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-20--Skelton: Don't pay any attention to Trump. Voting by mail in California is safe, secure and reliable

President Trump probably would prefer that our mail ballots be delivered by ox cart .
Or carrier pigeons flying through flocks of raptors .
Unless we voted for him .
Then he ’ d dispatch the military to “ harvest ” the ballots .
Hey , it ’ s not that far-fetched .
After all , this is the president who tried to withhold disaster relief money from Northern California wildfire victims because the state opposed him politically , according to Miles Taylor , the former chief of staff at Trump ’ s Department of Homeland Security .
Former First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her Democratic Convention speech when she merely said he “ has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job .
But he is clearly in over his head.
” She didn ’ t get into Trump ’ s meanness .
And he ’ s perfectly up to the job of doing whatever it takes to avoid being tossed from the Oval Office , including sabotaging the Postal Service so it can ’ t deliver mail ballots .
Without mentioning Trump by name , Obama did assert that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can not win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting .
...
They ’ re sending people out to intimidate voters and they ’ re lying about the security of our ballots.
” Only public and political pressure forced Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to postpone further cutbacks in the Postal Service until after Nov. 3 to “ avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail.
” “ I don ’ t , frankly , trust the postmaster general , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco .
“ If he ’ s sincere about it , it means the bully has backed off.
” California Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra announced he ’ ll join several other state attorneys general in suing the Trump administration over the Postal Service cutbacks .
“ No Americans should fear their vote won ’ t count simply because Donald Trump fears a free and fair election , ” Becerra said in a statement .
OK , there ’ s a lot of politics in all those Democratic assertions , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-incrimination .
Trump rants about alleged massive voter fraud in mail voting when studies have shown it is very rare , if it exists at all .
The hypocrite is a mail voter himself at his Florida golf resort .
Trump ’ s true motive was voiced on “ Fox and Friends ” in April when he said that if the GOP agreed to widespread mail voting , “ you ’ d never have a Republican elected in this country again.
” In a recent Fox News interview , Trump said he opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Postal Service — as requested by Democrats and the service ’ s Board of Governors — because the money would be used to handle the expected deluge of mail ballots .
“ They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of those millions and millions of ballots , ” the president said .
“ If they don ’ t get [ the money ] , that means you can ’ t have universal mail-in voting.
” California is pretty close to already having universal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every election .
In the March primary , 72 % of our ballots were cast by mail .
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic , Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom ordered every active registered voter to be sent a mail ballot .
Many voters will fear it ’ s too dangerous to show up at crowded polling places on election day .
“ Voters should be able to cast their ballots in the safest way possible , ” Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla told me .
“ The safest bet is to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the comfort and safety of your own home .
“ It ’ s safe , convenient and voting by mail is absolutely secure.
” Well , with roughly 21 million ballots being mailed out , what ’ s to prevent a few hundred thousand from drifting into unintended hands and misused ?
What happens when the voter no longer lives at that address ?
The ballot is returned to the county voter registrar , Padilla says .
It ’ s not forwarded .
Can ’ t anyone grab an unmarked ballot off a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mail it in ?
Sure , but the voter has to sign the envelope and the signature is routinely doublechecked against one on file .
Yes , every signature is checked , Padilla insists .
It ’ s the law .
One of the newest Democratic strategies is so-called ballot harvesting .
It was a huge success for Democrats in 2018 .
A voter — often elderly and frail — can hand over a ballot to someone else to deliver to an official drop box or polling place .
But what if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a politically friendly ballot and tosses it in the trash ?
“ No voter should hand over a ballot to anyone he or she doesn ’ t trust or doesn ’ t know , ” says Fresno County voter registrar Brandi Orth , president of the California Assn .
of Clerks and Elections Officials .
“ That ’ s just basic.
” A fear for November is that an avalanche of mail ballots near election day will overwhelm the troubled Postal Service and the envelopes won ’ t be postmarked in time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postmarked by Nov. 3 .
Don ’ t wait until election day to mail it , Orth advises .
“ That ’ s dangerous .
The Post Office is putting out the message to send back ballots no later than a week before the election.
” That shouldn ’ t be hard .
There ’ s hardly anyone who doesn ’ t already know how they ’ ll vote .
For most Californians , it won ’ t be for the incumbent who wants to deny them mail ballots .

President Trump probably would prefer that our mail ballots be delivered by ox cart. Or carrier pigeons flying through flocks of raptors.
Unless we voted for him. Then he’d dispatch the military to “harvest” the ballots.
Hey, it’s not that far-fetched. After all, this is the president who tried to withhold disaster relief money from Northern California wildfire victims because the state opposed him politically, according to Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at Trump’s Department of Homeland Security.
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Former First Lady Michelle Obama was kind to Trump in her Democratic Convention speech when she merely said he “has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job. But he is clearly in over his head.”
She didn’t get into Trump’s meanness. And he’s perfectly up to the job of doing whatever it takes to avoid being tossed from the Oval Office, including sabotaging the Postal Service so it can’t deliver mail ballots.
Without mentioning Trump by name, Obama did assert that “right now, folks who know they cannot win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting. ... They’re sending people out to intimidate voters and they’re lying about the security of our ballots.”
Only public and political pressure forced Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to postpone further cutbacks in the Postal Service until after Nov. 3 to “avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail.”
“I don’t, frankly, trust the postmaster general,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters in San Francisco. “If he’s sincere about it, it means the bully has backed off.”
California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra announced he’ll join several other state attorneys general in suing the Trump administration over the Postal Service cutbacks.
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“No Americans should fear their vote won’t count simply because Donald Trump fears a free and fair election,” Becerra said in a statement.
OK, there’s a lot of politics in all those Democratic assertions, but they are based on Trump’s own self-incrimination.
Trump rants about alleged massive voter fraud in mail voting when studies have shown it is very rare, if it exists at all. The hypocrite is a mail voter himself at his Florida golf resort.
Trump’s true motive was voiced on “Fox and Friends” in April when he said that if the GOP agreed to widespread mail voting, “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
In a recent Fox News interview, Trump said he opposed pumping $25 billion into the struggling Postal Service — as requested by Democrats and the service’s Board of Governors — because the money would be used to handle the expected deluge of mail ballots.
“They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of those millions and millions of ballots,” the president said. “If they don’t get [the money], that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting.”
California is pretty close to already having universal mail voting. It gets more popular every election. In the March primary, 72% of our ballots were cast by mail.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered every active registered voter to be sent a mail ballot. Many voters will fear it’s too dangerous to show up at crowded polling places on election day.
“Voters should be able to cast their ballots in the safest way possible,” Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla told me. “The safest bet is to vote by mail. You can vote in the comfort and safety of your own home.
“It’s safe, convenient and voting by mail is absolutely secure.”
Well, with roughly 21 million ballots being mailed out, what’s to prevent a few hundred thousand from drifting into unintended hands and misused? What happens when the voter no longer lives at that address?
The ballot is returned to the county voter registrar, Padilla says. It’s not forwarded.
Can’t anyone grab an unmarked ballot off a kitchen table, fill in the boxes and mail it in? Sure, but the voter has to sign the envelope and the signature is routinely doublechecked against one on file. Yes, every signature is checked, Padilla insists. It’s the law.
One of the newest Democratic strategies is so-called ballot harvesting. It was a huge success for Democrats in 2018. A voter — often elderly and frail — can hand over a ballot to someone else to deliver to an official drop box or polling place.
But what if the harvester feels it isn’t a politically friendly ballot and tosses it in the trash?
“No voter should hand over a ballot to anyone he or she doesn’t trust or doesn’t know,” says Fresno County voter registrar Brandi Orth, president of the California Assn. of Clerks and Elections Officials. “That’s just basic.”
A fear for November is that an avalanche of mail ballots near election day will overwhelm the troubled Postal Service and the envelopes won’t be postmarked in time to be counted. They need to be postmarked by Nov. 3.
Don’t wait until election day to mail it, Orth advises.
“That’s dangerous. The Post Office is putting out the message to send back ballots no later than a week before the election.”
That shouldn’t be hard. There’s hardly anyone who doesn’t already know how they’ll vote. For most Californians, it won’t be for the incumbent who wants to deny them mail ballots.