latimes--2020-09-22--'May he rest easy in heaven': Procession honors firefighter killed in El Dorado fire

A fallen firefighter who died battling the El Dorado fire was taken to an Orange County mortuary Tuesday morning , flanked by an honor guard from the U.S. Forest Service , as well as vehicles from the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement and fire agencies .
The honorary procession — followed overhead by a small aerial fleet of news and first-responder helicopters — transported the body of Charles Morton , 39 , from the main San Bernardino County coroner ’ s office to Ferrara Colonial Mortuary in Orange .
The procession began around 10:30 a.m. and traveled down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Imperial Highway and Santiago Canyon Road — eventually pulling up to the mortuary , at 351 N. Hewes St. , shortly after 11 a.m .
Personnel from various fire agencies stationed themselves at several points along the route , standing near or atop their trucks to salute the passing procession .
As the motorcade arrived at the mortuary , it passed beneath a large American flag suspended between two ladder trucks .
The last leg of the journey was flanked by dozens of uniformed personnel who had come to pay their respects .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Forest Service , beginning with the Truckee Interagency Hotshots in the Tahoe National Forest , then the Mill Creek Interagency Hotshots and the Big Bear Interagency Hotshots in the San Bernardino National Forest .
He died Thursday while fighting the El Dorado fire , which has burned more than 22,500 acres in and around the San Bernardino National Forest near Yucaipa .
Morton is survived by his wife , daughter , parents and two brothers .
In a statement shared by the Forest Service on Monday , Morton ’ s family said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be missed .
May he rest easy in heaven with his baby boy.
” Residents in the San Bernardino Mountains area also lined Highway 38 in respect Friday as the fallen firefighter ’ s body was removed from the fire zone in a procession of police and fire vehicles .
“ Charlie was a well-respected leader who was always there for his squad and his crew at the toughest times , ” Vicki Christiansen , U.S. Forest Service chief , said in a statement .
“ Our hearts go out to Charlie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends and the Big Bear Hotshots .
We will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
” Morton died 12 days after the El Dorado fire was sparked by a pyrotechnic device that was part of a gender-reveal party at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa .
The region was in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave , and flames chewed through the sunbaked grass that covered the hills of the park and quickly spread into the mountainous forest .
The fire was 60 % contained as of Tuesday morning .
Forest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaged in fire suppression operations , though the precise cause and circumstances have yet to be officially released .
He was the 26th person whose death was linked to a California wildfire since August and the third person involved in battling the blazes to die in that span .
On Aug. 19 , a firefighting helicopter on a water-dropping mission crashed in Fresno County , killing the pilot , Michael John Fournier , 52 , of Rancho Cucamonga .
Firefighter Diane Jones , 63 , was fatally injured Aug. 31 while battling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was part of the sprawling August Complex fire north of the Bay Area .
That fire is now considered the largest in California ’ s recorded history in terms of acreage burned .
Jones was repositioning an engine in the Mendocino National Forest when it backed over an embankment and into fire , officials said .
She was a volunteer firefighter in Cresson , Texas , and had traveled to California with a private company to fight fires with her son , officials said .
California has seen an unprecedented fire season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.6 million acres in the state this year , according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
The fires have destroyed more than 6,400 structures since mid-August , when a siege of dry lightning strikes sparked hundreds of blazes , some of which quickly spread through dry vegetation withered by a record-setting heat wave .
Experts say that climate change has played a role in the extreme conditions .

Luke Money, Alex Wigglesworth, Matthew Ormseth

The casket of fallen Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Charles Morton leaves the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Division main in San Bernardino to be taken to a mortuary in Orange County.
A fallen firefighter who died battling the El Dorado fire was taken to an Orange County mortuary Tuesday morning, flanked by an honor guard from the U.S. Forest Service, as well as vehicles from the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement and fire agencies.
The honorary procession — followed overhead by a small aerial fleet of news and first-responder helicopters — transported the body of Charles Morton, 39, from the main San Bernardino County coroner’s office to Ferrara Colonial Mortuary in Orange.
The procession began around 10:30 a.m. and traveled down the 215 Freeway, Highway 91, Imperial Highway and Santiago Canyon Road — eventually pulling up to the mortuary, at 351 N. Hewes St., shortly after 11 a.m.
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Personnel from various fire agencies stationed themselves at several points along the route, standing near or atop their trucks to salute the passing procession.
As the motorcade arrived at the mortuary, it passed beneath a large American flag suspended between two ladder trucks. The last leg of the journey was flanked by dozens of uniformed personnel who had come to pay their respects.
Charles Morton, a Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Squad boss, who died while engaged in fire suppression operations on the El Dorado fire late Thursday.
(U.S. Forest Service)
Morton served for 14 years with the U.S. Forest Service, beginning with the Truckee Interagency Hotshots in the Tahoe National Forest, then the Mill Creek Interagency Hotshots and the Big Bear Interagency Hotshots in the San Bernardino National Forest.
He died Thursday while fighting the El Dorado fire, which has burned more than 22,500 acres in and around the San Bernardino National Forest near Yucaipa.
Morton is survived by his wife, daughter, parents and two brothers.
In a statement shared by the Forest Service on Monday, Morton’s family said, “He’s loved and will be missed. May he rest easy in heaven with his baby boy.”
Firefighters from different agencies are getting ready at San Bernardino County coroner’s office for a procession to honor firefighter killed in El Dorado fire. https://t.co/o1pRPVdsV9 @latimesphotos @BLMFire @forestservice @Angeles_NF @ClevelandNF pic.twitter.com/CeYufySEuU — Irfan Khan عرفان (@latfoto) September 22, 2020
Residents in the San Bernardino Mountains area also lined Highway 38 in respect Friday as the fallen firefighter’s body was removed from the fire zone in a procession of police and fire vehicles.
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“Charlie was a well-respected leader who was always there for his squad and his crew at the toughest times,” Vicki Christiansen, U.S. Forest Service chief, said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to Charlie’s loved ones, co-workers, friends and the Big Bear Hotshots. We will keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
Morton died 12 days after the El Dorado fire was sparked by a pyrotechnic device that was part of a gender-reveal party at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa. The region was in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave, and flames chewed through the sunbaked grass that covered the hills of the park and quickly spread into the mountainous forest.
The fire was 60% contained as of Tuesday morning.
Forest Service officials previously said Morton died while engaged in fire suppression operations, though the precise cause and circumstances have yet to be officially released.
California Firefighter killed in El Dorado blaze identified as a 14-year veteran The firefighter killed while battling the El Dorado fire in San Bernardino was identified Monday as Charles Morton, a 14-year veteran with the U.S. Forest Service who led the Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Squad.
He was the 26th person whose death was linked to a California wildfire since August and the third person involved in battling the blazes to die in that span.
On Aug. 19, a firefighting helicopter on a water-dropping mission crashed in Fresno County, killing the pilot, Michael John Fournier, 52, of Rancho Cucamonga.
Firefighter Diane Jones, 63, was fatally injured Aug. 31 while battling the Tatham fire in Tehama County, which was part of the sprawling August Complex fire north of the Bay Area. That fire is now considered the largest in California’s recorded history in terms of acreage burned.
California Photos: Bobcat fire rages in the Angeles National Forest Fears of a significant spread of the Bobcat fire dissipated as Santa Ana winds failed to materialize, but foothill communities remain on high alert.
Jones was repositioning an engine in the Mendocino National Forest when it backed over an embankment and into fire, officials said. She was a volunteer firefighter in Cresson, Texas, and had traveled to California with a private company to fight fires with her son, officials said.
California has seen an unprecedented fire season, with more than 7,900 wildfires burning over 3.6 million acres in the state this year, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fires have destroyed more than 6,400 structures since mid-August, when a siege of dry lightning strikes sparked hundreds of blazes, some of which quickly spread through dry vegetation withered by a record-setting heat wave.
Experts say that climate change has played a role in the extreme conditions.


latimes--2020-09-22--How is Little Saigon curbing coronavirus? By respecting elders, authorities and masks

Dr. Quynh Kieu has a three-part theory to explain why Little Saigon has been relatively successful in stemming the COVID-19 pandemic .
One factor is a months-long project to test 1,900 people for free in the sprawling Vietnamese American community that spans the cities of Westminster and Garden Grove , as well as parts of Fountain Valley and Santa Ana .
It ’ s believed to be among the first ethnic-specific testing effort in the nation .
A second factor is luck .
And a third , said the Fountain Valley pediatrician , is a host of ingrained cultural habits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elders and a belief in the importance of the collective welfare .
“ The Vietnamese are very compliant — and very consistent , ” said Kieu , who conducted the tests under the umbrella of the Project Vietnam Foundation , her nonprofit that organizes medical missions to the Vietnamese homeland , serving many of the rural poor .
“ In many families , they have a representative member who does the outside tasks , say someone who runs errands on behalf of their kids and the grandparents , instead of each person going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They ’ re consciously avoiding risks.
” Of equal importance , she suggested , is that Vietnamese Americans — like people in most Asian countries — are long accustomed to putting politics aside and strapping on a mask , to protect themselves , their loved ones and their fellow citizens .
“ Those who have traveled to Asia have witnessed people wearing masks to ward off pollution and dust , ” she said .
“ Now we transferred that mentality to fighting germs — it ’ s totally acceptable.
” As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation ’ s highest number of coronavirus infections and deaths , Little Saigon has stood out for its relatively low rates of both — although not all residents and businesses follow recommended protocols for social distancing .
“ Sure , the numbers are a lot lower in the Vietnamese community and yes , the reasons behind this are cultural , ” said Dr. Clayton Chau , a Vietnam native who is director of the Orange County Health Care Agency .
In August , Chau was also named health officer for Orange County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health official .
As a Vietnamese American raised to revere the elderly , Chau does have some concerns about the isolation of Asian seniors , wondering if they have regular access to the latest science or medical news in their native language .
A recent campaign launched by immigrant health professionals tried to fill that gap .
He feels there ’ s still “ misinformation in this same community.
” “ I continue to see businesses not posting mandatory prevention guidelines , ” he added , “ and I constantly worry that everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be.
” As of Sept. 1 , the number of COVID-19 cases among Asian Americans in the four cities that compose Little Saigon was much lower than that of other ethnic groups , according to data from the Orange County Health Care Agency .
The reasons why aren ’ t entirely clear .
Health data and numerous studies have repeatedly shown that Latinos and Black people have been heavily hammered by the virus .
Among the factors often cited to explain this discrepancy are subpar medical care , high rates of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diabetes , and a greater risk of exposure to the virus by workers in service industries , whose ranks are disproportionately filled by Black and Latino people .
Little Saigon has suffered lower infection rates than its share of the population might indicate .
The county does not keep statistics specific to the business and cultural district .
But in Westminster , for example , with a population of about 91,000 — and where Little Saigon was founded — 940 total cases of coronavirus had been recorded as of Sept. 1 .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s residents are Asians , according to the census — primarily Vietnamese — Asians accounted for only 141 of those cases , or about 15 % .
Little Saigon ’ s response to the virus has fostered civic pride , mingled with caution .
Ted Nguyen , a public relations executive from Laguna Niguel , said there ’ s a “ quiet compliance ” in the community .
“ We ’ re following rules based on science and facts .
Obviously , it ’ s a fluid situation , but evidence shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to better fight this virus by weighing the collective good and putting aside personal feelings.
” “ One reason our community is ahead is that we listen to the experts .
The Vietnamese have a deep respect for people in the medical profession , ” said Michael Vo , mayor pro tem of Fountain Valley , who has helped deliver donations of personal protective equipment to area hospitals .
“ We put our faith in them and many go to the same doctors through generations.
” Vo offers a comparison .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s some faction of the population thinks the coronavirus is a hoax , ” he said .
“ The mentality of the Vietnamese is , ‘ I should do this to protect myself and my family.
’ ” Quan Dinh , an economist from Garden Grove , said that what he calls the “ disciplined ” Vietnamese character helps explain the community ’ s relative success in battling the virus .
“ When you ’ re told to stay home for the lockdown , you really stay home , only to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Moreover , Dinh said , Little Saigon residents “ avoid high-traffic areas ” such as bars and entertainment spots .
“ And third , they get personalized attention when it comes to encouraging them to get tested .
People say , ‘ Bring your wife .
Bring your children .
Make it a family priority.
’ As a community , we focus on the collective — not individual needs.
” Viviane Nguyen , a high school freshman from Westminster , said that fear of contracting the virus was “ so real ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastimes .
Her father , a facilities manager , participated in recent testing at a Lutheran church near their home , getting a negative result .
She remains fearful that he ’ s at risk since he has to interact with the public in his job .
“ When he comes home , right away he is sprayed thoroughly with an alcohol mist ” recommended by a family member who is a doctor .
“ He can ’ t eat until he showers .
I wish he didn ’ t even have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mall , stopped swimming , ” Viviane said , and she has gone walking only once during the summer months .
“ It ’ s weird to watch all these people fighting health rules and refusing to wear masks , ” she said .
“ It ’ s pretty stupid that people can ’ t listen to simple directions.
” Partly for some of the same cultural reasons that Little Saigon has been spared the devastation afflicting other communities , so has the Vietnamese homeland — at least so far .
Through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hadn ’ t recorded a single coronavirus-related death .
It boasted one of the world ’ s most successful quarantining and contact-tracing systems .
But at the end of that month , a sudden outbreak , centered in Da Nang , caught Vietnam , as well as many health experts , by surprise .
Still , as of mid-September , Vietnam ’ s total number of cases is only about 1,100 , with 35 deaths , a far lower total and per-capita average than that of the United States .
On the July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outsiders to leave the bustling port city in central Vietnam , Minh Tran logged onto the internet to check the global status of coronavirus infections .
He clicked on Australia , China , France , Singapore and the United States , stopping in shock at the huge numbers of cases in California , where some of his friends and cousins live , in central Orange County .
“ I thought , ‘ Oh my God , what ’ s happening over there ?
Why are they fighting not to have to wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I couldn ’ t believe it then and can ’ t believe it now .
All the people I know are following the requirement .
Hardly any of them are sick.
” Tran has kept closer tabs of deaths across Southern California since Vietnam ’ s government began evacuating 80,000 tourists on July 27 from his hometown .
He questioned why knowledge gained from medical advances in the Western world hadn ’ t driven home the risks of COVID-19 — and awareness of how to protect oneself more effectively .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must have so much advantage .
But what we see is citizens claiming freedom to do just what they want , going to parties , going to the beach , not covering up and risking infection to their fellow citizens , ” he added .
“ If you asked me what country would top the list of coronavirus cases , I would never have predicted USA.
” Hai Tran , his cousin in Garden Grove , said he had tried to comply “ every day to help my loved ones stay breathing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ auto repair worker says he uses masks purchased in Asia that are sold by some of his friends and tout a more reliable filter .
Since many California counties entered the first lockdown in March , he has not gone anywhere except to the car shop for work .
His family combines three generations into one household , with his father exiting the front door just once a day for a nightly walk .
“ No way would I put them in harm ’ s way , ” Tran added .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our lives , skip the seven-course beef restaurants and stay home and watch HBO .
We ’ re betting to have a vaccine ” to counter the virus and , “ if I ’ m lucky , live as long to meet my grandchildren.
” To stay as healthy as possible going forward , Little Saigon will continue to rely on the testing program initiated by Kieu , the Fountain Valley pediatrician .
Kieu received serology testing kits from colleague Dr. Michael Dao , an internist at Dao Medical Group in Garden Grove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest biotech firms in South Korea and donated thousands to area groups .
Kieu and her team of 50-plus volunteers recruited nail salon workers , the elderly , members of the media and others to take the blood tests “ to find out if our community has immunity , ” she recalled .
Fewer than 0.5 % of test results were positive .
Those testing positive were sent to their medical providers for a follow-up swab test to confirm results and , if needed , begin treatment .
Quyen Le , Project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health programs , said the group will participate in a behavioral study with UC Irvine ’ s School of Public Health to monitor all those who were tested on their progress six months after the pandemic started .
“ I was fully prepared for a really bad outcome in the community , ” Le said .
“ I know statistically that if you are a community of color , given the high rates of poverty , you ’ re less likely to be insured and you ’ re more likely to be hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vietnamese community has shown that needn ’ t be the case .
And although Little Saigon is an outlier , she ’ s hopeful it could become a model for others .
“ What I ’ m optimistic about is our efforts to tailor outreach and testing to a specific group , ” she said .
“ Our current healthcare system is very much a one size fits all , and that needs to change .
”

Dr. Quynh Kieu has a three-part theory to explain why Little Saigon has been relatively successful in stemming the COVID-19 pandemic.
One factor is a months-long project to test 1,900 people for free in the sprawling Vietnamese American community that spans the cities of Westminster and Garden Grove, as well as parts of Fountain Valley and Santa Ana. It’s believed to be among the first ethnic-specific testing efforts in the nation.
A second factor is luck. And a third, said the Fountain Valley pediatrician, is a host of ingrained cultural habits: respect for authorities, reverence for elders and a belief in the importance of the collective welfare.
“The Vietnamese are very compliant — and very consistent,” said Kieu, who conducted the tests under the umbrella of the Project Vietnam Foundation, her nonprofit that organizes medical missions to the Vietnamese homeland, serving many of the rural poor.
“In many families, they have a representative member who does the outside tasks, say someone who runs errands on behalf of their kids and the grandparents, instead of each person going their own way,” Kieu continued. “They’re consciously avoiding risks.”
Advertisement
Of equal importance, she suggested, is that Vietnamese Americans — like people in most Asian countries — are long accustomed to putting politics aside and strapping on a mask, to protect themselves, their loved ones and their fellow citizens.
“Those who have traveled to Asia have witnessed people wearing masks to ward off pollution and dust,” she said. “Now we transferred that mentality to fighting germs — it’s totally acceptable.”
As California has struggled with some of the nation’s highest numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths, Little Saigon has stood out for its relatively low rates of both — although not all residents and businesses follow recommended protocols for social distancing.
“Sure, the numbers are a lot lower in the Vietnamese community and yes, the reasons behind this are cultural,” said Dr. Clayton Chau, a Vietnam native who is director of the Orange County Health Care Agency. In August, Chau was also named health officer for Orange County, becoming the area’s highest-ranking public health official.
As a Vietnamese American raised to revere the elderly, Chau does have some concerns about the isolation of Asian seniors, wondering if they have regular access to the latest science or medical news in their native language. A recent campaign launched by immigrant health professionals tried to fill that gap.
He feels there’s still “misinformation in this same community.”
“I continue to see businesses not posting mandatory prevention guidelines,” he added, “and I constantly worry that everyone isn’t as aware as they need to be.”
As of Sept. 1, the number of COVID-19 cases among Asian Americans in the four cities that constitute Little Saigon was much lower than that of other ethnic groups, according to data from the Orange County Health Care Agency.
The reasons why aren’t entirely clear. Health data and numerous studies have repeatedly shown that Latinos and Black people have been heavily hammered by the virus. Among the factors often cited to explain this discrepancy are subpar medical care, high rates of underlying health issues such as obesity and diabetes, and a greater risk of exposure to the virus by workers in service industries, whose ranks are disproportionately filled by Black and Latino people.
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Xuan Nguyen wears a face shield while visiting Asian Garden Mall, which is closed to indoor shopping. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Shoppers and store owners wear masks to protect themselves and others from contracting COVID-19 at the Asian Garden Mall. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Little Saigon has suffered lower infection rates than its share of the population might indicate. The county does not keep statistics specific to the business and cultural district. But in Westminster, for example, with a population of about 91,000 — and where Little Saigon was founded — 940 total cases of coronavirus had been recorded as of Sept. 1. Even though nearly 50% of the city’s residents are Asians, according to the census — primarily Vietnamese — Asians accounted for only 141 of those cases, or about 15%.
Little Saigon’s response to the virus has fostered civic pride, mingled with caution.
Ted Nguyen, a public relations executive from Laguna Niguel, said there’s a “quiet compliance” in the community. “We’re following rules based on science and facts. Obviously, it’s a fluid situation, but evidence shows us that many Asian countries are able to better fight this virus by weighing the collective good and putting aside personal feelings.”
“One reason our community is ahead is that we listen to the experts. The Vietnamese have a deep respect for people in the medical profession,” said Michael Vo, mayor pro tem of Fountain Valley, who has helped deliver donations of personal protective equipment to area hospitals. “We put our faith in them and many go to the same doctors through generations.”
Vo offers a comparison. “The mentality of the mainstream public, there’s some faction of the population thinks the coronavirus is a hoax,” he said. “The mentality of the Vietnamese is, ‘I should do this to protect myself and my family.’ ”
Quan Dinh, an economist from Garden Grove, said that what he calls the “disciplined” Vietnamese character helps explain the community’s relative success in battling the virus.
“When you’re told to stay home for the lockdown, you really stay home, only to go out for groceries,” he said.
Moreover, Dinh said, Little Saigon residents “avoid high-traffic areas” such as bars and entertainment spots.
“And third, they get personalized attention when it comes to encouraging them to get tested. People say, ‘Bring your wife. Bring your children. Make it a family priority.’ As a community, we focus on the collective — not individual needs.”
Viviane Nguyen, a high school freshman from Westminster, said that fear of contracting the virus was “so real” that she had virtually stopped pursuing outside pastimes. Her father, a facilities manager, participated in recent testing at a Lutheran church near their home, getting a negative result.
She remains fearful that he’s at risk since he has to interact with the public in his job. “When he comes home, right away he is sprayed thoroughly with an alcohol mist” recommended by a family member who is a doctor. “He can’t eat until he showers. I wish he didn’t even have to work.”
Viviane herself keeps “to a bubble.”
“I stopped going to the mall, stopped swimming,” Viviane said, and she has gone walking only once during the summer months. “It’s weird to watch all these people fighting health rules and refusing to wear masks,” she said. “It’s pretty stupid that people can’t listen to simple directions.”
Partly for some of the same cultural reasons that Little Saigon has been spared the devastation afflicting other communities, so has the Vietnamese homeland — at least so far.
Through mid-July, the nation of 100 million hadn’t recorded a single coronavirus-related death. It boasted one of the world’s most successful quarantining and contact-tracing systems. But at the end of that month, a sudden outbreak, centered in Da Nang, caught Vietnam, as well as many health experts, by surprise.
Still, as of mid-September, Vietnam’s total number of cases is only about 1,100, with 35 deaths, a far lower total and per-capita average than that of the United States.
Dr. Quynh Kieu, left, founder and president of Project Vietnam Foundation, receives masks from Vivian Cao, a representative of state Sen. Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar). (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Michael Vo, mayor pro tem of Fountain Valley, requires employees and customers to wear face coverings when inside his business. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A shopper wearing a protective mask walks by a Dong Supermarket in Westminster. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
On the July day that authorities in Da Nang ordered outsiders to leave the bustling port city in central Vietnam, Minh Tran logged onto the internet to check the global status of coronavirus infections.
He clicked on Australia, China, France, Singapore and the United States, stopping in shock at the huge numbers of cases in California, where some of his friends and cousins live, in central Orange County.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening over there? Why are they fighting not to have to wear masks?’” said the 29-year-old salesman. “I couldn’t believe it then and can’t believe it now. All the people I know are following the requirement. Hardly any of them are sick.”
Tran has kept closer tabs of deaths across Southern California since Vietnam’s government began evacuating 80,000 tourists on July 27 from his hometown. He questioned why knowledge gained from medical advances in the Western world hadn’t driven home the risks of COVID-19 — and awareness of how to protect oneself more effectively.
“We all think that living in America must have so much advantage. But what we see is citizens claiming freedom to do just what they want, going to parties, going to the beach, not covering up and risking infection to their fellow citizens,” he added. “If you asked me what country would top the list of coronavirus cases, I would never have predicted USA.”
Hai Tran, his cousin in Garden Grove, said he had tried to comply “every day to help my loved ones stay breathing and stay out of the hospital.” The auto repair worker says he uses masks purchased in Asia that are sold by some of his friends and tout a more reliable filter.
Since many California counties entered the first lockdown in March, he has not gone anywhere except to the car shop for work. His family combines three generations into one household, with his father exiting the front door just once a day for a nightly walk.
“No way would I put them in harm’s way,” Tran added. “It’s OK — we can pause our lives, skip the seven-course beef restaurants and stay home and watch HBO. We’re betting to have a vaccine” to counter the virus and, “if I’m lucky, live as long to meet my grandchildren.”
To stay as healthy as possible going forward, Little Saigon will continue to rely on the testing program initiated by Kieu, the Fountain Valley pediatrician.
Kieu received serology testing kits from colleague Dr. Michael Dao, an internist at Dao Medical Group in Garden Grove, who bought them from one of the largest biotech firms in South Korea and donated thousands to area groups.
Kieu and her team of 50-plus volunteers recruited nail salon workers, the elderly, members of the media and others to take the blood tests “to find out if our community has immunity,” she recalled. Fewer than 0.5% of test results were positive. Those testing positive were sent to their medical providers for a follow-up swab test to confirm results and, if needed, begin treatment.
Quyen Le, Project Vietnam Foundation’s director of public health programs, said the group will participate in a behavioral study with UC Irvine’s School of Public Health to monitor all those who were tested on their progress six months after the pandemic started.
“I was fully prepared for a really bad outcome in the community,” Le said. “I know statistically that if you are a community of color, given the high rates of poverty, you’re less likely to be insured and you’re more likely to be hit by a raging disease.”
But the Vietnamese community has shown that needn’t be the case. And although Little Saigon is an outlier, she’s hopeful it could become a model for others.
“What I’m optimistic about is our efforts to tailor outreach and testing to a specific group,” she said. “Our current healthcare system is very much a one size fits all, and that needs to change.”


latimes--2020-09-22--People in this California town didn't have much. Then fire took it away

Berry Creek has been many things in its long history — a stagecoach stop , a lumber town , a vacation spot , a gold mining camp .
It is home to retirees from crowded , expensive cities , marijuana growers and loners — lots of loners .
Now , Berry Creek has a new and terrible distinction .
When the North Complex West Zone fire swept through this wooded enclave about two weeks ago , it killed more people and destroyed more homes here than anywhere else in its destructive path .
Fire Station 61 burned to the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the volunteer company , lost his home in the blaze .
Only one of the seven current or former firefighters still has a house to go back to when evacuation orders are lifted .
Berry Creek Elementary School is a tangle of charred metal and a single red door .
The market is gone .
The Guild Hall is a memory , although its cream-colored sign still stands on Bald Rock Road inviting residents to play bingo on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m .
There were three churches here on Sept. 7 .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of the 14 who have been identified , 12 called Berry Creek home .
And most of the 1,238 structures destroyed in the fire used to rise along Berry Creek ’ s twisty gravel roads , on its heavily wooded hillsides , beside its gurgling streams .
Kristal Buchholz lived here , before she and her family were forced to flee late on Sept. 8 .
They were able to bring just three of their dogs with them , praying the others would survive the heat , smoke and flames .
Buchholz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her van on her parents ’ 20-plus acres .
Her mom and stepfather lived in a house on the secluded property .
Together they had 13 dogs , among them Buddy , Two Bit , Jake Jr. , Goldy , Mia and Chewy .
Buchholz ’ s stepdad has been here since 1963 .
He ’ s a Vietnam vet , 70 years old , stronger and wiser than any boyfriend she ’ s ever had .
“ He doesn ’ t do well in population with a lot of people , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to be a hermit up there .
He is able to have his small circle of friends and keep to himself .
He knows how to cut wood.
” The 43-year-old moved here three years ago from Idaho to be with her parents .
She stayed for them — and because it ’ s beautiful and quiet and she could grow a little cannabis and stay away from the crowds in “ town , ” aka Oroville , population 20,000 or so .
She has “ social anxiety hella tough , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have to deal with people.
” Now , she sleeps in her van in the parking lot of a Motel 6 .
The Red Cross has placed her parents , like dozens of other evacuees , in the motel , along with their dogs .
Their property on twisty Gamble Road was destroyed in the blaze .
All that remains are the skeletons of burned-out pickup trucks , the husks of torched appliances , piles of rubble .
And , they later learned , the carcasses of four dogs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little and things are starting to calm down , ” she said in a text Friday morning , “ we are faced with a future [ that ’ s ] a decision of what to do next .
A little lost , a little uncertain .
Nothing but time to think about all that ’ s happened.
” But “ the creek is no place for quitters , ” she wrote .
“ That ’ s how I know Berry Creek will recover — because we have love , camaraderie and believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of a place is Berry Creek ?
If you ask Loren Gill , chairman of the Berry Creek Community Assn.
’ s executive council , it isn ’ t a place at all .
There is no downtown .
Homes are tucked away from the main roads , far from the gaze of those passing through to someplace else .
Sure , “ there ’ s a dot on the map called Berry Creek , ” he will tell you .
“ But it moves around a lot.… Nobody knows where Berry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Creek — the flatlanders .
It isn ’ t a place .
It ’ s a ZIP Code.
” Gill disputes population estimates of around 1,200 .
He says Cal Fire several years back estimated that Berry Creek has around that many houses , which means there could be as many as 4,000 people here .
“ But I don ’ t know , ” he acknowledges .
“ I ’ m guessing.
” Two years ago , the notorious Camp fire burned right up to the edge of ZIP Code 95916 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The current blaze marks the fourth time in recent years that residents of Berry Creek have had to hightail it out because of wildfire .
That , Gill said , is a problem .
But not in the way you might think .
Some of the region ’ s hardy residents have become inured to a threat that never materialized .
Until now .
“ They didn ’ t leave as soon as they should , ” the 78-year-old retired electrical contractor said .
“ Even us , we stayed until 10 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t see a single firetruck when we left .
Heading down the road , as we passed the post office , 27 firetrucks were coming up.
” But by then , much of Berry Creek was burning .
Gill ’ s house survived the fire , but his garage wasn ’ t as lucky .
Although the volunteer firefighters tried valiantly to save their neighbors ’ homes , “ it was a disaster.
” Independent-mindedness is a common trait in these parts .
The Chico Enterprise-Record did an article in 2008 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create the Berry Creek Community Assn .
“ Part of the reason Berry Creek residents choose to live where they do , ” the paper wrote , “ is because they are an independent lot , who rebel at being told what to do , even if it is a majority of their neighbors who want to do the telling.
” Berry Creek residents also are not accustomed to asking for help .
That became apparent on Friday morning during an emergency meeting convened by Rep. Doug LaMalfa ( R-Richvale ) to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available as it struggles back from disaster .
There was a moment of silence for the men and women who died in the blaze .
A handful of requisite jabs by local politicians and the occasional resident at Gov .
Gavin Newsom and “ Big Government.
” Then , Shelby Boston , who is in charge of Butte County ’ s post-fire shelter and social service efforts , took the microphone .
“ I know , right now , you ’ re probably waking up and wishing it was just a bad dream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ It ’ s OK.
It ’ s OK to get mad .
It ’ s OK to be sad .
And it ’ s OK to ask for help .
Because I know many of you have probably never , ever wanted to receive any assistance from anyone , from the government .
But we ’ re here to help you.
” Many residents will need such help .
The population is so small that there ’ s only one school .
Poor enough so that 100 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students received free or reduced-price lunch .
And in hazardous enough territory that fire insurance is out of many people ’ s price range — if it can be had at all .
Rankin , the volunteer fire chief , lives in a part of Berry Creek called Mountain House .
His family has roots in Oroville — a 22-mile drive south — going back more than a century .
A relative on his mother ’ s side was the first taxpayer in Butte County after it incorporated in 1850 .
He bought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the house himself .
He said his insurance company dropped him after the Camp fire laid waste to nearby Paradise , killing 85 people .
Rankin has spent every day since the North Complex West blaze began patrolling what ’ s left of Berry Creek and every night sleeping in a former firehouse there .
He plans to stay on the mountain “ till the fire threat ’ s done , ” he said .
“ I ’ m going to protect what ’ s left.
” He is not sure how , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the long haul .
“ I ’ m hoping to get some sort of government assistance and rebuild , ” he said .
“ And make it my home like it always has been .
With no insurance , it will be hard.
” And then there are renters , like Richard Riley and his extended family .
The 59-year-old arrived in Berry Creek about seven years ago .
He ’ d gotten divorced , lost his job at the Park N Sell in Oroville , moved his trailer up to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s a beautiful place , ” he said .
“ It ’ s peaceful , quiet , not town .
It ’ s gorgeous up there — or it was .
I could go anywhere on my [ all-terrain vehicle ] .
We had back roads .
We could ride everywhere.
” Riley , his two sons , three brothers and four dogs are staying at the Motel 6 in Oroville .
For the first week or so , they shared one room with a single bed .
On Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were able to spread out a little .
The fire destroyed the main house on the property , all the sheds , the water-pump house .
Riley ’ s trailer somehow survived .
The men don ’ t know whether their landlord will rebuild .
They don ’ t know how long they will be able to spend in the motel .
During the Camp fire , Riley said , they stayed at his nephew ’ s house until the danger passed .
Then , they were able to return home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go back to .

In the town of Berry Creek, the North Complex fire destroyed the homestead of Kristal Buchholz, her mother, Kathy Bartley, and her stepfather, a Vietnam veteran who likes the solitude.
Berry Creek has been many things in its long history — a stagecoach stop, a lumber town, a vacation spot, a gold mining camp. It is home to retirees from crowded, expensive cities, marijuana growers and loners — lots of loners.
Now, Berry Creek has a new and terrible distinction. When the North Complex West Zone fire swept through this wooded enclave about two weeks ago, it killed more people and destroyed more homes here than anywhere else in its destructive path.
Fire Station 61 burned to the ground. Chief Reed Rankin, who heads the volunteer company, lost his home in the blaze. Only one of the seven current or former firefighters still has a house to go back to when evacuation orders are lifted.
Ben Arnold, left, and Margaret Stewart, both with Los Angeles Fire Department Regional Task Force-9 along with working dog Veya, search rural Butte County for victims of the North Complex fire. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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Berry Creek Elementary School is a tangle of charred metal and a single red door. The market is gone. The Guild Hall is a memory, although its cream-colored sign still stands on Bald Rock Road inviting residents to play bingo on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. There were three churches here on Sept. 7. One remains.
The fire claimed 15 lives. Of the 14 who have been identified, 12 called Berry Creek home. And most of the 1,238 structures destroyed in the fire used to rise along Berry Creek’s twisty gravel roads, on its heavily wooded hillsides, beside its gurgling streams.
Kristal Buchholz looks through donated clothing after her home was destroyed by the North Complex fire. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Kristal Buchholz lived here, before she and her family were forced to flee late on Sept. 8. They were able to bring just three of their dogs with them, praying the others would survive the heat, smoke and flames.
Buchholz and her boyfriend made a home in her van on her parents’ 20-plus acres. Her mom and stepfather lived in a house on the secluded property. Together they had 13 dogs, among them Buddy, Two Bit, Jake Jr., Goldy, Mia and Chewy.
Buchholz’s stepdad has been here since 1963. He’s a Vietnam vet, 70 years old, stronger and wiser than any boyfriend she’s ever had.
“He doesn’t do well in population with a lot of people,” she said. “He’s able to be a hermit up there. He is able to have his small circle of friends and keep to himself. He knows how to cut wood.”
The 43-year-old moved here three years ago from Idaho to be with her parents. She stayed for them — and because it’s beautiful and quiet and she could grow a little cannabis and stay away from the crowds in “town,” aka Oroville, population 20,000 or so. She has “social anxiety hella tough,” and in Berry Creek, “I don’t have to deal with people.”
Kristal Buchholz is now staying in her van with her boyfriend. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Now, she sleeps in her van in the parking lot of a Motel 6. The Red Cross has placed her parents, like dozens of other evacuees, in the motel, along with their dogs. Their property on twisty Gamble Road was destroyed in the blaze. All that remains are the skeletons of burned-out pickup trucks, the husks of torched appliances, piles of rubble.
And, they later learned, the carcasses of four dogs.
“Now that the smoke has cleared a little and things are starting to calm down,” she said in a text Friday morning, “we are faced with a future [that’s] a decision of what to do next. A little lost, a little uncertain. Nothing but time to think about all that’s happened.”
Kathy Bartley and her partner Gary, a Vietnam veteran, attend an emergency community meeting in Oroville after their home was destroyed by the North Complex fire. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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But “the creek is no place for quitters,” she wrote. “That’s how I know Berry Creek will recover — because we have love, camaraderie and believe in our town.”
And just what kind of a place is Berry Creek? If you ask Loren Gill, chairman of the Berry Creek Community Assn.’s executive council, it isn’t a place at all. There is no downtown. Homes are tucked away from the main roads, far from the gaze of those passing through to someplace else.
Sure, “there’s a dot on the map called Berry Creek,” he will tell you. “But it moves around a lot.… Nobody knows where Berry Creek is. Nobody outside of Berry Creek — the flatlanders. It isn’t a place. It’s a ZIP Code.”
Gill disputes population estimates of around 1,200. He says Cal Fire several years back estimated that Berry Creek has around that many houses, which means there could be as many as 4,000 people here. “But I don’t know,” he acknowledges. “I’m guessing.”
Residents of Berry Creek and the surrounding area attend an emergency community meeting in Oroville. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Two years ago, the notorious Camp fire burned right up to the edge of ZIP Code 95916. The community was forced to evacuate. The current blaze marks the fourth time in recent years that residents of Berry Creek have had to hightail it out because of wildfire.
That, Gill said, is a problem. But not in the way you might think. Some of the region’s hardy residents have become inured to a threat that never materialized. Until now.
“They didn’t leave as soon as they should,” the 78-year-old retired electrical contractor said. “Even us, we stayed until 10 p.m. [on Sept. 8]. We didn’t see a single firetruck when we left. Heading down the road, as we passed the post office, 27 firetrucks were coming up.”
A charred cat with its whiskers burned off waits for food at a home in Berry Creek. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
But by then, much of Berry Creek was burning.
Gill’s house survived the fire, but his garage wasn’t as lucky. Although the volunteer firefighters tried valiantly to save their neighbors’ homes, “it was a disaster.”
Independent-mindedness is a common trait in these parts. The Chico Enterprise-Record did an article in 2008 about residents’ lengthy and arduous efforts to create the Berry Creek Community Assn.
“Part of the reason Berry Creek residents choose to live where they do,” the paper wrote, “is because they are an independent lot, who rebel at being told what to do, even if it is a majority of their neighbors who want to do the telling.”
Berry Creek residents also are not accustomed to asking for help. That became apparent on Friday morning during an emergency meeting convened by Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) to brief the community on what resources are available as it struggles back from disaster.
A firefighter puts out hot spots in Berry Creek. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
There was a moment of silence for the men and women who died in the blaze. A handful of requisite jabs by local politicians and the occasional resident at Gov. Gavin Newsom and “Big Government.” Then, Shelby Boston, who is in charge of Butte County’s post-fire shelter and social service efforts, took the microphone.
“I know, right now, you’re probably waking up and wishing it was just a bad dream and you could go back,” she said. “It’s OK. It’s OK to get mad. It’s OK to be sad. And it’s OK to ask for help. Because I know many of you have probably never, ever wanted to receive any assistance from anyone, from the government. But we’re here to help you.”
Many residents will need such help. The population is so small that there’s only one school. Poor enough so that 100% of the school’s 60 or so students received free or reduced-price lunch. And in hazardous enough territory that fire insurance is out of many people’s price range — if it can be had at all.
Fire Chief Reed Rankin during a moment of silence during an emergency community meeting in Oroville. Rankin lost his home in the fire along with Fire Station 61. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Rankin, the volunteer fire chief, lives in a part of Berry Creek called Mountain House. His family has roots in Oroville — a 22-mile drive south — going back more than a century. A relative on his mother’s side was the first taxpayer in Butte County after it incorporated in 1850.
He bought the property 40 years ago and built the house himself. He said his insurance company dropped him after the Camp fire laid waste to nearby Paradise, killing 85 people. Rankin has spent every day since the North Complex West blaze began patrolling what’s left of Berry Creek and every night sleeping in a former firehouse there.
He plans to stay on the mountain “till the fire threat’s done,” he said. “I’m going to protect what’s left.”
He is not sure how, but he will remain in Mountain House for the long haul.
“I’m hoping to get some sort of government assistance and rebuild,” he said. “And make it my home like it always has been. With no insurance, it will be hard.”
Berry Creek was devastated by the North Complex fire. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
And then there are renters, like Richard Riley and his extended family. The 59-year-old arrived in Berry Creek about seven years ago. He’d gotten divorced, lost his job at the Park N Sell in Oroville, moved his trailer up to his brother’s property and stayed.
“It’s a beautiful place,” he said. “It’s peaceful, quiet, not town. It’s gorgeous up there — or it was. I could go anywhere on my [all-terrain vehicle]. We had back roads. We could ride everywhere.”
Riley, his two sons, three brothers and four dogs are staying at the Motel 6 in Oroville. For the first week or so, they shared one room with a single bed. On Thursday, another room became available, so they were able to spread out a little.
The fire destroyed the main house on the property, all the sheds, the water-pump house. Riley’s trailer somehow survived. The men don’t know whether their landlord will rebuild. They don’t know how long they will be able to spend in the motel.
During the Camp fire, Riley said, they stayed at his nephew’s house until the danger passed. Then, they were able to return home.
This time, they have no home to go back to.


latimes--2020-09-22--A family called 911 for son's mental health crisis. They say deputies beat and Tased him to death

Blanca Briceno said she wakes up many nights with the images in her head : Several Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies pinning down and striking her son Eric in his bedroom , his face full of blood .
She had called the police one day in March to help her son , who was in the midst of a mental health crisis .
But by the end , he ’ d been beaten and Tasered to death .
At one point , she said , deputies grabbed her phone when she tried to film what was happening .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ help us , to get some help , ” Briceno said , choking up during an interview at her Maywood home .
“ And instead , they came and killed him , brutally killed him.
” Eric Briceno ’ s death has not made headlines or triggered protests during this moment of unrest across the nation over police brutality .
The incident occurred inside the family ’ s home , and the autopsy wasn ’ t released to their attorney until last week .
In their report , obtained by The Times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 39 , died of cardiopulmonary arrest , resulting from neck compression and restraint with a Taser .
The death was ruled a homicide , although the designation doesn ’ t mean it was intentional or a crime .
The Briceno family last month filed a wrongful death claim , a precursor to a lawsuit , against the Sheriff ’ s Department and is calling for prosecutors to charge the deputies involved .
“ He didn ’ t die a natural death , ” said Briceno ’ s father , Juan .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Sheriff ’ s Department declined to comment , citing an ongoing investigation into the incident .
Sheriff ’ s investigators have not yet presented a case to prosecutors , who will review the materials and decide whether deputies committed a crime , the district attorney ’ s office said .
According to the autopsy report , investigators told coroner ’ s officials that when deputies responded to a call that Eric Briceno had assaulted his father , he “ attacked the deputies ” and resisted arrest .
Eric began showing symptoms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosed with mild schizophrenia , the family ’ s claim says .
He self-medicated with street drugs and spent time in jail .
Most recently , he was on probation and receiving treatment through the L.A. County Department of Mental Health .
On March 16 , the claim said , Eric had an altercation with his father and left the home as his parents called 911 .
Deputies arrived and told the parents to call them back when their son returned , which they did .
Eric Briceno — 6 feet tall and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — was in his room sleeping when deputies arrived , his mother said .
She said she told deputies she would call him out of his bedroom , because she didn ’ t want the deputies to go in .
They went in anyway , she said , startling her son .
Blanca Briceno said the deputies began beating Eric without provocation , kneeling on his back and hitting him with a baton .
“ They went , ‘ Eric , Eric !
’ So he got scared , ” his mother said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything ; he wasn ’ t aggressive , nothing.
” One deputy fired a Taser , striking him , and another discharged pepper spray in the room .
Meanwhile , Eric cried out that he could not breathe , his mother and the claim says .
Blanca Briceno said she pleaded for the deputies to stop .
When she took out her phone to record , she said , a deputy took it away , telling her she couldn ’ t speak to anyone because they might convince her to change her story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room and into a cabinet , the claim said .
Eric Briceno was punched , pepper-sprayed and shot with a Taser seven or eight times , the autopsy report said .
Deputies reported that before being transported to the hospital , Briceno had turned blue , according to the autopsy report .
Medical examiners found methamphetamine in his system , which contributed to but was not the immediate cause of his death .
Samuel Paz , an attorney representing the Briceno family , said he reviewed hospital records and those of emergency responders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that members of the sheriff ’ s Mental Evaluation Team responded to the incident .
Members of the team usually roll out in pairs : a deputy and a licensed mental health clinician trained to de-escalate and avoid the use of force .
In 2019 , the agency ’ s 33 teams responded to more than half the 10,425 patrol calls involving mentally ill or cognitively impaired people in crises , a Sheriff ’ s Department report said .
The report found that during 431 mental health incidents in 2019 , the supervisor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely ” that deputies would have used force to subdue patients if not for team members arriving to diffuse the situation .
Spurred by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis , many are calling for some of these responsibilities to be removed from law enforcement and for other public community and support services to be expanded .
In Los Angeles , for example , the City Council is exploring a new emergency response that uses trained specialists , rather than Los Angeles police officers , to render aid to homeless people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substance abuse issues .
As Eric Briceno was taken to the hospital , deputies took his parents to the East L.A. station , where they were questioned by investigators ; neither knew whether their son was still alive .
After the interview , the Bricenos said , investigators returned and told them : We have some bad news — he didn ’ t make it .
Paz said Eric Briceno was declared dead within eight minutes of arriving at the hospital .
In a letter dated a month after the incident , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Bricenos for their loss .
The letter used language that the Bricenos felt added insult to injury , referencing prosecutors ’ review of “ the shooting.
” “ There was no shooting , ” Blanca Briceno said .
“ There ’ s a lot of people like this … screaming for help .
And they deserve to live and get the help they need .
My son didn ’ t deserve this .
”

Juan and Blanca Briceno created a shrine for their son Eric Briceno, who was killed by deputies in March during what they said was a mental health call.
Blanca Briceno said she wakes up many nights with the images in her head: Several Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies pinning down and striking her son Eric in his bedroom, his face full of blood.
She had called the police one day in March to help her son, who was in the midst of a mental health crisis. But by the end, he’d been beaten and Tasered to death. At one point, she said, deputies grabbed her phone when she tried to film what was happening.
“We called them to come and help us, to get some help,” Briceno said, choking up during an interview at her Maywood home. “And instead, they came and killed him, brutally killed him.”
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Eric Briceno’s death has not made headlines or triggered protests during this moment of unrest across the nation over police brutality. The incident occurred inside the family’s home, and the autopsy wasn’t released to their attorney until last week.
In their report, obtained by The Times, coroner’s officials concluded that Briceno, 39, died of cardiopulmonary arrest, resulting from neck compression and restraint with a Taser. The death was ruled a homicide, although the designation doesn’t mean it was intentional or a crime.
The Briceno family last month filed a wrongful-death claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, against the Sheriff’s Department and is calling for prosecutors to charge the deputies involved.
“He didn’t die a natural death,” said Briceno’s father, Juan. “He died because of police brutality.”
The Sheriff’s Department declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation into the incident. Sheriff’s investigators have not yet presented a case to prosecutors, who will review the materials and decide whether deputies committed a crime, the district attorney’s office said.
According to the autopsy report, investigators told coroner’s officials that when deputies responded to a call that Eric Briceno had assaulted his father, he “attacked the deputies” and resisted arrest.
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Eric began showing symptoms of mental illness in high school and was diagnosed with mild schizophrenia, the family’s claim says. He self-medicated with street drugs and spent time in jail. Most recently, he was on probation and receiving treatment through the L.A. County Department of Mental Health.
On March 16, the claim said, Eric had an altercation with his father and left the home as his parents called 911. Deputies arrived and told the parents to call them back when their son returned, which they did.
Eric Briceno — 6 feet tall and weighing nearly 300 pounds, records show — was in his room sleeping when deputies arrived, his mother said. She said she told deputies she would call him out of his bedroom because she didn’t want the deputies to go in. They went in anyway, she said, startling her son.
Blanca Briceno said the deputies began beating Eric without provocation, kneeling on his back and hitting him with a baton.
“They went, ‘Eric, Eric!’ So he got scared,” his mother said. “He wasn’t doing anything; he wasn’t aggressive, nothing.”
One deputy fired a Taser, striking him, and another discharged pepper spray in the room. Meanwhile, Eric cried out that he could not breathe, his mother and the claim said.
Blanca Briceno said she pleaded for the deputies to stop. When she took out her phone to record, she said, a deputy took it away, telling her she couldn’t speak to anyone because they might convince her to change her story. She was pushed out of the room and into a cabinet, the claim said.
Eric Briceno was punched, pepper-sprayed and shot with a Taser seven or eight times, the autopsy report said.
Deputies reported that before being transported to the hospital, Briceno had turned blue, according to the autopsy report. Medical examiners found methamphetamine in his system, which contributed to but was not the immediate cause of his death.
Samuel Paz, an attorney representing the Briceno family, said he reviewed hospital records and those of emergency responders, and it doesn’t appear that members of the sheriff’s Mental Evaluation Team responded to the incident.
Members of the team usually roll out in pairs: a deputy and a licensed mental health clinician trained to de-escalate and avoid the use of force. In 2019, the agency’s 33 teams responded to more than half the 10,425 patrol calls involving mentally ill or cognitively impaired people in crises, a Sheriff’s Department report said.
The report found that during 431 mental health incidents in 2019, the supervisor at the scene believed it “very likely” that deputies would have used force to subdue patients if not for team members arriving to defuse the situation.
Spurred by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, many are calling for some of these responsibilities to be removed from law enforcement and for other public community and support services to be expanded. In Los Angeles, for example, the City Council is exploring a new emergency response that uses trained specialists, rather than Los Angeles police officers, to render aid to homeless people and those suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues.
As Eric Briceno was taken to the hospital, deputies took his parents to the East L.A. station, where they were questioned by investigators; neither knew whether their son was still alive. After the interview, the Bricenos said, investigators returned and told them: We have some bad news — he didn’t make it.
Paz said Eric Briceno was declared dead within eight minutes of arriving at the hospital.
In a letter dated a month after the incident, the district attorney’s office expressed condolences to the Bricenos for their loss. The letter used language that the Bricenos felt added insult to injury, referencing prosecutors’ review of “the shooting.”
“There was no shooting,” Blanca Briceno said. “There’s a lot of people like this … screaming for help. And they deserve to live and get the help they need. My son didn’t deserve this.”


latimes--2020-09-21--No place to study, hunger and inadequate computers hurt Eastside and South L.A. students

Los Angeles families with school-age children in Boyle Heights , South Los Angeles and Watts struggled with access to computers and adequate internet throughout the spring semester while facing job losses and food insecurity , issues that hampered online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic , a survey has found .
The survey , a collaboration by researchers from USC and the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools , underscores how poverty has exacerbated the toll wrought by the pandemic and how challenging these problems are to overcome .
It also suggests that the digital divide is continuing to harm the education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ About three-quarters of families surveyed had experienced a loss of income and food insecurity during the pandemic and nearly 30 % faced health challenges and housing insecurity .
Even so , about 1 in 3 families made investments to support online learning , including paying for internet access .
“ This isn ’ t a trivial amount of money for our families .
They ’ re reporting in the hundreds of dollars , ” said Stephen Aguilar , an assistant professor at the USC Rossier School of Education .
“ Imagine being a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now you have to purchase these devices for your students in order for them to get their constitutional right to learn.
” Another key finding showed that more than a third of students didn ’ t have an appropriate and quiet place at home to study or participate in online learning — a problem that school officials have limited ability to address , unless they bring small groups of high-needs students back to campus , as county guidelines now allow .
L.A. Unified School District officials and other L.A. County school districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns of spreading the coronavirus , although a few school systems are moving quickly to make these opportunities available .
Recognizing this problem with the learning spaces at home , L.A. Unified and donors have worked to provide headphones to students to minimize distractions .
The survey focused on areas served by the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools , which manages 19 L.A. Unified schools enrolling 14,200 children in Boyle Heights , South Los Angeles and Watts .
They are among the lowest-income areas in the city and have been hit hard by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 89 % of students are Latino , 9 % are Black , and 96 % are members of low-income families .
Nearly 1,200 families completed the survey .
Researchers conducted the survey in July , so the findings encompassed the entire spring semester but not the beginning of the current semester .
The findings call into question ongoing announcements from L.A. Unified officials that virtually all students were quickly connected in the spring after campuses shut down in March .
At the time of the survey , about 17 % of families reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarks Monday , L.A. schools Supt .
Austin Beutner said 98.5 % of all students in the district were now connected .
A district spokesperson said last week that this meant a student had logged on to the district ’ s online learning platform at least once since school started on Aug. 18 .
Beutner also said attendance numbers were relatively strong — considering the ongoing pandemic .
There is an average daily rate of 93.4 % this school year compared with 97 % last year , according to the district .
Attendance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students to be counted as present with minimal daily interaction .
If a teacher receives one email from a student or parent before midnight , for example , that student can then be counted as present for the school day .
A turned-in assignment meant to be completed over three days can count as three days of attendance even if a student does not otherwise make contact with a teacher .
This loose attendance accounting is not unique to L.A. Unified ; state officials established these rules .
The LAUSD , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear picture of student engagement .
The survey also highlights several factors that could continue to pose challenges to student engagement even if all students have computers and hot spots .
Seventy-five percent of parents and guardians surveyed did not themselves use computers on a regular basis and some 42 % of students are relying on siblings when running into problems with technology .
“ Every student in California has a constitutional right to a quality education .
As long as we are distance learning , that means that access to quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student success should also be a right , ” said Ryan Smith , chief external officer for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools .
“ The conversation has to ... really center on the Black and Latinx families who are struggling on multiple fronts and also being asked to come out of their own pocket to provide more resources so that their students have the opportunity to learn .
”

Families wait in line in April at the Mar Vista Family Center for free food and headphones, which students use to screen out noise while studying at home.
Los Angeles families with school-age children in Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles and Watts struggled with access to computers and adequate internet throughout the spring semester while facing job losses and food insecurity, issues that hampered online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey has found.
The survey, a collaboration by researchers from USC and the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, underscores how poverty has exacerbated the toll wrought by the pandemic and how challenging these problems are to overcome. It also suggests that the digital divide is continuing to harm the education of low-income Latino and Black students.
About three-quarters of families surveyed had experienced a loss of income and food insecurity during the pandemic and nearly 30% faced health challenges and housing insecurity. Even so, about 1 in 3 families made investments to support online learning, including paying for internet access.
“This isn’t a trivial amount of money for our families. They’re reporting in the hundreds of dollars,” said Stephen Aguilar, an assistant professor at the USC Rossier School of Education. “Imagine being a family where you lost your job...and now you have to purchase these devices for your students in order for them to get their constitutional right to learn.”
Another key finding showed that more than a third of students didn’t have an appropriate and quiet place at home to study or participate in online learning — a problem that school officials have limited ability to address, unless they bring small groups of high-needs students back to campus, as county guidelines now allow.
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L.A. Unified School District officials and other L.A. County school districts have hesitated to take this step over concerns of spreading the coronavirus, although a few school systems are moving quickly to make these opportunities available.
Recognizing this problem with the learning spaces at home, L.A. Unified and donors have worked to provide headphones to students to minimize distractions.
The survey focused on areas served by the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, which manages 19 L.A. Unified schools enrolling 14,200 children in Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles and Watts. They are among the lowest-income areas in the city and have been hit hard by the pandemic.
In these schools, 89% of students are Latino, 9% are Black, and 96% are members of low-income families. Nearly 1,200 families completed the survey.
Researchers conducted the survey in July, so the findings encompassed the entire spring semester but not the beginning of the current semester.
The findings call into question ongoing announcements from L.A. Unified officials that virtually all students were quickly connected in the spring after campuses shut down in March. At the time of the survey, about 17% of families reported having no internet at home.
In remarks Monday, L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner said 98.5% of all students in the district were now connected. A district spokesperson said last week that this meant a student had logged on to the district’s online learning platform at least once since school started on Aug. 18.
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Beutner also said attendance numbers were relatively strong — considering the ongoing pandemic. There is an average daily rate of 93.4% this school year compared with 97% last year, according to the district. Attendance accounting this year, however, allows students to be counted as present with minimal daily interaction.
If a teacher receives one email from a student or parent before midnight, for example, that student can then be counted as present for the school day. A turned-in assignment meant to be completed over three days can count as three days of attendance even if a student does not otherwise make contact with a teacher.
This loose attendance accounting is not unique to L.A. Unified; state officials established these rules. The LAUSD, however, has not released additional data that give a clear picture of student engagement.
The survey also highlights several factors that could continue to pose challenges to student engagement even if all students have computers and hot spots. Seventy-five percent of parents and guardians surveyed did not themselves use computers on a regular basis and some 42% of students are relying on siblings when running into problems with technology.
“Every student in California has a constitutional right to a quality education. As long as we are distance learning, that means that access to quality broadband — and resources needed to support student success should also be a right,” said Ryan Smith, chief external officer for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. “The conversation has to ... really center on the Black and Latinx families who are struggling on multiple fronts and also being asked to come out of their own pocket to provide more resources so that their students have the opportunity to learn.”


latimes--2020-09-21--Bobcat fire again threatens Mt. Wilson; more evacuations ordered

Fire crews remained in battle mode Monday as efforts to save Mt .
Wilson from the raging Bobcat fire continued .
Days after officials announced that firefighters had beaten back advancing flames and the 116-year-old Mt .
Wilson Observatory was safe , firefighters were battling flare-ups at the top of the mountain .
As darkness fell Monday , flames could be seen close to both the observatory and the communications towers on Mt .
Wilson .
“ Just when I thought the danger was over — it wasn ’ t , ” Thomas Meneghini , the observatory ’ s executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was leaving [ Sunday ] , eight more strike units were rumbling up the road.
” It was the second time in a little over a decade that the gleaming white-domed observatory and its companion installations — including the towers that serve broadcast outlets and a variety of law enforcement and national security functions — have faced imminent threat of destruction from wildfire .
In 2009 , crews battled the Station fire from the ground and the sky over several days .
The Bobcat fire , which ignited Sept. 6 , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of Los Angeles County ’ s largest blazes ever — and remains at 15 % containment , the U.S. Forest Service said .
The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department on Monday afternoon ordered the evacuations of people who live south and west of Upper Big Tujunga Canyon , east of Angeles Forest Highway and north of Angeles Crest Highway .
Firefighters have already used half of a 530,000-gallon water tank on the observatory grounds in their nearly weeklong battle against the blaze , Meneghini said .
Crews are working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong .
Officials from the Forest Service said Mt .
Wilson remains a top priority , noting that “ multiple , multiple resources ” have been dedicated to battling the flames , which continued to burn fiercely through Monday .
“ Some of that smoke may have dissipated , ” Jerry McGowan , an incident commander , said Monday evening , “ but there is quite a bit of fire still down in that hole , down in that area.
” Fire crews were also focusing Monday on the Antelope Valley , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after forcing evacuations and charring multiple homes .
The fire weather conditions , including heat , dryness and gusty winds , could feed the flames and create the “ potential for rapid growth and extreme fire behavior.
” “ Out by the Bobcat fire , it ’ s still fairly warm and dry , and there will be afternoon and evening gusts of winds , ” meteorologist David Sweet said from the weather service ’ s station in Oxnard .
“ And that ’ s the concern right there : dryness and gusty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as high as 40 mph , Sweet said .
The winds will probably continue for the rest of the week .
Residents in the Juniper Hills area of the Antelope Valley anxiously awaited updates on their homes after evacuation orders last week .
“ We kept watching the fire maps closely , and we knew that it was in our area , ” said Juniper Hills resident Bridget Lensing , who evacuated her family ’ s home Thursday .
“ We were hoping and praying somehow our home would be spared.
” Lensing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in the 1980s , and she and her brother were raised there .
She said that her family rushed to spray the whole property with water before evacuating , and that they spent an agonizing 48 hours away from the area before returning to find much of their neighborhood destroyed .
“ All the homes on our street were gone , ” Lensing said .
“ Everything was dust beside the chimneys.
” Lensing ’ s house was the only one on the street to survive , she said , although it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the property .
Her closest neighbor ’ s home of 50 years burned in the blaze .
“ We feel so , so sorry for them , ” she said .
“ But they want to rebuild ... .
Juniper Hills is so strong.
” Vince Pena , an incident commander with the Los Angeles County Fire Department , said the Bobcat fire has destroyed or damaged 29 structures , although that tally “ could go up to 85 or so ” as fire crews continue to assess the damage .
An estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes , he said Monday evening .
The Bobcat fire is one of six major blazes currently prioritized by the state , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday during a news briefing .
The other fires are the August Complex , the North Complex , the Creek fire , the El Dorado fire and the Snow fire .
“ We ’ re putting all the resources we possibly can on all these complexes , ” Newsom said , “ but focusing , as we should , on that Bobcat fire.
” Calling this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governor said 19,000 firefighters are battling 27 blazes statewide .
Among those , 26 people have died , including three firefighters , and 6,400 structures have been destroyed .
“ The 26 fatalities and 6,400 structures are based on what we have seen , what we have witnessed , ” he said , noting that “ by no stretch of the imagination ” is that number the extent of potential destruction and death from the fires .
Fifteen mutual-aid states are helping with firefighting efforts statewide , Newsom said , and 3.6 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firefighters on the Bobcat fire have been hindered by steep , rocky terrain within the Angeles National Forest , which made it difficult for large mechanical equipment to reach several front lines of the blaze .
The fire ’ s creep into the Antelope Valley , fed by low-lying desert shrubbery , also presents new challenges .
“ The more variables you have , the more complex it becomes , ” Forest Service spokesman Larry Smith said .
“ It ’ s much less terrain-influenced there .
Now it ’ s a fuel-driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are contributing to the fire ’ s movement through the valley , Smith said , but he noted that the flatter terrain is allowing for more mechanized equipment , such as bulldozers , to create containment lines .
Adding to complications were two private drones being flown in the area late Monday morning , which grounded a fixed-wing aircraft for 30 minutes , the Forest Service said in a tweet .
“ If drones are spotted , firefighting aircraft must stay grounded until the area is cleared , ” they said .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the San Gabriel River and Camp Williams • Residences along Angeles Crest Highway between Angeles Forest Highway and Highway 39 • South of Highway 138 , north of Big Rock Creek , east of 87th Street East and west of Largo Vista Road • South of 138th Street East , north of Big Pine Highway and Highway 2 , east of Largo Vista Road and west of 263rd Street East • South of Highway 138 , north of East Avenue W-14 , east of 155th Street East and west of 165th Street East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire had jumped Highway 2 multiple times and is “ now on both sides of the road on Barley Flats.
” The following areas remain under evacuation warnings : • South of Pearblossom Highway , east and north of Angeles Forest Highway , north and west of Mt .
Emma Road , east and south of Highway 122 and west of Chesebro Road • South of Highway 2 , north of Blue Ridge Truck Trail , east of Highway 39 and west of the Los Angeles County border • South of Avenue U-8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ east of 121st Street East and west of 155th Street East • South of Pearblossom Highway , south and east of Pearblossom Highway , north and west of Mt .
Emma Road , north and east of Angeles Forest Highway and west of Chesebro Road • South of Mt .
Emma Road , north of Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road , east of Angeles Forest Highway and west of Pacifico Mountain An American Red Cross evacuation point has been set up at Palmdale High School for anyone needing assistance .
Air quality continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials issued a smoke advisory for a swath of Southern California through Monday afternoon .
Although forecasts show good or moderate air quality is expected for much of the Southland throughout the day , pollutants could reach levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups and individuals in the eastern San Gabriel Valley , areas in and around the San Gabriel Mountains and parts of the Inland Empire .
Given the forecast , Los Angeles County health officials are urging residents with heart disease , asthma or other respiratory diseases to minimize their time outdoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel have been assigned to the Bobcat fire , Smith said , including several firefighters who have arrived from across the country to battle the insatiable blaze .
“ Is there a fatigue level ?
Absolutely , ” Smith said , “ but firefighters are always optimistic .
I never go into a fight with the intent to lose .
”

Fire crews remained in battle mode Monday as efforts to save Mt. Wilson from the raging Bobcat fire continued.
Days after officials announced that firefighters had beaten back advancing flames and the 116-year-old Mt. Wilson Observatory was safe, firefighters were battling flare-ups at the top of the mountain. As darkness fell Monday, flames could be seen close to both the observatory and the communications towers on Mt. Wilson.
“Just when I thought the danger was over — it wasn’t,” Thomas Meneghini, the observatory’s executive director, said Monday. “As I was leaving [Sunday], eight more strike units were rumbling up the road.”
It was the second time in a little over a decade that the gleaming white-domed observatory and its companion installations — including the towers that serve broadcast outlets and a variety of law enforcement and national security functions — have faced imminent threat of destruction from wildfire. In 2009, crews battled the Station fire from the ground and the sky over several days.
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1 / 42 Blue Ridge Hot Shots crew members from Arizona work on a backfire operation north of Mt. Wilson on Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 42 Blue Ridge Hot Shots crew members from Arizona join forces with firefighters from Northern and Southern California on a backfire operation north of Mt. Wilson on Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 42 Smoke and ash filter the sunset looking west from Angeles Crest Highway as the Bobcat fire continues to burn. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 42 Blue Ridge Hot Shots crew members from Arizona help on a backfire operation on Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 42 Firefighters continue to battle the Bobcat fire north of Mt. Wilson along Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 42 Blue Ridge Hot Shots crew members from Arizona work on a backfire operationon Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 42 The Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest as seen from the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles on Sept. 21. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 42 Horses are spooked by the approaching Bobcat fire on 106th Street in Juniper Hills on Sept. 18. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 42 A resident flees as Bobcat fire approaches Cima Mesa Road in Juniper Hills. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 42 A Joshua tree burns as the Bobcat fire rages in Juniper Hills. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 42 A Super Scooper dives behind a house in Juniper Hills to make a water drop. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 42 The view from Big Pines Highway as the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 42 A statue sits on top of a house that burned to the ground in Juniper Hills. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 42 A house on Cima Mesa Road in Juniper Hills burns Sept. 18 as the Bobcat fire continues to rage. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 42 Mike Gregoryan is frustrated as he is asked to leave his home on Cruthers Creek as Bobcat fire closes in on structures. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 42 A smokey sunset as the Bobcat Fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 42 Bear Divide Hotshots cover a U.S. Forestry Department information center Sept. 19 in Wrightwood to protect it from the Bobcat fire. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 42 A man riding a tractor evacuates Valyermo as the Bobcat fire burns Sept. 18 in Angeles National Forest. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 42 Castle Snider, 8, looks on as flames from a control burn are used to reduce fuel near homes in Monrovia as the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 42 A statue is left charred Sept. 19 after the Bobcat fire roared through Juniper Hills. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 42 The LA County Fire Camp 9 hand crew rests on Big Pines Highway after working the north flank of the Bobcat fire near Mile High. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 42 LaVerne engine 761 arrives to offer defense as the Bobcat fire burns near homes in Monrovia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 42 A fire engine drives into air thick with smoke along Juniper Hills Rd. as the Bobcat fire advances north into the Antelope Valley. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 42 Flames crest a hill a few miles from Juniper Hills Rd. as the Bobcat fire advances north into the Antelope Valley. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 42 Los Angeles County firefighters standing on outlook as they monitor the Bobcat fire burning in a canyon near the Mt. Wilson Observatory in Angeles National Forest. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 26 / 42 A helicopter fights the Bobcat fire burning close to Mt. Wilson Observatory. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 27 / 42 After spending night at camp Pasadena, firefighters Christina Terrazas, left, and Jason Van Vlymen have their breakfast standing next to their fire truck. Hundreds of firefighters from different agencies fighting Bobcat Fire in San Gabriel mountains above Arcadia, Monrovia and Duarte camp overnight in Santa Fe Dam Recreation Park in Irwindale. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 28 / 42 Roland Pagan surveys the remains of his home on Juniper Hills Drive. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 42 A plane makes a fire retardant drop in the Antelope Valley. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 42 Road Runners hand crew from the Angeles National Forest walk single file as they head for breakfast at the Bobcat fire command post at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Park in Irwindale. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 31 / 42 Flames from a control burn are used to reduce fuel near homes in Monrovia as the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 42 Curious deer look on as firefighters watch the progress of the Bobcat fire as it continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 42 Firefighters look on from Sawpit Canyon as a controlled fire burns on a hillside overlooking the San Gabriel Valley. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 42 Firefighters keep watch from an overlook on Mt. Wilson as the Bobcat fire burns in the Angeles National Forest near Pasadena. (Mario Tama / Getty Images) 35 / 42 A Coulson 737 firefighting tanker jet drops fire retardant to slow Bobcat fire at the top of a major run up a mountainside in the Angeles National Forest. (David McNew / Getty Images) 36 / 42 Los Angeles County firefighters, using only hand tools, keep flames from jumping a fire break in the Angeles National Forest north of Monrovia. (David McNew / Getty Images) 37 / 42 Mormon Lake, Ariz. Hotshot Squad team member Jessy Twin looks over charred hillsides after clearing brush. Twin said his crew is on their sixth day of cutting line. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 42 A firefighting helicopter refills in a reservoir on Grand View Ave. as crews continue to battle the Bobcat fire. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 42 A line of California fire engines head to the flaming Santa Anita Canyon as the Bobcat fire burns near Arcadia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 42 Claudia Alcaino walks her dogs along Highland Oaks Drive as crews continue to battle the Bobcat fire in the nearby Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 42 A worker installs a street camera along North Azusa Avenue as smoke covers the sky from the Bobcat fire. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 42 The Bobcat fire continues to blaze in the mountains above Monrovia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Bobcat fire, which ignited Sept. 6, has grown to more than 105,000 acres — one of Los Angeles County’s largest blazes ever — and remains at 15% containment, the U.S. Forest Service said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Monday afternoon ordered the evacuations of people who live south and west of Upper Big Tujunga Canyon, east of Angeles Forest Highway and north of Angeles Crest Highway.
Firefighters have already used half of a 530,000-gallon water tank on the observatory grounds in their nearly weeklong battle against the blaze, Meneghini said. Crews are working to refill the tank and keep water pressure strong.
Officials from the Forest Service said Mt. Wilson remains a top priority, noting that “multiple, multiple resources” have been dedicated to battling the flames, which continued to burn fiercely through Monday.
“Some of that smoke may have dissipated,” Jerry McGowan, an incident commander, said Monday evening, “but there is quite a bit of fire still down in that hole, down in that area.”
Fire crews were also focusing Monday on the Antelope Valley, where the massive blaze continued to loom large after forcing evacuations and charring multiple homes. The National Weather Service said fire weather conditions, including heat, dryness and gusty winds, could feed the flames and create the “potential for rapid growth and extreme fire behavior.”
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“Out by the Bobcat fire, it’s still fairly warm and dry, and there will be afternoon and evening gusts of winds,” meteorologist David Sweet said from the weather service’s station in Oxnard. “And that’s the concern right there: dryness and gusty winds.”
Isolated wind gusts could reach as high as 40 mph, Sweet said. The winds will probably continue for the rest of the week.
Residents in the Juniper Hills area of the Antelope Valley anxiously awaited updates on their homes after evacuation orders last week.
“We kept watching the fire maps closely, and we knew that it was in our area,” said Juniper Hills resident Bridget Lensing, who evacuated her family’s home Thursday. “We were hoping and praying somehow our home would be spared.”
Lensing’s parents bought their Cima Mesa home in the 1980s, and she and her brother were raised there. She said that her family rushed to spray the whole property with water before evacuating, and that they spent an agonizing 48 hours away from the area before returning to find much of their neighborhood destroyed.
“All the homes on our street were gone,” Lensing said. “Everything was dust beside the chimneys.”
Lensing’s house was the only one on the street to survive, she said, although it was apparent that flames had swept through the property. Her closest neighbor’s home of 50 years burned in the blaze.
“We feel so, so sorry for them,” she said. “But they want to rebuild.... Juniper Hills is so strong.”
Vince Pena, an incident commander with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said the Bobcat fire has destroyed or damaged 29 structures, although that tally “could go up to 85 or so” as fire crews continue to assess the damage. An estimated 4,000 people have been displaced from 1,100 homes, he said Monday evening.
The Bobcat fire is one of six major blazes currently prioritized by the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday during a news briefing. The other fires are the August Complex, the North Complex, the Creek fire, the El Dorado fire and the Snow fire.
“We’re putting all the resources we possibly can on all these complexes,” Newsom said, “but focusing, as we should, on that Bobcat fire.”
Calling this year a historic fire season, the governor said 19,000 firefighters are battling 27 blazes statewide. Among those, 26 people have died, including three firefighters, and 6,400 structures have been destroyed.
“The 26 fatalities and 6,400 structures are based on what we have seen, what we have witnessed,” he said, noting that “by no stretch of the imagination” is that number the extent of potential destruction and death from the fires.
Fifteen mutual-aid states are helping with firefighting efforts statewide, Newsom said, and 3.6 million acres have burned.
For weeks, firefighters on the Bobcat fire have been hindered by steep, rocky terrain within the Angeles National Forest, which made it difficult for large mechanical equipment to reach several front lines of the blaze.
The fire’s creep into the Antelope Valley, fed by low-lying desert shrubbery, also presents new challenges.
“The more variables you have, the more complex it becomes,” Forest Service spokesman Larry Smith said. “It’s much less terrain-influenced there. Now it’s a fuel-driven fire.”
Grasses, sage and brush are contributing to the fire’s movement through the valley, Smith said, but he noted that the flatter terrain is allowing for more mechanized equipment, such as bulldozers, to create containment lines.
Adding to complications were two private drones being flown in the area late Monday morning, which grounded a fixed-wing aircraft for 30 minutes, the Forest Service said in a tweet.
“If drones are spotted, firefighting aircraft must stay grounded until the area is cleared,” they said.
Mandatory evacuation orders remain in place for multiple areas:
Juniper Hills, Devil’s Punchbowl and Paradise Springs
Crystal Lake, the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and Camp Williams
Residences along Angeles Crest Highway between Angeles Forest Highway and Highway 39
South of Highway 138, north of Big Rock Creek, east of 87th Street East and west of Largo Vista Road
South of 138th Street East, north of Big Pine Highway and Highway 2, east of Largo Vista Road and west of 263rd Street East
South of Highway 138, north of East Avenue W-14, east of 155th Street East and west of 165th Street East.
The Forest Service said Monday the fire had jumped Highway 2 multiple times and is “now on both sides of the road on Barley Flats.”
The following areas remain under evacuation warnings:
City of Pasadena
Unincorporated communities of Altadena and Wrightwood
South of Pearblossom Highway, east and north of Angeles Forest Highway, north and west of Mt. Emma Road, east and south of Highway 122 and west of Chesebro Road
South of Highway 2, north of Blue Ridge Truck Trail, east of Highway 39 and west of the Los Angeles County border
South of Avenue U-8, north of East Avenue W-14, east of 121st Street East and west of 155th Street East
South of Pearblossom Highway, south and east of Pearblossom Highway, north and west of Mt. Emma Road, north and east of Angeles Forest Highway and west of Chesebro Road
South of Mt. Emma Road, north of Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road, east of Angeles Forest Highway and west of Pacifico Mountain
An American Red Cross evacuation point has been set up at Palmdale High School for anyone needing assistance.
California Fires continue to take a toll on California air quality Officials issued another smoke advisory for part of Southern California through Monday afternoon and parts of the Sierra Nevada have foul air quality.
Air quality continues to suffer because of the fire. Officials issued a smoke advisory for a swath of Southern California through Monday afternoon.
Although forecasts show good or moderate air quality is expected for much of the Southland throughout the day, pollutants could reach levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups and individuals in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, areas in and around the San Gabriel Mountains and parts of the Inland Empire.
Given the forecast, Los Angeles County health officials are urging residents with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory diseases to minimize their time outdoors.
As of Monday, roughly 1,700 personnel have been assigned to the Bobcat fire, Smith said, including several firefighters who have arrived from across the country to battle the insatiable blaze.
“Is there a fatigue level? Absolutely,” Smith said, “but firefighters are always optimistic. I never go into a fight with the intent to lose.”
Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.