latimes--2020-08-19--Northern California's lightning-caused fires explode in size, move on Vacaville

Lightning-caused fires across Northern and Central California have exploded in size , burning homes in Solano County , sending flames toward homes in the city of Vacaville and forcing evacuations across a wide area stretching from wine country to the Santa Cruz Mountains .
Officials have ordered the evacuation of the western edge of Vacaville — a city of 100,000 residents about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento — in the area of Alamo Drive north of Interstate 5 and west of North Orchard Avenue , according to a Facebook post by Vacaville police .
The Vacaville Fire District has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which lies west of the city , and the English Hills area north of the city .
A KPIX-TV reporter on Pleasants Valley Road described windy conditions and embers blowing toward the south , with images of flames on the hillside .
The reporter tweeted a video of a home burning off Pleasants Valley Road .
Flames could also be seen on the western edge of Vacaville early Wednesday , according to a KXTV-TV reporter on Edgewater Drive , a residential neighborhood that was being evacuated by firefighters .
The blaze threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires constituting the LNU Lightning Complex fire , which has burned more than 32,000 acres in Napa , Sonoma and Solano counties .
The largest blazes within the LNU Lightning Complex include the Hennessey and Gamble fires , which began in the mountains east of the northern Napa Valley and west of Lake Berryessa .
At least three structures have been destroyed .
Another rapidly growing fire was burning in the mountains southwest of Silicon Valley , on the border of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties .
Evacuations were ordered around Big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Park , Butano State Park and Pescadero Creek County Park .
The so-called CZU August Lightning Complex fire has burned at least 7,500 acres .
Another group of 20 fires is also burning in five counties — Alameda , Contra Costa , Santa Clara , Stanislaus and San Joaquin — generally in sparsely populated , mountainous terrain east of Silicon Valley and the East Bay and west of the Central Valley .
This grouping , the SCU Lightning Complex fire , began early Sunday and has burned at least 35,000 acres .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ burned through more than 4,000 acres and has already destroyed six structures and damaged two others , according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
More than 1,500 structures remain threatened by the blaze , which has prompted mandatory evacuations .
Many of the fires were believed to have been caused by lightning strikes .
Northern and Central California began experiencing an unusually active sequence of largely dry lightning strikes Sunday morning , probably the most widespread and violent in recent memory in the Bay Area on one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daniel Swain , a climate scientist with UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research .
Firefighters are battling flames amid an and has set record-high temperatures across California .
On Sunday , the mercury in Death Valley reached 130 degrees — possibly the highest temperature reading on Earth in almost 90 years .
Temperature records for the day were broken across California on Tuesday , with Woodland Hills hitting 112 , breaking a record last set for Aug. 18 in 1949 ; Burbank reaching 109 degrees , shattering a record last set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 ; and Santa Ana , which hit 106 degrees , breaking a record last set in 2010 , when the high for the day was 95 .
Death Valley also hit a record high for the date , reaching 126 degrees , breaking the high of 125 set in 2001 .
Other spots that reached record temperatures for the day include Needles ( 118 ) , Barstow ( 113 ) , Paso Robles ( 111 ) , Sacramento ( 109 ) , Merced ( 107 ) , Modesto ( 106 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 104 ) , El Cajon ( 102 ) , Long Beach ( 100 ) , UCLA ( 97 ) , Camarillo ( 95 ) , Oxnard ( 90 ) and Newport Beach ( 87 ) .
Riverside hit 108 , tying a record for the day last set in 1950 .
Lin reported from San Francisco , and Miller and Shalby from Los Angeles .
Times staff writers Joseph Serna and Taryn Luna contributed to this report .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Leila Miller, Colleen Shalby

Firefighter Ian Johnson watches as an air tanker drops retardant to keep the River fire from reaching a home in Salinas. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A home in the Sky Ranch community burns in the Carmel fire near Carmel Valley. (Nic Coury / Associated Press)
A plume rises over a vineyard in unincorporated Napa County as the Hennessey fire burns. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Members of the Grizzly Firefighters fight the Carmel fire near Carmel Valley. (Nic Coury / Associated Press)
Mobile homes burn at Spanish Flat Mobile Villa as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Flames consume a cabin at the Nichelini Family Winery in unincorporated Napa County as the Hennessey fire burns in Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Horses stand in an enclosure as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through the Spanish Flat community in unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Seen in a long-exposure photograph, embers burn along a hillside above Lake Berryessa as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Matt Nichols sprays water while trying to save his home as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through Vacaville. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Seen in a long-exposure photograph, embers burn along a hillside as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Bill Nichols, 84, works to save his home as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through Vacaville. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
An air tanker drops retardant as the LNU Lightning Complex fire tears through the Spanish Flat community in unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires jump Interstate 80 in Vacaville on Wednesday. The highway was closed in both directions shortly afterward. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
The charred carcass of a cow rests beside a road in Vacaville. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A firefighter walks through an area burned by the Hennessey fire along Solar Hills drive in Vacaville. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Flames from the the CZU August Lightning Complex fire approach a structure along Pine Flat Road in Felton. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The remains of a house burned by the CZU August Lightning Complex fire in Felton. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters from Eugene, Ore., walk beside an area burning along Pine Flat Road during the CZU August Lightning Complex fire in Felton. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A plume of smoke billows over Healdsburg as the LNU Lightning Complex fire continues to burn. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Scorched homes and vehicles fill Spanish Flat Mobile Villa struck by the LNU Lightning Complex fire in unincorporated Napa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Charles Chavira, left, and Thomas Henney watch a plume of smoke spread over Healdsburg as the LNU Lightning Complex fire continues to burn. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A crew cuts down foliage and trees near some structures in preparation in Boulder Creek. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Ben Lomond firefighters work on a blaze at The Sequoia Retreat Center during the CZU August Lightning Complex Fires on Friday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters keeps watch as the fire line creeps up on Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning complex fire. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters respond to a structure fire along Riverdale Blvd. during the CZU Lightning complex fire on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Smoke hangs low in the air at Big Basin Redwoods State Park as some redwoods are still on fire on Saturday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
The Big Basin Redwoods State Park Headquarters & Visitor Center which was built in 1936 was one of the structures lost to the blaze that tore through the state park. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Hand crews work on a hillside above the Boulder Creek Community Church as the fire line creeps up on Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning complex fire on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
A house is engulfed with flame during the CZU Lightning complex fire on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters watches as the fire line creeps up on Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning complex fire on Sunday. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
Burned vehicles and rubble from homes are left after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire tore through Sunday in Boulder Creek, Calif. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
Firefighters protect a home in the Berryessa Estates neighborhood of unincorporated Napa County, Calif., as the LNU Lightning Complex fires burn on Friday. The blaze forced thousands to flee and destroyed hundreds of homes and other structures. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Firefighters from Barstow tackle hotspots along Highway 9 during the CZU Lightning Complex fire Sunday in Boulder Creek, Calif. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
A series of fires raging through five North Bay counties grew to more than 124,000 acres by Wednesday night, destroying more than 100 structures and threatening 25,000 others.
The firestorm was the largest of several fast-moving blazes in the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California — many caused by intense lightning storms — that spread quickly overnight, burning homes and forcing thousands to flee.
The newest fires stretched from wine country to the Santa Cruz Mountains, moving with ferocious speed amid an intense heat wave that also has brought rolling blackouts. Smoke from the fires has caused terrible air quality across the region.
Many of the fires were believed to have been caused by lightning strikes. Northern and Central California began experiencing an unusually active sequence of largely dry lightning strikes Sunday morning, the most widespread and violent in recent memory in the Bay Area on one of the hottest nights in years, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
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VIDEO | 01:18 Thousands evacuate as more than 30 major fires burn across California The LNU Lighting Complex fire has burned more than 46,000 acres in Northern California.
Over the last 72 hours, there have been some 10,849 lightning strikes throughout California, state officials said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 367 major fires were burning statewide, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“This fire season has been very active and, not surprisingly, that activity has taken shape in a number of counties up and down the state,” he said during a news briefing.
At this time last year, crews had responded to a total of 4,007 fires throughout the state, Newsom said. They’ve already been dispatched to 6,754 this year.
More than 300,000 acres have burned statewide in 2020, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. By comparison, California wildfires charred about 270,000 acres in 2019, the smallest number since 2011.
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The rapid outbreak of new blazes has stretched the state’s firefighting resources to their limit.
Jeremy Rahn, the lead Cal Fire public information officer for the LNU Lightning Complex fires, said Wednesday that the state had already requested 375 additional fire engines as well as additional hand crews from out-of-state agencies, and hired “nearly all available private firefighting ‘call when needed’ aircraft in the western United States.”
“The size and complexity at which these incidents are burning is challenging all aspects of emergency response,” he said during a media briefing. “Firefighting resources are depleted as new fires continue to ignite.”
Newsom, however, expressed confidence that California is prepared to rise to the challenge and thanked the leaders of other states — including Arizona, Nevada and Texas — for their pledges to send additional resources.
California is “putting everything we have on these fires,” he said, and “we’re now getting the support of some of our partners in the Western United States, and for that, again, we’re very grateful.”
The LNU Lightning Complex, which has burned at least 124,000 acres, comprises several fires in Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo and Lake counties.
The most serious fire in the complex is the Hennessey fire, which began Monday morning on the eastern edge of Lake Hennessey in Napa County and marched into Solano and Yolo counties Wednesday morning, forcing residents to flee overnight and burning homes and other structures.
As of Wednesday night, 105 structures had been destroyed, 70 more had been damaged and 25,000 were threatened, fire officials said.
Officials have ordered the evacuation of the western edge of Vacaville — a city of 100,000 residents about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento. The Vacaville Fire District also ordered evacuations of Pleasants Valley Road, which lies west of the city, and the English Hills and Gibson Canyon Road areas north of the city. A KPIX-TV reporter tweeted a video of a home burning off Pleasants Valley Road.
The fire was also forcing the evacuations of some northern neighborhoods in the city of Fairfield west of Interstate 80. By Wednesday afternoon, the fire jumped Interstate 80, forcing it to shut down in both directions between Fairfield and Vacaville. The interstate reopened later Wednesday night.
Evacuation orders and warnings have also been also issued for a stretch of Highway 121 in the Vaca Mountains northeast of the city of Napa, and in the mountains about eight miles northeast of St. Helena. On Wednesday night, evacuation orders extended closer to Napa Valley, and included the communities of Angwin and Deer Park north of St. Helena.
Mandatory evacuations were also ordered Wednesday night for non-essential personnel at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield.
And in Lake County, residents living around Hidden Valley Lake and Jerusalem Valley were ordered to evacuate as well.
The LNU Lightning Complex’s fires in Sonoma County triggered evacuation warnings on both sides of the Russian River. The Walbridge fire was burning north of Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and the community of Guerneville on the Russian River. South of the Russian River, evacuation warnings were issued as a result of the Meyers fire.
Vegetation throughout the area is extremely dry and considered to be in severe drought, according to Cal Fire.
Officials said the Walbridge and Meyers fires were likely to push southeast Wednesday as they burned through timber and the coastal forests’ understory.
The complex’s northern fires were burning through brush and oak woodland and heading south toward Mount Vaca earlier on Wednesday.
California Lake fire raises concern as wildfire season heats up The explosive growth of the Lake fire in Los Angeles County has raised worries about the fall fire season
The fires have sent American Red Cross staff and county workers from across the Northern California region scrambling to prepare for evacuees, said Denise Everhart, the Red Cross’ Pacific Division disaster executive.
The Red Cross has set up between 10 and 15 temporary evacuation points where residents’ needs are assessed before they’re sent to a hotel or motel. Everhart said that while more than 100 families were placed in rooms Tuesday night — some driving up to an hour away for lodging — it’s not a sustainable model if the evacuations continue to expand.
The LNU Lightning Complex fire may trigger up to 35,000 more evacuations, Everhart said, explaining that historically, between 1% and 3% of evacuees go to shelters.
She sought to assuage any concerns that going to a shelter could put people at risk of the coronavirus.
“We’ve put precautions in place,” she said. “If you’re told to go, go. We’re all working together to keep people safe. ... The fire is the risk.”
Though emergency officials have opened multiple evacuation centers in Vacaville, many of those forced to leave their homes in the middle of the night were setting up camp in parking lots instead of entering buildings.
Those with RVs had generators up and running and their front awnings open. Others sat in folding chairs by their cars or in their front seats. Still more had already checked into local hotels, where rooms were filling fast.
Shawnee Whaley and her 79-year-old mother, Sharon Whitaker, sat inside an evacuation center Wednesday afternoon wrapped in American Red Cross blankets.
Whaley said they had no warning that the fire might be a threat when they went to sleep Tuesday night. But when Whaley was woken up by a phone call from a friend and saw that the power was out, she flung open her front door and “saw the glow of the fire.” She used a ladder to climb onto her roof and spotted flames approaching.
Barefoot and still wearing pajamas, she ran across the street to her mother’s trailer to wake her. Whaley grabbed a mask and her glasses but forgot her wallet. She left the front door open so her cat, Jitterbug, could hopefully escape.
Meanwhile, Lloyd Broughton, 78, evacuated after a firetruck came up his road at 3 a.m. He, his wife Anne, 73, and daughter Kristine, 35, gathered their seven rescue cats and packed two cars.
All three suffer from breathing problems and, with a heavy layer of ash falling, they were already coughing and having trouble, Kristine said.
While evacuating during a fire is always a stressful experience, it’s been made all the more so because of the coronavirus outbreak — which has raised new fears among displaced residents who would normally pack into closely quartered emergency shelters and created new challenges for the agencies that operate them.
“No one is ready for it,“ Broughton said of having to leave in the middle of a pandemic.
Numerous fires have broken out across the region since the lightning event a couple of day ago. Below is a snapshot of the fires currently burning in our area as well as a new start that was just detected along the Big Sur coast. #cawx #CAfires pic.twitter.com/36huYclMLE — NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) August 19, 2020
Another rapidly growing fire was burning in the mountains southwest of Silicon Valley, on the border of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. The CZU August Lightning Complex fire — which consists of 22 fires — has burned at least 25,000 acres and forced the evacuation of more than 22,000 people, officials said Wednesday night.
Evacuations were ordered around Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Año Nuevo State Park, Butano State Park and Pescadero Creek Park. Other evacuations included the area around Bonny Doon. Evacuations centers were set up at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville and at Pescadero High School.
At least 20 structures, likely single-family homes, have been destroyed, officials said during a Wednesday evening press conference. In San Mateo County, the CZU August Lightning Complex fire was threatening the communities of Pescadero and La Honda. In Santa Cruz County, structures have been lost in the Swanton Road area, and a Cal Fire station was being threatened by flames.
Firefighters expressed worry about the fire reaching the communities of Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond and Felton, located northwest of Santa Cruz. The weather conditions for the next three days are grim, said Mark Brunton of Cal Fire.
“That makes that threat very direct and very real,” he said. “We’re doing everything we possibly can to protect life and property.”
Rita Mancera, the executive director of Puente, a community organization based in Pescadero, was at the evacuation center at Pescadero High School on Wednesday helping evacuees locate hotel rooms and provide logistics for pets and livestock.
Among those fleeing the CZU August Lightning Complex fire was Steve Cobb of Dearborn Park. He evacuated his home Tuesday evening, with his wife, 14-year-old daughter, dog and two cats. They packed into their camper, already stocked from a recent trip to Yosemite, and headed to the beach.
Cobb moved to Dearborn Park 17 years ago and said that as a Bay Area native, he’s never witnessed anything like what he’s seen in the last few days.
“Those storms were not ordinary,” he said. “They were tropical... Constant flashes of light, crashing thunder and rain.”
Some residents looked for ways to help others threatened by the fire.
At home with his wife, three kids and 40-acres of hay farm, Jeff Moorehead of Vacaville put out a message on a local Facebook group at about 6 a.m. inviting anyone with livestock to bring their animals to their place. Eventually, Moorehead had about 25 new animals at his farm.
“We got alpacas, miniature horses, a little bit of everything,” he said with a chuckle.
Offering relief to animal owners has become a regular part of his response to local wildfires, he said. In 2017, he helped shuttle animals from the Atlas fire in Napa County to Vallejo in Solano County.
“You have empathy for animals a lot of times and you have the same empathy for people,” he said.
Latest evacuation zones. Bonny Doon south of Ice Cream Grade, to include Pine Flat Road South is now under an evacuation order. (Zones CRZ7, CRZ8). Areas adjacent to the Bonny Doon and San Lorenzo Valley - Prepare to evacuate. - Aug 19, 7:00 am #LNULightningComplexfire #zonehaven pic.twitter.com/I42ZjArVMD — Zonehaven (@ZonehavenInc) August 19, 2020
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency in order to help California respond to the outbreak of fires .
Newsom’s office said the state had secured assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond to fires in Napa, Nevada and Monterey counties.
“We are deploying every resource available to keep communities safe as California battles fires across the state during these extreme conditions,” Newsom said. “California and its federal and local partners are working in lockstep to meet the challenge and remain vigilant in the face of continued dangerous weather conditions.”
The rash of fires has also led to a spike in traffic to Cal Fire’s website, overloading it and intermittently crashing it, officials said. Cal Fire personnel were working with their technology department Wednesday morning to try to handle the crush of visitors.
By Wednesday, another blaze, dubbed the Dolan fire, has grown to at least 2,500 acres and had prompted evacuations in Monterey County near Big Sur.
As of Wednesday morning, the fire was “actively burning in all directions,” according to Los Padres National Forest officials. Because of the fire, Highway 1 was been closed from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Monterey County, officials said.
The River fire, also in Monterey County, burned through more than 15,000 acres in steep mountainous terrain south of Salinas and destroyed six structures and damaged two others, according to Cal Fire. More than 2,750 structures remain threatened by the blaze, which has prompted mandatory evacuations.
The River fire was spreading to the north, fanned by downsloping winds and getting closer to homes on Las Palmas Parkway south of Salinas, said Greg Bertelli, the Cal Fire deputy incident commander. It was also spreading to the south.
Just south of the River fire is the Carmel fire, fanned by winds from the northwest pushing flames to the southeast, Bertelli said.
A cluster of fires is also burning in sparsely populated, mountainous terrain east of Silicon Valley and the East Bay and west of the Central Valley. This grouping, the SCU Lightning Complex fire, began early Sunday. It has burned at least 102,000 acres in five counties — Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and San Joaquin. Officials have issued evacuation orders for all counties and established evacuation centers at Creekside Middle School in Patterson and the Milpitas Library.
Authorities reported 5% containment on that fire Wednesday night.
Another blaze, which authorities named the 3-4 fire, was reported Wednesday morning southwest of Red Bank Road in Tehama County and has already burned 1,000 acres, according to Cal Fire.
To the southwest, in Glenn County, the August Complex fire rapidly grew overnight into Wednesday morning, and by nightfall was at least 65,000 acres, threatening the tiny town of Elk Creek, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The August Complex fire, which consists of at least 35 blazes, was caused by lightning strikes on Sunday in the Mendocino National Forest.
The western section of Glenn County has been placed under a mandatory evacuation order. Smoke could be seen on Interstate 5 from Willows, the county seat of Glenn County, to Red Bluff, the county seat of Tehama County.
In Marin County, the Woodward fire — more than 1,000 acres — was burning in the Point Reyes National Seashore west of Olema.
And in Fresno County, a firefighting helicopter crashed Wednesday morning while on a water-dropping mission for the 1,500-acre Hills fire, killing the pilot, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The helicopter was privately owned and contracted with the state to help fight fires, and the crash sparked a brush fire that has grown to about 50 acres and is spreading toward the Hills fire, officials said.
The numerous fires are blanketing the Bay Area with smoke and ash, wreaking havoc on local air quality.
Those with lung disease, asthma or other respiratory conditions should be especially careful to avoid smoky air, as should older adults and young children, said Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s public health director.
“The best thing you can do is to avoid outdoor air,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District also has issued smoke advisories through Wednesday afternoon for residents in the area of the Ranch 2 fire, which is burning near Azusa, as well as the Lake fire near Lake Hughes.
Firefighters are battling flames amid a heat wave that began late last week and has set record-high temperatures across California. On Sunday, the mercury in Death Valley reached 130 degrees — possibly the highest temperature reading on Earth in almost 90 years.
Temperature records for the day were broken across California on Tuesday, with Woodland Hills hitting 112, breaking a record last set for Aug. 18 in 1949; Burbank reaching 109 degrees, shattering a record last set in 1986, when the mercury hit 100; and Santa Ana, which hit 106 degrees, breaking a record last set in 2010, when the high for the day was 95.
Death Valley also hit a record high for the date, reaching 126 degrees, breaking the high of 125 set in 2001.
Other spots that reached record temperatures for the day included Needles (118), Barstow (113), Paso Robles (111), Sacramento (109), Merced (107), Modesto (106), Anaheim (105), Gilroy (104), El Cajon (102), Long Beach (100), UCLA (97), Camarillo (95), Oxnard (90) and Newport Beach (87). Riverside hit 108, tying a record for the day last set in 1950.
Lin reported from San Francisco, Chabria from Vacaville, Rust from Pescadero, and Money and Serna from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Leila Miller and Colleen Shalby contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-19--Op-Ed: Warren Buffett can save the Klamath River Basin. Will he?

It should not take pleas to Warren Buffett , the billionaire leader of the Berkshire Hathaway holding company , to save the wobbling deal to take down four obsolete dams on the Klamath River .
But that is what the state of California and the Klamath ’ s Yurok and Karuk tribes are left with after a two-decade-long campaign to restore the ecosystem — and especially the salmon runs — of the Klamath River Basin .
The dam removal , potentially the world ’ s largest such project ever , is crucial to the survival of the tribes , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hathaway ’ s subsidiary , PacifiCorp , a Pacific Northwest utility , owns the four Klamath dams , which would make Buffett , as chief executive and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway , accountable for a cultural and environmental catastrophe that the utility is poised to make worse .
The dams range from 55 years old to more than a century old , and they generate relatively little electricity .
Their reservoirs these days are cauldrons of highly toxic blue-green algae , and they block the path of salmon that have made their way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round trip per lifetime , for thousands of years .
All of the river ’ s salmonid species are now either extinct or in severe decline .
If the dams are allowed to stand , it would deliver a punishing blow to the Yurok and Karuk , who have struggled to maintain their salmon-centric cultures , and it would ensure that the river ’ s appalling water quality would further deteriorate .
Considering the harm caused by the dams , PacifiCorp got a great deal when it agreed to their removal in 2010 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was pegged at $ 450 million .
California voters approved a 2014 water bond measure that contributed $ 250 million , and PacifiCorp was allowed to raise another $ 200 million by assessing its customers a surcharge .
The removal was delayed for a decade to enable the company to collect its share of the money , even as the river and the salmon population continued to decline .
As a “ bedrock principle , ” PacifiCorp has insisted that it would not accept liability for any costs beyond the dams ’ removal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems that removal itself could cause .
To deal with this demand , the tribes , environmental and fishing groups , and government agencies created a private nonprofit company , the Klamath River Renewal Corp. , whose sole purpose is to take ownership of the dams and oversee their dismantling .
It , not PacifiCorp , would be responsible for any additional liabilities .
With California ’ s contribution , the surcharge and the creation of the new corporation in place , the four dams ’ removal would end up costing PacifiCorp ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission , which licenses dam removal , partly undid the deal .
FERC approved the demolition , but only on the condition that PacifiCorp remained a co-owner through the process .
According to some of the negotiators , that isn ’ t an unreasonable imposition : FERC , which is far from a hotbed of anti-dam advocacy , sees value in PacifiCorp ’ s experience with previous dam removals , and with other dam removals under consideration throughout the nation , it may not have wanted to set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escape all liability for their dams .
In a brief statement , PacifiCorp indicated that it wanted to continue to negotiate a solution , but a week later , it also invoked a termination clause in the removal deal .
The threat to end the project is puzzling because the long-term alternative to removing the dams — relicensing them for continuing operation — would cost the company more than its ratepayers ’ share of the dam removal price tag , and far more than the potential liabilities they want to avoid .
Relicensing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ladders on the dams , at a cost expected to range between $ 450 million and $ 800 million .
Considering that the dam removal deal contains insurance and bond provisions to cover costs in addition to demolition , removal advocates say PacifiCorp ’ s later liabilities wouldn ’ t amount to more than a few million dollars , if that .
Of course , as long as the dams remain in limbo , neither consigned to demolition nor relicensed , PacifiCorp can profit from their hydroelectricity generation without having to install ladders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at $ 24 million in a 2012 federal environmental impact statement — may explain why PacifiCorp is dithering .
Still , PacifiCorp — and Buffett — are faced with an existential choice .
As Gov .
Gavin Newsom said in a July 29 letter addressed to Buffett and PacifiCorp ’ s leaders , the company should make good on what is “ an unprecedented moment of reckoning about our past and , more importantly , our future.
” Failing to take down the dams will guarantee the Klamath River Basin ’ s continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing awareness of the Native American genocide and its legacy , it would tell the tribes the same old story : They don ’ t matter .

Water trickles over Copco 1 Dam on the Klamath River outside Hornbrook, Calif. It is one of four dams slated for removal to restore the river and its imperiled salmon runs.
It should not take pleas to Warren Buffett, the billionaire leader of the Berkshire Hathaway holding company, to save the wobbling deal to take down four obsolete dams on the Klamath River.
But that is what the state of California and the Klamath’s Yurok and Karuk tribes are left with after a two-decade-long campaign to restore the ecosystem — and especially the salmon runs — of the Klamath River Basin. The dam removal, potentially the world’s largest such project ever, is crucial to the survival of the tribes, the fishery and the river itself.
Berkshire Hathaway’s subsidiary, PacifiCorp, a Pacific Northwest utility, owns the four Klamath dams, which would make Buffett, as chief executive and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, accountable for a cultural and environmental catastrophe that the utility is poised to make worse.
The dams range from 55 years old to more than a century old, and they generate relatively little electricity. Their reservoirs these days are cauldrons of highly toxic blue-green algae, and they block the path of salmon that have made their way down and up the Klamath, one round trip per lifetime, for thousands of years. All of the river’s salmonid species are now either extinct or in severe decline.
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If the dams are allowed to stand, it would deliver a punishing blow to the Yurok and Karuk, who have struggled to maintain their salmon-centric cultures, and it would ensure that the river’s appalling water quality would further deteriorate.
Considering the harm caused by the dams, PacifiCorp got a great deal when it agreed to their removal in 2010. The demolition project’s cost was pegged at $450 million. California voters approved a 2014 water bond measure that contributed $250 million, and PacifiCorp was allowed to raise another $200 million by assessing its customers a surcharge. The removal was delayed for a decade to enable the company to collect its share of the money, even as the river and the salmon population continued to decline.
As a “bedrock principle,” PacifiCorp has insisted that it would not accept liability for any costs beyond the dams’ removal, such as overruns or mitigation of problems that removal itself could cause. To deal with this demand, the tribes, environmental and fishing groups, and government agencies created a private nonprofit company, the Klamath River Renewal Corp., whose sole purpose is to take ownership of the dams and oversee their dismantling. It, not PacifiCorp, would be responsible for any additional liabilities. With California’s contribution, the surcharge and the creation of the new corporation in place, the four dams’ removal would end up costing PacifiCorp’s shareholders nothing.
But in July, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which licenses dam removal, partly undid the deal. FERC approved the demolition, but only on the condition that PacifiCorp remained a co-owner through the process. According to some of the negotiators, that isn’t an unreasonable imposition: FERC, which is far from a hotbed of anti-dam advocacy, sees value in PacifiCorp’s experience with previous dam removals, and with other dam removals under consideration throughout the nation, it may not have wanted to set a precedent that allows dam owners to escape all liability for their dams.
In a brief statement, PacifiCorp indicated that it wanted to continue to negotiate a solution, but a week later, it also invoked a termination clause in the removal deal. The threat to end the project is puzzling because the long-term alternative to removing the dams — relicensing them for continuing operation — would cost the company more than its ratepayers’ share of the dam removal price tag, and far more than the potential liabilities they want to avoid. Relicensing would require the company to install fish ladders on the dams, at a cost expected to range between $450 million and $800 million. Considering that the dam removal deal contains insurance and bond provisions to cover costs in addition to demolition, removal advocates say PacifiCorp’s later liabilities wouldn’t amount to more than a few million dollars, if that.
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Of course, as long as the dams remain in limbo, neither consigned to demolition nor relicensed, PacifiCorp can profit from their hydroelectricity generation without having to install ladders. Those revenues — which were estimated at $24 million in a 2012 federal environmental impact statement — may explain why PacifiCorp is dithering.
Still, PacifiCorp — and Buffett — are faced with an existential choice. As Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a July 29 letter addressed to Buffett and PacifiCorp’s leaders, the company should make good on what is “an unprecedented moment of reckoning about our past and, more importantly, our future.” Failing to take down the dams will guarantee the Klamath River Basin’s continued decline, and in a time of growing awareness of the Native American genocide and its legacy, it would tell the tribes the same old story: They don’t matter.
Jacques Leslie is a contributing writer to Opinion.


latimes--2020-08-18--Magnitude 4.0 earthquake reported near Ukiah, Calif.

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake was reported at 5:55 p.m. Tuesday 13 miles from Ukiah , Calif. , according to the @ @ @ @ @ earthquake occurred 38 miles from Clearlake , 52 miles from Healdsburg , 59 miles from @ @ @ @ @ Santa Rosa .
In the past 10 days , there have been five earthquakes of @ @ @ @ @ nearby .
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per @ @ @ @ @ , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at a depth @ @ @ @ @ you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Find @ @ @ @ @ , and during , an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide @ @ @ @ @ generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the @ @ @ @ @ reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning @ @ @ @ @ visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake was reported at 5:55 p.m. Tuesday 13 miles from Ukiah, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 38 miles from Clearlake, 52 miles from Healdsburg, 59 miles from Windsor and 65 miles from Santa Rosa.
In the past 10 days, there have been five earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 4.7 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-08-18--Fires burn more than 50,000 acres in Northern California and the Central Valley

Crews on Tuesday battled fires that burned more than 50,000 acres across seven counties in Northern California and the Central Valley .
The SCU Lightning Complex , made up of about 20 fires , began early Sunday and involves areas of Contra Costa , Alameda , Santa Clara , Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties , according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials .
It was 0 % contained as of Tuesday afternoon .
“ These fires continue to burn in deep , inaccessible terrain and with our low humidity and our high daytime temperatures , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough to fight this fire , ” said Cal Fire spokesman Jason Nailon .
Officials have issued evacuation orders for the following areas : • All of Morgan Territory and Marsh Creek mobile home park Road closures include Marsh Creek Road between Morgan Territory Road and Deer Valley Road , as well as Del Puerto Canyon Road between Mines Road and Diablo Grande Parkway .
Firefighters in Northern California also responded to the LNU Lightning Complex , where fires had burned more than 32,000 acres by Tuesday night .
The incident includes five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Sonoma County .
All were 0 % contained as of 8 p.m. At least 1,900 structures are threatened and three have been destroyed .
Evacuation orders have been issued for both counties and an evacuation center has been established at Crosswalk Community Church at 2590 First Street in Napa .

Flames consume a cabin at the Nichelini Family Winery in Napa County as the Hennessey Fire burns Tuesday.
Crews on Tuesday battled fires that burned more than 50,000 acres across seven counties in Northern California and the Central Valley.
The SCU Lightning Complex, made up of about 20 fires, began early Sunday and involves areas of Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials. It was 0% contained as of Tuesday afternoon.
“These fires continue to burn in deep, inaccessible terrain and with our low humidity and our high daytime temperatures, it’s making the crews’ job very tough to fight this fire,” said Cal Fire spokesman Jason Nailon.
Officials have issued evacuation orders for the following areas:
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Alameda County / Stanislaus County:
Frank Raines Park to Mines Road
Del Puerto Canyon Road to Mines Road
Alameda County:
Welch Creek Road
Contra Costa County:
Marsh Creek Road and Round Valley to Morgan Territory
All of Morgan Territory and Marsh Creek mobile home park
Road closures include Marsh Creek Road between Morgan Territory Road and Deer Valley Road, as well as Del Puerto Canyon Road between Mines Road and Diablo Grande Parkway.
Firefighters in Northern California also responded to the LNU Lightning Complex, where fires had burned more than 32,000 acres by Tuesday night.
The incident includes five fires in Napa County and two fires in Sonoma County. All were 0% contained as of 8 p.m. At least 1,900 structures are threatened and three have been destroyed.
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Evacuation orders have been issued for both counties and an evacuation center has been established at Crosswalk Community Church at 2590 First Street in Napa.


latimes--2020-08-18--For second day in a row, rolling blackouts across California are averted

For the second day in a row , the California Independent System Operator called off power outages that had been anticipated statewide , crediting conservation efforts by consumers .
With an extreme heat wave continuing across California , officials had said more rolling blackouts were imminent Tuesday as state officials struggled to secure additional electricity amid the worst power crisis in nearly 20 years .
On Tuesday afternoon , Cal-ISO , which runs the electric grid for most of the state , declared a Stage 2 emergency — one of several it has issued over the last week — asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid rotating power outages later in the day .
The emergency was canceled at 7:37 p.m .
In a statement , the corporation said that in addition to consumer conservation efforts , the ISO grid had benefited from some imported energy and resources from wind plants .
“ Californians made tonight a success , ” said Cal-ISO President Steve Berberich .
“ Everyone pulled together and responded to our warning with action to avoid any interruption in electricity supplies.
” On Monday , officials had warned of blackouts affecting as many as 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canceling the warning , saying improved weather conditions and conservation efforts reduced demand on the power grid .
During a news briefing Tuesday afternoon , Berberich had credited the lack of any energy disruption Monday to customers and companies who avoided excessive power use , which flattened about 3 p.m. Gov .
Gavin Newsom had instructed residents to reduce consumption between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. “ We were ready , and we ’ re glad the weather and energy supply situation improved so Cal-ISO did not have to call for rotating outages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman Paul Moreno on Monday .
“ We appreciated our customers big and small who answered the call and conserved energy in our service area and across the state .
We will need customers to conserve again.
” The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power did not institute rolling power outages either on Tuesday and provided excess power to Cal-ISO .
Still , about 12,000 of its 1.5 million customers have been affected by outages — mostly for heat-related reasons such as overloaded equipment .
“ This is not about power supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply to the city , ” spokesman Joe Ramallo said .
Officials said Tuesday that California has had less energy capacity since 2006 , when a major heat wave hit the state , followed by another in 2017 .
Some relief is likely to come by Wednesday , when temperatures are expected to dip , but officials don ’ t have a longer-term forecast for the coming weeks .
Newsom on Monday called the power crisis unacceptable and pledged a full investigation into the cause of the shortage .
“ We ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you can ’ t control the weather , but you can prepare for the weather events , ” he said .
“ And let me just make this crystal clear : We failed to predict and plan [ for ] these shortages , and that ’ s simply unacceptable.
” He framed the shortage as a consequence of the state ’ s transition from polluting gas plants to cleaner sources of energy and said the high demand placed on the grid because of the record heat over the last few days has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliability.
” “ We can not sacrifice reliability as we move forward in this transition , ” he said .
“ And we ’ re going to be much more aggressive in focusing our efforts and our intention in making sure that is the case.
” Cal-ISO , the state ’ s power grid operator , blamed the Public Utilities Commission for the shortage .
Officials described a “ perfect storm ” of conditions that caused demand to exceed available supply : scorching temperatures in California and across the western U.S. , diminished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants affected by the weather , and in some cases , plants going offline unexpectedly when electricity was needed most .
But Berberich said the state could have been prepared if the utilities commission had ordered companies to line up sufficient power supplies .
Asked about the criticism , PUC spokeswoman Terrie Prosper said the agency was “ working with our sister agencies to better understand why this occurred.
” Meanwhile , communities in Southern California hit record temperatures Tuesday — including Woodland Hills , UCLA , and Oxnard .
The extreme heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires across the state .
Newsom ’ s office declared a state-wide emergency to help California respond to the fires , saying that the state had secured assistance this week from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fight fires in Napa , Nevada and Monterey counties .

Leila Miller, Alex Wigglesworth, Sammy Roth

At Woodley Park in Van Nuys, Blanca Celaya of Winnetka and her family enjoy the shade. She holds her 3-month-old son, Jason Celaya. Beyond are her daughter Celia Barinese and husband, Jaime Paiz. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
The scene at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro on Aug. 14, where a cooling breeze kept the shore comfortable. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The Telles family of the San Fernando Valley enjoys the water of the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
At the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley, Mike Garcia of Norco and his children Jose, 7, and Monica, 10, employ multiple stay-cool techniques. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Jacob Debreceni, 16, with friends Ismael Fuentes, left, and Kevin Lemus, cools off with the help of a backyard waterslide in Mira Loma, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
An employee of a hot dog stand works inside the eatery along the boardwalk in Santa Monica. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Liz Saul reads a novel on her iPad in the comfort of an air mattress in Venice. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Don and Sally Joaquin watch for lightning strikes on Aug. 16 in unincorporated Contra Costa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
A chimney stands amid the rubble of a home destroyed in the River fire. (Noah Berger / Associated Press )
Firefighters prepare to defend a home as flames from the River fire approach in Salinas on Aug. 17. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on Aug. 16. Numerous lightning strikes sparked brush fires throughout the region. (Noah Berger / Associated Press )
A funnel appears in a thick plume of smoke from the Loyalton fire in Lassen County, Calif., on Aug. 15. (Katelynn & Jordan Hewlett via Associated Press)
Matthew Giron, 8, frolics with friends and family near a drainage pipe along the San Gabriel River. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Watts residents pick out clothing during the Children Mending Hearts weekly food and clothing giveaway at the Watts Empowerment Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Jon Galapago takes a break from the heat in a hammock during a day of fishing at Lake Evans in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Benjamin Cole II shows son Barreth Cole, 5, a routine while joining members of Barry’s Bootcamp as they conduct a workout session at the Watts Empowerment Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
L.A. Rams rookie outside linebacker Terrell Lewis towels away sweat as temperatures soar at the Rams training facility in Thousand Oaks. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
After a day at the beach, Sebastian Grand, 11, left, Leo Grand, 13, and Constantin Condraschi, 12, of Orange County have pizza at a Slice of New York Pizza in Seal Beach. (Josie Norris / Los Angeles Times)
The Holser Fire burns through the night just east of Lake Piru, where actress Naya Rivera died in mid-July. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
For the second day in a row, the California Independent System Operator called off power outages that had been anticipated statewide, crediting conservation efforts by consumers.
With an extreme heat wave continuing across California, officials had said more rolling blackouts were imminent Tuesday as state officials struggled to secure additional electricity amid the worst power crisis in nearly 20 years.
On Tuesday afternoon, Cal-ISO, which runs the electric grid for most of the state, declared a Stage 2 emergency — one of several it has issued over the last week — asking customers to save energy in order to avoid rotating power outages later in the day. The emergency was canceled at 7:37 p.m.
In a statement, the corporation said that in addition to consumer conservation efforts, the ISO grid had benefited from some imported energy and resources from wind plants.
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“Californians made tonight a success,” said Cal-ISO President Steve Berberich. “Everyone pulled together and responded to our warning with action to avoid any interruption in electricity supplies.”
On Monday, officials had warned of blackouts affecting as many as 3 million people, but officials ended up canceling the warning, saying improved weather conditions and conservation efforts reduced demand on the power grid.
During a news briefing Tuesday afternoon, Berberich had credited the lack of any energy disruption Monday to customers and companies who avoided excessive power use, which flattened about 3 p.m. Gov. Gavin Newsom had instructed residents to reduce consumption between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m.
“We were ready, and we’re glad the weather and energy supply situation improved so Cal-ISO did not have to call for rotating outages,” said Pacific Gas & Electric spokesman Paul Moreno on Monday. “We appreciated our customers big and small who answered the call and conserved energy in our service area and across the state. We will need customers to conserve again.”
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power did not institute rolling power outages either on Tuesday and provided excess power to Cal-ISO. Still, about 12,000 of its 1.5 million customers have been affected by outages — mostly for heat-related reasons such as overloaded equipment.
“This is not about power supply to the city — we have adequate supply to the city,” spokesman Joe Ramallo said.
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Officials said Tuesday that California has had less energy capacity since 2006, when a major heat wave hit the state, followed by another in 2017.
Some relief is likely to come by Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to dip, but officials don’t have a longer-term forecast for the coming weeks.
Newsom on Monday called the power crisis unacceptable and pledged a full investigation into the cause of the shortage.
“We’ve always maintained that, a golden oldie, you can’t control the weather, but you can prepare for the weather events,” he said. “And let me just make this crystal clear: We failed to predict and plan [for] these shortages, and that’s simply unacceptable.”
He framed the shortage as a consequence of the state’s transition from polluting gas plants to cleaner sources of energy and said the high demand placed on the grid because of the record heat over the last few days has exposed “gaps in terms of that reliability.”
“We cannot sacrifice reliability as we move forward in this transition,” he said. “And we’re going to be much more aggressive in focusing our efforts and our intention in making sure that is the case.”
Cal-ISO, the state’s power grid operator, blamed the Public Utilities Commission for the shortage. Officials described a “perfect storm” of conditions that caused demand to exceed available supply: scorching temperatures in California and across the western U.S., diminished output from renewable sources and fossil-fueled power plants affected by the weather, and in some cases, plants going offline unexpectedly when electricity was needed most.
But Berberich said the state could have been prepared if the utilities commission had ordered companies to line up sufficient power supplies.
Asked about the criticism, PUC spokeswoman Terrie Prosper said the agency was “working with our sister agencies to better understand why this occurred.”
California From ‘firenadoes’ to record heat, California extreme weather a glimpse of future As one of the worst heat waves in years continues to broil California, millions are experiencing the havoc that ensues with the type of extreme weather that is growing more frequent with climate change.
Meanwhile, communities in Southern California hit record temperatures Tuesday — including Woodland Hills, UCLA, and Oxnard.
The extreme heat and dry lightning have also sparked numerous fires across the state. Newsom’s office declared a state-wide emergency to help California respond to the fires, saying that the state had secured assistance this week from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fight fires in Napa, Nevada and Monterey counties.
Times staff writer Colleen Shalby contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-19--L.A. Mayor Garcetti orders power shut off at TikTok influencer house

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered the power cut at a swanky Hollywood Hills residence that police say held parties in violation of public health orders aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus and is the home of several TikTok stars , including Bryce Hall .
The house on Appian Way was the site of at least two large gatherings in recent weeks , police said .
Garcetti , who had threatened to cut off power and water to homes that defy rules about large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic , made the announcement Wednesday .
His statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details about its residents .
“ With more than 2,000 Angelenos — and over 170,000 Americans — lost to COVID-19 , we need every resident to undertake critical safeguards to stop the spread of this virus .
That includes not hosting or attending parties that put themselves , their neighbors and many others at risk , ” Garcetti said .
A phone call to a woman who helps manage the property , according to local residents , wasn ’ t immediately returned Wednesday .
Social media stars living together in upscale Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have become a trend , with this most recent group involving Hall calling themselves the “ Sway House.
” The group also held a party Friday night in Encino that drew police , a source said .
Police had twice visited the Hollywood Hills residence , first on Aug. 8 and then on Aug. 14 after complaints of noise , according to the mayor ’ s statement .
Hall , who has 12.9 million TikTok followers , released a video Wednesday showing him dancing , along with another young man , to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will restore utilities when the order is made to do so , ” Department of Water and Power spokesman Joe Ramallo said .
Rob Wilcox , a spokesman for City Atty .
Mike Feuer , said the office has received a criminal investigation and is reviewing whether to charge the owner of Appian Way party house .
The home is owned by Frangipani Properties , according to public records .
Under the mayor ’ s directive , police officers who respond to a large party at a property can request the utilities be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties regularly occur are the target .
Officials said this week that the city is considering cutting power to at least two other houses for violating coronavirus-related rules against social gatherings , according to police and city officials .
Gatherings of any size of people from different households are prohibited under Los Angeles County ’ s coronavirus health order .
Los Angeles police officers issued citations for noisy gatherings at 13 homes last weekend , warning the hosts that they could have their utilities cut if they continued to hold parties .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which revelers shrug off concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and ignore warnings from public health officials that gatherings help spread the virus through the community .
Times staff writers Wendy Lee and Kevin Rector contributed to this report .

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered the power cut at a swanky Hollywood Hills residence that police say held parties in violation of public health orders aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus and is the home of several TikTok stars, including Bryce Hall.
The house on Appian Way was the site of at least two large gatherings in recent weeks, police said.
Garcetti, who had threatened to cut off power and water to homes that defy rules about large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, made the announcement Wednesday. His statement didn’t include the address or details about its residents.
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“With more than 2,000 Angelenos — and over 170,000 Americans — lost to COVID-19, we need every resident to undertake critical safeguards to stop the spread of this virus. That includes not hosting or attending parties that put themselves, their neighbors and many others at risk,” Garcetti said.
Exterior of a party house in Hollywood Hills that was targeted by Mayor Eric Garcetti. (Kevin Rector / Los Angeles Times)
A phone call to a woman who helps manage the property, according to local residents, wasn’t immediately returned Wednesday.
Social media stars living together in upscale Los Angeles homes and documenting their lives on TikTok have become a trend, with this most recent group involving Hall calling themselves the “Sway House.” The group also held a party Friday night in Encino that drew police, a source said.
Police had twice visited the Hollywood Hills residence, first on Aug. 8 and then on Aug. 14 after complaints of noise, according to the mayor’s statement.
A spokeswoman for Sway House declined to comment.
Hall, who has 12.9 million TikTok followers, released a video Wednesday showing him dancing, along with another young man, to the song “Electric Love.”
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“We will restore utilities when the order is made to do so,” Department of Water and Power spokesman Joe Ramallo said.
Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for City Atty. Mike Feuer, said the office has received a criminal investigation and is reviewing whether to charge the owner of the Appian Way party house. The home is owned by Frangipani Properties, according to public records.
Under the mayor’s directive, police officers who respond to a large party at a property can request the utilities be cut within 48 hours. Homes where parties regularly occur are the target.
Officials said this week that the city is considering cutting power to at least two other houses for violating coronavirus-related rules against social gatherings, according to police and city officials. Gatherings of any size of people from different households are prohibited under Los Angeles County’s coronavirus health order.
Los Angeles police officers issued citations for noisy gatherings at 13 homes last weekend, warning the hosts that they could have their utilities cut if they continued to hold parties.
Philip Enderwood, a member of the Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council, said the crackdown sends a message to scofflaws. “Although this is a win for the residents nearby, continued enforcement of the mayor’s directive in hillside communities will be a challenge,” he said.
The rise in influencer houses comes amid reports of house parties at which revelers shrug off concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and ignore warnings from public health officials that gatherings help spread the virus through the community.
Times staff writers Wendy Lee and Kevin Rector contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-19--California is asking Trump administration for new $300-a-week jobless benefit

California is asking the federal government for a $ 300 weekly supplemental unemployment benefit for jobless Californians , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Wednesday .
The move comes after the Trump administration said states would not have to put up billions of new matching dollars , which the governor said last week made the plan unworkable .
With an initial $ 600 weekly supplement having expired last month — part of the coronavirus relief package approved by Congress in the spring — Newsom said his administration is in talks with federal officials regarding an application to provide a $ 300 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their requests approved .
“ We are still waiting for a little bit more clarity and guidance , but we are doing everything in terms of our application process to meet their needs , and our hope and expectation is to be among the first cohort of states to draw down that federal money , ” Newsom said during a press conference .
Facing continuing unemployment related to the COVID-19 pandemic , President Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 8 to provide $ 400 a week to unemployed Americans as long as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost — $ 100 .
But Newsom said last week that it would cost California $ 700 million per week to cover the state ’ s $ 100 match , a cost he said the state can not afford .
Since then , federal officials have said states could apply for the $ 300 supplement and count $ 100 in existing benefits paid to jobless people toward the state ’ s contribution , rather than providing an additional $ 100 .
So far , applications to the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Mexico , Louisiana , Utah , Colorado and Missouri , according to U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia .
“ The Department is working closely with our partners at FEMA to ensure States have the resources they need to continue supporting Americans temporarily out of work , ” Scalia said in a statement this week .
“ I ’ m encouraged that these States moved quickly to implement benefits , and we are working with more States to help them provide continued benefits to Americans in need.
” California has had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as COVID-19 cases spiked in the last month .
As a result , the state Employment Development Department has processed 10.2 million claims for unemployment benefits since the pandemic began in March — half of the regular claims filed in the last two weeks are applications to reopen claims from people who had previously stopped certifying that they were unemployed .
Newsom has said he hopes Congress will overcome a stalemate and restore the full $ 600 weekly supplemental benefit .
But in the meantime , the governor said the state is open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington .
“ We have been leaning into that .
I am not walking away , ” Newsom said Wednesday .
“ We , from day one , asserted an interest , and we have processed that interest in formal conversations and applications with our federal partners.
” States have until Sept. 10 to apply to FEMA for the supplemental benefits .
Unemployed people are eligible if they have received at least $ 100 per week in unemployment benefits from the state .
Newsom said Wednesday he could not yet provide a date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on debit cards issued by EDD .
“ We are going back and forth on those details ” with federal officials , Newsom said .
“ As soon as we have clarity from the feds , we will be making public exactly when those dollars will be forthcoming.
” The governor said last week that reprogramming the state ’ s outdated computer systems to handle the new federal funding “ would create time delays.
” EDD Director Sharon Hilliard told state lawmakers recently that the agency could require up to 20 weeks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make payments .
EDD officials did not provide new estimates when asked Wednesday by The Times .
The new federal program is meant to provide supplemental help retroactive to Aug. 1 , and ending Dec. 27 , or when the program is terminated .
The average state unemployment benefit received by Californians is $ 305 per week , so even adding $ 300 means many jobless residents will still have “ far too little ” to make ends meet , said George A. Warner , an attorney with the group Legal Aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom administration continues to face criticism from some jobless Californians and lawmakers over a backlog of more than 1 million claims that have not yet been approved .
On Wednesday , Assemblyman David Chiu ( D-San Francisco ) , a leading critic of the EDD , welcomed the news that the state will seek a $ 300 weekly supplement .
“ Doing whatever we can to get Californians benefits during this emergency is crucial , ” Chiu said .
“ Unfortunately , we know any changes to the program will create challenges for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D-San Francisco ) said he also worries that some people have questioned the legality of the president ’ s executive order , so he still hopes Congress will act .
“ If nothing gets passed at the federal level , Gov .
Newsom should consider calling us back under a special session so we can take matters into our own hands , ” Ting said .

A job seeker waits to use a phone at a career center in Richmond, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that the state is applying to the federal government to provide a $300 weekly supplemental unemployment benefit to Californians.
California is asking the federal government for a $300 weekly supplemental unemployment benefit for jobless Californians, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. The move comes after the Trump administration said states would not have to put up billions of new matching dollars, which the governor said last week made the plan unworkable.
With an initial $600 weekly supplement having expired last month — part of the coronavirus relief package approved by Congress in the spring — Newsom said his administration is in talks with federal officials regarding an application to provide a $300 weekly supplement after seven other states had their requests approved.
“We are still waiting for a little bit more clarity and guidance, but we are doing everything in terms of our application process to meet their needs, and our hope and expectation is to be among the first cohort of states to draw down that federal money,” Newsom said during a press conference.
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Facing continuing unemployment related to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 8 to provide $400 a week to unemployed Americans as long as states pick up a quarter of the cost — $100. But Newsom said last week that it would cost California $700 million per week to cover the state’s $100 match, a cost he said the state cannot afford.
Since then, federal officials have said states could apply for the $300 supplement and count $100 in existing benefits paid to jobless people toward the state’s contribution, rather than providing an additional $100. So far, applications to the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been approved for states including Iowa, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Utah, Colorado and Missouri, according to U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia.
“The Department is working closely with our partners at FEMA to ensure States have the resources they need to continue supporting Americans temporarily out of work,” Scalia said in a statement this week. “I’m encouraged that these States moved quickly to implement benefits, and we are working with more States to help them provide continued benefits to Americans in need.”
California has had to reinstate orders to close many businesses as COVID-19 cases spiked in the last month.
As a result, the state Employment Development Department has processed 10.2 million claims for unemployment benefits since the pandemic began in March — half of the regular claims filed in the last two weeks are applications to reopen claims from people who had previously stopped certifying that they were unemployed.
Newsom has said he hopes Congress will overcome a stalemate and restore the full $600 weekly supplemental benefit. But in the meantime, the governor said the state is open to whatever help it can get from Washington.
“We have been leaning into that. I am not walking away,” Newsom said Wednesday. “We, from day one, asserted an interest, and we have processed that interest in formal conversations and applications with our federal partners.”
States have until Sept. 10 to apply to FEMA for the supplemental benefits. Unemployed people are eligible if they have received at least $100 per week in unemployment benefits from the state. Newsom said Wednesday he could not yet provide a date for when the first payment might arrive on debit cards issued by EDD.
“We are going back and forth on those details” with federal officials, Newsom said. “As soon as we have clarity from the feds, we will be making public exactly when those dollars will be forthcoming.”
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The governor said last week that reprogramming the state’s outdated computer systems to handle the new federal funding “would create time delays.” EDD Director Sharon Hilliard told state lawmakers recently that the agency could require up to 20 weeks to allow the state’s computer system to make payments.
EDD officials did not provide new estimates when asked Wednesday by The Times.
The new federal program is meant to provide supplemental help retroactive to Aug. 1, and ending Dec. 27, or when the program is terminated.
The average state unemployment benefit received by Californians is $305 per week, so even adding $300 means many jobless residents will still have “far too little” to make ends meet, said George A. Warner, an attorney with the group Legal Aid At Work in San Francisco.
The Newsom administration continues to face criticism from some jobless Californians and lawmakers over a backlog of more than 1 million claims that have not yet been approved.
California California unemployment agency workers say internal problems are stalling claims process As California grapples with a deluge of requests for unemployment benefits during the pandemic, government workers tasked with processing claims say they are hampered by outdated technology, bureaucratic red tape and a shortage of trained staff.
On Wednesday, Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), a leading critic of the EDD, welcomed the news that the state will seek a $300 weekly supplement.
“Doing whatever we can to get Californians benefits during this emergency is crucial,” Chiu said. “Unfortunately, we know any changes to the program will create challenges for an already-overwhelmed EDD.”
Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) said he also worries that some people have questioned the legality of the president’s executive order, so he still hopes Congress will act.
“If nothing gets passed at the federal level, Gov. Newsom should consider calling us back under a special session so we can take matters into our own hands,” Ting said.


latimes--2020-08-19--Firefighting helicopter crash kills pilot, sparks 50-acre fire in Fresno County

A firefighting helicopter crashed in Fresno County on Wednesday , killing the pilot and briefly sparking another brush fire to join the dozens burning across the state .
The Bell UH-1 helicopter was on a water-dropping mission for the 1,500-acre Hills fire when it crashed about nine miles south of Coalinga about 10 a.m. , the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration said .
The helicopter was privately owned and contracted with the state to help fight fires .
“ There was one person on board , they did not survive , ” Cal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crash sparked a brush fire that has grown to about 50 acres and is spreading toward the Hills fire , officials said .
Since the weekend , it has been all hands on deck across the state after a vast weather system inundated Northern California ’ s coastal mountains with lightning strikes , sparking hundreds of fires that have grown out of control with the warming weather .
With only a limited amount of aircraft in its fleet , Cal Fire routinely reaches out to private companies to aid in its effort .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ owns the helicopter that crashed .
The incident underlines how dangerous the work can be , Berlant said .
American private pilots died in a firefighting crash in Australia in January , and a pilot on a supply run for crews in Arizona died in a crash in July .
“ We take extreme measures to ensure the safety of our firefighters and of course our contractors , so when an accident occurs , it just reminds us of just how dangerous this mission is , ” he said .
The pilot has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash .

A firefighting helicopter crashed about nine miles south of Coalinga in Fresno County on Wednesday, killing the pilot and briefly sparking another brush fire to join the dozens burning across the state.
A firefighting helicopter crashed in Fresno County on Wednesday, killing the pilot and briefly sparking another brush fire to join the dozens burning across the state.
The Bell UH-1 helicopter was on a water-dropping mission for the 1,500-acre Hills fire when it crashed about nine miles south of Coalinga about 10 a.m., the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration said. The helicopter was privately owned and contracted with the state to help fight fires.
“There was one person on board, they did not survive,” Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.
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The crash sparked a brush fire that has grown to about 50 acres and is spreading toward the Hills fire, officials said.
Since the weekend, it has been all hands on deck across the state after a vast weather system inundated Northern California’s coastal mountains with lightning strikes, sparking hundreds of fires that have grown out of control with the warming weather.
With only a limited amount of aircraft in its fleet, Cal Fire routinely reaches out to private companies to aid in its effort. It was not immediately clear which company owns the helicopter that crashed.
The incident underlines how dangerous the work can be, Berlant said. American private pilots died in a firefighting crash in Australia in January, and a pilot on a supply run for crews in Arizona died in a crash in July.
“We take extreme measures to ensure the safety of our firefighters and of course our contractors, so when an accident occurs, it just reminds us of just how dangerous this mission is,” he said.
The pilot has not yet been identified.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.


latimes--2020-08-19--L.A. County finally seeing declines in Latino, Black coronavirus infection rates

Los Angeles County health officials Wednesday reported some promising metrics in the fight against the novel coronavirus , including an overall decline in death rates across all demographics and a “ narrowing of the gap ” among victims of varying racial , ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds .
Black and Latino residents and those living in lower-income neighborhoods have been among those hit hardest by the virus in Los Angeles County , Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said .
Officials say that ’ s largely due to the initial limited access to testing among those communities at the beginning of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work in essential and high-risk settings , many of whom lacked proper protective equipment , such as masks , before such gear was required .
The expansion of countywide testing and protective equipment now being mandated in workplaces has helped remedy both problems , contributing to a drop in the number of overall deaths in the county , officials said .
“ Not only are we seeing decreases , but we ’ re seeing a narrowing of the gap , ” Ferrer said of the number of deaths in the county .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black residents “ had a rate at four deaths per 100,000 people , ” the county said in a statement .
That rate was three times that of white residents during the same time period .
The mortality rate for Black residents is now 1.7 deaths per 100,000 people , which is slightly higher than that of white residents .
Latinos have seen deaths per 100,000 people decline from a high of six in July to 2.4 .
“ While decreasing , this is still 2.5 times higher than white residents , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. County health officials reported 61 new coronavirus-related fatalities Wednesday , pushing the overall death toll to nearly 5,400 .
On Tuesday , the county reported 64 deaths .
And Ferrer said earlier this week that the seven-day daily average number of deaths has fallen from 43 in mid-July to 30 in mid-August .
Also Wednesday , there were 1,956 new cases recorded , including 100 from the state ’ s backlog — which stemmed from a breakdown in the electronic collection of test data more than two weeks ago — and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting Tuesday .
Still , officials emphasized the need to remain vigilant .
“ We can ’ t let that progress allow us to become complacent , ” state Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said .
There are now more than 225,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county , including about 2,400 positive test results from a backlog spanning the last week of July until nine days ago ; Ferrer thinks at last 2,000 cases are still missing .
The seven-day average for positive infection is now just below 6 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s safety threshold of 8 % .
For months , the county had exceeded that rate .
Officials also reported that 1,378 people are hospitalized in the county , continuing a downward trend over the last 2 1/2 weeks .
But a handful of counties across the state are seeing an uptick in the number of people hospitalized , a potential sign of a surge in transmission rates .
California has recorded a 17 % decrease in hospitalizations over a 14-day period , Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Wednesday during a news briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steep and recent numbers are somewhat troubling , he said .
“ The last few days is an important point of caution and consideration as it relates to our efforts , ” Newsom said , noting that Wednesday ’ s hospitalization rate dipped just 0.1 % from the day before .
Among the state ’ s hospitalized patients , 19 % are in intensive care , down from 23 % reported roughly two weeks ago .
At least five counties — Alameda , Monterey , San Luis Obispo , San Mateo and Sonoma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s safety threshold for at least three days , according to the California Department of Public Health ’ s watchlist .
Nearly a dozen other counties , including Orange , Ventura and San Francisco , reported slight increases Tuesday in hospitalized patient counts , but those numbers were far below the state ’ s compliance level of a 10 % increase or lower .
The rate of community transmission of the illness is especially concerning as the state battles multiple major fires , forcing tens of thousands of residents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has prompted blackouts and repeated calls for energy conservation .
“ We have challenges — not only with energy challenges as it relates to conditions with wildfires , but we also continue to be challenged by this pandemic , ” Newsom said Wednesday .
Because the virus is a respiratory infection , there is some concern that extreme heat and smoke from the fires could exasperate symptoms of those infected .
Ferrer advised anyone having breathing problems to contact a health provider or to call dial 911 if in dire need .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people that are already sick to play around with their own health when they are struggling to breath , ” she said .

Los Angeles County health officials Wednesday reported some promising metrics in the fight against the novel coronavirus, including an overall decline in death rates across all demographics and a “narrowing of the gap” among victims of varying racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Black and Latino residents and those living in lower-income neighborhoods have been among those hit hardest by the virus in Los Angeles County, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.
Officials say that’s largely due to the initial limited access to testing among those communities at the beginning of the pandemic and the fact that many residents work in essential and high-risk settings, many of whom lacked proper protective equipment, such as masks, before such gear was required.
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The expansion of countywide testing and protective equipment now being mandated in workplaces has helped remedy both problems, contributing to a drop in the number of overall deaths in the county, officials said.
“Not only are we seeing decreases, but we’re seeing a narrowing of the gap,” Ferrer said of the number of deaths in the county.
During the peak of transmission in July, Black residents “had a rate at four deaths per 100,000 people,” the county said in a statement. That rate was three times that of white residents during the same time period. The mortality rate for Black residents is now 1.7 deaths per 100,000 people, which is slightly higher than that of white residents.
Latinos have seen deaths per 100,000 people decline from a high of six in July to 2.4. “While decreasing, this is still 2.5 times higher than white residents,” the county said in a statement.
L.A. County health officials reported 61 new coronavirus-related fatalities Wednesday, pushing the overall death toll to nearly 5,400. On Tuesday, the county reported 64 deaths. And Ferrer said earlier this week that the seven-day daily average number of deaths has fallen from 43 in mid-July to 30 in mid-August.
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Also Wednesday, there were 1,956 new cases recorded, including 100 from the state’s backlog — which stemmed from a breakdown in the electronic collection of test data more than two weeks ago — and a few hundred from laboratories that had delayed reporting Tuesday.
Still, officials emphasized the need to remain vigilant.
“We can’t let that progress allow us to become complacent,” state Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said.
There are now more than 225,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county, including about 2,400 positive test results from a backlog spanning the last week of July until nine days ago; Ferrer thinks at last 2,000 cases are still missing. The seven-day average for positive infection is now just below 6%, which is below the state’s safety threshold of 8%. For months, the county had exceeded that rate.
Officials also reported that 1,378 people are hospitalized in the county, continuing a downward trend over the last 2 1/2 weeks.
But a handful of counties across the state are seeing an uptick in the number of people hospitalized, a potential sign of a surge in transmission rates.
California has recorded a 17% decrease in hospitalizations over a 14-day period, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday during a news briefing. But the decline has not been steep and recent numbers are somewhat troubling, he said.
“The last few days is an important point of caution and consideration as it relates to our efforts,” Newsom said, noting that Wednesday’s hospitalization rate dipped just 0.1% from the day before.
Among the state’s hospitalized patients, 19% are in intensive care, down from 23% reported roughly two weeks ago.
At least five counties — Alameda, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo and Sonoma — have seen increases in hospitalizations above the state’s safety threshold for at least three days, according to the California Department of Public Health’s watchlist.
Nearly a dozen other counties, including Orange, Ventura and San Francisco, reported slight increases Tuesday in hospitalized patient counts, but those numbers were far below the state’s compliance level of a 10% increase or lower.
The rate of community transmission of the illness is especially concerning as the state battles multiple major fires, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate, and an extreme heat wave that has prompted blackouts and repeated calls for energy conservation.
“We have challenges — not only with energy challenges as it relates to conditions with wildfires, but we also continue to be challenged by this pandemic,” Newsom said Wednesday.
Because the virus is a respiratory infection, there is some concern that extreme heat and smoke from the fires could exasperate symptoms of those infected. Ferrer advised anyone having breathing problems to contact a health provider or to call dial 911 if in dire need.
“This should not be a time for people that are already sick to play around with their own health when they are struggling to breath,” she said.


latimes--2020-08-19--Britney Spears' conservatorship hearing is sealed from public again

A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday granted a motion to seal a hearing and transcripts in Britney Spears ’ conservatorship case , a day after the singer ’ s request to remove her father as sole conservator of her personal and professional life — a role he ’ s held for the past 12 years .
In a status hearing closed to the media and public , Judge Brenda Penny was set to evaluate the role of Spears ’ temporary conservator , Jodi Montgomery , and her request to curb James “ Jamie ” Spears ’ broad authority over his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the motion to seal and cleared the courtroom , The Times has confirmed .
It ’ s the latest development in the protracted case that has been complicated over the years and concealed from the public in probate court .
The 38-year-old entertainer has not had full control over her life or business affairs since her public unraveling in 2008 .
After psychiatric lapses , Spears was subject to a court-approved conservatorship — known in other states as a legal guardianship — that has given her father authority over her finances and many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles Superior Court by Spears ’ court-appointed attorney , Samuel D. Ingham III , gave the public a rare glimpse into the singer ’ s highly guarded life and her recently stated desire to no longer perform .
She asked the court to remove her father— who has long handled the decision-making in both her personal and professional life — as her sole court-appointed conservator .
She also requested that Montgomery , the temporary , licensed professional conservator overseeing her case since September , be named permanent conservator of the entertainer ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not mean she would be waiving her right to seek an end to the entire arrangement .
“ We are now at a point where the conservatorship must be changed substantially in order to reflect the major changes in her current lifestyle and her stated wishes , ” Ingham wrote .
Jamie Spears has been calling the shots on his daughter ’ s estate since his co-conservator , attorney Andrew M. Wallet , resigned in March 2019 .
Britney Spears is also opposed to her father continuing in that capacity by himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate fiduciary ” appointed to serve in the role , Tuesday ’ s court documents said .
Ingham said the conservatorship “ rescued her from a collapse , exploitation by predatory individuals and financial ruin ” when the case began in 2008 .
It also covered her resurgent performing years .
He declined to comment on the pending case on Wednesday .
Last year , the pop star and checked into a mental health facility after revealing that her father was sick .
She has not performed live since 2018 .
All the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has escalated , garnering more than 106,600 signatures on a change.org petition to dissolve the conservatorship along with celebrity support from Rose McGowan , Ruby Rose , Miley Cyrus , Paris Hilton and Ariel Winter .
Supporters held a rally outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown L.A. Wednesday around the time of the hearing .
The American Civil Liberties Union also publicly offered its services Wednesday to help Spears lead a “ self-directed ” life and get out of the conservatorship .
The `` ... Baby One More Time ” singer ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trapped and sending coded messages for help through her Instagram posts .
They continue to question Jamie Spears ’ handling of the musician ’ s life .
Earlier this month , he , arguing that the movement ’ s organizers are “ conspiracy theorists.
” “ All these conspiracy theorists don ’ t know anything .
The world don ’ t have a clue , ” he told Page Six .
“ It ’ s up to the court of California to decide what ’ s best for my daughter .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business.
” The elder Spears also denied long-running rumors that he ’ s skimming money from the singer ’ s estate , noting that he has to report all expenses to the court annually .
Organizers behind the # FreeBritney petition want the conservatorship to be “ investigated for abuse and ultimately terminated so Britney can finally be free and live her best life.
” They claim her father doesn ’ t allow her to drive , has her calls and messages monitored , and doesn ’ t allow her to vote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money without permission .
“ And if she breaks a ‘ rule ’ he threatens to have her kids taken away !
” the petition alleged .
A rep for Jamie Spears declined to comment on Wednesday .

Britney Spears is trying to remove her father as her sole conservator.
A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday granted a motion to seal a hearing and transcripts in Britney Spears’ conservatorship case, a day after the singer’s request to remove her father as sole conservator of her personal and professional life — a role he’s held for the past 12 years.
In a status hearing closed to the media and public, Judge Brenda Penny was set to evaluate the role of Spears’ temporary conservator, Jodi Montgomery, and her request to curb James “Jamie” Spears’ broad authority over his daughter’s life. Penny granted the motion to seal and cleared the courtroom, The Times has confirmed.
It’s the latest development in the protracted case that has been complicated over the years and concealed from the public in probate court.
The 38-year-old entertainer has not had full control over her life or business affairs since her public unraveling in 2008. After psychiatric lapses, Spears was subject to a court-approved conservatorship — known in other states as a legal guardianship — that has given her father authority over her finances and many personal decisions.
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Documents filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court by Spears’ court-appointed attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, gave the public a rare glimpse into the singer’s highly guarded life and her recently stated desire to no longer perform.
She asked the court to remove her father— who has long handled the decision-making in both her personal and professional life — as her sole court-appointed conservator. She also requested that Montgomery, the temporary, licensed professional conservator overseeing her case since September, be named permanent conservator of the entertainer’s personal affairs.
Spears said that did not mean she would be waiving her right to seek an end to the entire arrangement.
“We are now at a point where the conservatorship must be changed substantially in order to reflect the major changes in her current lifestyle and her stated wishes,” Ingham wrote.
Jamie Spears, father of singer Britney Spears, leaves the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in 2012. (Nick Ut / Associated Press)
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Jamie Spears has been calling the shots on his daughter’s estate since his co-conservator, attorney Andrew M. Wallet, resigned in March 2019. Britney Spears is also opposed to her father continuing in that capacity by himself and prefers to have a “qualified corporate fiduciary” appointed to serve in the role, Tuesday’s court documents said.
Ingham said the conservatorship “rescued her from a collapse, exploitation by predatory individuals and financial ruin” when the case began in 2008. It also covered her resurgent performing years.
He declined to comment on the pending case on Wednesday.
Last year, the pop star canceled her Las Vegas residency and checked into a mental health facility after revealing that her father was sick. She has not performed live since 2018.
All the while, the viral #FreeBritney campaign has escalated, garnering more than 106,600 signatures on a change.org petition to dissolve the conservatorship along with celebrity support from Rose McGowan, Ruby Rose, Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton and Ariel Winter.
Supporters held a rally outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown L.A. Wednesday around the time of the hearing. The American Civil Liberties Union also publicly offered its services Wednesday to help Spears lead a “self-directed” life and get out of the conservatorship.
The “... Baby One More Time” singer’s fans have reignited fears that she is trapped and sending coded messages for help through her Instagram posts. They continue to question Jamie Spears’ handling of the musician’s life. Earlier this month, he slammed the #FreeBritney campaign , arguing that the movement’s organizers are “conspiracy theorists.”
“All these conspiracy theorists don’t know anything. The world don’t have a clue,” he told Page Six. “It’s up to the court of California to decide what’s best for my daughter. It’s no one else’s business.”
The elder Spears also denied long-running rumors that he’s skimming money from the singer’s estate, noting that he has to report all expenses to the court annually.
Organizers behind the #FreeBritney petition want the conservatorship to be “investigated for abuse and ultimately terminated so Britney can finally be free and live her best life.” They claim her father doesn’t allow her to drive, has her calls and messages monitored, and doesn’t allow her to vote, hang out with anyone or spend her money without permission.
“And if she breaks a ‘rule’ he threatens to have her kids taken away!” the petition alleged.
A rep for Jamie Spears declined to comment on Wednesday.