latimes--2020-08-17--Newsom signs Cal State University ethnic studies bill

Gov .
Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday requiring all 430,000 California State University undergraduates to take ethnic studies , a notable rebuke to the university ’ s governing board , which had passed its own , much broader requirement last month .
The decision comes amid a growing push for ethnic studies in public education following Black Lives Matter protests and calls to dismantle systemic and unconscious racism , starting in schools .
The bill signed by Newsom , AB 1460 , requires all CSU undergraduates to take at least one three-unit course in ethnic studies , defined as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian Americans , Latino/a Americans and Native Americans .
Authored by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber , chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and a longtime professor of Africana Studies at San Diego State University , the legislation will go into effect beginning with students graduating in the 2024-25 academic year .
“ We ’ re elated , ” Weber said by phone Monday evening .
“ It ’ s been quite a journey , and we take a sigh of relief that that journey has ended.
” The bill supersedes a related mandate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board of trustees .
That mandate , favored by the chancellor ’ s office , called for a three-unit course on ethnic studies and social justice , defined broadly to include Jewish , LGBTQ and disability studies .
Students could have satisfied it by taking a class focused only on social justice or social movements — a point of concern for ethnic studies purists .
Newsom was sure to generate criticism no matter his decision .
Cal State Chancellor Timothy White , members of the university ’ s board of trustees and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed Weber ’ s bill , expressing concerns about legislative interference into matters of curriculum .
White ’ s office had also estimated the cost of the legislative requirement to be about $ 16.5 million each year , compared to $ 3 million to $ 4 million for its version of the proposal .
The legislation was also opposed by some Jewish groups who said they feared it would foster “ anti-Zionist advocacy and activism ” at the CSU , though they did not provide specific examples .
But ethnic studies students , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past due for the CSU , the birthplace of ethnic studies and where Latino , Black and Asian American students are the majority , to create a dedicated requirement .
They said California law similarly requires students to take a course in American institutions and ideals .
And they criticized the chancellor ’ s office for developing an overly broad proposal without consulting experts .
“ We saw it as an effort to dilute and to not deal with the real issue of , is ethnic studies required at the CSU , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a proposal that came from those who are not even scholars in the field.
” Melina Abdullah , a professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State L.A. and a leader of Black Lives Matter , said at a news conference this month that Black studies “ literally saved my life ” as a young person growing up in East Oakland .
She said Weber ’ s bill was one of just three bills Black Lives Matter California has supported .
She called on the governor to sign it in order to create an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CSU .
“ We are in a Black lives matter movement moment , and the intentionality behind that moment is saying let ’ s dismantle white supremacy , ” Abdullah said .
“ The notion that someone with no background in ethnic studies could seek to redefine it and make it so broad that it ’ s meaningless ... .
It ’ s the equivalent of saying , ‘ All lives matter.
’ Either you believe Black lives matter , or you don ’ t. ” Mike Uhlenkamp , a spokesman for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ The university will begin work to implement the requirements of the new legislation.
” A separate bill , expected to be taken up by the legislature this month , would make ethnic studies a requirement at all public high schools .
State officials last month released a new draft of a “ model curriculum ” for the course , nearly a year after the first draft was shelved over controversy over which groups were included and excluded .
The latest draft reestablished a focus on African Americans , Asian Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles community colleges , where the vast majority of students are also Latino , Black and Asian American , faculty have recently called on the chancellor ’ s office to create a special task force on ethnic studies .

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill late Monday requiring all 430,000 California State University undergraduates to take ethnic studies, a notable rebuke to the university’s governing board, which had passed its own, much broader requirement last month.
The decision comes amid a growing push for ethnic studies in public education following Black Lives Matter protests and calls to dismantle systemic and unconscious racism, starting in schools.
The bill signed by Newsom, AB 1460, requires all CSU undergraduates to take at least one three-unit course in ethnic studies, defined as having a focus on African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino/a Americans and Native Americans.
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Authored by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and a longtime professor of Africana Studies at San Diego State University, the legislation will go into effect beginning with students graduating in the 2024-25 academic year.
“We’re elated,” Weber said. “It’s been quite a journey, and we take a sigh of relief that that journey has ended.”
The California Faculty Assn., a sponsor of the bill, said that California will be the first state in the nation to make ethnic studies a graduation requirement in a four-year public university system.
“Governor Newsom, by signing AB 1460, has demonstrated his understanding of the power of a true Ethnic Studies graduation requirement to change people’s lives and to change the racial trajectory this state and country are on,” president Charles Toombs said in a statement Tuesday.
The bill supersedes a related mandate passed by the Cal State’s board of trustees. That mandate, favored by the chancellor’s office, called for a three-unit course on ethnic studies and social justice, defined broadly to include Jewish, LGBTQ and disability studies. Students could have satisfied it by taking a class focused only on social justice or social movements — a point of concern for ethnic studies purists.
Newsom was sure to generate criticism no matter his decision. Cal State Chancellor Timothy White, members of the university’s board of trustees and the university’s systemwide academic senate had opposed Weber’s bill, expressing concerns about legislative interference into matters of curriculum. White’s office had estimated the cost of the legislative requirement to be about $16.5 million each year, compared to $3 million to $4 million for its version of the proposal.
Mike Uhlenkamp, a spokesman for the chancellor’s office, said, “The university will begin work to implement the requirements of the new legislation.”
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The legislation was opposed by some Jewish groups, who said they feared it would foster “anti-Zionist advocacy and activism” at the CSU, though they did not provide specific examples.
But ethnic studies students, faculty and allies said the time is past due for the CSU, the birthplace of ethnic studies, and where Latino, Black and Asian American students are the majority, to create a dedicated requirement. They said California law similarly requires students to take a course in American institutions and ideals. And they criticized the chancellor’s office for developing an overly broad proposal without consulting experts.
“We saw it as an effort to dilute and to not deal with the real issue of, is ethnic studies required at the CSU,” Weber said. “It was also a proposal that came from those who are not even scholars in the field.”
Melina Abdullah, a professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State L.A. and a leader of Black Lives Matter, said at a news conference this month that Black studies “literally saved my life” as a young person growing up in East Oakland.
She said Weber’s bill was one of just three bills Black Lives Matter California has supported. She had called on the governor to sign it in order to create an “authentic ethnic studies” requirement at the CSU.
“We are in a Black lives matter movement moment, and the intentionality behind that moment is saying let’s dismantle white supremacy,” Abdullah said. “The notion that someone with no background in ethnic studies could seek to redefine it and make it so broad that it’s meaningless.... It’s the equivalent of saying, ‘All lives matter.’ Either you believe Black lives matter, or you don’t.”
A separate bill, expected to be taken up by the legislature this month, would make ethnic studies a requirement at all public high schools. State officials last month released a new draft of a “model curriculum” for the course, nearly a year after the first draft was shelved over controversy over which groups were included and excluded. The latest draft reestablished a focus on African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino/a Americans and Native Americans.
At Los Angeles community colleges, where the vast majority of students are also Latino, Black and Asian American, faculty have recently called on the chancellor’s office to create a special task force on ethnic studies.


latimes--2020-08-17--Firefighters combat several dozen fires in Butte County

Firefighters worked Monday to battle several dozen fires in Butte County , Calif .
The largest of them , the Potters fire , is burning north of Oroville and was at least 600 acres as of about 7 p.m. , according to John Gaddie , a spokesman for Cal Fire-Butte County Fire Department .
It is 0 % contained .
The Butte County Sheriff ’ s Office ordered evacuations about 3:45 p.m. for all residents living on Potters Ravine Drive and Oregon Gulch Road , west to Cherokee Road , and all roads in between , south to the Feather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later announced mandatory evacuations for people living on the north side of Orange Avenue from a roundabout to Long Bar Road , as well as for residents living on the north side of Long Bar Road up until the Feather River .
A temporary evacuation point has been designated in the parking lot for the Church of the Nazarene at 2238 Monte Vista Ave. in Oroville .
Large animals will be accepted until 8:30 p.m. at the Camelot Equestrian Park at 1985 Clark Road in Paradise .
Small animals can be taken overnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospital at 2279 Del Oro and Mono , Suite E. The fires in the county are presumed to have been started by lightning , but are all under investigation , Gaddie said .

Firefighters worked Monday to battle several dozen fires in Butte County, Calif.
The largest of them, the Potters fire, is burning north of Oroville and was at least 600 acres as of about 7 p.m., according to John Gaddie, a spokesman for Cal Fire-Butte County Fire Department. It is 0% contained.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office ordered evacuations about 3:45 p.m. for all residents living on Potters Ravine Drive and Oregon Gulch Road, west to Cherokee Road, and all roads in between, south to the Feather River.
The Sheriff’s Office later announced mandatory evacuations for people living on the north side of Orange Avenue from a roundabout to Long Bar Road, as well as for residents living on the north side of Long Bar Road up until the Feather River.
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A temporary evacuation point has been designated in the parking lot for the Church of the Nazarene at 2238 Monte Vista Ave. in Oroville. Large animals will be accepted until 8:30 p.m. at the Camelot Equestrian Park at 1985 Clark Road in Paradise. Small animals can be taken overnight to a shelter at the Old County Hospital at 2279 Del Oro and Mono, Suite E.
The fires in the county are presumed to have been started by lightning, but are all under investigation, Gaddie said.


latimes--2020-08-17--Rolling blackouts warned to hit millions in California are averted, at least for Monday

Despite warnings that power outages could hit millions in California tonight , officials declared that the measures were no longer needed following successful conservation efforts and somewhat lower temperatures .
Faced with the most severe power shortages in California in nearly two decades , officials had warned that up to 3 million people could be hit by rolling blackouts Monday .
But at 7:30 p.m. , the California Independent System Operator — the body that runs the electrical grid for most of the state — lifted the Stage 2 emergency it had declared earlier , signifying that the anticipated rotating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are grateful to families and businesses across the state that answered the call to reduce electricity use during a crucial time on the grid , ” Cal-ISO President Steve Berberich said in a statement .
“ This heat storm is not over , and we still expect exceedingly hot temperatures [ Tuesday ] and Wednesday .
With continued help from California residents in conserving energy , much like today , we can reduce the risk of power outages.
” The power losses were expected to be much more widespread than those on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had called the power shortage unacceptable and pledged to free up additional energy , but had warned that the next three days will be “ very challenging.
” On Monday , Cal-ISO had issued a statewide flex alert through Wednesday , calling for residents to take voluntary conservation efforts from 3 p.m. through 10 p.m. each day .
It later declared a Stage 2 emergency , foreseeing rotating outages totaling more than 1,000 megawatts across the state that evening .
A single megawatt powers about 750 homes , according to spokeswoman Anne Gonzales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday nights after California fell short of its energy needs by roughly 1,000 megawatts Friday and 450 megawatts Saturday .
But on Monday , experts were estimating the state would be 4,400 megawatts short , Newsom said .
`` [ We ’ re ] basically putting all our energy to create more energy , all the tools in the tool kit to meet the needs of customers in the next 72 hours , ” Newsom said .
“ But even with all of that , we are likely to fall short and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relates to supplying the coverage that you deserve and you demand.
” But the crisis was averted — at least on Monday .
“ 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 PG & E spokesman Paul Moreno .
“ 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 power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency proclamation aimed at freeing up additional energy .
The proclamation , among other things , temporarily alters regulations on the use of backup energy sources , such as stationary and portable generators , and reduces ships ’ consumption of energy at ports by allowing them to use auxiliary engines rather than shore power .
Newsom pledged a full investigation into the cause of the power shortage .
“ We ’ ve always maintained that , a golden oldie , you can ’ t control the weather , but you can prepare for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ 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 due to the record heat over the last few days has exposed “ gaps in terms of that reliability.
” “ We can not sacrifice reliability as we move forward in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And we ’ re going to be much more aggressive in focusing our efforts and our intention in making sure that is the case.
” The Stage 3 emergency declared Friday evening , which preempted rotating blackouts , was the first time since 2001 that state electric grid operators had had to implement such a drastic step .
California is in the grips of one of the worst heat waves in years .
The National Weather Service said it expected more record-breaking temperatures this week Monday and Tuesday — with relief coming only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skyrocketed to a blistering 130 degrees at 3:41 p.m. Sunday , the National Weather Service said in a tweet .
It is possibly the highest mercury reading in the United States since 1913 and , if verified , “ would be the hottest global temperature officially recorded since 1931 , ” according to the World Meteorological Organization .
The 1931 reading in Kebili , Tunisia , was 55 degrees Celsius , which is roughly 131 degrees Fahrenheit .
Both the Tunisia reading and Death Valley ’ s overall record have been disputed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is correct , it is among the top-three highest temperatures ever measured in Death Valley , as well as the highest temperature during the month of August .
The Death Valley temperature is still considered preliminary at this point .
Along with testing the sensor involved to rule out the possibility of a malfunction or error , a climate extremes committee also will be formed to verify the reading , according to Dan Berc , warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas .
“ They ’ ll certainly assess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ validity , and they will also look hard at the data that came off of the sensor to see if it ’ s reasonable , and look at that against neighboring observations to see if it all makes sense in the grand scheme of things , ” he said .
Berc said he didn ’ t have an exact timeline for the committee to finish its work , but said it could be a months-long process .
The World Meteorological Organization , the United Nations ’ climate agency , said on Twitter that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading .
Agencies may have another day ’ s worth of data to scrutinize , as Monday ’ s extreme heat is expected to continue .
Forecasts show Death Valley is again expected to approach 130 degrees , and Berc said that “ there ’ s good reason to believe that we ’ re going to be up in that neighborhood again today.
” “ This is a very special kind of heat wave we ’ re dealing with here , ” he said .
“ It ’ s very long-lived and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially for this time of year .
We can say the desert ’ s hot in the summer , and it sure is , but we ’ re about a month and a half past our peak for sunlight .
So to see it this late is really , really incredible.
” On Monday , some areas reached record highs , including in Palmdale , Lancaster , and Paso Robles .
Multiple heat records were also set over the weekend.The National Weather Service reported a high of 112 on Saturday in Woodland Hills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1977 , and a high of 92 at UCLA , breaking the record of 90 set in 2003 .
Downtown L.A. hit 98 degrees , tying a record set in 1994 .
The excessive heat is the result of a large , strong high-pressure system centered over Arizona , which is keeping the Southwestern U.S. hot almost everywhere except within a few miles of the coast .
The heat has also in the West .
A massive wildfire in Northern California spawned rotating columns of flames Saturday , prompting forecasters to issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a first for us , ” said Shane Snyder , meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno , which issued the warning shortly before 3 p.m .
Multiple videos posted to social media showed twister-like formations in the path of the Loyalton fire , which started Friday evening in the Tahoe National Forest near California ’ s border with Nevada .
The fire quickly grew to 20,000 acres and , by Monday morning , had consumed 36,295 acres and was 5 % contained .
“ Our resources on the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrain and warm temperatures , ” said Joe Flannery , public affairs officer for the national forest .
struck the San Francisco Bay Area and the Monterey Bay region Sunday morning , sparking multiple vegetation fires in Santa Clara , San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties .
A lightning strike sparked a 2,800-acre fire in Monterey County that was threatening homes and caused evacuations south of Salinas .
The Lake fire , in the Angeles National Forest above Lake Hughes , had grown to more than 19,000 acres and was 38 % contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 homes and commercial buildings have been destroyed .
The Ranch 2 fire north of Azusa had burned at least 3,050 acres and was 19 % contained .

Leila Miller, Alex Wigglesworth, Rong-Gong Lin II, Laura Newberry

Despite warnings that power outages could hit millions in California tonight, officials declared that the measures were no longer needed following successful conservation efforts and somewhat lower temperatures.
Faced with the most severe power shortages in California in nearly two decades, officials had warned that up to 3 million people could be hit by rolling blackouts Monday. But at 7:30 p.m., the California Independent System Operator — the body that runs the electrical grid for most of the state — lifted the Stage 2 emergency it had declared earlier, signifying that the anticipated rotating outages had been averted.
For the record: An earlier version of this article said that a 130-degree temperature reading in Death Valley was a possible record there. Elsewhere, the article said that the Death Valley temperature was possibly the hottest globally since 1913. If verified, the 130-degree reading would be among the top-three highest temperatures ever measured in Death Valley. Globally, there was a 1931 reading in Kebili, Tunisia, of 55 degrees Celsius, which is roughly 131 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
“We are grateful to families and businesses across the state that answered the call to reduce electricity use during a crucial time on the grid,” Cal-ISO President Steve Berberich said in a statement. “This heat storm is not over, and we still expect exceedingly hot temperatures [Tuesday] and Wednesday. With continued help from California residents in conserving energy, much like today, we can reduce the risk of power outages.”
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The power losses were expected to be much more widespread than those on Friday and Saturday. Gov. Gavin Newsom had called the power shortage unacceptable and pledged to free up additional energy, but had warned that the next three days will be “very challenging.”
On Monday, Cal-ISO had issued a statewide flex alert through Wednesday, calling for residents to take voluntary conservation efforts from 3 p.m. through 10 p.m. each day. It later declared a Stage 2 emergency, foreseeing rotating outages totaling more than 1,000 megawatts across the state that evening. A single megawatt powers about 750 homes, according to spokeswoman Anne Gonzales.
The state initiated blackouts Friday and Saturday nights after California fell short of its energy needs by roughly 1,000 megawatts Friday and 450 megawatts Saturday.
But on Monday, experts were estimating the state would be 4,400 megawatts short, Newsom said.
“[We’re] basically putting all our energy to create more energy, all the tools in the tool kit to meet the needs of customers in the next 72 hours,” Newsom said. “But even with all of that, we are likely to fall short and we should see some episodic issues as it relates to supplying the coverage that you deserve and you demand.”
But the crisis was averted — at least on Monday.
“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 PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno. “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 power crisis prompted the governor to sign an emergency proclamation aimed at freeing up additional energy. The proclamation, among other things, temporarily alters regulations on the use of backup energy sources, such as stationary and portable generators, and reduces ships’ consumption of energy at ports by allowing them to use auxiliary engines rather than shore power.
Newsom pledged a full investigation into the cause of the power 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 due to 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.”
The Stage 3 emergency declared Friday evening, which preempted rotating blackouts, was the first time since 2001 that state electric grid operators had had to implement such a drastic step.
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1 / 34 The thermometer at Calvary Church in Woodland Hills registers 116 degrees Fahrenheit. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 34 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) 3 / 34 Lifeguard Michael Alfaro, wearing protective gear, works with 5-year-old Kaila Holliday during a swim lesson at Marie Kerr Pool in Palmdale. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 34 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) 5 / 34 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) 6 / 34 Jose Vasquez, left, and Jordan Taylor play a pickup basketball game at Sgt. Steve Owen Memorial Park in Lancaster. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 34 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) 8 / 34 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) 9 / 34 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) 10 / 34 The Original Snake Doctor, left, and Louis Benton play a game of chess in Leimert Park. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 34 Victor Eddie Chavez, 9, and Evangeline Benitez, 3, run through a fountain’s spouts at Hollywood & Highland. (Josie Norris / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 34 Matthew Giron, 8, frolics with friends and family near a drainage pipe along the San Gabriel River. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 34 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) 14 / 34 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
) 15 / 34 Firefighters prepare to defend a home as flames from the River fire approach in Salinas on Aug. 17. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 16 / 34 A chimney stands amid the rubble of a home destroyed in the River fire. (Noah Berger / Associated Press ) 17 / 34 Don and Sally Joaquin watch for lightning strikes on Aug. 16 in unincorporated Contra Costa County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 18 / 34 Friends and family rollick in a drainage pipe along the San Gabriel River. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 34 People head to the beach in Venice amid the heat. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 34 Liz Saul reads a novel on her iPad in the comfort of an air mattress in Venice. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 34 Beachgoers create a forest of umbrellas on the beach at Santa Monica. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 34 Windsurfers sail off Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 34 People escape the heat at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 34 An employee of a hot dog stand works inside the eatery along the boardwalk in Santa Monica. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 34 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) 26 / 34 Tropical moisture moving onshore northwest of Santa Barbara on Aug. 15 brought lightning strikes but also rainbows. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 34 A cool breeze propels windsurfers across the shimmering waters off Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 34 A paddle boarder chooses a rental board at Bayshore Beach in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 34 DeAndre Michaels dips his toes in a fountain in Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 34 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) 31 / 34 The Telles family of the San Fernando Valley enjoys the water of the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 34 The scene at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro on Aug. 14, where a cooling breeze kept the shore comfortable. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 34 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) 34 / 34 Pedestrians pass a Black Lives Matter mural in Hollywood.
(Josie Norris / Los Angeles Times)
California is in the grips of one of the worst heat waves in years. The National Weather Service said it expected more record-breaking temperatures this week Monday and Tuesday — with relief coming only after Thursday.
Temperatures in Death Valley skyrocketed to a blistering 130 degrees at 3:41 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service said in a tweet. It is possibly the highest mercury reading in the United States since 1913 and, if verified, “would be the hottest global temperature officially recorded since 1931,” according to the World Meteorological Organization. The 1931 reading in Kebili, Tunisia, was 55 degrees Celsius, which is roughly 131 degrees Fahrenheit. Both the Tunisia reading and Death Valley’s overall record have been disputed.
If the weather service’s recording is correct, it is among the top-three highest temperatures ever measured in Death Valley, as well as the highest temperature during the month of August.
The Death Valley temperature is still considered preliminary at this point. Along with testing the sensor involved to rule out the possibility of a malfunction or error, a climate extremes committee also will be formed to verify the reading, according to Dan Berc, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.
“They’ll certainly assess the report on the sensor’s validity, and they will also look hard at the data that came off of the sensor to see if it’s reasonable, and look at that against neighboring observations to see if it all makes sense in the grand scheme of things,” he said.
Berc said he didn’t have an exact timeline for the committee to finish its work, but said it could be a months-long process.
The World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations’ climate agency, said on Twitter that it also plans to examine the temperature reading.
Agencies may have another day’s worth of data to scrutinize, as Monday’s extreme heat is expected to continue. Forecasts show Death Valley is again expected to approach 130 degrees, and Berc said that “there’s good reason to believe that we’re going to be up in that neighborhood again today.”
“This is a very special kind of heat wave we’re dealing with here,” he said. “It’s very long-lived and it’s very, very hot — especially for this time of year. We can say the desert’s hot in the summer, and it sure is, but we’re about a month and a half past our peak for sunlight. So to see it this late is really, really incredible.”
California California heat wave may rival deadly July 2006 event, forecasters say High pressure will reach a strength that occurs only about once every 10 years, the National Weather Service said, fueling a heat wave that could rival the seven-day event in 2006 that researchers connected to hundreds of deaths.
On Monday, some areas reached record highs, including in Palmdale, Lancaster, and Paso Robles.
Multiple heat records were also set over the weekend.The National Weather Service reported a high of 112 on Saturday in Woodland Hills, breaking the record of 108 set in 1977, and a high of 92 at UCLA, breaking the record of 90 set in 2003. Downtown L.A. hit 98 degrees, tying a record set in 1994.
The excessive heat is the result of a large, strong high-pressure system centered over Arizona, which is keeping the Southwestern U.S. hot almost everywhere except within a few miles of the coast.
The heat has also worsened fire conditions in the West.
A funnel appears in a thick plume of smoke from the Loyalton fire in Lassen County on Saturday. (Katelynn and Jordan Hewlett)
A massive wildfire in Northern California spawned rotating columns of flames Saturday, prompting forecasters to issue a rare fire-related tornado warning.
“It was a first for us,” said Shane Snyder, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno, which issued the warning shortly before 3 p.m.
Multiple videos posted to social media showed twister-like formations in the path of the Loyalton fire, which started Friday evening in the Tahoe National Forest near California’s border with Nevada. The fire quickly grew to 20,000 acres and, by Monday morning, had consumed 36,295 acres and was 5% contained.
“Our resources on the ground are facing extreme fire behavior, rugged terrain and warm temperatures,” said Joe Flannery, public affairs officer for the national forest.
Rare lightning storms struck the San Francisco Bay Area and the Monterey Bay region Sunday morning, sparking multiple vegetation fires in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties.
A lightning strike sparked a 2,800-acre fire in Monterey County that was threatening homes and caused evacuations south of Salinas.
The Lake fire, in the Angeles National Forest above Lake Hughes, had grown to more than 19,000 acres and was 38% contained as of Monday evening. At least 12 homes and commercial buildings have been destroyed. The Ranch 2 fire north of Azusa had burned at least 3,050 acres and was 19% contained.


latimes--2020-08-18--SCU Lightning Complex fires burn across five counties in Northern California

Firefighters on Tuesday battled fires that covered 25,000 acres across five counties in Northern California .
The SCU Lightning Complex @ @ @ @ @ 20 fires , began early Sunday and involves areas of Contra Costa , Alameda , @ @ @ @ @ San Joaquin counties , according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials .
@ @ @ @ @ as of early Tuesday afternoon .
Officials have issued evacuation orders for the following areas @ @ @ @ @ Territory and Marsh Creek mobile home park • Road closures include Marsh Creek Road between @ @ @ @ @ Valley Road , as well as Del Puerto Canyon Road between Mines Road and Diablo @ @ @ @ @ 500 personnel and 60 engines from various agencies have responded to the fires .

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--Citing pandemic rules, LAPD refers three party houses for potential utility cuts

Los Angeles is considering cutting power to at least three houses for violating coronavirus-related rules against social gatherings , according to police and city officials .
One is a Hollywood home linked to a social media star who allegedly threw a birthday party with many guests .
LAPD officers issued citations for noisy gatherings at 13 different homes this past weekend , warning the hosts that they could have their utilities cut — including water and power — if they continued to host parties there .
The host of one party in the city ’ s Central Division refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow-up notice that same night , police said .
That address , which police said they could not provide , was forwarded to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti ’ s office for a potential utility shut-off .
Also forwarded to Garcetti ’ s office was the Hollywood address of a home linked to TikTok star Bryce Hall , who came under scrutiny after allegedly holding a birthday bash where online videos showed guests not wearing masks or social distancing .
Police officials said the home had been the location of other parties .
Hosts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned this weekend complied with police directives to disperse their guests .
Their addresses were not forwarded to Garcetti ’ s office , but have been added to a list of homes that have received a preliminary warning and would be subject to a utility cut-off if they continued to host gatherings , officials said .
“ We ’ re keeping track of where these incidents occurred , ” said Josh Rubenstein , a police spokesman .
Gatherings of individuals from different households , of any size , are prohibited under Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcetti first announced earlier this month that homes that host parties could have their utilities cut off , particularly after repeated violations .
He made the announcement after a large house party at a mansion on Mulholland Drive on Aug. 3 ended in a fatal shooting .
Police said additional hosts had received citations and warnings since Garcetti ’ s announcement and prior to this weekend , including one additional Hollywood address that was referred to Garcetti ’ s office — but they did not have a total count of homes cited .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any homes as of Tuesday afternoon .
Some in Los Angeles , including the union that represents rank-and-file LAPD officers , have questioned the role of police in shutting down parties .
However , Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the Police Commission on Tuesday that police are in lockstep with health officials on the issue of parties during the pandemic — agreeing they should not be occurring — and will continue monitoring , citing and reporting hosts of large gatherings , especially those who show “ blatant disregard ” for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend parties forwarded to Garcetti ’ s office , citations were issued at six additional parties in Hollywood , two in West L.A. , and one each in the city ’ s Wilshire , Hollenbeck and West Valley divisions , police officials said .

Aerial view of a large house party, on Mulholland Drive in Beverly Crest, where three people were shot.
Los Angeles is considering cutting power to at least three houses for violating coronavirus-related rules against social gatherings, according to police and city officials.
One is a Hollywood home linked to a social media star who allegedly threw a birthday party with many guests.
LAPD officers issued citations for noisy gatherings at 13 different homes this past weekend, warning the hosts that they could have their utilities cut — including water and power — if they continued to host parties there.
The host of one party in the city’s Central Division refused to heed the initial warning and received a follow-up notice that same night, police said. That address, which police said they could not provide, was forwarded to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office for a potential utility shut-off.
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Also forwarded to Garcetti’s office was the Hollywood address of a home linked to TikTok star Bryce Hall, who came under scrutiny after allegedly holding a birthday bash where online videos showed guests not wearing masks or social distancing.
Police officials said the home had been the location of other parties.
Hosts of the 11 other parties who were warned this weekend complied with police directives to disperse their guests. Their addresses were not forwarded to Garcetti’s office, but have been added to a list of homes that have received a preliminary warning and would be subject to a utility cut-off if they continued to host gatherings, officials said.
“We’re keeping track of where these incidents occurred,” said Josh Rubenstein, a police spokesman.
Gatherings of individuals from different households, of any size, are prohibited under Los Angeles County’s coronavirus health order.
Garcetti first announced earlier this month that homes that host parties could have their utilities cut off, particularly after repeated violations. He made the announcement after a large house party at a mansion on Mulholland Drive on Aug. 3 ended in a fatal shooting.
Police said additional hosts had received citations and warnings since Garcetti’s announcement and prior to this weekend, including one additional Hollywood address that was referred to Garcetti’s office — but they did not have a total count of homes cited.
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The city had not cut utilities to any homes as of Tuesday afternoon.
Some in Los Angeles, including the union that represents rank-and-file LAPD officers, have questioned the role of police in shutting down parties.
However, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the Police Commission on Tuesday that police are in lockstep with health officials on the issue of parties during the pandemic — agreeing they should not be occurring — and will continue monitoring, citing and reporting hosts of large gatherings, especially those who show “blatant disregard” for the rules.
In addition to the two weekend parties forwarded to Garcetti’s office, citations were issued at six additional parties in Hollywood, two in West L.A., and one each in the city’s Wilshire, Hollenbeck and West Valley divisions, police officials said.


latimes--2020-08-18--Slowing COVID-19 outbreak has California weighing what next reopening will look like

California health officials are beginning to mull what the next phase of reopening may look like , offering a glimmer of hope for places like Los Angeles County .
For more than a month , the bulk of the state ’ s 58 counties have been on a watchlist of municipalities with worrisome COVID-19 statistics .
Health officials weigh key metrics to gauge the virus ’ spread in the community and the county ’ s ability to respond to it .
Counties that don ’ t meet the state ’ s criteria are restricted from fulling opening all parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benchmarks that must be met before a county can be removed from the list , and Los Angeles County has hit five of them : the average daily number of infections ; hospitalizations and deaths are all declining ; the county is testing more than 150 people per 100,000 residents daily ; and it has enough intensive care beds and ventilators to conceivably handle a sharp rise in patients .
But L.A. County is far removed from the required 14-day average of fewer than 100 infections per 100,000 residents .
As of Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 239.2 positive cases per 100,000 people .
Still , the average is a marked improvement from last week ’ s 335 per capita .
“ As counties come off the list , we ’ d consider what the update to the state health officer order would be to begin moving from where they are today to potentially a degree of being reopened , ” state health officer Dr. Mark Ghaly said at a news conference Tuesday .
“ We ’ re working through that internally , looking at the data closely , ensuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , Santa Cruz County was removed from the state ’ s watchlist , and Amador , Mendocino , Inyo and Calaveras counties were added .
San Diego County , which has been reporting less than 100 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents for days now , could be taken off the list next week if the trend continues .
“ Many counties across the state are doing things really well , ” Ghaly said , citing the success of mask requirements , isolating the sick and tracking down new cases as part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those that are nearing coming off the monitoring list have likely been at some of these efforts potentially a little longer.
” On Monday , there were nearly 10,000 new cases reported and nearly 100 more deaths .
And while infections and deaths have dropped in recent days , hospitalizations increased Tuesday for the first time in two weeks , Ghaly said .
“ One day is not a trend , but it ’ s an important number that we ’ ll continue to watch to make sure it doesn ’ t become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Looking ahead , Ghaly urged the public to prepare for the flu season , which is imminent .
Because the illness is also a respiratory disease , many of the precautions people are taking against the transmission of COVID-19 should work to slow the spread of the flu .
“ But unlike for COVID , we actually have a vaccine , ” Ghaly said .
“ Not only will it protect you and your communities , but it may be exactly what you need to avoid a visit to the emergency room .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ER and urgent care centers might create an exposure risk to COVID-19.
” Vaccination trends against the flu don ’ t look promising , though , he said .
Initially , the public was being vaccinated in 2020 at a similar rate to last year , Ghaly said .
But as the COVID-19 pandemic spread , flu vaccinations dropped dramatically in the spring .
Only recently have the numbers ramped up .
“ The fact that we are still fairly low relative to the peak in August , gives us concern and allows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , parents — to use this time to schedule that critical appointment and catch up on vaccinations so we don ’ t lose some of those important gains California has made , ” Ghaly said .

California health officials are beginning to mull what the next phase of reopening may look like, offering a glimmer of hope for places like Los Angeles County.
For more than a month, the bulk of the state’s 58 counties have been on a watchlist of municipalities with worrisome COVID-19 statistics. Health officials weigh key metrics to gauge the virus’ spread in the community and the county’s ability to respond to it. Counties that don’t meet the state’s criteria are restricted from fully opening all parts of the economy.
There are several benchmarks that must be met before a county can be removed from the list, and Los Angeles County has hit most of them: the average daily number of infections; hospitalizations and deaths are all declining; and it has enough intensive care beds and ventilators to conceivably handle a sharp rise in patients.
But L.A. County is far removed from the required 14-day average of fewer than 100 infections per 100,000 residents. As of Tuesday, the county’s rate was 239.2 positive cases per 100,000 people. Still, the average is a marked improvement from last week’s 335 per capita.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday said state public health officials are crafting a new set of state-mandated protocols on how counties, once off the state’s monitoring list, can begin to reopen their economies and relax coronavirus restrictions in this second go-round.
“The last time we did this we empowered local health officers to make decisions for themselves,” Newsom said. “We’re going to be focusing a much deeper emphasis on the how this time, not just the when.”
People wear masks on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to protect against the coronavirus. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
L.A. County health officials announced 1,003 new cases Tuesday and 64 more deaths, pushing the county’s overall totals to 224,031 cases and 5,335 deaths since the outbreak began. Hospitalizations have dropped by more than a third in the last month.
“I hope we can stay on this trajectory,” said County Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose district has recorded many of the area’s cases. “We’ve been hitting it very hard, letting people know that they have got to be a part of the solution and the only way we’re going to get the economy back and get the people back to work is to lower these rates.”
More than 2.1 million people in Los Angeles County have been tested for COVID-19, with about 10% testing positive, county health officials said in a statement Tuesday.
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“As we work together to prevent more illness and death from COVID-19, it is important to note that while testing can help identify people who are infected, testing alone cannot prevent all transmission,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.
“Individuals who test positive are capable of infecting others 48 hours before they have any symptoms or a positive test result. The best way to prevent transmission is to take universal precautions — keep six feet apart from others, wear a face covering outside your home and wash hands often.”
On Monday, Santa Cruz County was removed from the state’s watchlist, and Amador, Mendocino, Inyo and Calaveras counties were added. San Diego County, which has been reporting less than 100 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents for days now, was removed from the list Tuesday.
“Many counties across the state are doing things really well,” said state health officer Dr. Mark Ghaly, citing the success of mask requirements, isolating the sick and tracking down new cases as part of the reason. “Some of those that are nearing coming off the monitoring list have likely been at some of these efforts potentially a little longer.”
On Monday, there were nearly 10,000 new cases reported and nearly 100 more deaths. And while infections and deaths have dropped in recent days, hospitalizations increased Tuesday for the first time in two weeks, Ghaly said.
“One day is not a trend, but it’s an important number that we’ll continue to watch to make sure it doesn’t become a trend,” he said.
1 / 20 Christina Dagle and her daughter Eleanor Eades, 4, buy flowers from Devynn’s Garden in Seal Beach. Some businesses began reopening Friday under a relaxation of the state’s stay-at-home order. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 20 Manager Ruben Cortez with online orders ready to be picked up at Lovell’s Records in Whittier. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 20 Davon Artis, owner of Cool Kicks, sits with a bottle of hand sanitizer as he awaits customers Friday at his sports shoe and apparel store on Melrose Avenue. Artis said he had only a few curbside customers. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 20 Jessica Knudsen, a sales associate at Cookies, a street wear clothing store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, gives change and a backpack purchase to customer Jason Green of Tampa, Fla. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 20 Kim Wicker, owner of Monte’s Camera in Whittier, continued to keep his shop closed Friday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 20 A security guard gets some exercise while keeping watch at the still-closed Apple Store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica on Friday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 20 Katrina Woerner at her family business, Pour Le Bain in Whittier, which reopened Friday for online order pickup. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 20 Ben, Julia, Luke and Ethan Brenier, from left, help ready their family store, the Wishing Well, for reopening in Whittier. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 20 Shopper Enid Koffler, left, talks with clothing store owner Holly Boies at her shop on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. Boies is planning to open her store Friday for curbside pickup.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 20 Ethan Brenier helps his mother prepare to reopen their family store in Whittier.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 20 Rebecca Barnes prepares bouquets at a florist in Long Beach, set to open two days before Mother’s Day.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angelels Times) 12 / 20 Customers in San Clemente, without wearing masks or abiding by social distancing guidelines, stand in line at a newly reopened restaurant.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 20 Linda McLoughlin Figel, owner of Pages a Bookstore in Manhattan Beach, left, helps customer Michael Leo. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 20 A mural decorates a closed business in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 20 A closed thrift shop on Main Street in Santa Monica. Some retail businesses will reopen for curbside pickup Friday.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 20 Kay Kabir, 71, walks down a deserted Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 20 Debra Consani prepares the Growing Wild florist for reopening in Manhattan Beach.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 20 Jay Demircift, co-owner of Puzzle Zoo, prepares his shop in Santa Monica, which will be reopening at a later date. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 20 A message board tracks the struggles of a shop owner on Main Street in Santa Monica.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 20 Alice Lefae cleans up a Long Beach shop’s exterior in preparation for Friday’s reopening.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
As of Tuesday, California had recorded 632,667 coronavirus cases and 11,342 deaths. A data backlog that had kept the results of up to 300,000 tests off the state’s tally has since been resolved and most of the positive cases have been included in the state’s total, Ghaly said. Los Angeles County officials, on the other hand, said they anticipate more of the backlogged cases to appear into future totals.
Looking ahead, Ghaly urged the public to prepare for the flu season, which is imminent. Because the illness is also a respiratory disease, many of the precautions people are taking against the transmission of COVID-19 should work to slow the spread of the flu.
“But unlike for COVID, we actually have a vaccine,” Ghaly said. “Not only will it protect you and your communities, but it may be exactly what you need to avoid a visit to the emergency room. We know that additional movement in the ER and urgent care centers might create an exposure risk to COVID-19.”
Vaccination trends against the flu don’t look promising, though, he said.
Initially, the public was being vaccinated in 2020 at a similar rate to last year, Ghaly said. But as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, flu vaccinations dropped dramatically in the spring. Only recently have the numbers ramped up.
“The fact that we are still fairly low relative to the peak in August, gives us concern and allows me to encourage families — and caregivers, parents — to use this time to schedule that critical appointment and catch up on vaccinations so we don’t lose some of those important gains California has made,” Ghaly said.
Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-18--L.A. County man accused of voting in three elections as his dead mother

A Norwalk man is facing voter fraud charges after prosecutors say he cast ballots in several elections using the name of his mother , who had died years earlier .
Caesar Peter Abutin , 55 , pretended to be his mother in three elections between October 2012 and November 2014 , the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office said Tuesday .
In each of the elections , Abutin claimed to be his 67-year-old mother , who had died in July 2006 , prosecutors said .
Abutin also cast votes using his own identity .
Such voter fraud charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often are hard to prove , but officials said Abutin ’ s repeated pattern of voting using a long-deceased relative ’ s ID raised alarm bells .
The deceptive practice was discovered after an investigation by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and the district attorney ’ s office .
Abutin was charged last month with one felony count each of fraud in connection with votes cast and fraudulent voting .
He pleaded not guilty Tuesday and is scheduled to return for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 28 .
If convicted , Abutin faces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

A Norwalk man is facing voter fraud charges after prosecutors say he cast ballots in several elections using the name of his mother, who had died years earlier.
Caesar Peter Abutin, 55, pretended to be his mother in three elections between October 2012 and November 2014, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Tuesday.
In each of the elections, Abutin claimed to be his 67-year-old mother, who had died in July 2006, prosecutors said. Abutin also cast votes using his own identity.
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Such voter fraud charges are rarely filed in L.A. County and often are hard to prove, but officials said Abutin’s repeated pattern of voting using a long-deceased relative’s ID raised alarm bells. The deceptive practice was discovered after an investigation by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and the district attorney’s office.
Abutin was charged last month with one felony count each of fraud in connection with votes cast and fraudulent voting. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday and is scheduled to return for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 28.
If convicted, Abutin faces up to three years in state prison.


latimes--2020-08-18--Britney Spears 'strongly opposed' to her father being sole conservator

Britney Spears is asking a California court to remove her father , Jamie Spears — who has long handled the decision-making in both her personal and professional life — as her sole court-appointed conservator .
The pop star ’ s attorney requested that Jodi Montgomery , the temporary , licensed professional conservator overseeing her protracted case since September , be named permanent conservator of Spears ’ personal affairs , according to court documents obtained by The Times .
“ We are now at a point where the conservatorship must be changed substantially in order to reflect the major changes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Spears ’ attorney , Samuel D. Ingham III , wrote in documents filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court .
The 38-year-old entertainer is “ strongly opposed ” to having her father return as what the court calls a “ conservator of her person ” and “ strongly prefers ” that Montgomery continue in that role before her appointment expires on Aug. 22 .
As for the estate , Jamie Spears has been calling the shots since his co-conservator Andrew M. Wallet resigned in March 2019 .
Spears is also opposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by himself and prefers to have a “ qualified corporate fiduciary ” appointed to serve in the role , the documents said .
Ingham said he expects the efforts to be “ aggressively contested ” by Jamie Spears .
A remote status hearing in the case has been scheduled for Wednesday .
To coincide with it , a # FreeBritney rally outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown L.A. has been organized to demand an end to the conservatorship altogether .
The move comes as the viral # FreeBritney campaign gained steam in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question Jamie Spears ’ handling of the “ Toxic ” singer ’ s life .
Earlier this month , Jamie Spears slammed the campaign , which claims the pop musician is being held captive by him , arguing that the movement ’ s organizers are “ conspiracy theorists.
” “ Fans and advocates argue that the conservatorship was established for financial reasons instead of the treatment of Britney ’ s mental health , ” organizers said in a statement to The Times .
“ Tomorrow ’ s hearing is so important because Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britney ’ s temporary conservator Jodi Montgomery and hopefully , Britney can speak to the judge.
” Since 2008 , when she was twice , the pop star has been under the legal guardianship of her father , lawyers and a care manager .
The rare legal arrangement , meant to protect individuals who are unable to care for themselves , allows the elder Spears to negotiate on his daughter ’ s behalf in business , sell her property and control who she can see .
All of her purchases are logged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court on an annual basis .
In Tuesday ’ s documents , the singer ’ s attorney summed up the lifetime of the case in three phases .
The first is “ triage , ” in which her conservators “ rescued her from a collapse , exploitation by predatory individuals and financial ruin ” when the case began in 2008 .
The other two phases cover her resurgent performing years , followed by her recently stated desire not to perform .
In recent months , the `` ... Baby One More Time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears that she is trapped and sending coded messages for help through her Instagram posts .
In April , after the mother of two revealed she accidentally her followers bombarded her post with comments expressing their concern for her well-being .
One urged Spears to wear a specific color of outfit in her next Instagram post , and when she did , it was taken as a sign that she was indeed secretly requesting aid .
In May , Spears released a previously unavailable single , from her 2016 album , “ Glory.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Las Vegas residency and checked into a mental health facility after revealing that her father was sick .
She has not performed live since 2018 .

Pop star Britney Spears is making moves to remove her father as sole conservator of her person and estate.
Britney Spears is asking a California court to remove her father, Jamie Spears — who has long handled the decision-making in both her personal and professional life — as her sole court-appointed conservator.
The pop star’s attorney requested that Jodi Montgomery, the temporary, licensed professional conservator overseeing her protracted case since September, be named permanent conservator of Spears’ personal affairs, according to court documents obtained by The Times.
“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,” Spears’ attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, wrote in documents filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
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The 38-year-old entertainer is “strongly opposed” to having her father return as what the court calls a “conservator of her person” and “strongly prefers” that Montgomery continue in that role before her appointment expires on Aug. 22.
As for the estate, Jamie Spears has been calling the shots since his co-conservator Andrew M. Wallet resigned in March 2019. 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, the documents said.
Ingham said he expects the efforts to be “aggressively contested” by Jamie Spears.
A remote status hearing in the case has been scheduled for Wednesday. To coincide with it, a #FreeBritney rally outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown L.A. has been organized to demand an end to the conservatorship altogether.
Britney Spears fans and demonstrators rally to oppose her conservatorship outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2019. (Laura Newberry / Los Angeles Times)
The move comes as the viral #FreeBritney campaign gained steam in recent weeks, with fans continuing to question Jamie Spears’ handling of the “Toxic” singer’s life. Earlier this month, Jamie Spears slammed the campaign, which claims the pop musician is being held captive by him, arguing that the movement’s organizers are “conspiracy theorists.”
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“Fans and advocates argue that the conservatorship was established for financial reasons instead of the treatment of Britney’s mental health,” organizers said in a statement to The Times. “Tomorrow’s hearing is so important because Judge Brenda Penny will evaluate the role of Britney’s temporary conservator Jodi Montgomery and hopefully, Britney can speak to the judge.”
Since 2008, when she was twice committed to a psychiatric ward , the pop star has been under the legal guardianship of her father, lawyers and a care manager. The rare legal arrangement, meant to protect individuals who are unable to care for themselves, allows the elder Spears to negotiate on his daughter’s behalf in business, sell her property and control who she can see. All of her purchases are logged in a spending report that is sent to the court on an annual basis.
In Tuesday’s documents, the singer’s attorney summed up the lifetime of the case in three phases. The first is “triage,” in which her conservators “rescued her from a collapse, exploitation by predatory individuals and financial ruin” when the case began in 2008. The other two phases cover her resurgent performing years, followed by her recently stated desire not to perform.
In recent months, 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. In April, after the mother of two revealed she accidentally burned down her home gym, her followers bombarded her post with comments expressing their concern for her well-being. One urged Spears to wear a specific color of outfit in her next Instagram post, and when she did, it was taken as a sign that she was indeed secretly requesting aid.
In May, Spears released a previously unavailable single, “Mood Ring,” from her 2016 album, “Glory.” Last year, she 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.
Times staff writer Amy Kaufman contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-18--Complaints against LAPD increased in 2019, but few resulted in discipline

Complaints against Los Angeles police officers rose in 2019 compared with the prior two years , though most were determined to be unfounded and only a small percentage resulted in officers being disciplined , according to a new report .
The department continued a years-long streak of clearing every single officer accused of biased policing .
A total of 3,763 complaints were fielded in 2019 , more than three-quarters of them from members of the public , according to the department ’ s annual report .
That ’ s compared with 3,567 complaints in 2018 and 3,217 in 2017 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 were “ sustained ” — or determined valid — by internal affairs investigators and other supervisors overall , the report found .
Less than 4 % of complaints filed by members of the public were sustained , compared with 5 % of such complaints in 2018 .
Of 734 complaints alleging biased policing in 2019 , zero were sustained .
That continues a pattern of the department finding no such complaints valid , after sustaining none of 494 such complaints in 2018 and none of 514 such complaints in 2017 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Police Commission ’ s meeting Tuesday , but was taken off the agenda at the start of the meeting .
Commission President Eileen Decker said the change was made at the request of the police department .
Josh Rubenstein , an LAPD spokesman , said the report was taken off the agenda , to be reintroduced at a later date , because LAPD Chief Michel Moore had been on vacation and had not had an opportunity to review the report before Tuesday ’ s commission meeting .
Rubenstein said Moore was reviewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments ” on it at the next commission meeting .
The report shows officers were accused of a variety of offenses and policy violations last year , including drunken driving , neglect of duty , unbecoming conduct , sexual misconduct , drug offenses , financial dishonesty and making false statements .
More than 50 were accused of being involved in a “ domestic altercation.
” Of 524 officers who had charges sustained against them in investigations that were concluded last year , 208 were admonished or reprimanded as punishment , 138 were suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were demoted .
An additional 100 received no penalty .
Eighteen officers were fired in 2018 , and 17 were fired in 2017 .
The department determined that it was unable to impose punishment on 58 officers last year because the officer had already resigned , retired or otherwise left the department .
The report shows that officers avoided punishment for a variety of offenses by retiring or resigning .
Moore has previously complained about his inability to fire some officers after disciplinary boards ruled they could stay on the force after holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sandoz , vice president of the union that represents rank-and-file officers , said it was “ unfair ” to discuss the increased number of complaints without also noting that those deemed “ demonstrably false ” by investigators had also sharply risen , by hundreds of cases .
Sandoz said false claims should “ cause concern for everyone ” and that city prosecutors should hold people who file them accountable .
Also Tuesday , the Police Commission changed the rules for public comment during its virtual meetings via Zoom — limiting it to 45 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The change required callers to comment on agenda items before the commission and police officials discussed them .
The change was met with outrage by callers , who called it a disrespectful ploy to avoid public scrutiny of the LAPD and the commission itself .
Activists also protested the change outside Mayor Eric Garcetti ’ s home , and sent emails to Garcetti and other city officials with the subject , “ Stop Silencing Our Voices !
” At the end of the commission meeting , Decker said the rules for meetings @ @ @ @ @ @

Complaints against LAPD officers were up in 2019, but few resulted in discipline.
Complaints against Los Angeles police officers rose in 2019 compared with the prior two years, though most were determined to be unfounded and only a small percentage resulted in officers being disciplined, according to a new report.
The department continued a years-long streak of clearing every single officer accused of biased policing.
A total of 3,763 complaints were fielded in 2019, more than three-quarters of them from members of the public, according to the department’s annual report. That’s compared with 3,567 complaints in 2018 and 3,217 in 2017.
Only about 10% of complaints in 2019 were “sustained” — or determined valid — by internal affairs investigators and other supervisors overall, the report found. Less than 4% of complaints filed by members of the public were sustained, compared with 5% of such complaints in 2018.
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Of 734 complaints alleging biased policing in 2019, zero were sustained. That continues a pattern of the department finding no such complaints valid, after sustaining none of 494 such complaints in 2018 and none of 514 such complaints in 2017.
The report was attached to the agenda for the Police Commission’s meeting Tuesday, but was taken off the agenda at the start of the meeting.
Commission President Eileen Decker said the change was made at the request of the police department. Josh Rubenstein, an LAPD spokesman, said the report was taken off the agenda, to be reintroduced at a later date, because LAPD Chief Michel Moore had been on vacation and had not had an opportunity to review the report before Tuesday’s commission meeting.
Rubenstein said Moore was reviewing the report and would have “detailed comments” on it at the next commission meeting.
The report shows officers were accused of a variety of offenses and policy violations last year, including drunken driving, neglect of duty, unbecoming conduct, sexual misconduct, drug offenses, financial dishonesty and making false statements. More than 50 were accused of being involved in a “domestic altercation.”
Of 524 officers who had charges sustained against them in investigations that were concluded last year, 208 were admonished or reprimanded as punishment, 138 were suspended and 16 were fired. Four officers were demoted. An additional 100 received no penalty.
Eighteen officers were fired in 2018, and 17 were fired in 2017.
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The department determined that it was unable to impose punishment on 58 officers last year because the officer had already resigned, retired or otherwise left the department.
The report shows that officers avoided punishment for a variety of offenses by retiring or resigning.
Moore has previously complained about his inability to fire some officers after disciplinary boards ruled they could stay on the force after holding hearings on their alleged misconduct.
Jerretta Sandoz, vice president of the union that represents rank-and-file officers, said it was “unfair” to discuss the increased number of complaints without also noting that those deemed “demonstrably false” by investigators had also sharply risen, by hundreds of cases.
Sandoz said false claims should “cause concern for everyone” and that city prosecutors should hold people who file them accountable.
Also Tuesday, the Police Commission changed the rules for public comment during its virtual meetings via Zoom — limiting it to 45 minutes at the start of the meeting. The change required callers to comment on agenda items before the commission and police officials discussed them.
The change was met with outrage by callers, who called it a disrespectful ploy to avoid public scrutiny of the LAPD and the commission itself.
Activists also protested the change outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s home, and sent emails to Garcetti and other city officials with the subject, “Stop Silencing Our Voices!”
At the end of the commission meeting, Decker said the rules for meetings will continue to be evaluated.


latimes--2020-08-18--Man charged with arson in Ranch 2 fire burning near Azusa homes

A 36-year-old man living near the scene of a massive blaze that burned thousands of hillside acres near Azusa last week was charged Tuesday with starting the fire , prosecutors said .
Osmin Palencia faces one felony count each of arson during a state of emergency and arson of a structure or forest , according to the Los Angeles County district attorney ’ s office .
Palencia , who lives in a tent in a homeless encampment in the Azusa Canyon riverbed , started the fire Aug. 13 during an argument , prosecutors said .
The blaze , dubbed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contained Tuesday after charring more than 3,000 acres of dry brush , according to the Los Angles County Fire Department .
The fast-moving fire started about 2:45 p.m. Thursday in the San Gabriel River bed and prompted evacuations and road closures , authorities said .
It ’ s one of dozens of wildfires burning across the state .
Before he surrendered , Palencia was described by Azusa police as potentially violent , with multiple active arrest warrants .
Court records showed he previously was convicted of dissuading a witness in 2015 .
Palencia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bail is set at $ 435,000 .
If convicted as charged , he faces a possible maximum sentence of 23 years in state prison .
It was not immediately clear whether Palencia had an attorney .
The case remains under investigation by Azusa police and the Los Angeles County Fire Department .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .

A firefighting helicopter makes an approach to drop water on the Ranch 2 fire in the hills above a cluster of homes along the San Gabriel River near Azusa.
A 36-year-old man living near the scene of a massive blaze that burned thousands of hillside acres near Azusa last week was charged Tuesday with starting the fire, prosecutors said.
Osmin Palencia faces one felony count each of arson during a state of emergency and arson of a structure or forest, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Palencia, who lives in a tent in a homeless encampment in the Azusa Canyon riverbed, started the fire Aug. 13 during an argument, prosecutors said.
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The blaze, dubbed the Ranch 2 Fire, was 19% contained Tuesday after charring more than 3,000 acres of dry brush, according to the Los Angles County Fire Department. The fast-moving fire started about 2:45 p.m. Thursday in the San Gabriel River bed and prompted evacuations and road closures, authorities said.
It’s one of dozens of wildfires burning across the state.
Before he surrendered, Palencia was described by Azusa police as potentially violent, with multiple active arrest warrants. Court records showed he previously was convicted of dissuading a witness in 2015.
Palencia is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Bail is set at $435,000. If convicted as charged, he faces a possible maximum sentence of 23 years in state prison. It was not immediately clear whether Palencia had an attorney.
The case remains under investigation by Azusa police and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-18--L.A. councilman wants to stop hotels from housing migrant children

Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo wants to stop local hotels from being used by private security firms to house and detain migrant children or families , saying he was appalled by a recent report that a Chinatown hotel had been used for that purpose .
Cedillo introduced a proposal Tuesday to bar or suspend the certificate of occupancy — a document that confirms a structure is in compliance with building codes — for any hotel that is used for detaining migrant youth or families .
Doing so , his spokesman Conrado TerrazasCross said , would prevent such hotels from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want anybody to ever think this is OK in the city of Los Angeles , ” Cedillo said .
“ This is a sanctuary city and that has to mean something ... We are not participating in the horrific , draconian policies of Donald Trump.
” Implementing the proposal would require the entire council to vote to ask city lawyers to draft an ordinance , which would be returned to the council for approval .
Federal officials have increasingly been using hotels to detain migrant families and unaccompanied children under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have referred to as a “ shadow system ” that lacks important safeguards .
Lawyers for one Guatemalan teen told The Times in May that their 16-year-old client , an asylum seeker , had been shuttled from city to city and hotel to hotel , repeatedly cut off from contact with her attorneys .
The growing practice under cover of the COVID-19 pandemic has alarmed immigrant advocates who say the facilities are not designed for them and risks additional trauma , the Associated Press reported .
This week , the New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinatown — which is part of the council district represented by Cedillo — was one of several hotels used by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to detain migrants during the 2020 fiscal year .
The newspaper also identified a Quality Suites in San Diego and other hotels operated by major chains in Texas , Arizona , Florida and Washington state , citing government data and court documents .
ICE told the New York Times that the children were being adequately cared for at the hotels .
The Best Western chain said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and operated , but said the Chinatown hotel had “ confirmed it is not providing accommodations to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees.
” When asked whether migrants had been detained there previously , Best Western said it was “ not aware of any evidence to support the allegation that individuals were detained at the hotel in 2020.
” A front desk employee reached Monday at the Best Western Plus Dragon Gate Inn said the hotel had been closed since April and declined to provide any further information .
The American Hotel & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal from Cedillo , said in a statement that hotels “ are not intended or equipped to serve as detention centers or for detaining people.
” “ We are concerned about recent news reports of hotel rooms being used in this manner and we encourage hoteliers to be vigilant against suspicious booking tactics that may be used to disguise the true purpose of a reservation , ” the association said .
Cedillo was skeptical that hotels would not realize that rooms were being booked for detainees .
“ It seems incumbent upon the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be concerned about who they ’ re working with , ” the councilman said .

Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo wants to stop local hotels from being used by private security firms to house and detain migrant children or families, saying he was appalled by a recent report that a Chinatown hotel had been used for that purpose.
Cedillo introduced a proposal Tuesday to bar or suspend the certificate of occupancy — a document that confirms a structure is in compliance with building codes — for any hotel that is used for detaining migrant youth or families.
Doing so, his spokesman Conrado TerrazasCross said, would prevent such hotels from being able to operate.
“We don’t want anybody to ever think this is OK in the city of Los Angeles,” Cedillo said. “This is a sanctuary city and that has to mean something ... We are not participating in the horrific, draconian policies of Donald Trump.”
Implementing the proposal would require the entire council to vote to ask city lawyers to draft an ordinance, which would be returned to the council for approval.
Federal officials have increasingly been using hotels to detain migrant families and unaccompanied children under the Trump administration, in what critics have referred to as a “shadow system” that lacks important safeguards.
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Lawyers for one Guatemalan teen told The Times in May that their 16-year-old client, an asylum seeker, had been shuttled from city to city and hotel to hotel, repeatedly cut off from contact with her attorneys. The growing practice under cover of the COVID-19 pandemic has alarmed immigrant advocates who say the facilities are not designed for them and risks additional trauma, the Associated Press reported.
This week, the New York Times reported that a Best Western hotel in Chinatown — which is part of the council district represented by Cedillo — was one of several hotels used by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to detain migrants during the 2020 fiscal year.
The newspaper also identified a Quality Suites in San Diego and other hotels operated by major chains in Texas, Arizona, Florida and Washington state, citing government data and court documents. ICE told the New York Times that the children were being adequately cared for at the hotels.
The Best Western chain said that its branded hotels are independently owned and operated, but said the Chinatown hotel had “confirmed it is not providing accommodations to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees.” When asked whether migrants had been detained there previously, Best Western said it was “not aware of any evidence to support the allegation that individuals were detained at the hotel in 2020.”
A front desk employee reached Monday at the Best Western Plus Dragon Gate Inn said the hotel had been closed since April and declined to provide any further information.
The American Hotel & Lodging Assn., when asked about the proposal from Cedillo, said in a statement that hotels “are not intended or equipped to serve as detention centers or for detaining people.”
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“We are concerned about recent news reports of hotel rooms being used in this manner and we encourage hoteliers to be vigilant against suspicious booking tactics that may be used to disguise the true purpose of a reservation,” the association said.
Cedillo was skeptical that hotels would not realize that rooms were being booked for detainees. “It seems incumbent upon the hotel — or any business — to be concerned about who they’re working with,” the councilman said.


latimes--2020-08-18--Newsom declares statewide emergency as fires burn across California

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide emergency in order to help California respond to the fires burning across the state amid an extreme heat wave .
More than 30 wildfires are burning across California , including nearly a dozen that started in the last two days , according to officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and a Times analysis .
Officials have said more rolling blackouts are likely this afternoon and evening due to power shortages tied to the heat .
While the containment of some fires is increasing , other blazes are being sparked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excessive heat and lightning-fueled thunderstorms induced by a tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean .
In a press release , Gov .
Newsom ’ s office said that the state had secured assistance this week 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 , ” said Newsom .
“ California and its federal and local partners are working in lockstep to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face of continued dangerous weather conditions.
” Cal Fire Capt .
Richard Cordova said most of the biggest fires — including several in the Central Valley and Northern California — are believed to have been caused by lightning strikes , which can alight dry grasses and brush .
The River fire in Monterey County , which has burned through more than 4,000 acres and is 10 % contained , as well as fires in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties — including the CZU August Lightning Complex , which has burned through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pose threats to the population , Cordova said .
The River fire has already destroyed six structures and damaged two others , according to Cal Fire .
More than 1,500 structures remain threatened by the blaze that has prompted mandatory evacuations .
“ We had this kind of occurrence happen in 2008 , where we had numerous lightning strikes and fires in that region , ” Cordova said .
“ It ’ s a little late in the thunderstorm season , but not a rarity to see these lightning events take place.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 mercury reading on Earth in almost 90 years .
“ The heat wave is certainly not helping things , ” National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said of the fires , adding that the heat is not only an increased fire risk , but also a burden on firefighters .
“ It ’ s been a tough few days , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the week.
” Storms have also made matters worse .
Humidity from the Southeast is a source for some of the state ’ s thunderstorms , Wofford said , and although rain can help dampen fires and assist in containment efforts , gusty winds created by the storms can be hazardous .
In Southern California , Wofford said that thunderstorms have been contained mostly to the mountains , where the Lake fire in the Angeles National Forest has raged for more than a week .
The blaze has burned through more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of Tuesday morning .
In neighboring Ventura County , the Holser fire erupted Monday afternoon near Lake Piru and destroyed more than 1,000 acres .
Although the blaze did not grow much overnight , firefighters were not able to make any progress on containment .
Among the largest fires in the state — the Apple fire in Riverside County , which began July 31 — is now 95 % contained after burning more than 33,000 acres .
The blaze was ignited by a malfunctioning car , Cal Fire officials said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Empire , which were complicated by the coronavirus pandemic .
Designated evacuation centers were abandoned in favor of hotels in order to stem the potential spread of the illness among people in close quarters .
Fire officials say Southern California has entered a new chapter of the 2020 fire season , with vegetation that was soaked by a series of storms in the late spring now dried out and prone to ignition .
What comes next are the searing Santa Ana winds of the fall .
“ We ’ re getting to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hot , dry summer , ” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Darrell Osby said last week .
Cordova cautioned that residents looking to clear brush around their homes as part of fire-prevention efforts should do so before 10 a.m. , when the heat is more manageable .
“ It ’ s not too late — just don ’ t wait until the last minute when we get deeper into fire season , ” he said .

Colleen Shalby, Leila Miller, Taryn Luna

The Holser fire in Ventura County had burned at least 3,000 acres as of Monday night.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide emergency in order to help California respond to the fires burning across the state amid an extreme heat wave that brought more warnings about power outages on Tuesday.
More than 30 wildfires are burning across California, including nearly a dozen that started in the last two days, according to officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and a Times analysis.
While the containment of some fires is increasing, other blazes are being sparked and are growing amid a combination of excessive heat and lightning from thunderstorms induced by a tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean.
Air quality was bad in many parts of the state due to the fires and weather. But the Bay Area and other parts of Northern California were hit particularly hard as winds carried smoke from multiple fires in places such as Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo and Monterey counties into communities. Experts say the air quality could be even worse on Wednesday.
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The heat has continued to tax the state’s power supply. After rolling blackouts on Friday and Saturday, officials warned that more areas could lose power if people did not conserve. Blackouts were averted Tuesday when the California Independent System Operator called off power outages that had been anticipated statewide, crediting conservation efforts by consumers.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power did not institute rolling power outages either and provided excess power to Cal-ISO on Tuesday. Still, about 12,000 of its 1.5 million customers have been affected by outages — mostly for heat-related reasons such as overloaded equipment.
Newsom’s office said that the state had secured assistance this week 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.”
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.
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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.
Evacuation orders have also been issued in the mountains along the borders of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties.
Cal Fire Capt. Richard Cordova said most of the biggest fires — including several in the Central Valley and Northern California — are believed to have been caused by lightning strikes, which can ignite dry grasses and brush.
The River fire in Monterey County, which has burned through more than 4,000 acres and is 10% contained, as well as fires in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties — including the CZU August Lightning Complex, which has burned through 1,000 acres and has no containment — pose threats to the population, Cordova said.
VIDEO | 00:44 The Holser Fire near Lake Piru The Holser fire has destroyed over 1,000 acres in Ventura County.
The River fire has already destroyed six structures and damaged two others, according to Cal Fire. More than 1,500 structures remain threatened by the blaze, which has prompted mandatory evacuations.
“We had this kind of occurrence happen in 2008, where we had numerous lightning strikes and fires in that region,” Cordova said. “It’s a little late in the thunderstorm season, but not a rarity to see these lightning events take place.”
Firefighters are battling flames amid an intense 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 mercury reading on Earth in almost 90 years.
“The heat wave is certainly not helping things,” National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said of the fires, adding that the heat is not only an increased fire risk, but also a burden on firefighters. “It’s been a tough few days, and it’s going to stay pretty hot during the week.”
Storms have also made matters worse. Humidity from the Southeast is a source of some of the state’s thunderstorms, Wofford said, and although rain can help dampen fires and assist in containment efforts, gusty winds created by the storms can be hazardous.
In Southern California, Wofford said that thunderstorms have been contained mostly to the mountains, where the Lake fire in the Angeles National Forest has raged for more than a week. The blaze has burned through more than 22,000 acres and was 38% contained as of Tuesday evening.
In neighboring Ventura County, the Holser fire erupted Monday afternoon near Lake Piru and has burned at least 3,000 acres.
Among the largest fires in the state — the Apple fire in Riverside County, which began July 31 — is now 95% contained after burning more than 33,000 acres. The blaze was ignited by a malfunctioning car, Cal Fire officials said.
The fire prompted evacuation orders across the Inland Empire, which were complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. Designated evacuation centers were abandoned in favor of hotels in order to stem the potential spread of the illness among people in close quarters.
Lin reported from San Francisco, Shalby and Miller from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Joseph Serna and Taryn Luna contributed to this report.