latimes--2020-09-08--Monrovia, Duarte, other foothill cities alert to threat from wind-driven Bobcat fire

The Bobcat fire continued to burn unchecked Tuesday through the Angeles National Forest and officials warned that Santa Ana winds could cause the fire to threaten homes in several foothill communities .
At 0 % containment , the fire has burned 8,553 acres , nearly doubling in size since Monday .
“ The big worry is the weather model , which is forecasting a shift in the winds to Santa Ana winds , ” said Angeles National Forest representative John Clearwater , “ and there is a possibility of that fire being pushed south .
South of the fire line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monrovia , located at the base of the forest , have already been placed on notice and are being urged to stay alert for official evacuation orders .
If an order is issued , the city said it would work in two phases , Phase 1 to include residents north of Hillcrest Boulevard north of Greystone Avenue , and Phase 2 to include residents between Hillcrest Foothill boulevards .
“ We have been told to plan for the fire to get worse and we are asking all residents to be prepared and ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the city said in a statement .
“ Santa Ana winds can change the fire conditions incredibly quickly.
” The nearby cities of Arcadia , Duarte and Sierra Madre are also urging residents to remain vigilant .
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning through 8 p.m. Tuesday for the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles counties .
The Bobcat fire started just after noon Sunday , and is one of two fires currently burning in the region .
The El Dorado fire in the San Bernardino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acres and is roughly 16 % contained .
The Bobcat fire ’ s “ remote and rugged location ” has made it challenging to contain , Clearwater said , adding that establishing and reinforcing bulldozer lines around the fire is a top priority .
The Forest Service is now estimating its containment date as Oct. 15 .
“ It is growing rapidly , ” Clearwater said .
“ A lot of thought and preparation is going into how to mitigate and prevent that fire from moving into a position where it poses a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Observatory has a half-million-gallon , gravity-fed water tank filled and ready for battle should the Bobcat fire close in on the property , said the observatory ’ s director Tom Meneghini .
Three employees remain at the mountaintop location as a skeleton staff , ready to hand over the keys and fire hoses to firefighters if needed , Meneghini said .
The Bobcat fire is the third in as many months to pose a danger to the observatory , but the gravest threat in recent memory was the 2009 Station fire .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We had Arizona hotshots camped up there in the dome , living up there .
They were fighting defensively from the observatory .
We hope this isn ’ t a repeat.
” Conditions were calm Tuesday morning , as seen on observatory surveillance cameras , Meneghini said .
But Santa Ana winds forecast for the days ahead have him concerned .
“ I don ’ t know what that ’ s going to do , that ’ s the wild card in this whole thing , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — “ like gravity , there all the time , ” Meneghni said , He welcomed federal authorities ’ decision to close national forests in California during the current heat wave .
“ Given the heightened danger , I think it ’ s good .
I ’ m just kind of jaundiced on my fellow men being responsible for these conditions , ” Meneghini said of the fires .
“ Privilege comes with responsibility ... and we are our own worst enemies .
”

Firefighters huddle along Highway 39 in the San Gabriel Mountains to plan their attack on the Bobcat fire Tuesday.
The Bobcat fire continued to burn unchecked Tuesday through the Angeles National Forest and officials warned that Santa Ana winds could cause the fire to threaten homes in several foothill communities.
At 0% containment, the fire has burned more than 10,000 acres as of Tuesday night with red flag warnings issued due to the windy conditions.
“The big worry is the weather model, which is forecasting a shift in the winds to Santa Ana winds,” said Angeles National Forest representative John Clearwater, “and there is a possibility of that fire being pushed south. South of the fire line is our foothill communities.”
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Residents of Monrovia, located at the base of the forest, have already been placed on notice and are being urged to stay alert for official evacuation orders. If an order is issued, the city said it would work in two phases, Phase 1 to include residents north of Hillcrest Boulevard north of Greystone Avenue, and Phase 2 to include residents between Hillcrest Foothill boulevards.
“We have been told to plan for the fire to get worse and we are asking all residents to be prepared and ready if an evacuation order is issued,” the city said in a statement. “Santa Ana winds can change the fire conditions incredibly quickly.”
Arcadia also said residents living Foothill Boulevard and east of Santa Anita Avenue should be prepared to evacuate.
The nearby cities of Duarte and Sierra Madre are also urging residents to remain vigilant.
Residents of Monrovia were on edge as fire trucks roamed the neighborhood.
Cliff Armstrong, a cable marketer, has lived in the Cloverleaf Canyon neighborhood for 21 years. He said Tuesday that he has never seen so many firefighters moving in and around the area before.
Earlier in the day, Armstrong was watching helicopters dip large buckets into a sawpit debris basin. He saw firetrucks traveling up and down the street for the last two days.
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“I’ve never seen this level of preparation before,” he said.
Residents such as Armstrong say if they’re forced to evacuate it would be the first time they will have to flee their homes. Fires have come and gone through this area, including the Station fire in 2009.
Armstrong said he stayed behind, watering his home during that blaze.
“I don’t think I’ll risk it this time,” he said.
Neighbors have started packing up their cars and moving vehicles to the homes of friends living away from the mountains or in other cities. They share tips with one another about how to best defend their homes from a fire.
Outside their homes, Armstrong and his neighbor talk about those efforts. His neighbor tells him he’s removed all the cushions around the patio and floor mats, anything that is combustible.
“Oh, right, right. Well, wait a minute,” Armstrong said. “I have a garage full of toilet paper and paper towels because of the COVID thing, man,”
He chuckled.
“Remember it was hard to find? So I have a bunch of paper goods sitting in the garage.”
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning through 8 p.m. Tuesday for the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
California Aggressive winds feared as California battles biggest wildfire season Intense Diablo winds are forecast for parts of Northern California while Santa Ana winds are expected in Southern California.
The Bobcat fire started just after noon Sunday, and is one of two fires currently burning in the region. The El Dorado fire in the San Bernardino National Forest has burned more than 10,000 acres and is roughly 16% contained.
The Bobcat fire’s “remote and rugged location” has made it challenging to contain, Clearwater said, adding that establishing and reinforcing bulldozer lines around the fire is a top priority. The Forest Service is now estimating its containment date as Oct. 15.
“It is growing rapidly,” Clearwater said. “A lot of thought and preparation is going into how to mitigate and prevent that fire from moving into a position where it poses a serious risk.”
The Mt. Wilson Observatory has a half-million-gallon, gravity-fed water tank filled and ready for battle should the Bobcat fire close in on the property, said the observatory’s director Tom Meneghini.
Three employees remain at the mountaintop location as a skeleton staff, ready to hand over the keys and fire hoses to firefighters if needed, Meneghini said.
The Bobcat fire is the third in as many months to pose a danger to the observatory, but the gravest threat in recent memory was the 2009 Station fire.
“That took the cake,” Meneghini said. “We had Arizona hotshots camped up there in the dome, living up there. They were fighting defensively from the observatory. We hope this isn’t a repeat.”
Conditions were calm Tuesday morning, as seen on observatory surveillance cameras, Meneghini said. But Santa Ana winds forecast for the days ahead have him concerned.
“I don’t know what that’s going to do, that’s the wild card in this whole thing,” he said. Fire risk is part of forest life — “like gravity, there all the time,” Meneghni said, He welcomed federal authorities’ decision to close national forests in California during the current heat wave.
“Given the heightened danger, I think it’s good. I’m just kind of jaundiced on my fellow men being responsible for these conditions,” Meneghini said of the fires. “Privilege comes with responsibility ... and we are our own worst enemies.”


latimes--2020-09-08--Gang members went to wrong home in fatal Halloween party shooting, police say

A group of gang members who thought they were about to attack a rival faction was responsible for a shooting at a Halloween party that left three people dead and nine others injured in Long Beach last year , police said Tuesday .
Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said authorities executed 15 search warrants throughout California between Sept. 2 and Friday , capturing 10 suspects connected with the backyard attack in October 2019 .
On the night of the shooting , Luna said the suspects met in three vehicles in north Long Beach and drove seven miles to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where three people opened fire on party-goers .
The shooting was motivated by a gang dispute , but the assailants either went to the wrong address or had received bad information about who they were targeting , according to Luna .
“ This was a pre-planned attack on what the suspects incorrectly believed to be a party of rival gang members .
… None of the victims at that party were gang members , ” he said .
The shooting left three men dead : Maurice Poe Jr. , 25 , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 , of Gardena ; and Ricardo Torres , 28 , of Inglewood .
In all , a dozen men have been arrested in connection with the shooting .
Two suspects — Danny Sourn , 26 , and Jeremy Penh , 25 , — were already in custody in connection with an unrelated homicide , Long Beach police said in a news release .
The suspects arrested in recent days were David Long , 20 ; Christopher Williams , 28 ; Ryan Sim , 18 ; Kaylin Thik , 21 ; Derrik Mith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Grant Johnson , 35 ; Dara Chhun , 27 ; Samnang Long , 37 ; and Andy Prok , 28 .
All 10 were booked on suspicion of firearm offenses , police said .
Eight suspects are expected to face murder charges , according to Luna , who confirmed three handguns were used in the attack .
The suspects are all members of the Tiny Rascal Gangsters , a Cambodian gang , according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case were executed in Long Beach , Fresno , San Jose , Ontario , Redlands and Spring Valley , police said .
Chanchenda Hou , the owner of the home where the shooting took place , previously said one of the gunman arrived at the party prior to the attack and confronted his 27-year-old son .
“ Are you prepared to die tonight ?
” the man , dressed in all black , asked before running away .

A traditional Buddhist memorial ceremony is held in the backyard of a Long Beach home where three people were killed Halloween night.
A group of gang members who thought they were about to attack a rival faction was responsible for a shooting at a Halloween party that left three people dead and nine others injured in Long Beach last year, police said Tuesday.
Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said authorities executed 15 search warrants throughout California between Sept. 2 and Friday, capturing 10 suspects connected with the backyard attack in October 2019.
On the night of the shooting, Luna said the suspects met in three vehicles in north Long Beach and drove seven miles to the home near 7th Street and Temple Avenue, where three people opened fire on party-goers. The shooting was motivated by a gang dispute, but the assailants either went to the wrong address or had received bad information about who they were targeting, according to Luna.
“This was a pre-planned attack on what the suspects incorrectly believed to be a party of rival gang members. … None of the victims at that party were gang members,” he said.
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The shooting left three men dead: Maurice Poe Jr., 25, of Long Beach; Melvin Williams II, 35, of Gardena; and Ricardo Torres, 28, of Inglewood.
In all, a dozen men have been arrested in connection with the shooting. Two suspects — Danny Sourn, 26, and Jeremy Penh, 25, — were already in custody in connection with an unrelated homicide, Long Beach police said in a news release.
The suspects arrested in recent days were David Long, 20; Christopher Williams, 28; Ryan Sim, 18; Kaylin Thik, 21; Derrik Mith, 27; Joshua Sam, 41; Grant Johnson, 35; Dara Chhun, 27; Samnang Long, 37; and Andy Prok, 28. All 10 were booked on suspicion of firearm offenses, police said.
Eight suspects are expected to face murder charges, according to Luna, who confirmed three handguns were used in the attack.
The suspects are all members of the Tiny Rascal Gangsters, a Cambodian gang, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Search warrants in the case were executed in Long Beach, Fresno, San Jose, Ontario, Redlands and Spring Valley, police said.
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Chanchenda Hou, the owner of the home where the shooting took place, previously said one of the gunman arrived at the party prior to the attack and confronted his 27-year-old son.
“Are you prepared to die tonight?” the man, dressed in all black, asked before running away.
Times staff writer Ruben Vives contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-08--Deputies fire projectiles into crowd during third night of Dijon Kizzee protests

A protest in the wake of last week ’ s fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee by Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies turned chaotic late Monday when deputies fired several nonlethal projectiles into the crowd , according video from the scene and official statements .
The protest outside the South L.A. sheriff ’ s station , which followed a news conference criticizing the department ’ s earlier handling of a , marked the third straight night of unrest in response to Kizzee ’ s death .
Video from OnSceneTV shows protesters running for cover as shots ring out and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what prompted the deployment of the nonlethal rounds , Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez said Tuesday that “ unlawful assembly was declared and dispersal orders were given.
” No protesters or deputies were injured in the clash , although six people were arrested , Navarro-Suarez said .
Kizzee , 29 , was Aug. 31 after he was stopped for what sheriff ’ s officials described as a vehicle code violation while riding his bicycle .
The department has not said what the specific violation was .
shows a physical altercation between Kizzee and deputies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting was unjustified and the situation could have been handled without deadly force .
Attorneys representing Kizzee ’ s family said he was shot .
Kizzee ’ s death is the second fatal shooting involving deputies in one block of the Westmont neighborhood in three months .
It also came amid continuing nationwide protests over police killings of Black people .
On Saturday , hundreds gathered in front of the South L.A. sheriff ’ s station to call for the defunding of law enforcement agencies and the removal of L.A. County Dist .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweet Monday evening , the Sheriff ’ s Department said it supports the community “ peacefully ” exercising its 1st Amendment rights .
“ However , we are concerned there are individuals from outside of the community , and state , wanting to incite riots , ” the said .
“ Those individuals have already committed acts of vandalism , looting & assaults utilizing rocks , pipes & mortars .
Everyone ’ s public safety is our priority .
If you are in the area , please be aware of your surroundings so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inciting violence.
” At the demonstration Monday night , protesters could be heard chanting , “ No justice , no peace , ” and , “ No cops , no prison , total abolition .
”

People use a car for cover Saturday night after Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies fired nonlethal projectiles at a crowd at the South L.A. sheriff’s station during a protest in the wake of Dijon Kizzee’s killing.
A protest in the wake of last week’s fatal shooting of Dijon Kizzee by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies turned chaotic late Monday when deputies fired several nonlethal projectiles into the crowd, according video from the scene and official statements.
The protest outside the South L.A. sheriff’s station, which followed a news conference criticizing the department’s earlier handling of a Black Lives Matter demonstration , marked the third straight night of unrest in response to Kizzee’s death.
Video from OnSceneTV shows protesters running for cover as shots ring out and smoke fills the air. When asked what prompted the deployment of the nonlethal rounds, Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez said Tuesday that “unlawful assembly was declared and dispersal orders were given.”
No protesters or deputies were injured in the clash, although six people were arrested, Navarro-Suarez said.
Kizzee, 29, was killed Aug. 31 after he was stopped for what sheriff’s officials described as a vehicle code violation while riding his bicycle. The department has not said what the specific violation was.
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Video of the encounter shows a physical altercation between Kizzee and deputies, but witnesses and activists have said the shooting was unjustified and the situation could have been handled without deadly force. Attorneys representing Kizzee’s family said he was shot 15 times .
Kizzee’s death is the second fatal shooting involving deputies in one block of the Westmont neighborhood in three months. It also came amid continuing nationwide protests over police killings of Black people. On Saturday, hundreds gathered in front of the South L.A. sheriff’s station to call for the defunding of law enforcement agencies and the removal of L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey.
In a tweet Monday evening, the Sheriff’s Department said it supports the community “peacefully” exercising its 1st Amendment rights.
“However, we are concerned there are individuals from outside of the community, and state, wanting to incite riots,” the tweet said. “Those individuals have already committed acts of vandalism, looting & assaults utilizing rocks, pipes & mortars. Everyone’s public safety is our priority. If you are in the area, please be aware of your surroundings so that you are not hurt by those inciting violence.”
At the demonstration Monday night, protesters could be heard chanting, “No justice, no peace,” and, “No cops, no prison, total abolition.”


latimes--2020-09-08--'Gimme Shelter': Why the bid to allow duplexes in California's single-family home neighborhoods fail

'Gimme Shelter': Why the bid to allow duplexes in California's single-family home neighborhoods failed

Last week , California lawmakers turned away legislation to allow for duplexes in neighborhoods now reserved only for single-family homes , the latest failure following multiple unsuccessful efforts in recent years .
The decision , however , came with lots of drama as legislators in the Assembly passed Senate Bill 1120 after a long debate .
But that vote came so late in the evening Aug. 31 that there wasn ’ t enough time for the measure to return to the Senate for a final vote before the Legislature ’ s midnight deadline to adjourn for the year .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The California Housing Crisis Podcast , ” we break down why the bill failed and also discuss a late-breaking deal that allows renters financially affected by the coronavirus to stave off eviction .
Our guest is Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks ( D-Oakland ) , who was forced to come to the Capitol despite recently giving birth because Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) denied her request to vote remotely .
( Rendon later apologized . )
Wicks gave an impassioned speech in favor of SB 1120 on the Assembly floor while holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biweekly podcast that looks at why it ’ s so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it , features Liam Dillon , who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times , and Matt Levin , data and housing reporter for .
You can subscribe to “ Gim me Shelter ” on , , , , and .

Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) holds her daughter and speaks on the Assembly floor on Aug. 31 after she was denied the ability to vote remotely.
Last week, California lawmakers turned away legislation to allow for duplexes in neighborhoods now reserved only for single-family homes, the latest failure following multiple unsuccessful efforts in recent years.
The decision, however, came with lots of drama as legislators in the Assembly passed Senate Bill 1120 after a long debate. But that vote came so late in the evening Aug. 31 that there wasn’t enough time for the measure to return to the Senate for a final vote before the Legislature’s midnight deadline to adjourn for the year.
On this episode of “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast,” we break down why the bill failed and also discuss a late-breaking deal that allows renters financially affected by the coronavirus to stave off eviction. Our guest is Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who was forced to come to the Capitol despite recently giving birth because Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) denied her request to vote remotely. (Rendon later apologized.) Wicks gave an impassioned speech in favor of SB 1120 on the Assembly floor while holding her daughter.
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“ Gimme Shelter ,” a biweekly podcast that looks at why it’s so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CalMatters .


latimes--2020-09-08--More than 100 hikers, campers flown out by helicopter as flames advance

Helicopter crews braved dangerous smoke and flames Tuesday to reach more than 100 hikers , campers and other people stranded in remote locations of the Sierra Nevada by the destructive Creek fire .
Officials hope to transport another 65 people out of the area through the day .
The blaze exploded to more than 100,000 acres over the Labor Day weekend , moving too fast to allow easy passage out for people enjoying the holiday at many recreation areas .
U.S. Forest Service Supervisor Dean Gould told reporters Monday night that the Creek fire was an “ unprecedented disaster , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class by itself.
” On Monday night , the Fresno Fire Department said crews tried to get to people at Lake Edison and China Peak , but “ rescue efforts were unsuccessful [ as ] military pilots tried valiantly to land , but heavy smoke conditions prevented a safe approach.
” Pilots were able to complete some rescue missions early Tuesday , though .
Three pre-dawn helicopter flights pulled 35 additional people from the Sierra National Forest , the California National Guard said .
One person — a teenager who was on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lake — told KFSN-TVthat he and others had been trapped for 14 hours before being hoisted from China Peak Mountain Resort .
“ It was kind of hard to breathe , but then I got through it because I stayed in the car most of the time .
It went by faster because I was asleep , ” 14-year-old Ethan Thao of Fresno told the station .
Since the early morning hours , the California National Guard has reported transporting nearly 100 people , as well as five dogs , primarily from Lake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , those rescued are brought into a Cal Guard facility and medically screened by National Guard nurses and physicians , ” officials wrote on Facebook .
“ They ’ re also given water , food and a chance to call or reunite with friends and family just outside of the facility.
” On Saturday night , some 200 campers trapped by flames at Mammoth Pool Reservoir were rescued by two California National Guard helicopters .
Officials described the chopper runs as unprecedented in size and scope for a fire rescue .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they said it was one of the greatest missions they ’ ve ever done just because of the feeling of relief the individuals who were rescued had , ” said Col. Dave Hall , commander of the Guard ’ s 40th Combat Aviation Brigade .
“ They were literally giving the crew chiefs hugs as they were boarding the helicopter .
Damage to property and homes has been more difficult to assess .
The fire is burning so dangerously and intensely that crews that normally count destroyed houses and buildings have been told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But it was clear the small Sierra town of Big Creek was hard hit , with numerous homes lost .
, the Creek fire has raced through mountain communities like Big Creek and vacation getaways like Huntington Lake and Shaver Lake , confounding firefighters with unpredictable behavior .
Its smoke plume reached nearly 50,000 feet into the air , causing lightning strikes .
Forests seemed to explode .
“ There is a lot of tree mortality in the area , and it is really heavily brushed , so the fire is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Jaime Williams of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
A lengthy drought weakened many trees , making them susceptible to fatal attacks by beetles .
The insects have killed as many as 33 million trees , and in the fire area , up to 90 % of the trees are dead , according to officials .
“ These trees , being so dry and brittle , tend to explode when they catch on fire , which would tend to cause spotting ahead of it , ” U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Luke Money, Thomas Curwen, Harriet Ryan, Alex Wigglesworth

Kelsey Mueller, 16, waits with her family to be escorted from the Creek fire evacuation zone at Shaver Lake Marina in Fresno County.
Helicopter crews braved dangerous smoke and flames Tuesday to reach more than 100 hikers, campers and other people stranded in remote locations of the Sierra Nevada by the destructive Creek fire.
Officials hope to transport another 65 people out of the area through the day.
The blaze exploded to more than 100,000 acres over the Labor Day weekend, moving too fast to allow easy passage out for people enjoying the holiday at many recreation areas.
U.S. Forest Service Supervisor Dean Gould told reporters Monday night that the Creek fire was an “unprecedented disaster,” adding it was “in a class by itself.”
On Monday night, the Fresno Fire Department said crews tried to get to people at Lake Edison and China Peak, but “rescue efforts were unsuccessful [as] military pilots tried valiantly to land, but heavy smoke conditions prevented a safe approach.”
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Pilots were able to complete some rescue missions early Tuesday, though. Three pre-dawn helicopter flights pulled 35 additional people from the Sierra National Forest, the California National Guard said.
One person — a teenager who was on a fishing trip with his family near Huntington Lake — told KFSN-TVthat he and others had been trapped for 14 hours before being hoisted from China Peak Mountain Resort.
“It was kind of hard to breathe, but then I got through it because I stayed in the car most of the time. It went by faster because I was asleep,” 14-year-old Ethan Thao of Fresno told the station.
Since the early morning hours, the California National Guard has reported transporting nearly 100 people, as well as five dogs, primarily from Lake Edison.
“After landing in Fresno, those rescued are brought into a Cal Guard facility and medically screened by National Guard nurses and physicians,” officials wrote on Facebook. “They’re also given water, food and a chance to call or reunite with friends and family just outside of the facility.”
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On Saturday night, some 200 campers trapped by flames at Mammoth Pool Reservoir were rescued by two California National Guard helicopters. Officials described the chopper runs as unprecedented in size and scope for a fire rescue.
“I spoke with the crew members afterward and they said it was one of the greatest missions they’ve ever done just because of the feeling of relief the individuals who were rescued had,” said Col. Dave Hall, commander of the Guard’s 40th Combat Aviation Brigade. “They were literally giving the crew chiefs hugs as they were boarding the helicopter.
Damage to property and homes has been more difficult to assess. The fire is burning so dangerously and intensely that crews that normally count destroyed houses and buildings have been told to stand down for their own safety.
But it was clear the small Sierra town of Big Creek was hard hit, with numerous homes lost.
California Aggressive winds feared as California battles biggest wildfire season Intense Diablo winds are forecast for parts of Northern California while Santa Ana winds are expected in Southern California.
Fueled by millions of dead trees , the Creek fire has raced through mountain communities like Big Creek and vacation getaways like Huntington Lake and Shaver Lake, confounding firefighters with unpredictable behavior. Its smoke plume reached nearly 50,000 feet into the air, causing lightning strikes. Forests seemed to explode.
“There is a lot of tree mortality in the area, and it is really heavily brushed, so the fire is being fueled by the intensity of the vegetation,” said Jaime Williams of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
A lengthy drought weakened many trees, making them susceptible to fatal attacks by beetles. The insects have killed as many as 33 million trees, and in the fire area, up to 90% of the trees are dead , according to officials.
“These trees, being so dry and brittle, tend to explode when they catch on fire, which would tend to cause spotting ahead of it,” U.S. Forest Service spokesman Alex Olow said.


latimes--2020-09-08--7 people shot to death at marijuana grow house in Inland Empire, authorities say

Seven people were shot to death over Labor Day weekend at an Inland Empire home that apparently housed an illicit @ @ @ @ @ .
Riverside County sheriff ’ s deputies responded at 12:33 a.m. Monday to a reported @ @ @ @ @ in the 45000 block of Highway 371 in Aguanga , an unincorporated community roughly 18 @ @ @ @ @ At the residence , deputies found seven people with gunshot wounds , according to the @ @ @ @ @ Six died from their injuries at the scene , and one woman died after being @ @ @ @ @ authorities said .
Names and descriptions of the victims were not immediately available Tuesday morning @ @ @ @ @ more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana were found at the scene , according to the @ @ @ @ @ Authorities have not yet publicly identified any suspects , and the investigation is ongoing .
@ @ @ @ @ asked to contact the Sheriff ’ s Department at ( 951 ) 955-2777 .

Riverside County sheriff’s deputies found several hundred plants and more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana at the Inland Empire home.
The sheriff’s deputies arrived at the dusty lot east of Temecula half an hour after midnight Monday. A caller had reported an assault.
They discovered a gruesome scene: Six people dead from gunshots. A seventh victim, a woman, was still alive, but died shortly after at a hospital.
Along with the bodies, investigators discovered what Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco described as the makings of an “obvious large-scale illegal marijuana processing center.” There were hundreds of plants, a makeshift greenhouse, a lab for using butane to extract valuable THC from pot plants, and more than 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana with a street value in the millions, the sheriff said.
Marijuana at a property where seven people were shot to death. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Authorities didn’t identify any of the victims Tuesday. Bianco said his investigators were pursuing a theory that multiple assailants had carried out the killings, and he suggested at a news conference Tuesday evening that the sprawling operation had been overseen by sophisticated criminals.
“This was not that they just happened to be growing marijuana,” he said. “This was a very large operation, a very organized-crime type of an operation.”
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California may have created a legal market for marijuana in 2018, but its black market remains robust; growers who raise and harvest their crop illegally can evade expensive licensing fees and other regulatory costs, undercutting their above-board competition.
A view of the property at the illegal marijuana grow house. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Violence, law enforcement officials say, is an omnipresent threat with illegal grows. Illicit harvests bring in huge quantities of cash to operators who typically are blocked from using banks or relying on law enforcement for protection. The killings this week add to seven other homicide cases linked to illegal marijuana operations that Riverside County detectives have investigated this year, the sheriff said.
Bianco said at least 20 people were living on the property in the small community of Aguanga on the edge of the Cleveland National Forest, which included a house, a trailer and other makeshift dwellings. The victims were found “in or around” one of the structures, although the sheriff didn’t say which one. Bianco declined to say whether any guns were found at the property.
The broken passenger window of a car on the property. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Trash littered the grounds Tuesday. Women’s clothing and soda bottles were strewn across the trailer’s front porch. A pickup was parked out front, its doors flung open to show clothing draped on the seats and an envelope on the floor marked “$8,300.”
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Behind the trailer was a greenhouse, its cover torn open. Grow plugs, used to sprout marijuana seedlings, were scattered on the ground. Six metal folding chairs had been arrayed in a row; a seventh was nearby, empty boxes of pizza and water bottles stacked atop it.
A metal chair with boxes of pizza and water bottles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Taped to the home’s front door was a handwritten note that read in English, “Welcome to our home, please take your shoe off before enter the house,” and a similar message beneath it in Lao, the primary language spoken in Laos. All of the witnesses interviewed at the scene were Laotian, Bianco said.
A tent and debris at the property where seven people were shot to death. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
On Tuesday morning, Eric Nguyen, 29, came to the property to retrieve his clothes from the house. Nguyen, who lives in Ohio, said he had come to California to seek medical treatment and visit marijuana dispensaries. He said he didn’t witness the shooting but encountered sheriff’s investigators when he returned to the home.
Nguyen said he and others staying in the home were friends of the owner. Authorities have yet to conclusively identify the property’s owner, but they believe the home was being rented out, Bianco said.
The sheriff said his department’s probe would be complex and span state lines. “This is not going to be an easy investigation,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department at (951) 955-2777.
Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-08--Aggressive winds feared as California battles biggest wildfire season

California ’ s record-breaking fire season could get much worse in the coming days as powerful winds heighten the danger of more blazes while firefighters continue to struggle with destructive conflagrations across the state .
Intense Diablo winds are forecast for parts of Northern California this week , with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. saying it would shut off power to numerous communities in hopes of avoiding new fires potentially sparked by downed power lines .
The shutdowns began Monday night in parts of the North Bay as the winds picked up .
By morning , more than 120,000 PG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santa Ana winds were forecast Tuesday night in Southern California , sparking fears the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest could make a run at foothill communities .
Forecasters said 25- to 35-mph winds were expected , with gusts topping 45 mph .
Officials in Monrovia warned some residents they could be asked to evacuate .
“ Today is the day we are watching for the winds to be at their highest , ” Daniel Berlant , a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the concern not only on the active fires , but if a new fire does ignite those winds could fan it.
” The worst of California ’ s fire season usually doesn ’ t hit until October , but the state has already seen more than 2 million acres burn , the largest amount on record .
That total surpasses 2018 for the most acres destroyed in a year , according to figures from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Times research .
While unprecedented in the aggregate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire activity is staggering on its own .
“ Just yesterday there were 43 new fires .
The day before that , 49 fires , ” Berlant said .
“ When a fire ignites right now ... they are able to burn at explosive rates .
But firefighters have done an amazing job at being able to contain most of these fires that are igniting.
” So far this year , firefighters have responded to 7,606 blazes that have charred roughly 2.3 million combined acres , according to Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires that burned about 118,000 acres at this time last year .
“ ‘ Historic ’ is a term we seemingly often use here in the state of California , but these numbers bear fruit to that assertion , ” Newsom said Tuesday .
Fire activity has been particularly prolific since Aug. 15 , which marked the start of a “ lightning siege ” that unleashed thousands of lightning strikes statewide .
Since just that date , firefighters have battled more than 900 fires that have burned 1.8 million acres , Newsom said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks-long firestorm , and roughly 3,400 structures have been destroyed .
Fires are burning from the Sierra to San Diego , and that has resources stretched thin .
Statewide , nearly 14,000 firefighters are contending with 25 major wildfires , according to Cal Fire , and the agency “ has increased staffing in preparation for critical fire weather in multiple areas.
” While firefighters are gaining ground on many of the lightning-caused fires in Northern California , firefighters are aggressively battling wildfires up and down the state , officials wrote in a daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region over the weekend , Forest Service officials announced they would temporarily close eight national forests — the Angeles , San Bernardino , Los Padres , Cleveland , Stanislaus , Sierra , Sequoia and Inyo — because of the extreme heat and dangerous fire conditions .
The Creek fire burning in the Sierra Nevada is the worst , trapping hikers , killing at least one person and destroying a large swath of the town of Big Creek .
, the Creek fire has raced through Big Creek and vacation getaways Huntington and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and terrifying behavior .
On Saturday night , two helicopters — a CH-47 Chinook and a UH-60 Black Hawk — rescued some 200 campers trapped by flames at Mammoth Pool .
As of Tuesday morning , that fire had scorched almost 144,000 acres and was 0 % contained .
It has destroyed at least 65 structures — including 45 residences — and was threatening 5,296 others , fire officials said .
Its explosive growth through dying forests and thick underbrush has put it on track to become one of the largest wildfires in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1,000 firefighters on the scene , the blaze is presenting multiple fronts to fire agencies as they shift and reallocate resources to save imperiled communities nestled in the steep and dry terrain .
Developments on the fire ’ s front lines Monday afternoon proved especially vexing , as erratic and increasing winds pushed the fire to the south and to the west from its point of origin near the town of Big Creek .
“ The fire is blowing up everywhere , ” Christopher Donnelly , chief of the Huntington Lake Volunteer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday afternoon , the fire front was threatening to surround Shaver Lake .
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig was quick to praise the work of firefighters saving homes and commercial structures in the region despite arduous conditions , crew exhaustion and flames that were “ reaching as high as 1,000 feet.
” “ Crews have been working a 96-hour shift — four days straight , ” he said .
A battalion chief , who was not authorized to speak to The Times , added : “ We have done all we can to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right time to protect what we can .
We go by what the fire is telling us with the goal of getting ahead of it and pushing it around the homes.
” The chief described additional resources arriving on scene , giving crews more flexibility to deploy , but added “ we live in a large state and there are competing interests.
” “ This is not normal for Fresno , Tulare , or Madera counties for a fire to burn at this scale and with this much acreage per day , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this and have seen it elsewhere .
But I have not seen it in all my years.
” “ Extreme weather and dry conditions fueled significant fire growth overnight ” on the Dolan fire burning in Monterey County , “ nearly doubling the fire perimeter , ” officials said .
A firefighter battling the Dolan fire is in critical condition and two others in fair condition after being overrun by flames Tuesday morning , officials said .
The injuries occurred when a group of 14 firefighters were defending the Nacimiento Station in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the area , leaving several firefighters with injuries , including burns and smoke inhalation , officials said .
The station was destroyed .
The three patients were transported to Community Regional Hospital in Fresno , officials said .
The firefighters deployed flame-resistant shelters as the flames overtook them .
The shelters are used as a last resort by firefighters and act as cocoons to protect them from the heat .
The Dolan fire has burned through more than 73,00 acres and is 40 % contained .
The , which started above Azusa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause is still under investigation , grew to at least 8,553 acres amid extreme fire danger warnings .
With Santa Ana winds returning , officials are concerned about foothill areas to the south of the fire , including Monrovia , Arcadia , Bradbury , Sierra Madre and Duarte .
Residents living in those areas should prepare for possible evacuation and be on “ high alert , ” said Seneca Smith , public information officer with the Angeles National Forest .
“ It ’ s one of those things we always stress — if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community , just be prepared because sometimes there ’ s only minutes to spare , ” Smith said .
The Sierra Madre Police Department there to make evacuation plans and “ be vigilant.
” The Arcadia Fire Department that it would conduct “ continual overnight patrols and surveillance of our foothill interface.
” The Mt .
Wilson Observatory has a half-million-gallon , gravity-fed water tank filled and ready for battle should the Bobcat fire close in on the property , executive director Tom Meneghini said .
A skeleton staff of three employees remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observatory and is ready to hand over the keys and fire hoses to firefighters should they arrive to set up a defense , he added .
Though fire risks are a part of forest life , Meneghni said he welcomed the federal government ’ s unilateral closing of its forests in California .
“ Given the heightened danger , I think it ’ s good .
I ’ m just kind of jaundiced on my fellow men being responsible for these conditions , ” Meneghini said of the fires .
“ Privilege comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own worst enemies.
” In the San Bernardino National Forest , the continued to spread on the northeastern edge of Yucaipa .
Authorities said the blaze , which has burned at least 10,574 acres and was 16 % contained Tuesday morning , was started by a “ smoke-generating pyrotechnic device , used during a gender reveal party ” Saturday morning at El Dorado Ranch Park .
Authorities implored the public to take every precaution against starting wildfires .
Newsom said that “ 90-plus percent ” of California ’ s fires are caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminder that the vast majority of fires that we experience on an annual basis come from individuals making bad decisions or by simple neglect and accident , ” he said .
roughly 30 miles east of San Diego , also grew , surpassing 17,000 acres while being 3 % contained .
The 11 homes and 25 outbuildings in Japatul Valley , southeast of Alpine .
Much of the fire is burning in the Cleveland National Forest , and officials said Tuesday they are focused on the western flank of the blaze .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region Tuesday night , officials warned that the fire may spread .
Winds are expected to pick up around 8 p.m. , forecasts show .
“ We have a sleeping giant that is in the backcountry , ” Cal Fire San Diego Unit Chief Tony Mecham said during a briefing .
“ And while we have focused tremendous effort on the west side of the fire tonight , the winds are going to blow .
And this fire has the potential to burn.
” San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob warned residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reassure those who may be reluctant to go to a shelter because of coronavirus fears , saying that emergency officials are taking steps to protect the public ’ s health .
“ We have a plan , which includes hotel rooms , congregate shelters , when needed .
So please know that precautions will be taken to protect a person ’ s health and safety at the evacuation centers , and hotels , or wherever they may be placed safely , ” Jacob said .
Crews are also wrestling with the sizable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 63,000 acres in the Sequoia and Inyo national forests north of Kernville and prompted evacuations in Tulare County .
The lightning-sparked complex — consisting of the Castle and Shotgun fires — is now 7 % contained , officials said .
The rash of wildfires is also taking a toll on regional air quality .
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a smoke advisory for a swath of the Southland through Tuesday evening , and Los Angeles County health officials are warning of potentially unhealthy air in the San Gabriel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley , central L.A. , and southeast and south central portions of the county .
“ It is difficult to tell where smoke , ash or soot from a fire will go , or how winds will affect the level of these particles in the air , so we ask everyone to remember that smoke and ash can be harmful to health , even for people who are healthy , ” county Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said .
“ If you can see smoke , soot or ash , or you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate environment and take precautions to safeguard your health .
”

Luke Money, Joseph Serna, Dakota Smith, Thomas Curwen

A firefighter helps to set back fires as the El Dorado fire approaches in Yucaipa on Monday.
California’s record-breaking fire season could get much worse in the coming days as powerful winds heighten the danger of more blazes while firefighters continue to struggle with destructive conflagrations across the state.
Intense Diablo winds are forecast for parts of Northern California this week, with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. saying it would shut off power to numerous communities in hopes of avoiding new fires potentially sparked by downed power lines.
The shutdowns began Monday night in parts of the North Bay as the winds picked up. By morning, more than 120,000 PG&E customers were without power.
For Public Safety due to Severe Weather, PG&E has Begun Process of Turning Off Power in High Fire-Threat Areas - Strong Winds Expected to Last Through Early Wednesday Morning https://t.co/AOlcxoOAy8 pic.twitter.com/1SdvuxH6FE — PG&E (@PGE4Me) September 8, 2020
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Santa Ana winds were forecast Tuesday night in Southern California, sparking fears the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest could make a run at foothill communities. Forecasters said 25- to 35-mph winds were expected, with gusts topping 45 mph. Officials in Monrovia warned some residents they could be asked to evacuate.
“Today is the day we are watching for the winds to be at their highest,” Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said in a video update Tuesday. “And that is the concern not only on the active fires, but if a new fire does ignite those winds could fan it.”
The worst of California’s fire season usually doesn’t hit until October, but the state has already seen more than 2 million acres burn, the largest amount on record.
That total surpasses 2018 for the most acres destroyed in a year, according to figures from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Times research.
While unprecedented in the aggregate, the scale of California’s recent fire activity is staggering on its own.
“Just yesterday there were 43 new fires. The day before that, 49 fires,” Berlant said. “When a fire ignites right now ... they are able to burn at explosive rates. But firefighters have done an amazing job at being able to contain most of these fires that are igniting.”
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So far this year, firefighters have responded to 7,606 blazes that have charred roughly 2.3 million combined acres, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom. By comparison, California had seen 4,927 fires that burned about 118,000 acres at this time last year.
“‘Historic’ is a term we seemingly often use here in the state of California, but these numbers bear fruit to that assertion,” Newsom said Tuesday.
Fire activity has been particularly prolific since Aug. 15, which marked the start of a “lightning siege” that unleashed thousands of lightning strikes statewide.
Since just that date, firefighters have battled more than 900 fires that have burned 1.8 million acres, Newsom said. Eight people have died during the weeks-long firestorm, and roughly 3,400 structures have been destroyed.
Fires are burning from the Sierra to San Diego, and that has resources stretched thin. Statewide, nearly 14,000 firefighters are contending with 25 major wildfires, according to Cal Fire, and the agency “has increased staffing in preparation for critical fire weather in multiple areas.”
While firefighters are gaining ground on many of the lightning-caused fires in Northern California, firefighters are aggressively battling wildfires up and down the state, officials wrote in a daily update.
Following historic high temperatures in the region over the weekend, Forest Service officials announced they would temporarily close eight national forests — the Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres, Cleveland, Stanislaus, Sierra, Sequoia and Inyo — because of the extreme heat and dangerous fire conditions.
1 / 42 Lance Georgeson of Mammoth Lakes paddleboards on Tenaya Lake on Sept. 13 in Yosemite National Park. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 42 Thick smoke from multiple forest fires shrouds iconic El Capitan, right, and the walls of Yosemite Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 42 Benjamin Lewis takes a photo for a group of San Diego firefighters in Yosemite. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 42 A deer grazes in Cook’s Meadow as thick smoke shrouds the iconic landmarks of Yosemite Valley. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 42 Thick smoke shrouds iconic Half Dome towering over Yosemite Valley in a view from Sentinel Bridge over the Merced River on Sept. 13. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 42 Thick smoke shrouds Tenaya Lake on Sept. 13 in Yosemite National Park. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 42 A Cal Fire truck passes a burned-out vehicle on Stringtown Road on Friday in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 42 Propane gas burns Friday at the ruins of a home on Zink Road in the Berry Creek area of Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 42 Melted goggles lie on the ground next to the burned-out truck on Stringtown Road. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 42 A crew from Trinity River Conservation Camp, a prison facility, does mop-up work on Stringtown Road on Friday, the day after a flare-up in the area. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 42 Scorched cars in Brush Creek, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 42 A firefighter battles the Creek fire as it threatens homes in Madera County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 13 / 42 Flames from the Bear fire in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 42 A horse in a field in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 42 Frank Martinez, left, and Rick Wolfe with their nine dogs in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 42 A fox pauses amid burned brush in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 42 A statue is singed in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 42 Lake Oroville in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 42 Firefighters work to save a home in Butte County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 20 / 42 A burned truck in Butte County. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 42 A firefighter battles the Creek fire in Madera County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 22 / 42 A plume rises from the Bear fire as it burns along Lake Oroville in Butte County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 23 / 42 A table stands outside the destroyed Cressman’s General Store in Fresno County. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 24 / 42 A vehicle streaks by as Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffery Shipman stands along California 168, with the Creek fire in the background on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 42 The Laguna Hotshots Crew out of the Cleveland National Forest battles the Creek fire as it approaches the Southern California Edison Big Creek Hydroelectric Plant on Sept. 6 in Big Creek, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 42 Members of the Laguna Hotshots Crew walk down Huntington Lake Road to battle the Creek fire on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 42 A member of the Laguna Hotshots Crew is silhouetted against a background of flames. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 42 The Creek fire burns along Huntington Lake Road on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 42 A vehicle streaks along California 168 as the Creek fire creeps closer to Shaver Lake, Calif., on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 42 A member of the Laguna Hotshots Crew battles the Creek fire on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 42 A firefighter conducts a back-burn operation along California 168 as the Creek fire approaches the Shaver Lake Marina. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 42 Firefighter Ricardo Gomez sets a back burn amid the Creek fire near Shaver Lake Marina on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 42 A firefighter works on the back-burn operation near Shaver Lake Marina. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 42 A duck swims in Shaver Lake as the Creek fire approaches on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 42 Firefighter Ricardo Gomez battles the Creek fire with a back burn. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 42 The sky glows orange around Shaver Lake on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 42 A firefighter conducts a back-burn operation amid the Creek fire near Shaver Lake on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 42 Flames leap into the sky as fire engulfs trees near Shaver Lake. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 42 The Creek fire approaches the Shaver Lake Marina on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 42 Firefighter Ricardo Gomez sets a back burn amid the Creek fire near Shaver Lake Marina on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 42 A man stands on a dock at the Shaver Lake Marina as the Creek fire approaches on Sept. 6. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 42 Flames consume dry brush around Santa Barbara firefighters as they set a backfire along Oro Quincy Highway in the aftermath of the Bear fire in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The Creek fire burning in the Sierra Nevada is the worst, trapping hikers, killing at least one person and destroying a large swath of the town of Big Creek.
Fueled by millions of dead trees , the Creek fire has raced through Big Creek and vacation getaways Huntington and Shaver Lake, confounding firefighters with unpredictable and terrifying behavior.
On Saturday night, two helicopters — a CH-47 Chinook and a UH-60 Black Hawk — rescued some 200 campers trapped by flames at Mammoth Pool .
As of Tuesday morning, that fire had scorched almost 144,000 acres and was 0% contained. It has destroyed at least 65 structures — including 45 residences — and was threatening 5,296 others, fire officials said.
Its explosive growth through dying forests and thick underbrush has put it on track to become one of the largest wildfires in the state this year.
With more than 1,000 firefighters on the scene, the blaze is presenting multiple fronts to fire agencies as they shift and reallocate resources to save imperiled communities nestled in the steep and dry terrain.
Developments on the fire’s front lines Monday afternoon proved especially vexing, as erratic and increasing winds pushed the fire to the south and to the west from its point of origin near the town of Big Creek.
“The fire is blowing up everywhere,” Christopher Donnelly, chief of the Huntington Lake Volunteer Fire Dept., said Monday.
By Tuesday afternoon, the fire front was threatening to surround Shaver Lake.
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig was quick to praise the work of firefighters saving homes and commercial structures in the region despite arduous conditions, crew exhaustion and flames that were “reaching as high as 1,000 feet.”
“Crews have been working a 96-hour shift — four days straight,” he said.
A battalion chief, who was not authorized to speak to The Times, added: “We have done all we can to be at the right place at the right time to protect what we can. We go by what the fire is telling us with the goal of getting ahead of it and pushing it around the homes.”
The chief described additional resources arriving on scene, giving crews more flexibility to deploy, but added “we live in a large state and there are competing interests.”
“This is not normal for Fresno, Tulare, or Madera counties for a fire to burn at this scale and with this much acreage per day,” he said. “We have trained for this and have seen it elsewhere. But I have not seen it in all my years.”
California Bobcat fire in Angeles Forest threatens foothill cities amid California’s worst fire season on record On a third day of extreme heat, California marks the largest fire season on record as uncontrolled blazes rip though acreage and the National Forest Service announced unprecedented closures of campgrounds and trails.
Weather conditions also posed a challenge for crew battling existing fires.
“Extreme weather and dry conditions fueled significant fire growth overnight” on the Dolan fire burning in Monterey County, “nearly doubling the fire perimeter,” officials said.
A firefighter battling the Dolan fire is in critical condition and two others in fair condition after being overrun by flames Tuesday morning, officials said.
The injuries occurred when a group of 14 firefighters were defending the Nacimiento Station in Los Padres National Forest. Fire surged through the area, leaving several firefighters with injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation, officials said. The station was destroyed.
The three patients were transported to Community Regional Hospital in Fresno, officials said.
The firefighters deployed flame-resistant shelters as the flames overtook them. The shelters are used as a last resort by firefighters and act as cocoons to protect them from the heat.
The Dolan fire has burned through more than 73,00 acres and is 40% contained.
The Bobcat fire , which started above Azusa in the Angeles National Forest and whose cause is still under investigation, grew to at least 8,553 acres amid extreme fire danger warnings.
With Santa Ana winds returning, officials are concerned about foothill areas to the south of the fire, including Monrovia, Arcadia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre and Duarte. Residents living in those areas should prepare for possible evacuation and be on “high alert,” said Seneca Smith, public information officer with the Angeles National Forest.
“It’s one of those things we always stress — if there is a fire anywhere near your community, just be prepared because sometimes there’s only minutes to spare,” Smith said.
The Sierra Madre Police Department urged residents there to make evacuation plans and “be vigilant.” The Arcadia Fire Department assured the public that it would conduct “continual overnight patrols and surveillance of our foothill interface.”
The Mt. Wilson Observatory has a half-million-gallon, gravity-fed water tank filled and ready for battle should the Bobcat fire close in on the property, executive director Tom Meneghini said.
A skeleton staff of three employees remains at the mountaintop location to maintain the observatory and is ready to hand over the keys and fire hoses to firefighters should they arrive to set up a defense, he added.
Though fire risks are a part of forest life, Meneghni said he welcomed the federal government’s unilateral closing of its forests in California.
“Given the heightened danger, I think it’s good. I’m just kind of jaundiced on my fellow men being responsible for these conditions,” Meneghini said of the fires. “Privilege comes with responsibility ... and we are our own worst enemies.”
In the San Bernardino National Forest, the El Dorado fire continued to spread on the northeastern edge of Yucaipa. Authorities said the blaze, which has burned at least 10,574 acres and was 16% contained Tuesday morning, was started by a “smoke-generating pyrotechnic device, used during a gender reveal party” Saturday morning at El Dorado Ranch Park. Authorities implored the public to take every precaution against starting wildfires.
Newsom said that “90-plus percent” of California’s fires are caused by people.
“It’s a reminder that the vast majority of fires that we experience on an annual basis come from individuals making bad decisions or by simple neglect and accident,” he said.
The Valley fire, roughly 30 miles east of San Diego, also grew, surpassing 17,000 acres while being 3% contained.
The Valley fire has already destroyed 11 homes and 25 outbuildings in Japatul Valley, southeast of Alpine.
Much of the fire is burning in the Cleveland National Forest, and officials said Tuesday they are focused on the western flank of the blaze.
With Santa Ana winds expected to blow through the region Tuesday night, officials warned that the fire may spread. Winds are expected to pick up around 8 p.m., forecasts show.
“We have a sleeping giant that is in the backcountry,” Cal Fire San Diego Unit Chief Tony Mecham said during a briefing. “And while we have focused tremendous effort on the west side of the fire tonight, the winds are going to blow. And this fire has the potential to burn.”
San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob warned residents to be ready to evacuate and sought to reassure those who may be reluctant to go to a shelter because of coronavirus fears, saying that emergency officials are taking steps to protect the public’s health.
“We have a plan, which includes hotel rooms, congregate shelters, when needed. So please know that precautions will be taken to protect a person’s health and safety at the evacuation centers, and hotels, or wherever they may be placed safely,” Jacob said.
Crews are also wrestling with the sizable SQF Complex fire, which has burned nearly 63,000 acres in the Sequoia and Inyo national forests north of Kernville and prompted evacuations in Tulare County.
The lightning-sparked complex — consisting of the Castle and Shotgun fires — is now 7% contained, officials said.
The rash of wildfires is also taking a toll on regional air quality. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a smoke advisory for a swath of the Southland through Tuesday evening, and Los Angeles County health officials are warning of potentially unhealthy air in the San Gabriel Valley, San Gabriel Mountains, Pomona-Walnut Valley, central L.A., and southeast and south central portions of the county.
“It is difficult to tell where smoke, ash or soot from a fire will go, or how winds will affect the level of these particles in the air, so we ask everyone to remember that smoke and ash can be harmful to health, even for people who are healthy,” county Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said. “If you can see smoke, soot or ash, or you can smell smoke, pay attention to your immediate environment and take precautions to safeguard your health.”
Times staff writers Harriet Ryan, Ben Poston, and Rong-Gong Lin III contributed reporting.


latimes--2020-09-08--California's scaled-back high-speed rail plan faces doubts amid financial crunch

It was just last year that Gov .
Gavin Newsom said he would need to downsize California ’ s ambitious bullet train project , because the state could afford only a limited system from Merced to Bakersfield .
But even the viability of that scaled-down $ 20.4-billion plan is becoming uncertain as construction costs rise in the San Joaquin Valley , expected revenues are under pressure and land acquisition problems continue to mount .
The changing conditions have prompted the California High-Speed Rail Authority to launch a comprehensive reassessment of its plans , said Chief Executive Brian Kelly , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , given the austere outlook .
“ I just want the truth , ” said Assembly Transportation Chairman Jim Frazier ( D-Discovery Bay ) , a former general contractor who has grown distrustful of the project ’ s planning .
“ I want an independent analysis of what can be accomplished and how much it is going to cost.
” Contractors for the rail authority are filing massive change orders and delay claims , according to disclosures by the agency and internal documents obtained by The Times .
Additional land is also needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same time , the bullet train ’ s funding has taken several big hits .
California ’ s cap-and-trade greenhouse gas auction system has provided about $ 3 billion to the rail project since 2015 and is counted on to provide at least $ 500 million annually until 2030 .
But as a result of COVID-19 ’ s economic impacts , the last two auctions shorted the project by $ 140 million from what the authority had budgeted .
The Trump administration last year terminated a $ 929-million grant , which is in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still counted in the project budget .
Cumulatively , the increased costs and decreased revenues are saddling Newsom ’ s plan with a potential fiscal hole of more than $ 1 billion .
At the same time , some valley property owners are growing increasingly frustrated , having waited for years to be compensated for their land and endured disruptions caused by construction .
The project will face a tough hurdle if weak revenues and rising costs drive a request for more money to just complete the San Joaquin Valley construction , Frazier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of high-speed rail but is blunt that the public “ is getting less and it is costing more ” and “ there is a point of no return , obviously.
” The impacts of COVID-19 are forcing the rail authority ’ s reassessment , Kelly said .
The money to execute the entire Los Angeles-to-San Francisco project was never in hand , and the state has incrementally managed the project , step by step , the agency ’ s CEO said .
The new assessment , he said , is examining four issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the schedule , resulting in a pause in finalizing the 2020 business plan .
Any changes would be submitted to the rail authority board and then the governor , Kelly said .
“ Challenges come , ” he added .
“ It is part of life , the global pandemic.
” The Times asked the governor for an interview on the problems facing his project .
In response , Transportation Secretary David S. Kim said in a statement , “ Gov .
Newsom remains committed to building high-speed rail in California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley.
” The governor ’ s plan was always at risk because of thin financial margins .
Under his blueprint , the state could count on $ 20.6 billion coming in by 2030 to pay for the 171-mile system .
Trains are supposed to start running by 2028 .
The revenue picture could brighten if and when the COVID-19 pandemic ends and an improving economy drives the need for more greenhouse gas permits .
The rail authority was once optimistic that an extra $ 2.8 billion would flow out of the auctions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 were high enough to support those projections .
“ There is a lot of uncertainty , ” said Ross Brown , a greenhouse gas expert at the Legislative Analyst ’ s Office .
Brown expects improved results in a November auction , but future-year revenues depend on a variety of factors , such as emissions technology and economic growth .
Bullet train supporters are also pinning their hopes on a Joe Biden presidential victory , combined with Democratic control of Congress .
Biden , a longtime proponent of passenger trains , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and might support additional federal funding for the California project .
But if elected , he ’ d face pressure from multiple interests on how to spend any stimulus money .
The bigger risk facing Newsom ’ s blueprint falls on the cost side of the equation , which appears to be deteriorating .
The rail authority agreed in November 2019 to pay $ 134 million for causing delays to a construction team led by Spanish firm Dragados .
The claim was disclosed in rail authority documents but has not been previously reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the firm leading construction in the Fresno County area , was paid more than $ 400 million for delays and construction changes .
Kelly , the chief executive , said those payments will be covered by contingency funds built into the project ’ s budget , but much of the contingency created only last year has been used up .
In addition , Tutor has a pending demand for an additional $ 500 million , according to non-public correspondence from construction manager Garth Fernandez to Tutor Perini on July 1 , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are often settled for less , Kelly said .
Tutor ’ s original contract was for $ 1.02 billion , but has increased to a current value of $ 2.2 billion , not including the pending claim , according to the correspondence .
The claims for both Dragados and Tutor Perini relate largely to acquiring land .
The project was supposed to be “ shovel ready ” in 2009 when the Obama administration issued a $ 2.2-billion federal grant from the Great Recession stimulus program , but in fact the state did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The rail authority estimated in June that it would need 2,353 parcels in the Central Valley , but had acquired only 1,664 — leaving 689 parcels still to be acquired .
By comparison , in June 2019 , the rail authority thought it needed 1,843 parcels and had acquired 1,516 — short by 327 .
So , the authority needs to buy far more parcels today than it did a year ago when it was already far behind schedule .
In the last 12 months , the authority acquired only 148 parcels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could take four years to get all of the property and only then could the rail authority commence construction — blowing federal deadlines .
Kelly said the most recent quarter showed strong improvement and noted that the rail authority is being fully transparent by disclosing such details .
An internal planning document obtained by The Times shows that just in the Fresno area the project is contending with 52 “ critical ” problems that could delay the schedule .
“ Every one of those drives the duration of the job , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorized to speak to the news media .
“ It isn ’ t getting any better.
” The effect of the problems is not just on the rail project , but on Central Valley land owners who face repeated demands for more of their land , delayed payments and uncertain futures .
One contentious land take involved the Fresno Rescue Mission , the largest homeless shelter in the hard-hit Central Valley , which just recently resolved a 3-year-old legal dispute with the rail authority .
The church-based mission lost half of its 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original commitment that it have the same acreage , Chief Executive Matt Dildine said .
The settlement will still allow future growth , though some of the property it received in trade is under a freeway bridge , he said .
“ I feel that they reneged on their promises , ” Dildine said .
“ It is their interest to lowball you and bleed you .
The rules are set up against people like us .
I felt it was unfair.
” In July , Kelly met online for three hours with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others in the Central Valley who complain about slow payments .
“ I apologized to all of them for the experience they had with the authority , ” Kelly said .
But he said the authority has to follow state law , adding , “ Nobody is getting stiffed.
” John Diepersloot , a fruit grower , complained on the call that he is out $ 2 million in direct costs for replacing lost irrigation systems , roads and agricultural production , causing a cash crunch four years after the state took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He worries his bankers will call his loans .
“ Does Gov .
Newsom know how this project is unfolding in the fields ?
” asked Mark Wasser , Diepersloot ’ s attorney .

Guests, including then Gov. Jerry Brown, sign a rail segment during a groundbreaking ceremony for a California bullet train station in Fresno on Jan. 6, 2015.
It was just last year that Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would need to downsize California’s ambitious bullet train project, because the state could afford only a limited system from Merced to Bakersfield.
But even the viability of that scaled-down $20.4-billion plan is becoming uncertain as construction costs rise in the San Joaquin Valley, expected revenues are under pressure and land acquisition problems continue to mount.
The changing conditions have prompted the California High-Speed Rail Authority to launch a comprehensive reassessment of its plans, said Chief Executive Brian Kelly, who is facing tougher questions by state leaders, given the austere outlook.
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“I just want the truth,” said Assembly Transportation Chairman Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay), a former general contractor who has grown distrustful of the project’s planning. “I want an independent analysis of what can be accomplished and how much it is going to cost.”
Contractors for the rail authority are filing massive change orders and delay claims, according to disclosures by the agency and internal documents obtained by The Times. Additional land is also needed, adding to costs.
At the same time, the bullet train’s funding has taken several big hits. California’s cap-and-trade greenhouse gas auction system has provided about $3 billion to the rail project since 2015 and is counted on to provide at least $500 million annually until 2030.
But as a result of COVID-19’s economic impacts, the last two auctions shorted the project by $140 million from what the authority had budgeted.
The Trump administration last year terminated a $929-million grant, which is in legal dispute. But the money is still counted in the project budget.
Cumulatively, the increased costs and decreased revenues are saddling Newsom’s plan with a potential fiscal hole of more than $1 billion. At the same time, some valley property owners are growing increasingly frustrated, having waited for years to be compensated for their land and endured disruptions caused by construction.
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The project will face a tough hurdle if weak revenues and rising costs drive a request for more money to just complete the San Joaquin Valley construction, Frazier said.
Frazier still supports the concept of high-speed rail but is blunt that the public “is getting less and it is costing more” and “there is a point of no return, obviously.”
The impacts of COVID-19 are forcing the rail authority’s reassessment, Kelly said. The money to execute the entire Los Angeles-to-San Francisco project was never in hand, and the state has incrementally managed the project, step by step, the agency’s CEO said.
The new assessment, he said, is examining four issues: revenues, costs, project scope and the schedule, resulting in a pause in finalizing the 2020 business plan. Any changes would be submitted to the rail authority board and then the governor, Kelly said.
“Challenges come,” he added. “It is part of life, the global pandemic.”
The Times asked the governor for an interview on the problems facing his project. In response, Transportation Secretary David S. Kim said in a statement, “Gov. Newsom remains committed to building high-speed rail in California, starting with electrified track in the Central Valley.”
The governor’s plan was always at risk because of thin financial margins. Under his blueprint, the state could count on $20.6 billion coming in by 2030 to pay for the 171-mile system. Trains are supposed to start running by 2028.
The revenue picture could brighten if and when the COVID-19 pandemic ends and an improving economy drives the need for more greenhouse gas permits. The rail authority was once optimistic that an extra $2.8 billion would flow out of the auctions, but only three of 21 auctions since 2015 were high enough to support those projections.
“There is a lot of uncertainty,” said Ross Brown, a greenhouse gas expert at the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Brown expects improved results in a November auction, but future-year revenues depend on a variety of factors, such as emissions technology and economic growth.
Bullet train supporters are also pinning their hopes on a Joe Biden presidential victory, combined with Democratic control of Congress. Biden, a longtime proponent of passenger trains, has called for a “rail revolution” and might support additional federal funding for the California project. But if elected, he’d face pressure from multiple interests on how to spend any stimulus money.
The bigger risk facing Newsom’s blueprint falls on the cost side of the equation, which appears to be deteriorating.
The rail authority agreed in November 2019 to pay $134 million for causing delays to a construction team led by Spanish firm Dragados. The claim was disclosed in rail authority documents but has not been previously reported.
In June, Tutor Perini, the firm leading construction in the Fresno County area, was paid more than $400 million for delays and construction changes.
Kelly, the chief executive, said those payments will be covered by contingency funds built into the project’s budget, but much of the contingency created only last year has been used up.
In addition, Tutor has a pending demand for an additional $500 million, according to non-public correspondence from construction manager Garth Fernandez to Tutor Perini on July 1, which was obtained by The Times. Such demands are often settled for less, Kelly said.
Tutor’s original contract was for $1.02 billion, but has increased to a current value of $2.2 billion, not including the pending claim, according to the correspondence.
The claims for both Dragados and Tutor Perini relate largely to acquiring land. The project was supposed to be “shovel ready” in 2009 when the Obama administration issued a $2.2-billion federal grant from the Great Recession stimulus program, but in fact the state did not own a single square foot of property.
The rail authority estimated in June that it would need 2,353 parcels in the Central Valley, but had acquired only 1,664 — leaving 689 parcels still to be acquired.
By comparison, in June 2019, the rail authority thought it needed 1,843 parcels and had acquired 1,516 — short by 327. So, the authority needs to buy far more parcels today than it did a year ago when it was already far behind schedule.
In the last 12 months, the authority acquired only 148 parcels. Unless it accelerates its performance, it could take four years to get all of the property and only then could the rail authority commence construction — blowing federal deadlines. Kelly said the most recent quarter showed strong improvement and noted that the rail authority is being fully transparent by disclosing such details.
An internal planning document obtained by The Times shows that just in the Fresno area the project is contending with 52 “critical” problems that could delay the schedule.
“Every one of those drives the duration of the job,” said a key engineer who is not authorized to speak to the news media. “It isn’t getting any better.”
The effect of the problems is not just on the rail project, but on Central Valley land owners who face repeated demands for more of their land, delayed payments and uncertain futures.
One contentious land take involved the Fresno Rescue Mission, the largest homeless shelter in the hard-hit Central Valley, which just recently resolved a 3-year-old legal dispute with the rail authority.
The church-based mission lost half of its 12 acres in downtown, far from the original commitment that it have the same acreage, Chief Executive Matt Dildine said. The settlement will still allow future growth, though some of the property it received in trade is under a freeway bridge, he said.
“I feel that they reneged on their promises,” Dildine said. “It is their interest to lowball you and bleed you. The rules are set up against people like us. I felt it was unfair.”
In July, Kelly met online for three hours with Dildane, several farmers, a banker and others in the Central Valley who complain about slow payments.
“I apologized to all of them for the experience they had with the authority,” Kelly said. But he said the authority has to follow state law, adding, “Nobody is getting stiffed.”
John Diepersloot, a fruit grower, complained on the call that he is out $2 million in direct costs for replacing lost irrigation systems, roads and agricultural production, causing a cash crunch four years after the state took a big chunk of his orchard. He worries his bankers will call his loans.
“Does Gov. Newsom know how this project is unfolding in the fields?” asked Mark Wasser, Diepersloot’s attorney.


latimes--2020-09-09--These hikers wanted a pandemic getaway. They ended up barely escaping the Creek fire

When Mandy Keathley began hiking the John Muir Trail , she expected the over 200-mile journey to take about 18 days .
The 32-year-old hadn ’ t made plans for the summer .
So when she got a month off from work , she figured it was the perfect time to spend a few weeks in the open air .
She packed a 45-liter backpack with her tent , sleeping bag , stove , food , water filtration and clothes .
What she didn ’ t expect was for her solo hike to go up in smoke and end — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a predawn evacuation Tuesday on a military helicopter .
“ That certainly never crossed my mind when I hit the trail , ” the Oakland resident said .
Hundreds of people endured similar surreal experiences trapped in remote locations of the Sierra Nevada by the destructive Creek fire .
The blaze grew to more than 100,000 acres over the Labor Day weekend and left hikers , campers and others stranded with no apparent way out .
By 2 p.m. Tuesday , California Army National Guard helicopter crews had rescued a total of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They very easily , very easily could have turned around and said the smoke made that mission too dangerous , but they went in anyway , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said at a briefing Tuesday .
“ They saved many , many lives and that ’ s just an example of the kind of heroism that is a big part of this moment as well.
” The rescues began Saturday , after the Creek fire , which ignited Friday evening about six miles to the west , jumped the San Joaquin River @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pool Reservoir .
That ’ s where Alec Ziff and a friend had decided to celebrate Ziff ’ s 26th birthday , which fell on Labor Day .
That morning , they woke up to smoke , but thought it seemed far off in the distance .
The two spent the morning kayaking and hiking , before heading to Wagner ’ s Store to buy ice .
There , they learned that the fire had gotten worse and they needed to evacuate .
When they got back onto the lake , they started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mountain amid vicious , swirling winds and smoke .
The two paddled to get their tent and belongings before getting back on the water .
In the lake , Ziff said , the waves reached five or six feet and eventually pushed the kayak over .
Ziff , who was carrying two backpacks filled with clothes , got tangled in the tent they had brought onboard and lost his grip on the kayak .
He started getting dragged in the water .
“ At that point , I didn ’ t think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ziff said .
“ I ’ m trying to get everything loose and I can see fire all around me.
” Eventually , Ziff freed himself and the pair reached the other side of the lake to wait it out with others .
That night , hundreds were rescued by helicopter crews , but about 15 of them , including Ziff and his friend , stayed behind .
Those who stayed shared an oxygen tank and raided ice chests to stock up on food .
On Sunday , cell service went down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Then , on Sunday night , Ziff spotted three flashlights coming down the hill toward them , held by U.S. Forest Service workers .
“ In that moment , I knew we were going to get out .
I didn ’ t care how we got out , I didn ’ t care if it was by ATV , or helicopter or if they had made a path for us to walk up , ” Ziff said .
“ I just wanted to get out.
” Ziff ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a three-hour caravan headed toward Bass Lake .
He and his friend stayed in a hotel in Oakhurst , where they celebrated Ziff ’ s birthday with a few beers .
On Saturday , Juliana Park was with a group of four friends backpacking in the mountains northeast of the Mammoth Pool Reservoir .
They had planned the trip weeks in advance — each of them getting tested beforehand for COVID-19 — wanting to take advantage of the long weekend .
“ Obviously if we had known how dire the situation over there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have left the Bay Area , ” the 24-year-old said .
About an hour into the hike Saturday , the group heard thunder and took that as a sign to turn back .
They hiked uphill and by the time they reached their car “ it was raining ash.
” The sky was an ominous orange .
As they drove , they encountered a woman — who they believe was a forest service worker — who led them down the road with her red lights flashing .
She instructed them to drive through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was their only way down .
Throughout the drive , Park kept telling her friend to “ just keep going.
” Park believes the flames they saw were part of a spot fire possibly caused by lightning .
“ We just got really , really lucky , ” Park said , crediting the woman who helped lead them down .
“ Had we not seen her maybe 10 minutes prior , we would not have been so lucky.
” After starting her backpacking trip on Aug. 31 , Keathley didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Vermilion Valley Resort , a modest way station by Edison Lake , to resupply her food .
Although it was “ a little bit scary , ” Keathley said , the fire still seemed to be pretty far off .
The next morning , she decided to head out , trying to go south on the John Muir Trail in the hopes of getting away from the smoke .
But after nine miles , the smoke didn ’ t get better , and Keathley struggled to breathe .
After learning that evacuations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to turn back .
“ I didn ’ t feel comfortable continuing on the trail , ” she said .
Other backpackers kept going .
About 50 people , including Keathley , sought refuge at Vermilion — where hikers on the John Muir and Pacific Crest trails resupply .
Staff provided them with food and posted updates on social media .
David Mau , who runs the kitchen at Vermilion in the summers , left Sunday after the wind shifted and brought more smoke to the area .
As he drove down toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it just looked like lava , the whole valley was glowing.
” “ I ’ ve been up there a quarter-century , I ’ ve never seen anything like that , ” he said .
California Highway Patrol eventually escorted him and other drivers out .
Back at Vermilion , deputies arrived Monday to help everyone leave and the group began packing their bags and hopping in cars .
At the last minute , they were told it was called off as it wasn ’ t safe .
That night , the Fresno @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people at Lake Edison and China Peak , but “ rescue efforts were unsuccessful [ as ] military pilots tried valiantly to land , but heavy smoke conditions prevented a safe approach.
” Many of them wouldn ’ t get out until Tuesday .
Keathley was one of 11 people who got into a helicopter to head to Fresno about 4:30 a.m. “ I had some hikers asking me if I had plans to try to continue the trail if things calmed down .
I just realized at that point , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I had a beautiful week on the trail .
It ’ s not really what I expected and I certainly would love to have finished if I could have , but at that point I was really interested in getting out .
I felt pretty trapped .
”

When Mandy Keathley began hiking the John Muir Trail, she expected the journey of over 200 miles to take about 18 days.
The 32-year-old hadn’t made plans for the summer. So when she got a month off from work, she figured it was the perfect time to spend a few weeks in the open air. She packed a 45-liter backpack with her tent, sleeping bag, stove, food, water filtration and clothes.
What she didn’t expect was for her solo hike to go up in smoke and end — about a week after it started — in a predawn evacuation Tuesday on a military helicopter.
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“That certainly never crossed my mind when I hit the trail,” the Oakland resident said.
A photo of the Mammoth Pool Reservoir taken by hiker Alec Ziff. The Creek fire marred Ziff’s trip, but he was rescued in time to celebrate his birthday on Labor Day. (Alec Ziff)
Hundreds of people endured similar surreal experiences trapped in remote locations of the Sierra Nevada by the destructive Creek fire. The blaze grew to more than 100,000 acres over the Labor Day weekend and left hikers, campers and others stranded with no apparent way out.
By 2 p.m. Tuesday, California Army National Guard helicopter crews had rescued a total of 373 people and 16 dogs.
“They very easily, very easily, could have turned around and said the smoke made that mission too dangerous, but they went in anyway,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a briefing Tuesday. “They saved many, many lives, and that’s just an example of the kind of heroism that is a big part of this moment as well.”
The rescues began Saturday after the Creek fire, which ignited Friday evening about six miles to the west, jumped the San Joaquin River and made a run toward the Mammoth Pool Reservoir.
That’s where Alec Ziff and a friend had decided to celebrate Ziff’s 26th birthday, which fell on Labor Day. That morning, they woke up to smoke but thought it seemed far off in the distance.
David Mau, who runs the kitchen at Vermilion Valley Resort, waits for a helicopter rescue at China Peak on Sunday. The California Highway Patrol eventually escorted him and other drivers out. (David Mau)
The two spent the morning kayaking and hiking, before heading to Wagner’s Store to buy ice. There, they learned that the fire had gotten worse and they needed to evacuate.
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They headed to the lake to paddle back to their tent and gather their things. From the lake, they started to see flames at the top of the mountain amid vicious, swirling winds and smoke. The two grabbed their belongings before getting back on the water.
In the lake, Ziff said, the waves reached five or six feet and eventually pushed the kayak over. Ziff, who was carrying two backpacks filled with clothes, got tangled in the tent they had brought onboard and lost his grip on the kayak. He started getting dragged in the water.
“At that point, I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Ziff said. “I’m trying to get everything loose, and I can see fire all around me.”
Eventually, Ziff freed himself and the pair reached the other side of the lake to wait it out with others. That night, hundreds were rescued by helicopter crews, but about 15 of them, including Ziff and his friend, decided to stay behind to ride out the fire.
Those who stayed shared an oxygen tank and raided ice chests to stock up on food. On Sunday, cell service went down, and they were “essentially stranded,” he said.
Then, on Sunday night, Ziff spotted three flashlights coming down the hill toward them, held by U.S. Forest Service workers. By that point, the adventure was over for Ziff.
“In that moment, I knew we were going to get out,” he said. “I didn’t care how we got out, I didn’t care if it was by ATV, or helicopter or if they had made a path for us to walk up. I just wanted to get out.”
Ziff ended up driving his own car out in a three-hour caravan headed toward Bass Lake. He and his friend stayed in a hotel in Oakhurst, where they celebrated Ziff’s birthday with a few beers.
On Saturday, Juliana Park was with a group of four friends backpacking in the mountains northeast of the Mammoth Pool Reservoir. They had planned the trip weeks in advance — each of them getting tested beforehand for COVID-19 — wanting to take advantage of the long weekend.
“Obviously, if we had known how dire the situation over there would be, we wouldn’t have left the Bay Area,” the 24-year-old said.
About an hour into the hike Saturday, the group heard thunder and took that as a sign to turn back. They hiked uphill, and by the time they reached their car “it was raining ash.” The sky was an ominous orange.
As they drove, they encountered a woman — who they believe was a forest service worker — who led them down the road with her red lights flashing. She instructed them to drive through the fire on either side, as it was their only way down.
A backpacking trip cut short by unforeseen thunder, ash rain, and having to drive through literal fire to evacuate #SierraNationalForest in time. Grateful to the SNF ranger who led us down... wish we we got her name. #CreekFire @mercnews @sfchronicle @ABC7 @KTVU pic.twitter.com/37Ys7XGJ2a — Juliana Park (@julipdoe) September 6, 2020
Throughout the drive, Park kept telling her friend to “just keep going.” Park believes the flames they saw were part of a spot fire possibly caused by lightning.
“We just got really, really lucky,” Park said, crediting the woman who helped lead them down. “Had we not seen her maybe 10 minutes prior, we would not have been so lucky.”
After starting her backpacking trip on Aug. 31, Keathley didn’t see smoke until Saturday when she stopped at Vermilion Valley Resort, a modest way station by Edison Lake, to resupply her food.
The Creek fire halted a hike by Juliana Park and her friends in the Sierra. She drove through flames guided by a person she thinks was a forest worker. (Juliana Park)
Although it was “a little bit scary,” Keathley said, the fire still seemed to be pretty far off. The next morning, she decided to head out, trying to go south on the John Muir Trail in the hopes of getting away from the smoke.
But after nine miles, the smoke didn’t get better, and Keathley struggled to breathe. After learning that evacuations were happening at Vermilion, she decided to turn back.
“I didn’t feel comfortable continuing on the trail,” she said. Other backpackers kept going.
About 50 people, including Keathley, sought refuge at Vermilion — where hikers on the John Muir and Pacific Crest trails resupply. Staff provided them with food and posted updates on social media.
David Mau, who runs the kitchen at Vermilion in the summers, left Sunday after the wind shifted and brought more smoke to the area. As he drove down toward Huntington Lake, he said, “it just looked like lava, the whole valley was glowing.”
“I’ve been up there a quarter-century, I’ve never seen anything like that,” he said. California Highway Patrol eventually escorted him and other drivers out.
Back at Vermilion, deputies arrived Monday to help everyone leave and the group began packing their bags and hopping in cars. At the last minute, they were told it was called off as it wasn’t safe.
That night, the Fresno Fire Department said crews tried to get to people at Lake Edison and China Peak, but “rescue efforts were unsuccessful [as] military pilots tried valiantly to land, but heavy smoke conditions prevented a safe approach.”
Many of them wouldn’t get out until Tuesday. Keathley was one of 11 people who got into a helicopter to head to Fresno about 4:30 a.m.
“I had some hikers asking me if I had plans to try to continue the trail if things calmed down. I just realized at that point, the trail is always there,” Keathley said. “I had a beautiful week on the trail. It’s not really what I expected and I certainly would love to have finished if I could have, but at that point I was really interested in getting out. I felt pretty trapped.”
Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report.