latimes--2020-09-07--Activists concerned over rise in Orange County homeless deaths

Advocates for the homeless are concerned about an increase in deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Orange County .
According to data from the coroner ’ s office , 146 homeless people died between April and August .
During the same period last year , there were 82 deaths among the homeless .
Although the coroner does not list a cause of death if it ’ s from natural causes , more than 90 of the causes for the homeless were left blank in reports .
The Rev .
, an advocate , believes the rising deaths may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indirect way , including lack of outreach efforts .
Kriz has been the deaths of the homeless monthly for the Voice of OC .
“ I think that the homeless , above all , are just afraid to go to the hospital , ” Kriz said , pointing out the risks of visiting a hospital during the pandemic .
The pastor , a vocal advocate for the homeless in Orange County , supported dozens of homeless people by allowing an encampment on the grounds of his church in Fullerton .
Now he works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right OC .
Months ago , Kriz and other homeless advocates held car rallies to advocate for the county to do more for the homeless during the pandemic .
The county has been seeking to help the homeless via Project Roomkey , a state initiative that provides temporary isolation shelter to homeless individuals who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 and those who are at high risk of developing a severe form of the illness .
The initiative is providing 692 rooms at six hotel and motel sites .
The county is also providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for alternative temporary shelter placement for the homeless .
“ Any one death is one too many , and the Health Care Agency , in collaboration with our community partners , continues to work on solutions focused on linking individuals experiencing homelessness to the physical and behavioral health and housing resources they need , ” Jason Austin , director of the Orange County agency ’ s office of care coordination , said in an email .
“ It is our job to help the most vulnerable among us both during COVID and after.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is the next phase in preventing the spread of the virus among the homeless population .
With the help of $ 600 million in state grant funds , counties will purchase and rehabilitate hotels , motels , vacant apartments and other buildings .
Austin said the county has submitted three applications to the state for motel sites .
Kriz said Project Roomkey has been insufficient .
“ The program never was dimensioned to the proper size , ” Kriz said .
“ There never was an attempt to put everybody who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room.
” Kriz believes Orange County needs to purchase more hotels to house the homeless .
In the 2019 Point-in-Time count , there were almost 7,000 homeless people in the county .
“ This is the time to do it ; the hotels are cheaper than before , ” Kriz said .
“ It would save lives ...
They spend the vast majority of their discretionary funds for law enforcement .
So use some of that money to buy hotels.
” While Kriz believes that getting homeless people into hotels is likely the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Project Roomkey .
Kriz and Dave Duran , a homeless activist , both say it puts limits on the homeless , making them stay in the hotels to curtail the spread of the virus .
Duran said the hotels and shelters are being run like “ prisons.
” “ Arguably , it is justified for the reasons of , you know , that they don ’ t want people to be wandering all over the place and then bringing COVID into the hotel , ” Kriz said .
“ If you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you ’ re basically asking people to join [ Project ] Roomkey , then it becomes essentially voluntary incarceration.
” It isn ’ t clear what the answer is to protecting the homeless from COVID-19 .
Kriz contended that the shelters are important but said they can pose an issue with spreading the virus .
He said shelters require a minimum of three feet between beds , yet the consensus is that six feet are necessary to fend off the spread of the virus .
“ It ’ s three feet head-to-toe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet face-to-face , ” Austin said .
“ That is from the state.
” “ The same standard for everything else is six feet , ” Kriz said .
“ The only exemption , as far as I know , is for the homeless .
That is something that is almost certainly not lost on them.
” Austin said the county is coordinating with homeless shelters to guide and recommend the best practices for preventing the spread of the coronavirus .
He said this includes operational changes and reducing the number of occupants @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Advocates for the homeless are concerned about an increase in deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Orange County.
According to data from the coroner’s office, 146 homeless people died between April and August. During the same period last year, there were 82 deaths among the homeless.
Although the coroner does not list a cause of death if it is due to natural causes, more than 90 of the causes for the homeless were left blank in reports. The Rev. Dennis Kriz , a vocal advocate for the homeless in Orange County, believes the rising deaths may be linked to the pandemic in an indirect way, including insufficient outreach efforts.
Kriz has been documenting the deaths of the homeless monthly for the Voice of OC.
“I think that the homeless, above all, are just afraid to go to the hospital,” Kriz said, pointing out the risks of visiting a hospital during the pandemic.
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The pastor, who supported dozens of homeless people by allowing an encampment on the grounds of his church in Fullerton, works with the coalition Housing is a Human Right OC.
Months ago, Kriz and other advocates held car rallies to push the county to do more for the homeless during the pandemic.
The county has been seeking to help the homeless via Project Roomkey, a state initiative that provides temporary isolation shelter to homeless individuals who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 and to those who are at high risk of developing a severe form of the illness. The initiative is providing 692 rooms at six hotel and motel sites.
The county is also providing about $1.3 million to service providers for alternative temporary shelter placement for the homeless.
“Any one death is one too many, and the Health Care Agency, in collaboration with our community partners, continues to work on solutions focused on linking individuals experiencing homelessness to the physical and behavioral health and housing resources they need,” Jason Austin, director of the Orange County agency’s office of care coordination, said in an email. “It is our job to help the most vulnerable among us both during COVID and after.”
Project Homekey, another state initiative, is the next phase in preventing the spread of the virus among the homeless population. With the help of $600 million in state grant funds, counties will purchase and rehabilitate hotels, motels, vacant apartments and other buildings.
Austin said the county has submitted three applications to the state for motel sites.
Kriz said Project Roomkey has been insufficient.
“The program never was dimensioned to the proper size,” Kriz said. “There never was an attempt to put everybody who’s on the street into a hotel room.”
Kriz believes Orange County needs to purchase more hotels to house the homeless. In the 2019 Point-in-Time count, there were almost 7,000 homeless people in the county.
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“This is the time to do it; the hotels are cheaper than before,” Kriz said. “It would save lives... They spend the vast majority of their discretionary funds for law enforcement. So use some of that money to buy hotels.”
While Kriz believes that getting homeless people into hotels is likely the best route, he has complaints about Project Roomkey. Kriz and Dave Duran, another activist, both say it puts limits on the homeless, making them stay in the hotels to curtail the spread of the virus. Duran said the hotels and shelters are being run like “prisons.”
“Arguably, it is justified for the reasons of, you know, that they don’t want people to be wandering all over the place and then bringing COVID into the hotel,” Kriz said. “If you’re saying that people cannot freely leave, you’re basically asking people to join [Project] Roomkey. Then it becomes essentially voluntary incarceration.”
It isn’t clear what the answer is to protecting the homeless from COVID-19.
Kriz contended that the shelters are important but said they can pose an issue with spreading the disease. He said shelters require a minimum of three feet between beds, yet the consensus is that six feet are necessary to fend off the spread of the coronavirus.
“It’s three feet head-to-toe bed placement, which results in six feet face-to-face,” Austin said. “That is from the state.”
“The same standard for everything else is six feet,” Kriz said. “The only exemption, as far as I know, is for the homeless. That is something that is almost certainly not lost on them.”
Austin said the county is coordinating with homeless shelters to guide and recommend the best practices for preventing the spread of the coronavirus. He said this includes operational changes and reducing the number of occupants for the sake of social distancing.
Brazil writes for Times Community News.


latimes--2020-09-07--Sunday was one of the hottest days ever recorded in Southern California. A tally of historic heat

But even where the broiling temperatures didn ’ t set all-time records , the conditions were unbearable for many and marked the hottest conditions in years .
The National Weather Service called Sunday “ one of the hottest days since official weather records began across much of Southwestern California.
” Officials noted the heat peaked in the afternoon , but cooling overnight was minimal .
Woodland Hills made national headlines with a 121-degree reading that marked the hottest temperature ever recorded at an official National Weather Service station in Los Angeles County .
Dozens of other locations hit new highs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be even hotter in many areas than Saturday , when more records were broken .
In Woodland Hills , the mercury climbed to 117 degrees by 3 p.m. , making it the hottest day ever recorded there in September , breaking the record of 115 set in 1979 .
Burbank reached 113 , tying its monthly record set in 1971 .
Van Nuys hit 115 .
Officials said at least three areas on Saturday tied or topped all-time record highs : Alpine ( 113 ) , El Cajon ( 114 ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service said Burbank appeared to tie an all-time record at 114 degrees .
Climatologist Bill Patzert said Saturday that September heat waves are not new .
But the extreme heat — and the duration of heat waves — is new .
Over the last century , the average temperature in Los Angeles over the entire year has increased by about 5 degrees , Patzert said .
But the average temperature for the months of August and September has increased by 8 to 9 degrees , he said .
Although one- to two-day heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the century , “ now we see one-week heat waves , ” he said .

Sunday’s heat wave broke all-time high temperature records in some areas.
But even where the broiling temperatures didn’t set all-time records, the conditions were unbearable for many and marked the hottest conditions in years.
The National Weather Service called Sunday “one of the hottest days since official weather records began across much of Southwestern California.” Officials noted the heat peaked in the afternoon, but cooling overnight was minimal.
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Woodland Hills made national headlines with a 121-degree reading that marked the hottest temperature ever recorded at an official National Weather Service station in Los Angeles County.
Other locations to hit all-time highs:
Escondido 115 degrees
Paso Robles 117
Idyllwild 104
Chino 121
Van Nuys Airport 118
San Luis Obispo Airport 117
Dozens of other locations hit new highs for the day:
Los Angeles County
Stunt Ranch 122 degrees
Winnetka 122
Northridge 120
Chatsworth 119
Topanga 118
Beverly Hills (Highlands) 118
West Hills 118
Porter Ranch 117
Duarte 117
Malibu Canyon 117
Agoura Hills 116
Santa Fe Dam 116
Malibu Lake 115
Saugus 115
San Rafael Hills 115
Santa Clarita 115
Pasadena 114
La Crescenta 114
Sierra Madre 114
Rancho Palos Verdes 113
Bouquet Canyon 113
Ventura County
Fillmore (Foothills) 120 degrees
Oak View 120
Thousand Oaks Civic Center 119
Fillmore Fish Hatchery 118
Ojai 118
Harmon 118
Cheeseboro 117
Piru 117
Westlake Village 116
East Simi Valley 116
Aliso Canyon 115
Casitas 115
Santa Paula 113
Ozena 111
Moorpark 111
Newbury Park 110
Santa Barbara County
Solvang 122 degrees
Los Prietos 119
Santa Ynez Airport 117
Refugio Hills 115
San Marcos Pass 115
Gaviota Pass 114
Mission Creek 113
Carpinteria Hills 112
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden 112
West Cuyama 111
Montecito Hills 111
Lompoc Hills 110
Gaviota Beach 109
Santa Barbara city 102
San Luis Obispo County
Arroyo Grande 117 degrees
Atascadero 115
Santa Margarita Booster 114
Las Tablas 114
Hearst Castle 109
La Panza 108
Branch Mountain 105
Davis Peak 104
Orange County
Anaheim 105 degrees
Santa Ana 110
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Riverside County
Palm Springs 120 degrees
Riverside 117
Indio 116
Sunday turned out to be even hotter in many areas than Saturday, when more records were broken.
In Woodland Hills, the mercury climbed to 117 degrees by 3 p.m., making it the hottest day ever recorded there in September, breaking the record of 115 set in 1979. Burbank reached 113, tying its monthly record set in 1971. Van Nuys hit 115. Officials said at least three areas on Saturday tied or topped all-time record highs: Alpine (113), El Cajon (114) and Idyllwild (103). The weather service said Burbank appeared to tie an all-time record at 114 degrees.
Climatologist Bill Patzert said Saturday that September heat waves are not new. But the extreme heat — and the duration of heat waves — is new. Over the last century, the average temperature in Los Angeles over the entire year has increased by about 5 degrees, Patzert said.
But the average temperature for the months of August and September has increased by 8 to 9 degrees, he said.
Although one- to two-day heat waves were the norm in the middle of the century, “now we see one-week heat waves,” he said.


latimes--2020-09-07--National forests to close across California as Labor Day heat broils and wildfires rage

As a historic heat wave continued to broil Southern California on Monday , the National Forest Service announced it would temporarily close forests and campgrounds across the state beginning at 5 p.m. because of the extreme heat and dangerous fire conditions .
Closing those recreation areas — including the Angeles , San Bernardino , Los Padres , Cleveland , Stanislaus , Sierra , Sequoia and Inyo national forests — will help reduce the potential for human-caused fires , officials said .
“ Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior , new fire starts are likely , weather conditions are worsening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire , ” said Randy Moore , regional forester for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region .
The unprecedented closure of eight national forests , including all in Southern California , shuts all trails , campgrounds , roads and other developed sites in the forests .
For example , hikers holding permits to hike to the summit of 14,505-foot Mt .
Whitney in the Inyo National Forest will be turned back .
“ People who have permits for Mt .
Whitney will have them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said forest spokeswoman Deb Schweizer .
Hikers on the John Muir Trail or even the Pacific Crest Trail that runs through Inyo and other national forests should leave while closures are in effect , she said .
The closure of the Angeles National Forest will be in effect until Sept. 14 , according to an online post by agency .
State officials issued a flex alert from 3 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday to conserve energy and reduce the risk of a potential outage , the California Department of Forestry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents to turn off lights when leaving a room , shut down power strips when not in use and close blinds to keep out the sun .
After a weekend of all-time high temperatures , the heat wave gripping Southern California eased slightly Monday — but many inland areas remained in the triple digits .
Temperatures fell about 10 degrees in many areas Monday .
But you might not notice much improvement , given how hot it has been .
The National Weather Service said the coast is seeing the most relief Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 105-117 range ; foothills are hitting the 103-115 range .
Another temperature drop is on tap for Tuesday .
The excessive heat warning that remains in effect for many parts of the region through Monday night is making for explosive conditions for firefighters battling several Southern California blazes .
The Bobcat fire , which started above Azusa in the Angeles National Forest , grew overnight to 4,871 acres amid extreme fire danger warnings .
Staffers at the Mt .
Wilson Observatory were evacuated Monday morning as the flames raged toward the grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along the 210 corridor and the Pasadena area and has prompted the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a smoke advisory for the foothill communities and into the Santa Clarita Valley through Monday , warning of unhealthy air for sensitive people .
In San Bernardino , the El Dorado fire continued to spread overnight on the northeastern edge of Yucaipa .
Authorities said the more than 7,000-acre blaze was started by a “ smoke-generating pyrotechnic device , used during a gender reveal party ” Saturday morning at El Dorado Ranch Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every precaution against starting a wildfire .
The Valley fire , roughly 30 miles east of San Diego , also grew overnight , reaching 10,258 acres but remaining 1 % contained as the battle to stop its march in rugged East County terrain entered its third day .
Monday brought a new tool to the fight : military planes .
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is activating a standing agreement with the Navy 3rd Fleet and the 1 Marine Expeditionary Force to deploy military aircraft to fight the fire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The 11 homes and 25 outbuildings in Japatul Valley , southeast of Alpine .
The extreme temperature over the weekend shattered records .
Woodland Hills on Sunday recorded an all-time high of 121 degrees , which the National Weather Service said at an official weather station in Los Angeles County .
It broke the old record of 119 degrees set in July 2006 and was one of several records to fall on Sunday .
Escondido achieved an all-time high of 115 degrees , shattering a record set in 1909 .
Paso @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 117 , as did Idyllwild ( 104 ) and Chino ( 121 ) .
Neighborhoods across Los Angeles lost power over the weekend and crews with the L.A. Department of Water and Power worked to restore service to more than 115,000 customers as of noon Monday , according to the city department .
About 32,000 customers were still without power early Monday afternoon in neighborhoods including Sylmar , East Hollywood and Leimert Park , the department said in a release .
Officials have opened dozens of cooling centers across L.A. County to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A woman in her late 40s was hiking on a trail in the Santa Monica Mountains in Calabasas when she began to feel sick and collapsed at 2 p.m. Saturday , said L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Deputy Juanita Navarro .
The hiker was pronounced dead at the scene .
The official cause of death is still unknown , Navarro said .
Because of the dangerous heat wave , all trails in the Santa Monica Mountains are closed through Labor Day , Malibu Search and Rescue said in a tweet .
In Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department search-and-rescue team performed an air rescue Saturday of a semiconscious hiker suffering from heat exhaustion on the popular Strawberry Peak trail , where temperatures often soar because it has minimal shade in the afternoon .

Firefighters work to put out embers from the El Dorado Fire in Yucaipa on Monday.
As several wildfires raged across Southern California on a third day of excessive heat, the National Forest Service announced unprecedented closures of campgrounds and trails amid the largest fire season on record.
Through only early September, wildfires so far this year have burned more than 2 million acres in the state, surpassing 2018 for the most acres destroyed in a year, according to figures from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Times research.
After historic high temperatures in the region over the weekend, officials with the National Forest Service announced they would temporarily close eight national forests at 5 p.m. Monday because of the extreme heat and dangerous fire conditions. Closing those recreation areas — including the Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres, Cleveland, Stanislaus, Sierra, Sequoia and Inyo national forests — will help reduce the potential for human-caused fires, they said.
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“Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior ... and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire,” said Randy Moore, regional forester for the Forest Service.
The dramatic closure of the national forests, including all in Southern California, shuts all trails, campgrounds, roads and other developed sites in the forests. For example, hikers holding permits to hike to the summit of 14,505-foot Mt. Whitney in the Inyo National Forest will be turned back.
Hikers on the John Muir Trail or even the Pacific Crest Trail that runs through Inyo and other national forests should leave while closures are in effect, she said. The closure of the Angeles National Forest will be in effect until Sept. 14, according to an online post by agency.
The heat wave gripping Southern California eased slightly Monday — but many inland areas remained in the triple digits. Temperatures fell about 10 degrees in many areas Monday, but were still in the triple digits in the valleys and foothills. Another temperature drop is on tap for Tuesday.
The excessive heat in many parts of the region through Monday night made for explosive conditions for firefighters battling several Southern California blazes.
The Bobcat fire, which started above Azusa in the Angeles National Forest and whose cause is still under investigation, grew to at least 4,871 acres amid extreme fire danger warnings. Staffers at the Mt. Wilson Observatory were evacuated Monday morning as the flames raged toward the grounds.
Santa Ana winds are expected to blow by Tuesday morning, which has officials 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.
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“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.
Monrovia issued an evacuation warning Monday night and described the two-phase plan it would put into effect if necessary. 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 evacuation warnings meant that owners of horses and other large animals had to begin moving them somewhere safe.
Ash from the blaze rained down along the 210 corridor and the Pasadena area Monday and prompted the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a smoke advisory for the foothill communities and into the Santa Clarita Valley through Monday, warning of unhealthy air for sensitive people.
In San Bernardino, the El Dorado fire continued to spread on the northeastern edge of Yucaipa. Authorities said the blaze, which has burned at least 9,671 acres and was 7% contained Monday night, 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 a wildfire.
The Valley fire, roughly 30 miles east of San Diego, also grew , surpassing 17,000 acres while being 3% contained. Monday brought a new tool to the fight: military planes. CalFire is activating a standing agreement with the Navy 3rd Fleet and the 1 Marine Expeditionary Force to deploy military aircraft to fight the fire, Cal Fire spokesman Capt. Kendal Bortisser said.
The Valley fire has already destroyed 11 homes and 25 outbuildings in Japatul Valley, southeast of Alpine.
The extreme temperature over the weekend shattered records. Woodland Hills on Sunday recorded an all-time high of 121 degrees, which the National Weather Service said was the hottest temperature recorded at an official weather station in Los Angeles County.
It broke the old record of 119 degrees set in July 2006 and was one of several records to fall on Sunday. Escondido achieved an all-time high of 115 degrees, shattering a record set in 1909. Paso Robles also hit an all-time high at 117, as did Idyllwild (104) and Chino (121).
Neighborhoods across Los Angeles lost power over the weekend and crews with the L.A. Department of Water and Power worked to restore service to more than 115,000 customers as of noon Monday, according to the city department. About 32,000 customers were still without power early Monday afternoon in neighborhoods including Sylmar, East Hollywood and Leimert Park, the department said in a release.
Officials have opened dozens of cooling centers across L.A. County to help residents deal with the extreme heat.
A woman in her late 40s was hiking on a trail in the Santa Monica Mountains in Calabasas when she began to feel sick and collapsed at 2 p.m. Saturday, said L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Juanita Navarro.
The hiker was pronounced dead at the scene. The official cause of death is still unknown, Navarro said.
Times staff writer Jaclyn Cosgrove contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-07--Chaos in Sierra town of Big Creek as massive fire destroys many homes

The raging Creek fire , which trapped hundreds of campers and ravaged large parts of the Sierra , is taking a devastating toll on the town of Big Creek , Calif .
Photos from residents and others showed numerous homes destroyed in the Sierra town as the fire burned more than 78,000 acres .
Early reports were that at least two dozen dwellings in the town have been lost , but no official assessment had been made Monday amid the burgeoning emergency .
Exploding propane tanks have caused further damage , said Christopher Donnelly , chief of the area ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population of fewer than 200 , Big Creek is a beloved town familiar to many who visit the Sierra .
The fire in the Mammoth Pool recreation area when it crossed the San Joaquin River on Saturday afternoon , prompting a massive rescue effort by the California National Guard .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom late Sunday declared a state of emergency for the counties affected by the fire .
Monitoring the fire from his home in Fresno on Sunday morning , Duane Ruth-Heffelbower was trying to put together a picture of the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire had grown to nearly 40,000 acres .
Ruth-Heffelbower has been going up to Huntington Lake for 45 years and is executive director of a church camp on the west end of the lake .
Saturday morning evacuations played a key role in allowing strike teams to put together a plan to protect property , and by evening a few backburns were started that have so far kept most of the cabins ringing that portion of the lake safe .
An upgraded water system also played a role , said Donnelly .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , five have been lost .
Donnelly was on the north shore of Huntington Lake on Saturday when he heard sirens at 5:30 a.m. Sheriff ’ s deputies were en route to Big Creek , a small town of about 60 homes just west of and nearly 2,000 feet below Huntington Lake .
The town , most of whose residents are employees of Southern California Edison , which owns and manages the hydroelectric facilities in the area , was being evacuated .
Donnelly was in Big Creek by 6 a.m. and saw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising nearly 10,000 feet — burning to the south .
By 7:30 a.m. , smoke poured through Big Creek , and Donnelly knew it was time to leave .
The wind , which during the night blew into the valley , was shifting direction and gaining velocity .
Once the Creek fire reached Big Creek , it would race upslope to Huntington Lake .
He recommended to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection incident commander that the communities along Huntington Lake be evacuated as well .
Fire engines belonging to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tracts making the announcement to residents and vacationers .
Cell towers and power are down in the region , so tallying the damage will come later .
On the south fork of the San Joaquin River , Mammoth Pool was a getaway for Central Valley residents looking to escape the heat wave , and by some estimates , nearly 1,000 people were camping at the site in advance of the long weekend .
The California Air National Guard on Saturday night airlifted scores trapped by flames at Mammoth Pool .
Two people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put in the helicopters first .
Then came the 19 “ walking wounded , ” who needed hospital care but were not considered critical .
Crews also prioritized children and those with underlying health conditions , officials said .
Some of those at Mammoth Pool described a terrifying scene of driving through flames and finding shelter wherever they could .
Jeremy Remington that he and his family were boating when they went to fill their chest with ice .
In less than 30 minutes , he said , the fire was roaring toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything , all around us , ” he said , adding that they poured water on their shirts and used them to cover their faces as protection against the smoke and heat .
“ We do believe there will be more rescues , ” said Col. Dave Hall , commander of the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade , which flew the mission .
“ We are posturing crews day and night to support potential rescues .
What is unique about the terrain up there is it is a very , very popular camping site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fire travels very quickly , it is very possible for backpackers and hikers to potentially be stranded .
”

Thomas Curwen, Kent Nishimura , Harriet Ryan

Big Creek, a California town of fewer than 200, was devastated by the Creek fire, which has burned more than 78,000 acres.
The raging Creek fire, which trapped hundreds of campers and ravaged large parts of the Sierra, is taking a devastating toll on the town of Big Creek, Calif.
Photos from residents and others showed numerous homes destroyed in the Sierra town as the fire burned more than 78,000 acres. Early reports were that at least two dozen dwellings in the town have been lost, but no official assessment had been made Monday amid the burgeoning emergency. Exploding propane tanks have caused further damage, said Christopher Donnelly, chief of the area’s volunteer fire department.
With a population of fewer than 200, Big Creek is a beloved town familiar to many who visit the Sierra.
The fire trapped more than 200 hikers in the Mammoth Pool recreation area when it crossed the San Joaquin River on Saturday afternoon, prompting a massive rescue effort by the California National Guard.
A vehicle streaks by in a long exposure as Fresno County sheriff’s Deputy Jeffery Shipman stands along State Route 168 while the Creek fire creeps closer to Shaver Lake. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Gov. Gavin Newsom late Sunday declared a state of emergency for the counties affected by the fire.
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Monitoring the fire from his home in Fresno on Sunday morning, Duane Ruth-Heffelbower was trying to put together a picture of the last 24 hours, in which the Creek fire had grown to nearly 40,000 acres. Ruth-Heffelbower has been going up to Huntington Lake for 45 years and is executive director of a church camp on the west end of the lake.
Saturday morning evacuations played a key role in allowing strike teams to put together a plan to protect property, and by evening a few backburns were started that have so far kept most of the cabins ringing that portion of the lake safe.
An upgraded water system also played a role, said Donnelly. In a neighboring tract of nearly 40 cabins, five have been lost.
Donnelly was on the north shore of Huntington Lake on Saturday when he heard sirens at 5:30 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies were en route to Big Creek, a small town of about 60 homes just west of and nearly 2,000 feet below Huntington Lake.
The town, most of whose residents are employees of Southern California Edison, which owns and manages the hydroelectric facilities in the area, was being evacuated. Donnelly was in Big Creek by 6 a.m. and saw the fire — with a column of smoke rising nearly 10,000 feet — burning to the south.
By 7:30 a.m., smoke poured through Big Creek, and Donnelly knew it was time to leave. The wind, which during the night blew into the valley, was shifting direction and gaining velocity.
Once the Creek fire reached Big Creek, it would race upslope to Huntington Lake. He recommended to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection incident commander that the communities along Huntington Lake be evacuated as well. Fire engines belonging to the volunteer fire department began to drive through the tracts making the announcement to residents and vacationers.
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Cell towers and power are down in the region, so tallying the damage will come later.
The Laguna Hotshots Crew battles the Creek fire as it approaches the Southern California Edison Big Creek Hydroelectric Plant. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
On the south fork of the San Joaquin River, Mammoth Pool was a getaway for Central Valley residents looking to escape the heat wave, and by some estimates, nearly 1,000 people were camping at the site in advance of the long weekend.
The California Air National Guard on Saturday night airlifted scores trapped by flames at Mammoth Pool.
Two people had suffered life-threatening injuries. They were put in the helicopters first. Then came the 19 “walking wounded,” who needed hospital care but were not considered critical. Crews also prioritized children and those with underlying health conditions, officials said.
Some of those at Mammoth Pool described a terrifying scene of driving through flames and finding shelter wherever they could.
Jeremy Remington told ABC30 that he and his family were boating when they went to fill their chest with ice. In less than 30 minutes, he said, the fire was roaring toward them.
“The fire completely engulfed everything, all around us,” he said, adding that they poured water on their shirts and used them to cover their faces as protection against the smoke and heat.
“We do believe there will be more rescues,” said Col. Dave Hall, commander of the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, which flew the mission.
“We are posturing crews day and night to support potential rescues. What is unique about the terrain up there is it is a very, very popular camping site and also backpacking site. And because the fire travels very quickly, it is very possible for backpackers and hikers to potentially be stranded.”


latimes--2020-09-07--El Dorado fire sparked by pyrotechnic device used during gender-reveal party at Yucaipa park

A fire that has burned more than 7,000 acres in San Bernardino County was caused by a smoke-emitting pyrotechnic device that was part of a gender-reveal party in a Yucaipa park , officials said .
Such devices typically shoot off blue or pink smoke to signal the gender of an expected child .
The El Dorado fire near Yucaipa has forced evacuations in some communities .
“ Cal Fire reminds the public that with the dry conditions and critical fire weather , it doesn ’ t take much to start a wildfire , ” the California Department of Forestry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was one of several massive fires burning in California amid an epic heat wave .
A fire in the Japatul Valley southeast of Alpine has burned more than 9,850 acres and destroyed at least 11 structures in addition to 25 outbuildings .
The blaze , dubbed the Valley fire , was the nightmare scenario many had feared : a roaring wildfire chewing through vast stretches of the back country amid searing record-high temperatures , forcing homeowners to flee — all during a time of coronavirus-induced mask wearing and social distancing .
Boiling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rose into the air and filtered over the county with an acrid stench , making for unhealthy air conditions .
The Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest near Duarte broke out Sunday afternoon and forced Labor Day weekend visitors to flee .
It was not threatening homes .
In the Sierra National Forest northeast of Fresno , the 45,500-acre Creek fire in the Mammoth Pool recreation area when it crossed the San Joaquin River on Saturday afternoon , prompting a massive rescue effort by the California National Guard .
The San Diego @ @ @ @ @ @

The 7,000-acre El Dorado fire was sparked by smoke devices used during a gender-reveal party at a Yucaipa park.
El Dorado fire sparked by pyrotechnic device used during gender-reveal party
A fire that has burned more than 7,000 acres in San Bernardino County was caused by a smoke-emitting pyrotechnic device that was part of a gender-reveal party in a Yucaipa park, officials said.
Such devices typically shoot off blue or pink smoke to signal the gender of an expected child.
The El Dorado fire near Yucaipa has forced evacuations in some communities.
“Cal Fire reminds the public that with the dry conditions and critical fire weather, it doesn’t take much to start a wildfire,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement.
It was one of several massive fires burning in California amid an epic heat wave.
Advertisement
A fire in the Japatul Valley southeast of Alpine has burned more than 9,850 acres and destroyed at least 11 structures in addition to 25 outbuildings.
The blaze, dubbed the Valley fire, was the nightmare scenario many had feared: a roaring wildfire chewing through vast stretches of the back country amid searing record-high temperatures, forcing homeowners to flee — all during a time of coronavirus-induced mask wearing and social distancing.
Boiling clouds of smoke pouring from the fire rose into the air and filtered over the county with an acrid stench, making for unhealthy air conditions.
The Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest near Duarte broke out Sunday afternoon and forced Labor Day weekend visitors to flee. It was not threatening homes.
In the Sierra National Forest northeast of Fresno, the 45,500-acre Creek fire trapped more than 200 hikers in the Mammoth Pool recreation area when it crossed the San Joaquin River on Saturday afternoon, prompting a massive rescue effort by the California National Guard.
The San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-07--A crisis hotline for transgender people, by transgender people

Oriana went through the usual motions of preparing for a two-hour shift on the hotline .
They filled a big glass of water , swaddled their armchair in a blanket and laid out a crochet hook and yarn on the desk , in case there was a lull in calls .
Downtime was unlikely , though , on this summer night .
The Trump administration had just finalized a rule that would reduce protections for transgender patients from discrimination by doctors , hospitals and health insurance companies .
And Trans Lifeline , which describes itself as the only crisis hotline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , is flooded with calls every time the nation ’ s highest office does something that threatens the LGBTQ community .
The calls come from those seeking help , as well as prank callers urged by alt-right websites to scare and traumatize trans people in their most vulnerable moments and to tie up the lines so that those reeling from the news can ’ t get through .
Oriana , a nonbinary 28-year-old who uses the pronouns they , them and their and asked to be identified only by their first name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this extra shift in mid-June to make sure that no calls went unanswered .
These interactions are bruising , even for an experienced operator like Oriana .
But they only serve to validate why Oriana is doing this work in the first place .
It is an act of perseverance — and resistance — that is more important than ever in this era of heightened hostility .
In six years , the hotline has answered more than 65,000 calls , with operators available 24/7 .
The need to social distance during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sense of isolation and loneliness .
Calls in which people describe suicidal thoughts to operators have increased 89 % since March .
That June night when Oriana braced for extra calls , it was indeed a busy night and abusers hurled insults their way .
But Oriana also got a call from a woman who had just come out .
She wanted to celebrate with someone who could truly understand the immensity of the milestone .
“ Honestly , ” Oriana said , “ that made it all worth it.
” Trans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco software engineers Nina Chaubal and her partner , Greta Martela .
Chaubal had come out as trans a year earlier , and Martela , also a trans woman , had wrestled with depression and suicidal thoughts .
In those dark times , Martela experienced ignorance and neglect from mental health professionals she reached out to for help .
Throughout their lifetimes , many trans people face rejection from family and friends , are victims of discrimination and harassment , and live in fear and isolation — factors that increase the risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults reported attempting to take their own lives at some point , according to the National Center for Transgender Equality .
Chaubal and Martela imagined a support network that would confront this epidemic head-on .
“ When it started , ” Oriana recalled , “ it felt very much like an outgrowth of a natural community phenomenon : trans people connecting other trans people to other community members in a very grass-roots but enthusiastic fashion.
” Today , Trans Lifeline says it is still the only hotline in the country staffed entirely by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undergo 36 hours of online training .
The organization has grown consistently , with the first big jump in donations and calls coming just after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016 .
“ People were terrified , ” said Elena Rose Vera , executive director of Trans Lifeline .
Their fears were prescient .
In 2018 alone , the Trump administration vowed to ban transgender people from military service and scrapped Obama-era guidance that encouraged school officials to let transgender students use bathrooms that matched their gender identities .
Then came an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gender under Title IX that failed to acknowledge the very existence of trans people .
Trans Lifeline ’ s operators answered more than 20,000 calls that year .
There have been growing pains .
In early 2018 , Trans Lifeline ’ s board removed Chaubal and Martela after an internal review found that they had diverted “ significant funds ” to an unapproved side project .
Vera , a longtime educator , activist and reverend , was hired to help Trans Lifeline recover .
Vera focused on social justice and community care in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seminary school .
But when she graduated in 2010 , she discovered that most religious organizations — even those led by well-meaning progressives — were not ready to ordain a trans woman of color .
“ They were comfortable seeing a woman like me as someone who required help , ” Vera said , “ not someone in leadership.
” She was eventually ordained in 2016 through the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco , founded by the civil rights leader Howard Thurman .
Vera noted that many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who were denied professional opportunities elsewhere because they are transgender .
“ When you give people the chance to do good work , ” Vera said , “ they bloom.
” They call looking for support groups or information about starting hormone replacement therapy .
They call in the wake of tragedy , such as mass shootings , or events that affect them directly , as when the Trump administration in 2019 banned transgender people from serving in the military .
They call from detention centers , from the Deep South and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bedrooms .
Some call for no particular reason other than to talk to another transgender person .
A common , urgent fear among callers is that society will turn on them completely — a fear that has intensified during the pandemic and hit the trans community particularly hard .
As Oriana put it : “ People who might have been doing OK are now struggling , and people who were struggling are now barely getting by.
” It can be difficult for trans people to secure employment and housing in the best of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have been discriminated against in the workplace , according to a survey from the National Center for Transgender Equality , and 20 % say they have faced prejudice while seeking a home .
These hurdles are even higher for trans people of color , who are doubly marginalized .
Calls to Trans Lifeline about finding and keeping work , as well as workplace discrimination , have quadrupled since March , hotline data show .
“ They ’ re really worried about finding new jobs , ” Oriana said .
“ But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I be hired at all ?
’ It ’ s ‘ How will they treat me when I ’ m there ?
’ ” Oriana has talked to many young adults who have had no choice but to move back to the family homes they left in order to live authentically .
With colleges shuttered , some were forced back into the closet .
Oriana helps callers brainstorm creative ways to express themselves in these circumstances and coaches them on how to find supportive communities online .
In more dire cases , Oriana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which involve escape .
But fleeing domestic abuse can be extremely difficult for trans people .
Nearly a third of homeless transgender people being turned away from a shelter because they are trans .
In July , Vox revealed that a proposed Housing and Urban Development rule would allow federally funded homeless shelters to judge a person ’ s physical characteristics , such as height and facial hair , in determining whether they belong in a women ’ s or men ’ s shelter — a move advocates say could force trans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fearing discrimination , many have called the line worried that they might not receive adequate medical treatment if they catch COVID-19 .
Vera recalled the reception she got from doctors after she was hit by a van in Oregon several years ago .
“ They didn ’ t want to touch me or look at me .
Their not wanting to help me as a trans person resulted in a lifelong disability , ” said Vera , who uses a cane to help her walk .
Veronica Esposito , a 41-year-old operator in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crucial parts of her job is validating the pain and confusion of her callers .
“ Yeah , I ’ ve been there .
That really sucks , ” she will say when a caller tells her about being stared at in public .
People will stare “ like you ’ re not human , ” Esposito said .
“ Like you ’ re a story that someone ’ s going to tell when they get home.
” Esposito understands the heartache of being rejected by family members .
She intimately knows the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the wrong pronouns , or the name you used before you transitioned .
Oriana sometimes shares with callers that there were long stretches of times when they , too , felt hopeless ; they thought about suicide , self-harmed .
But life is good now , Oriana tells them .
Now they have a loving partner , a full-time job as a tech researcher .
Their mental health struggles have been softened by therapy and time .
“ I can ’ t promise you when you will be OK , ” Oriana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promise you that that possibility exists.
” Added Vera , “ We get to show that we aren ’ t just victims.
” Trans Lifeline is part of a long legacy of transgender people fighting for each other ’ s survival in a world that has by and large been hostile to their existence .
The first known transgender advocacy organization , Cercle Hermaphroditos , was founded in 1895 in New York City to “ unite for the defense against the world ’ s bitter persecution , ” according to Susan Stryker , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those trans and gender-nonconforming urbanites , who convened quietly in an upstairs room of the gay bar and brothel Columbia Hall , paved the way for future generations of trans people to create intentional networks of support .
Pioneering transgender activists Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries , or STAR , in 1970 in an effort to help young trans people falling through the cracks of the burgeoning gay rights movement .
The movement matriarchs are Vera ’ s guiding stars .
She aims to follow their model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trans Lifeline to a massive scale .
She says such an endeavor has never been so important .
At least 26 transgender or gender nonconforming people were violently killed in the U.S. in 2018 , according to the Human Rights Campaign .
That year , the white supremacist website the Daily Stormer reveled in state and federal efforts to curtail the rights of transgender people .
“ We ’ re really doing it , guys , ” a Stormer blog post reads .
“ We ’ re killing trannies — just with voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI reported a 34 % increase in hate-based attacks on transgender people between 2017 and 2018 .
“ Being able to provide anything that is steady and reliable at a time of historic uncertainty , to be able to say , ‘ If you reach out , someone can pick up ’ — that feels very vital to me , ” Vera said .
For Oriana , whose friends love them not in spite of their gender identity but because of it , being an operator is a way to pay forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t been afforded .
There are trans folks in rural communities who had never spoken to another trans person until they called the hotline .
“ The truth is , we ’ re out there .
And there are a lot of us , ” Oriana said .
“ I think it can be really hard to feel that reality when you ’ re isolated and the dominant culture is antagonistic toward you.
” So Oriana will keep taking calls from trans people in small-town Arkansas , in suburban Ohio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel young and old on how to do makeup and how to hold on until their next therapy appointment .
On a recent Wednesday , as the sweltering Boston day gave way to nighttime breezes , Oriana stood up from their armchair and stretched their legs .
They savored a piece of milk chocolate , a reward that marks the end of a shift .
Oriana took off their headset and put it aside for when they ’ d use it again next week .
Same time , same place .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs of suicide , seek help from a professional by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at ( 800 ) 273-TALK ( 8255 ) .
You can reach Trans Lifeline at ( 877 ) 565-8860 .

Oriana, a volunteer with the peer-support network Trans Lifeline, at home in Boston in July. The phone shows the total calls answered by the nonprofit to date.
Oriana went through the usual motions of preparing for a two-hour shift on the hotline. They filled a big glass of water, swaddled their armchair in a blanket and laid out a crochet hook and yarn on the desk, in case there was a lull in calls.
Downtime was unlikely, though, on this summer night.
The Trump administration had just finalized a rule that would reduce protections for transgender patients from discrimination by doctors, hospitals and health insurance companies. And Trans Lifeline, which describes itself as the only crisis hotline for trans people operated entirely by trans people, is flooded with calls every time the nation’s highest office does something that threatens the LGBTQ community.
The calls come from those seeking help, as well as prank callers urged by alt-right websites to scare and traumatize trans people in their most vulnerable moments and to tie up the lines so that those reeling from the news can’t get through.
Advertisement
Oriana, a nonbinary 28-year-old who uses the pronouns they, them and their and asked to be identified only by their first name for fear of being targeted, volunteered for this extra shift in mid-June to make sure that no calls went unanswered.
These interactions are bruising, even for an experienced operator like Oriana. But they only serve to validate why Oriana is doing this work in the first place.
It is an act of perseverance — and resistance — that is more important than ever in this era of heightened hostility. In six years, the hotline has answered more than 65,000 calls, with operators available 24/7.
The need to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic creates new pressures, amplifying the sense of isolation and loneliness. Calls in which people describe suicidal thoughts to operators have increased 89% since March.
That June night when Oriana braced for extra calls, it was indeed a busy night and abusers hurled insults their way. But Oriana also got a call from a woman who had just come out. She wanted to celebrate with someone who could truly understand the immensity of the milestone.
“Honestly,” Oriana said, “that made it all worth it.”
::
Trans Lifeline was founded in 2014 by San Francisco software engineers Nina Chaubal and her partner, Greta Martela.
Chaubal had come out as trans a year earlier, and Martela, also a trans woman, had wrestled with depression and suicidal thoughts. In those dark times, Martela experienced ignorance and neglect from mental health professionals she reached out to for help.
Advertisement
Throughout their lifetimes, many trans people face rejection from family and friends, are victims of discrimination and harassment, and live in fear and isolation — factors that increase the risk of suicide. Four out of 10 transgender adults reported attempting to take their own lives at some point, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Chaubal and Martela imagined a support network that would confront this epidemic head-on.
“When it started,” Oriana recalled, “it felt very much like an outgrowth of a natural community phenomenon: trans people connecting other trans people to other community members in a very grass-roots but enthusiastic fashion.”
Today, Trans Lifeline says it is still the only hotline in the country staffed entirely by transgender operators. The 70 volunteer operators undergo 36 hours of online training.
The organization has grown consistently, with the first big jump in donations and calls coming just after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016.
“People were terrified,” said Elena Rose Vera, executive director of Trans Lifeline.
Their fears were prescient. In 2018 alone, the Trump administration vowed to ban transgender people from military service and scrapped Obama-era guidance that encouraged school officials to let transgender students use bathrooms that matched their gender identities.
Then came an effort to establish a legal definition of gender under Title IX that failed to acknowledge the very existence of trans people. Trans Lifeline’s operators answered more than 20,000 calls that year.
There have been growing pains. In early 2018, Trans Lifeline’s board removed Chaubal and Martela after an internal review found that they had diverted “significant funds” to an unapproved side project.
Vera, a longtime educator, activist and reverend, was hired to help Trans Lifeline recover.
Vera focused on social justice and community care in her master’s degree studies at seminary school. But when she graduated in 2010, she discovered that most religious organizations — even those led by well-meaning progressives — were not ready to ordain a trans woman of color.
Elena Rose Vera, executive director of Trans Lifeline, at her ordination ceremony in 2016 at the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. (Elena Rose Vera)
“They were comfortable seeing a woman like me as someone who required help,” Vera said, “not someone in leadership.”
She was eventually ordained in 2016 through the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco, founded by the civil rights leader Howard Thurman.
Vera noted that many of her staff are people, like her, who were denied professional opportunities elsewhere because they are transgender.
“When you give people the chance to do good work,” Vera said, “they bloom.”
::
They call looking for support groups or information about starting hormone replacement therapy.
They call in the wake of tragedy, such as mass shootings, or events that affect them directly, as when the Trump administration in 2019 banned transgender people from serving in the military.
They call from detention centers, from the Deep South and rural New England, from their childhood bedrooms.
Some call for no particular reason other than to talk to another transgender person.
A common, urgent fear among callers is that society will turn on them completely — a fear that has intensified during the pandemic and hit the trans community particularly hard.
As Oriana put it: “People who might have been doing OK are now struggling, and people who were struggling are now barely getting by.”
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. More Stories
It can be difficult for trans people to secure employment and housing in the best of times. Three out of four trans people have been discriminated against in the workplace, according to a survey from the National Center for Transgender Equality, and 20% say they have faced prejudice while seeking a home. These hurdles are even higher for trans people of color, who are doubly marginalized.
Calls to Trans Lifeline about finding and keeping work, as well as workplace discrimination, have quadrupled since March, hotline data show.
“They’re really worried about finding new jobs,” Oriana said. “But it’s not just, ‘Will I be hired at all?’ It’s ‘How will they treat me when I’m there?’”
Oriana has talked to many young adults who have had no choice but to move back to the family homes they left in order to live authentically. With colleges shuttered, some were forced back into the closet.
Oriana helps callers brainstorm creative ways to express themselves in these circumstances and coaches them on how to find supportive communities online. In more dire cases, Oriana helps callers make safety plans, some of which involve escape.
But fleeing domestic abuse can be extremely difficult for trans people. Nearly a third of homeless transgender people report being turned away from a shelter because they are trans. In July, Vox revealed that a proposed Housing and Urban Development rule would allow federally funded homeless shelters to judge a person’s physical characteristics, such as height and facial hair, in determining whether they belong in a women’s or men’s shelter — a move advocates say could force trans women into men’s shelters.
Fearing discrimination, many have called the line worried that they might not receive adequate medical treatment if they catch COVID-19.
Vera recalled the reception she got from doctors after she was hit by a van in Oregon several years ago.
“They didn’t want to touch me or look at me. Their not wanting to help me as a trans person resulted in a lifelong disability,” said Vera, who uses a cane to help her walk.
Veronica Esposito, a 41-year-old operator in Oakland, says one of the most crucial parts of her job is validating the pain and confusion of her callers. “Yeah, I’ve been there. That really sucks,” she will say when a caller tells her about being stared at in public.
People will stare “like you’re not human,” Esposito said. “Like you’re a story that someone’s going to tell when they get home.”
Veronica Esposito poses near her home in Oakland. In 2019, she spent upwards of 30 hours a week working as an operator for Trans Lifeline. (David Butow / For The Times)
Esposito understands the heartache of being rejected by family members. She intimately knows the dysphoria that comes when someone calls you by the wrong pronouns, or the name you used before you transitioned.
Oriana sometimes shares with callers that there were long stretches of times when they, too, felt hopeless; they thought about suicide, self-harmed.
But life is good now, Oriana tells them. Now they have a loving partner, a full-time job as a tech researcher. Their mental health struggles have been softened by therapy and time.
“I can’t promise you when you will be OK,” Oriana tells callers. “But I can promise you that that possibility exists.”
Added Vera, “We get to show that we aren’t just victims.”
::
Trans Lifeline is part of a long legacy of transgender people fighting for each other’s survival in a world that has by and large been hostile to their existence.
The first known transgender advocacy organization, Cercle Hermaphroditos, was founded in 1895 in New York City to “unite for the defense against the world’s bitter persecution,” according to Susan Stryker, a renowned chronicler of transgender history.
Those trans and gender-nonconforming urbanites, who convened quietly in an upstairs room of the gay bar and brothel Columbia Hall, paved the way for future generations of trans people to create intentional networks of support.
Pioneering transgender activists Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, or STAR, in 1970 in an effort to help young trans people falling through the cracks of the burgeoning gay rights movement.
The movement matriarchs are Vera’s guiding stars. She aims to follow their model of sharing and mutual support and grow Trans Lifeline to a massive scale.
She says such an endeavor has never been so important.
At least 26 transgender or gender nonconforming people were violently killed in the U.S. in 2018, according to the Human Rights Campaign. That year, the white supremacist website the Daily Stormer reveled in state and federal efforts to curtail the rights of transgender people.
“We’re really doing it, guys,” a Stormer blog post reads. “We’re killing trannies — just with voting, and with mean words.”
And the FBI reported a 34% increase in hate-based attacks on transgender people between 2017 and 2018.
“Being able to provide anything that is steady and reliable at a time of historic uncertainty, to be able to say, ‘If you reach out, someone can pick up’ — that feels very vital to me,” Vera said.
For Oriana, whose friends love them not in spite of their gender identity but because of it, being an operator is a way to pay forward the support that so many trans people haven’t been afforded. There are trans folks in rural communities who had never spoken to another trans person until they called the hotline.
“The truth is, we’re out there. And there are a lot of us,” Oriana said. “I think it can be really hard to feel that reality when you’re isolated and the dominant culture is antagonistic toward you.”
So Oriana will keep taking calls from trans people in small-town Arkansas, in suburban Ohio, in upstate New York. They will counsel young and old on how to do makeup and how to hold on until their next therapy appointment.
On a recent Wednesday, as the sweltering Boston day gave way to nighttime breezes, Oriana stood up from their armchair and stretched their legs. They savored a piece of milk chocolate, a reward that marks the end of a shift.
Oriana took off their headset and put it aside for when they’d use it again next week. Same time, same place.
If you or someone you know is exhibiting warning signs of suicide, seek help from a professional by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-TALK (8255).
You can reach Trans Lifeline at (877) 565-8860.


latimes--2020-09-07--Shrinking piñatas and revenues: Party supply stores show how life goes on amid a pandemic

The first time I saw a coronavirus piñata , two thoughts came to mind .
The first was bemused curiosity .
They were in almost every party supply store I went to , and somehow every piñata ’ s designer had agreed : The coronavirus , if corporeal , would be a menacing , greenish orb with bloodshot eyes , bristling with a varying number of sucker-like protuberances .
The second was dismay .
This was in early March , when most of the country hadn ’ t yet awakened to the pandemic ’ s danger , and these goofy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we all needed to take much more seriously .
But I ’ ve come to appreciate it as part of the rasquache magic of L.A. ’ s party supply industry .
There ’ s something comforting about how this city ’ s piñata makers can transform any catastrophe into a comical object that we can string up , beat the hell out of and feast on its candy innards .
I ’ ve been talking to sellers of party supplies these last few months because they are uniquely affected by the reshuffled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has forced upon us .
A single case at a gathering doesn ’ t just affect one person , family or social circle — it could create an outbreak that costs lives hundreds of miles away .
And families are struggling to give up routines based on being together , lulled by a false sense of security among relatives , as my colleague Alejandra Reyes-Velarde wrote recently .
Party supply stores are caught in the middle as society veers between paranoiac caution and wishful ignorance .
When fears about the virus grow intense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifted and cooped-up families threw caution to the wind , some stores saw record-breaking sales .
As society adjusted to smaller gatherings , piñatas , cakes and revenues shrank too .
Steve Tellez , 45 , of Pico Rivera has run Piñata Fiesta Party Supply and Rentals for about 12 years , his second career after working as an estimator at a body shop .
He took over a retail party supply location and converted it to a prospering business focused on party rentals — though the pandemic has changed all of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better than the next .
And this hit took the floor right out from under us , ” Tellez said .
He used to do up to 13 events a week , but these days he ’ s lucky to get one , which nets him just enough to pay for the warehouse where he stores equipment .
He used to hire up to 13 people to help with large events , but now he works by himself , driving the tables , chairs and tents to the location and unloading them onto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hand sanitizer close , and asks his customers to keep their distance .
He has a 4-year-old son , and his father was hospitalized with COVID-19 a few months ago and is still recovering with an oxygen machine at home .
The collapse of much of his business took a mental toll on him and he battled depression early on in the pandemic .
But it ’ s also prompted a reordering of his priorities .
If things stay bad for much longer , he won ’ t hesitate to give up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45 now , man .
I don ’ t play games , ” Tellez said .
“ I just know that without your health , no material things mean anything .
We ’ re all going to die at some point .
It ’ s how we live our life before that happens.
” At Navarro ’ s Party Supply in downtown Los Angeles , foot traffic blew up at first because people were panic buying , said Jocelyn Navarro , whose family has run the store for about 25 years .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell produce and other groceries , and did a roaring business in masks and protective equipment .
Then things slowed down for about a month , when most cities in the region were ordered to lock down .
And then ?
Things just went back to normal , Navarro said .
People started buying normal amounts of candy rather than enormous sacks and started ordering smaller piñatas .
It ’ s as if people are looking for an excuse to get together , Navarro said .
“ We ’ re grateful that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Navarro said .
“ It ’ s like the show must go on.
” In pretty much every neighborhood I ’ ve been to in Los Angeles , rich or poor , gentrifying or blighted , there is always a party supply store .
A big reason for this is because Latinos are everywhere in Los Angeles , and big families need chairs , tables and tents .
Kids need candy , piñatas and party favors .
But I also take some inspiration from their ubiquity .
No matter who you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ZIP Code , everyone needs to celebrate something .
Everyone wants their kid ’ s third birthday party to be mind-blowing ; for their daughter ’ s graduation party to pop on Instagram ; for their mother and father to have some place to sit and hold court at the quinceañera .
At Raquel ’ s Candy N ’ Confections , balloon sales are up temporarily , but Christopher Luna , 33 , is worried about the future .
Weddings , conventions and corporate events — huge , consistent sources of revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely disappeared .
After a career in finance , Luna and his brothers took over his family ’ s party supply store in downtown Los Angeles in 2012 .
He ’ s helped the store implement modern systems and stay on top of the rapidly evolving trends of the party industry .
But he ’ s been frustrated by how hard it ’ s been to figure out the correct way to operate during the pandemic restrictions .
“ You just don ’ t know who to listen to or what channel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what ’ s very surprising and depressing , that what ’ s OK and what ’ s not is not clear , ” Luna said .
“ At the end of the day you just have to use your common sense .
I just feel like it shouldn ’ t be political .
It just doesn ’ t help.
” Parties have become controversial in the same , deeply unhelpful fashion that face masks and vaccines have .
Our chaotic political discourse has somehow generated the absurd perception that taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignoring the risks in favor of exercising freedoms is for Republicans .
I imagine someone , somewhere will read this column as a blanket endorsement of parties and condemn me too .
These are bizarre times in which everyone can potentially see anyone else as a threat to their safety .
Every conversation seems to be a matter of life and death .
But it ’ s dangerous and illogical to treat pandemic safety issues like statements of moral and political values when they are really matters of science .
I actually took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are happening and that some party supply stores are surviving .
Shrinking piñatas , drive-by weddings and trying to safely gather with our loved ones are signs that we ’ re attempting to embrace a new normal .

People shop at Tapia’s Productos Mexicanos en General on March 24, 2019, in downtown Los Angeles. Party supply stores are caught in the middle as society veers between paranoiac caution and wishful ignorance.
The first time I saw a coronavirus piñata, two thoughts came to mind.
The first was bemused curiosity. They were in almost every party supply store I went to, and somehow every piñata’s designer had agreed: The coronavirus, if corporeal, would be a menacing, greenish orb with bloodshot eyes, bristling with a varying number of sucker-like protuberances.
The second was dismay. This was in early March, when most of the country hadn’t yet awakened to the pandemic’s danger, and these goofy piñatas seemed to make light of something that we all needed to take much more seriously.
But I’ve come to appreciate it as part of the rasquache magic of L.A.’s party supply industry. There’s something comforting about how this city’s piñata makers can transform any catastrophe into a comical object that we can string up, beat the hell out of and feast on its candy innards.
I’ve been talking to sellers of party supplies these last few months because they are uniquely affected by the reshuffled social rules around human interaction this pandemic has forced upon us. A single case at a gathering doesn’t just affect one person, family or social circle — it could create an outbreak that costs lives hundreds of miles away. And families are struggling to give up routines based on being together, lulled by a false sense of security among relatives, as my colleague Alejandra Reyes-Velarde wrote recently.
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Party supply stores are caught in the middle as society veers between paranoiac caution and wishful ignorance. When fears about the virus grow intense, business slows. After lockdowns were lifted and cooped-up families threw caution to the wind, some stores saw record-breaking sales. As society adjusted to smaller gatherings, piñatas, cakes and revenues shrank too.
Steve Tellez, 45, of Pico Rivera has run Piñata Fiesta Party Supply and Rentals for about 12 years, his second career after working as an estimator at a body shop. He took over a retail party supply location and converted it to a prospering business focused on party rentals — though the pandemic has changed all of that.
“Every year has always been better than the next. And this hit took the floor right out from under us,” Tellez said.
He used to do up to 13 events a week, but these days he’s lucky to get one, which nets him just enough to pay for the warehouse where he stores equipment. He used to hire up to 13 people to help with large events, but now he works by himself, driving the tables, chairs and tents to the location and unloading them onto the curb.
He keeps face masks and hand sanitizer close, and asks his customers to keep their distance. He has a 4-year-old son, and his father was hospitalized with COVID-19 a few months ago and is still recovering with an oxygen machine at home.
The collapse of much of his business took a mental toll on him and he battled depression early on in the pandemic. But it’s also prompted a reordering of his priorities. If things stay bad for much longer, he won’t hesitate to give up the business.
“I’m 45 now, man. I don’t play games,” Tellez said. “I just know that without your health, no material things mean anything. We’re all going to die at some point. It’s how we live our life before that happens.”
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At Navarro’s Party Supply in downtown Los Angeles, foot traffic blew up at first because people were panic buying, said Jocelyn Navarro, whose family has run the store for about 25 years. They were able to stay open because they sell produce and other groceries, and did a roaring business in masks and protective equipment.
Then things slowed down for about a month, when most cities in the region were ordered to lock down.
And then? Things just went back to normal, Navarro said. People started buying normal amounts of candy rather than enormous sacks and started ordering smaller piñatas. It’s as if people are looking for an excuse to get together, Navarro said.
“We’re grateful that people are still having parties and ordering piñatas,” Navarro said. “It’s like the show must go on.”
::
In pretty much every neighborhood I’ve been to in Los Angeles, rich or poor, gentrifying or blighted, there is always a party supply store.
A big reason for this is because Latinos are everywhere in Los Angeles, and big families need chairs, tables and tents. Kids need candy, piñatas and party favors.
But I also take some inspiration from their ubiquity. No matter who you are, no matter what income level or ZIP Code, everyone needs to celebrate something. Everyone wants their kid’s third birthday party to be mind-blowing; for their daughter’s graduation party to pop on Instagram; for their mother and father to have some place to sit and hold court at the quinceañera.
At Raquel’s Candy N’ Confections, balloon sales are up temporarily, but Christopher Luna, 33, is worried about the future. Weddings, conventions and corporate events — huge, consistent sources of revenue for the party industry — have almost completely disappeared.
After a career in finance, Luna and his brothers took over his family’s party supply store in downtown Los Angeles in 2012. He’s helped the store implement modern systems and stay on top of the rapidly evolving trends of the party industry. But he’s been frustrated by how hard it’s been to figure out the correct way to operate during the pandemic restrictions.
“You just don’t know who to listen to or what channel to turn to these days. And that’s what’s very surprising and depressing, that what’s OK and what’s not is not clear,” Luna said. “At the end of the day you just have to use your common sense. I just feel like it shouldn’t be political. It just doesn’t help.”
Parties have become controversial in the same, deeply unhelpful fashion that face masks and vaccines have. Our chaotic political discourse has somehow generated the absurd perception that taking the virus seriously is for Democrats, and ignoring the risks in favor of exercising freedoms is for Republicans. I imagine someone, somewhere will read this column as a blanket endorsement of parties and condemn me too.
These are bizarre times in which everyone can potentially see anyone else as a threat to their safety. Every conversation seems to be a matter of life and death. But it’s dangerous and illogical to treat pandemic safety issues like statements of moral and political values when they are really matters of science.
I actually took some hope from the knowledge that parties are happening and that some party supply stores are surviving. Shrinking piñatas, drive-by weddings and trying to safely gather with our loved ones are signs that we’re attempting to embrace a new normal.


latimes--2020-09-06--Angeles National Forest fire explodes to almost 5,000 acres, sends ash far and wide

An out-of-control brush fire kept growing Monday morning in Angeles National Forest north of Azusa , sending ash into communities miles away and forcing the evacuation of the Mt .
Wilson Observatory .
The Bobcat fire started shortly after noon Sunday near Cogswell Dam and had burned an estimated 4,871 acres of brush and timber by Monday morning , U.S. Forest Service officials said .
It was 0 % contained .
Staff members at the Mt .
Wilson Observatory were ordered to evacuate Monday morning as the fire raged toward the grounds , according to an online post .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire Sunday night before evacuations were ordered .
Dramatic time-lapse video showed the approaching fire .
The fire also threatens to destroy a seismic station housed at Mount Wilson that is operated by Caltech and has recorded major earthquakes for 100 years , according to seismologist Lucy Jones .
Angeles Crest Highway is closed from 10.6 miles east of La Canada Flintridge to Islip Saddle due to the wildfire , according to Caltrans .
Ash from the blaze rained down along the 210 Freeway corridor and has prompted the South Coast Air Quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the foothill communities and into the Santa Clarita Valley through Monday , warning of unhealthy air for sensitive people .
About 100 firefighters with five engines , three hand crews and two water tenders fought the fire from the ground while four helicopters and five fixed-wing aircraft launched an aerial assault , according to fire officials .
The wind is expected to blow out of the west and southwest Monday from 10 to 15 mph , said Mike Wofford , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
By Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dry winds are expected to blow out of the north , which could push the blaze toward populated areas in foothill communities .
Winds Tuesday are expected at 15 to 25 mph with wind gusts up to 50 mph near ridge tops , Wofford said .
Those Santa Ana winds will bring single-digit humidity , he said .
Seneca Smith , public information officer for Angeles National Forest , said fire crews faced very difficult conditions Monday afternoon , battling hot , dry weather and rugged terrain .
Most of the firefighters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday are still working , so fatigue is a factor , she said .
By early Monday afternoon , the fire ’ s southern perimeter was about 4 miles from the San Gabriel foothill areas of Monrovia , Arcadia , Bradbury and Duarte .
With Santa Ana winds expected Tuesday , fire officials are focused on halting the southward movement of the fire , Smith said .
“ We are extremely concerned about the communities to the south , ” she said .
“ They are our No .
1 priority , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flat community.
” Fire officials were meeting with local law enforcement agencies Monday afternoon to determine where evacuation notices may be announced , Smith said .
The U.S. Forest Service announced it would temporarily close national forests and campgrounds across California beginning at 5 p.m. Monday due to extreme heat and dangerous fire conditions .
Closing those recreation areas — including the Angeles , San Bernardino , Los Padres , Cleveland , Stanislaus , Sierra , Sequoia and Inyo national forests — will help reduce the potential for human-caused fires , officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire behavior , new fire starts are likely , weather conditions are worsening , and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire , ” said Randy Moore , regional forester for the Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region .
Additionally , the temperature — which reached at least 103 on Sunday afternoon where the Bobcat fire is burning — was not expected to dip low enough overnight to be helpful to firefighters , and the humidity will remain low , meaning grass and brush will be dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight restriction is in place over the fire area , and drones are prohibited .
Throughout Southern California , firefighters were hampered by a record-breaking heat wave that swept across the state this Labor Day weekend and brought triple-digit temperatures to many areas .
Across the county in Sunland-Tujunga , 62 firefighters from the city and county departments put out a brush fire Sunday at Hansen Dam in the San Fernando Valley in 43 minutes .
The blaze grew to only five acres .

Ben Poston, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Carlos Lozano

The Bobcat fire that started near Cogswell Dam in Angeles National Forest had burned an estimated 4,871 acres of brush as of Monday morning, U.S. Forest Service officials said.
An out-of-control brush fire kept growing Monday morning in Angeles National Forest north of Azusa, sending ash into communities miles away and forcing the evacuation of the Mt. Wilson Observatory.
The Bobcat fire started shortly after noon Sunday near Cogswell Dam and had burned an estimated 4,871 acres of brush and timber by Monday morning, U.S. Forest Service officials said. It was 0% contained.
Staff members at the Mt. Wilson Observatory were ordered to evacuate Monday morning as the fire raged toward the grounds, according to an online post. The observatory posted dramatic video of the approaching fire Sunday night before evacuations were ordered. Dramatic time-lapse video showed the approaching fire.
This timelapse pretty much sums up the weekend...sunshine, fires and smoke 🔥
You can actually see the flames from the #ElDoradoFire in the background, before the #BobcatFire erupts right next to Mt. Wilson. Crazy!#Wildfires #SoCal #CAwildfires #CAwx @SpecNews1SoCal pic.twitter.com/d16KvV87qu — Leah Freeman (@leahmfreeman) September 7, 2020
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The fire also threatens to destroy a seismic station housed at Mount Wilson that is operated by Caltech and has recorded major earthquakes for 100 years, according to seismologist Lucy Jones.
Angeles Crest Highway is closed from 10.6 miles east of La Canada Flintridge to Islip Saddle due to the wildfire, according to Caltrans.
Ash from the blaze rained down along the 210 Freeway corridor and has prompted the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a smoke advisory for the foothill communities and into the Santa Clarita Valley through Monday, warning of unhealthy air for sensitive people.
About 100 firefighters with five engines, three hand crews and two water tenders fought the fire from the ground while four helicopters and five fixed-wing aircraft launched an aerial assault, according to fire officials.
The wind is expected to blow out of the west and southwest Monday from 10 to 15 mph, said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
By Tuesday morning, conditions will change as hot, dry winds are expected to blow out of the north, which could push the blaze toward populated areas in foothill communities. Winds Tuesday are expected at 15 to 25 mph with wind gusts up to 50 mph near ridge tops, Wofford said. Those Santa Ana winds will bring single-digit humidity, he said.
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Seneca Smith, public information officer for Angeles National Forest, said fire crews faced very difficult conditions Monday afternoon, battling hot, dry weather and rugged terrain. Most of the firefighters who initially responded to the blaze on Sunday are still working, so fatigue is a factor, she said.
By early Monday afternoon, the fire’s southern perimeter was about 4 miles from the San Gabriel foothill areas of Monrovia, Arcadia, Bradbury and Duarte. With Santa Ana winds expected Tuesday, fire officials are focused on halting the southward movement of the fire, Smith said.
“We are extremely concerned about the communities to the south,” she said. “They are our No. 1 priority, along with Mt. Wilson and the Chantry Flat community.”
Fire officials were meeting with local law enforcement agencies Monday afternoon to determine where evacuation notices may be announced, Smith said.
The U.S. Forest Service announced it would temporarily close national forests and campgrounds across California beginning at 5 p.m. Monday due to extreme heat and dangerous fire conditions. Closing those recreation areas — including the Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres, Cleveland, Stanislaus, Sierra, Sequoia and Inyo national forests — will help reduce the potential for human-caused fires, officials said.
“Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior, new fire starts are likely, weather conditions are worsening, and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire,” said Randy Moore, regional forester for the Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region.
Additionally, the temperature — which reached at least 103 on Sunday afternoon where the Bobcat fire is burning — was not expected to dip low enough overnight to be helpful to firefighters, and the humidity will remain low, meaning grass and brush will be dry and ready to burn.
A temporary flight restriction is in place over the fire area, and drones are prohibited.
Throughout Southern California, firefighters were hampered by a record-breaking heat wave that swept across the state this Labor Day weekend and brought triple-digit temperatures to many areas.
Across the county in Sunland-Tujunga, 62 firefighters from the city and county departments put out a brush fire Sunday at Hansen Dam in the San Fernando Valley in 43 minutes. The blaze grew to only five acres.