latimes--2020-09-10--Devastating toll from California firestorms: 12 dead, over 3,900 structures destroyed

As crews work desperately to rein in more than two dozen major blazes burning across California , the ferocious firestorm has left at least 12 people dead and destroyed more than 3,900 structures , officials said Thursday .
Another dozen people were reported missing Wednesday in the area of the North Complex fire — a massive blaze around Oroville that mushroomed this week into an inferno that already has been blamed for three deaths .
The massive complex of fires has scorched more than 252,000 acres and forced some 20,000 residents in Plumas , Butte and Yuba counties from their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the fires that exploded in size this week as record-high temperatures and strong winds beset the state .
Flames raced through the northern Sierra Nevada foothills before dawn Wednesday — catching crews and residents off-guard as they leaped southwest toward towns in Butte County , including the community of Paradise , which was largely destroyed by the 2018 Camp fire .
The incident is now the 10th-largest wildfire in state history , according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
Wildfires have burned more than 3.1 million acres statewide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record .
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said dangerously dry conditions led “ to explosive fires that have really just skyrocketed us past the 3-million mark for the first time in our recorded history.
” “ Unfortunately , with several more months of fire season to go , this number could continue to increase , ” he said Thursday .
The Dolan fire , which ignited Aug. 18 north of Limekiln State Park in Monterey County , has also seen extreme growth this week .
Officials said the combination of high temperatures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than triple the size of the fire , to more than 110,000 acres .
The fire also has spread to the Army ’ s Ft. Hunter Liggett , though that property has not been forced to evacuate , officials said .
While the mid-August lightning siege set California on the path toward a historic and horrifyingly active fire season , a second salvo of summer infernos has since pushed the toll to more devastating heights .
The unprecedented firestorm prompted the U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday to temporarily close all national forests in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gavin Newsom , have said the effects of climate change have helped set the stage for this year ’ s prolific fire season .
“ I quite literally have no patience for climate change deniers , ” he said Tuesday .
“ You may not believe it intellectually , ” he added .
“ But your own eyes , your own experiences , tell a different story.
” So far this year , almost 7,700 fires have ignited statewide , according to Berlant .
“ This year has already been a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nowhere close to being over , ” he said Wednesday .
Six of the state ’ s 20 largest wildfires have started in the past month or so , according to Cal Fire .
That includes the August Complex , which has burned an all-time record 471,185 acres in a remote area in and around Tehama County .
That complex — which started Aug. 17 as a cluster of 37 distinct fires in the Mendocino National Forest — was 24 % contained as of Thursday .
The most recent acreage figure pushed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which burned more than 459,000 acres .
Crews have almost completely hemmed in the SCU Lightning and LNU Lightning complexes , which rank as the third- and fourth-largest wildfires in state history , at 396,624 and 363,220 acres , respectively .
The SCU complex — which began as a collection of about 20 blazes in Contra Costa , Alameda , Santa Clara , Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties — is now 97 % contained .
Containment is at 94 % for the LNU complex , which has charred parts of Napa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Colusa counties .
Joining those complexes on the distressing leaderboard is the Elkhorn fire , which is burning in the Mendocino , Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests .
It has scorched 255,309 acres — the ninth-largest burn zone — and was 27 % contained as of Thursday .
The massive Creek fire , which has chewed through more than 175,000 acres , destroyed an estimated 360 structures and prompted widespread evacuations in the Sierra foothills northeast of Fresno , is currently the 17th-largest in state history .
The fire was still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said that could soon change as weather conditions are improving .
After exploding in high heat and strong wind in its first days , the Creek fire ’ s run through the Sierra National Forest has slowed to a crawl .
Winds cleared the air long enough Wednesday afternoon to finally give aircraft an opportunity to line the forest with retardant to slow the fire ’ s spread , as crews on the fire ’ s southern portion worked to harden the defenses around areas like Meadow Lakes and Tollhouse .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gaining containment on this fire , ” said Chris Vestal , a spokesman for the Creek fire response .
“ A lot of what we want to do is make sure everything that is standing stays standing.
” At nearly 24,000 acres and 0 % containment , the Bobcat fire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains above Monrovia has been updated to a “ Type 1 ” incident , Forest Service officials said Thursday morning .
The change reflects the fire ’ s increasing challenges and need for more personnel and equipment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were both factors in the reclassification , according to Forest Service representative Micah Bell .
“ I ’ ve actually seen Type 1 teams handle fires that were barely 2,000 acres , but it was the complexity of managing it that requires a bigger team , ” Bell said .
Though the fire has swelled significantly — nearly doubling in size Wednesday — much of the growth was in its northeastern portion , Bell said , away from threatened foothill communities .
Six areas remain under an evacuation warning : Duarte , Bradbury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Altadena .
Crews have made some progress containing some of the other sizable blazes burning throughout the state .
The El Dorado fire , near Yucaipa , was 12,610 acres and 23 % contained as of Thursday morning , while the Valley fire , southeast of Alpine in San Diego County near the Mexican border , was 17,665 acres and 32 % contained , according to Cal Fire .
Officials are also reporting 15 % containment for the 1,300-acre Willow fire , which sparked north of Smartsville in Yuba County Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Cal Fire , while 700 others are considered threatened .
The hope is that weather conditions will “ improve across the state today , with most areas experiencing seasonal temperatures and dry conditions , ” according to Cal Fire .
“ Northern California should expect average temperatures through the weekend , with a possible cooling trend next week , ” officials wrote in a statewide situation update Thursday .
“ In Southern California , temperatures will be at or slightly above normal.
” That would be a boon to firefighters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pair of scorching heat waves in the past few weeks .
UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said that last month was “ the warmest August on record in California.
” With fires raging throughout the West Coast , the skies over California have taken an apocalyptic turn — choking the air with ash and smoke in some regions , while snuffing out sunlight in others .
Rarely have so many Californians breathed such unhealthy air .
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is warning that smoke and ash are likely to hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Riverside and San Bernardino counties Thursday due to the two major fires locally and smoke flowing in from Northern California blazes .
The air district ’ s smoke advisory said that most of the Southern California region will be affected by smoke , with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution , tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5 , in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires .
Smoke blowing in from Northern California “ may also contribute to widespread elevated PM2.5 concentrations , ” the air district said , but due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ will be highly variable in both space and time.
” The air district said to expect “ noticeable smoke and ash impacts ” in southwest Los Angeles County , Orange County and southwest Riverside County .
The bad air is being generated by fires raging in California , Oregon and Washington that are lofting smoke into the air in a massive plume that is blanketing the entire West Coast and extends far out into the Pacific .
But in Southern California much of that smoke has remained aloft .
At the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ good ” to “ moderate ” range Thursday morning across most of the region , except for areas in near the Bobcat Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa and Glendora and the El Dorado Fire is currently burning in the San Bernardino Mountains near Yucaipa , where readings showed air quality in the “ unhealthy ” range .
Air quality has been significantly worse in Northern California , where raging fires this week have choked the air with smoke and ash and snuffed out the sunlight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco and other areas .
Air monitoring data on Thursday morning showed unhealthy pollution levels in most of San Francisco and in other parts of the Bay Area .
Times staff writers Anita Chabria , Matthew Ormseth and Joe Mozingo contributed to this report .

Luke Money, Hayley Smith, Tony Barboza, Joseph Serna

Wildfires of historic magnitude have led to daring escapes and wrenching devastation.
The death toll from a massive fire that swept through the mountain communities of Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties has risen to 10, and 16 people remain missing, fire officials said Thursday evening.
The North Complex fire mushroomed in size this week, scorching a total of more than 252,000 acres and forcing some 20,000 residents in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties from their homes. Officials said the bodies of seven more people were found Thursday as they searched through hamlets where the fire burned.
A hand crew was overrun by flames in the fire’s West Zone in Butte County, which had become extremely unpredictable due to erratic weather changes. The crew was able to escape, but two firefighters suffered minor injuries.
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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 North Complex was one of the fires that exploded in size this week as record-high temperatures and strong winds beset the state. Flames raced through the northern Sierra Nevada foothills before dawn Wednesday — catching crews and residents off-guard as they leaped southwest toward towns in Butte County, including the community of Paradise, which was largely destroyed by the 2018 Camp fire.
Steve Kaufmann, a spokesman for the fire’s response team, said 2,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged, though that number may increase after crews further assess the area Friday.
So much smoke enveloped the region that it shaded the fire from the sun, reducing temperatures and increasing the humidity Thursday, according to an incident meteorologist. Though the smoke impedes firefighters’ aircraft response, it has helped with the firefight slightly. As of Thursday evening, the North Complex fire is 23% contained.
The incident is now the 10th-largest wildfire in state history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Wildfires have burned more than 3.1 million acres statewide this year — the largest amount on record. At least 19 people have died and thousands of structures have been destroyed.
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said dangerously dry conditions led “to explosive fires that have really just skyrocketed us past the 3-million mark for the first time in our recorded history.”
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“Unfortunately, with several more months of fire season to go, this number could continue to increase,” he said Thursday.
California Monster firestorm brings death and devastation back to area hit by California’s worst fire Less than two years after the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history tore through Butte County, the region is again under siege from a fire complex that has burned more than 250,000 acres.
The Dolan fire, which ignited Aug. 18 north of Limekiln State Park in Monterey County, has also seen extreme growth this week. Officials said the combination of high temperatures, dry fuels and wind combined to more than triple the size of the fire, to more than 111,000 acres.
The fire also has spread to the Army’s Ft. Hunter Liggett, though that property has not been forced to evacuate, officials said.
Near the Oregon border, the Slater fire has grown to 120,000 acres since it ignited Monday in the Klamath National Forest. The fire is threatening the communities of O’Brien, Takilma, Cave Junction and Gasquet, and destroyed 150 structures in Happy Camp.
Embers fly across a roadway as the Bear fire burns in Oroville. (Noah Berger/Associated Press)
While the mid-August lightning siege set California on the path toward a historic and horrifyingly active fire season, a second salvo of summer infernos has since pushed the toll to more devastating heights.
The unprecedented firestorm prompted the U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday to temporarily close all national forests in California.
Many officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have said the effects of climate change have helped set the stage for this year’s prolific fire season.
“I quite literally have no patience for climate change deniers,” he said Tuesday.
“You may not believe it intellectually,” he added. “But your own eyes, your own experiences, tell a different story.”
So far this year, almost 7,700 fires have ignited statewide, according to Berlant.
“This year has already been a very destructive fire season, and it is nowhere close to being over,” he said Wednesday.
Six of the state’s 20 largest wildfires have started in the past month or so, according to Cal Fire. That includes the August Complex, which has burned an all-time record 471,185 acres in a remote area in and around Tehama County.
The smoldering remains of a structure along Auberry Road, where the Creek fire tore through and jumped Highway 168 in Fresno County. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
That complex — which started Aug. 17 as a cluster of 37 distinct fires in the Mendocino National Forest — was 24% contained as of Thursday. The most recent acreage figure pushed it well past the 2018 Mendocino Complex fire, which burned more than 459,000 acres.
Crews have almost completely hemmed in the SCU Lightning and LNU Lightning complexes, which rank as the third- and fourth-largest wildfires in state history, at 396,624 and 363,220 acres, respectively.
The SCU complex — which began as a collection of about 20 blazes in Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties — is now 98% contained. Containment is at 95% for the LNU complex, which has charred parts of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Solano, Yolo and Colusa counties.
Joining those complexes on the distressing leaderboard is the Elkhorn fire, which is burning in the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests. It has scorched 255,309 acres — the ninth-largest burn zone — and was 27% contained as of Thursday.
Firefighters conduct a back burn operation along Highway 68 during the Creek fire as it approaches the Shaver Lake Marina. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
The massive Creek fire, which has chewed through more than 175,000 acres, destroyed an estimated 360 structures and prompted widespread evacuations in the Sierra foothills northeast of Fresno, is currently the 17th-largest in state history.
The fire caused an explosion in China Peak Mountain Resort, igniting a bunker of explosives that were used for avalanche mitigation, Fresno sheriff’s officials said. There was some damage to the resort, but no one was injured.
As is the case for the North Complex fire, the layer of smoke over the Creek fire has helped improve weather conditions. Milder winds and temperatures allowed firefighters to make progress for the first time, increasing the fire’s containment to 6%.
“We’re really trying to start gaining containment on this fire,” said Chris Vestal, a spokesman for the Creek fire response. “A lot of what we want to do is make sure everything that is standing stays standing.”
Firefighters also made progress with the fast-growing Bobcat fire, which doubled in size in one day to nearly 24,000 acres. The fire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains is now 6% contained, according to an incident report. The fire’s growth was largely in the northeast direction Thursday, sparing foothill residential communities.
The Transamerica Pyramid and Salesforce Tower in San Francisco are shrouded by wildfire smoke. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press )
Six areas remain under an evacuation warning: Duarte, Bradbury, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena and Altadena.
Near Yucaipa, the El Dorado fire had burned almost 14,000 acres and was 31% contained as of Thursday morning. Though there’s no current threat to communities in Big Bear Valley, Cal Fire officials issued an advisory asking visitors to postpone visits to the area in case evacuations are ordered.
In San Diego County near the Mexican border, the Valley fire grew to 17,665 acres and was 35% contained, according to Cal Fire. Officials were reporting 15% containment for the 1,300-acre Willow fire, which sparked north of Smartsville in Yuba County on Wednesday. That fire has destroyed 30 structures, according to Cal Fire, while 700 others are considered threatened.
A firefighter watches flames ignite a tree as fire continues to spread at the Bear fire in Oroville. (Josh Edelson / AFP )
The hope is that weather conditions will “improve across the state today, with most areas experiencing seasonal temperatures and dry conditions,” according to Cal Fire.
“Northern California should expect average temperatures through the weekend, with a possible cooling trend next week,” officials wrote in a statewide situation update Thursday. “In Southern California, temperatures will be at or slightly above normal.”
That would be a boon to firefighters, who have had to contend with a pair of scorching heat waves in the past few weeks. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said that last month was “the warmest August on record in California.”
With fires raging throughout the West Coast, the skies over California have taken an apocalyptic turn — choking the air with ash and smoke in some regions, while snuffing out sunlight in others. Rarely have so many Californians breathed such unhealthy air.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is warning that smoke and ash are likely to hit much of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties Thursday due to the two major fires locally and smoke flowing in from Northern California blazes.
The air district’s smoke advisory said that most of the Southern California region will be affected by smoke, with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution, tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5, in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires.
Smoke blowing in from Northern California “may also contribute to widespread elevated PM2.5 concentrations,” the air district said, but due to shifting winds, the smoke impacts “will be highly variable in both space and time.”
The air district said to expect “noticeable smoke and ash impacts” in southwest Los Angeles County, Orange County and southwest Riverside County.
1 / 23 Brooks Hubbard with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers takes photos from the historic North Broadway Bridge over the Los Angeles River Tuesday morning as smoke and ash from the Bobcat fire cloak the area. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 23 Elijah Simpson practices shooting hoops against a backdrop of smokey skies from the Bobcat Fire at Angel’s Gate Park in the San Pedro on September 16, 2020. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 23 A helicopter fights the Bobcat fire burning dangerously close to Mt. Wilson Observatory. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 23 An aerial view of Dodger Stadium and the downtown Los Angeles skyline at sunset is obscured by smoke, ash and smog on Sept. 14. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 23 Visitors check their photos at Griffith Observatory with a smoky view of the Hollywood sign behind them. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 23 Two people get ready to surf as a hazy red sun sets off Hermosa Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 23 Smoke from the Bobcat fire burning in the Angeles National Forest blankets the Southland. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 23 An airplane flies through smoky skies in downtown Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 23 A smoky haze envelopes Santa Monica Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 23 Beachgoers walk along the shoreline in Laguna Beach beneath a hazy sky. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 23 A crow on a cypress tree in Garden Grove is silhouetted by a sun obscured by ash from Southland wildfires. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 23 The sky is gray over the Santa Monica Pier as a family plays in the breakwater. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 23 A man walks his dog past the historic lifeguard tower in Laguna Beach as the sun is obscured by smoke from wildfires. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 23 An upbeat message on the South Coast Cinemas marquee in Laguna Beach is dimmed by the smoky air. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 23 Surfers near the Manhattan Beach Pier under a smoky sunset. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 23 Gray skies over the Santa Monica Pier. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 23 A hazy sun is seen behind the Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 23 Despite the unhealthful air quality, Fabian Ortez of Riverside enjoys an afternoon of fishing off the pier in Seal Beach. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 23 The Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 23 A bicyclist travels along the 1st Street Bridge as smoke hovers east of downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 23 Haze from the Bobcat fire looms over Azusa as it burns in Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 23 The Los Angeles skyline is shrouded in smoke from the Bobcat fire as seen from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 23 Haze from the Bobcat fire looms over Kare Park in Irwindale. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The bad air is being generated by fires raging in California, Oregon and Washington that are lofting smoke into the air in a massive plume that is blanketing the entire West Coast and extends far out into the Pacific.
But in Southern California much of that smoke has remained aloft. At the ground level, air quality remained in the “good” to “moderate” range Thursday morning across most of the region, except for areas near the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa and Glendora, and the El Dorado fire in the San Bernardino Mountains near Yucaipa, where readings showed air quality in the “unhealthy” range.
Air quality has been significantly worse in Northern California, where raging fires this week have choked the air with smoke and ash and snuffed out the sunlight, casting a gloomy, orange pall over San Francisco and other areas. Air monitoring data Thursday morning showed unhealthy pollution levels in most of San Francisco and in other parts of the Bay Area.
Times staff writers Anita Chabria, Matthew Ormseth and Joe Mozingo contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-10--Bobcat fire mushrooms, doubling in size in one day in San Gabriel Mountains

Santa Ana winds continued to fuel the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest on Thursday night , but much of the fire ’ s growth pushed northeast .
away from foothill communities — a relief to residents who have been under evacuation warnings for up to two days .
The blaze that started Sunday above Azusa had doubled in size in one day , growing to more than 23,000 acres with 0 % containment .
Winds still drew the flames east across Highway 39 .
To the west , the blaze burned toward an old burn scar , creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an incident report .
“ So we ’ ve had some good luck with weather the last two days , ” said Chris Childers , a spokesman for the California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 .
“ The fire did not blow off the hill with Santa Ana winds as predicted , so we have it stuck on the hill.
” Childers said firefighters will continue securing lines around the bottom edge of the fire Thursday to prevent it from moving to foothill communities .
“ It ’ s going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to keep it from grinning farther across Highway 39 , ” he said .
Highway 39 is closed in both directions at Old San Gabriel Canyon Road , as well as State Route 2 from east of Upper Big Tujunga Canyon to Big Pines , according to the California Department of Transportation .
Evacuation warnings were lifted for Arcadia residents north of Foothill Boulevard and east of Santa Anita after the city reported that the fire had generally progressed away from Arcadia .
Despite the fire ’ s movement away from populated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas were still under an : Bradbury , Monrovia , Sierra Madre , Pasadena , Altadena and Duarte .
Darkened , smoke-filled skies , falling ash and the smell of fire gave an ominous feel to the day .
Although in the area have been canceled , officials in the foothill communities were urging residents to stay vigilant to fire danger and the possibility of evacuation .
“ We get a sense that everyone is well prepped and ready , ” said Victoria Rocha , assistant to the city manager in Duarte , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over here ... .
We ’ re just going to stay in that hold pattern until we ’ re told otherwise.
” “ We keep putting out information to residents to stay inside , close your doors and windows , don ’ t do rigorous activity outside , because the air quality is really tough , ” she said .
A smoke advisory remains in effect for most of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino counties , according to the South Coast .
The air district ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Southern California region would be affected by smoke , with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution — tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5 — in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires .
Smoke blowing in from Northern California “ may also contribute to widespread elevated PM2.5 concentrations , ” the air district said , but due to shifting winds , the effects of the smoke “ will be highly variable in both space and time.
” A total of 652 personnel have been assigned to the Bobcat fire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the West Coast .
Orange skies in the Bay Area on Wednesday , while the town of Big Creek , Calif. , has been .
In Northern California and Oregon , tens of thousands of residents have been forced to .
At the scene of the Bobcat fire , air tankers , including a DC-10 , “ were able to make several drops of fire retardant on the southwest portion of the fire to reinforce and strengthen previously applied fire lines , ” the Wednesday , and more resources are on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are closed , and include the 2 Freeway east of La Cañada-Flintridge to Islip Saddle , and Highway 39 at Canyon Entrance Station .
Firefighters don ’ t expect to have the Bobcat fire contained for at least a month .
On Thursday morning , Bell described a hazy mixture of marine-layer fog and smoke in the air .
“ I ’ m southeast of the fire looking up at it , ” he said .
“ I just can barely see the top of the mountains right now .
”

Hayley Smith, Tony Barboza, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

The Bobcat fire rages above Rincon Fire Station on Highway 39 in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Santa Ana winds continued to fuel the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest on Thursday night, but much of the fire’s growth pushed northeast. away from foothill communities — a relief to residents who have been under evacuation warnings for up to two days.
The blaze that started Sunday above Azusa had doubled in size in one day, growing to more than 23,000 acres with 6% containment. Winds still drew the flames east across Highway 39. To the west, the blaze burned toward an old burn scar, creating a less intense fire fight, according to an incident report.
“So we’ve had some good luck with weather the last two days,” said Chris Childers, a spokesman for the California Interagency Incident Management Team 1. “The fire did not blow off the hill with Santa Ana winds as predicted, so we have it stuck on the hill.”
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Childers said firefighters will continue securing lines around the bottom edge of the fire Thursday to prevent it from moving to foothill communities.
“It’s going to be a lot of work there today to try to keep it from grinning farther across Highway 39,” he said.
Highway 39 is closed in both directions at Old San Gabriel Canyon Road, as well as State Route 2 from east of Upper Big Tujunga Canyon to Big Pines, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Haze from the Bobcat Fire looms over Azusa as it continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Evacuation warnings were lifted for Arcadia residents north of Foothill Boulevard and east of Santa Anita after the city reported that the fire had generally progressed away from Arcadia.
California Photos: Bobcat fire rages in the Angeles National Forest Fears of a significant spread of the Bobcat fire dissipated as Santa Ana winds failed to materialize, but foothill communities remain on high alert.
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Despite the fire’s movement away from populated areas, danger remains high and six areas were still under an evacuation warning Thursday night : Bradbury, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena, Altadena and Duarte. Darkened, smoke-filled skies, falling ash and the smell of fire gave an ominous feel to the day.
Although red flag warnings in the area have been canceled, officials in the foothill communities were urging residents to stay vigilant to fire danger and the possibility of evacuation.
“We get a sense that everyone is well prepped and ready,” said Victoria Rocha, assistant to the city manager in Duarte, “It’s absolutely very smoky over here.... We’re just going to stay in that hold pattern until we’re told otherwise.”
“We keep putting out information to residents to stay inside, close your doors and windows, don’t do rigorous activity outside, because the air quality is really tough,” she said.
Bureau of Land Management fire hotshot crew Aravaipa huddle to plan their attack on the Bobcat fire along Highway 39 West Fork in the San Gabriel Mountains. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
A smoke advisory remains in effect for most of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District .
The air district’s smoke advisory said that most of the Southern California region would be affected by smoke, with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution — tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5 — in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires.
Smoke blowing in from Northern California “may also contribute to widespread elevated PM2.5 concentrations,” the air district said, but due to shifting winds, the effects of the smoke “will be highly variable in both space and time.”
A contract worker installs a street camera to a light post along North Azuza Ave. as smoke covers the sky from the Bobcat Fire. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
A total of 652 personnel have been assigned to the Bobcat fire, one of several wildfires raging up and down the West Coast.
Orange skies blotted out the sun in the Bay Area on Wednesday, while the town of Big Creek, Calif., has been devastated by flames . In Northern California and Oregon, tens of thousands of residents have been forced to abandon their homes .
At the scene of the Bobcat fire, air tankers, including a DC-10, “were able to make several drops of fire retardant on the southwest portion of the fire to reinforce and strengthen previously applied fire lines,” the Forest Service said Wednesday, and more resources are on their way.
California Monster firestorm brings death and devastation back to area hit by California’s worst fire Less than two years after the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history tore through Butte County, the region is again under siege from a fire complex that has burned more than 250,000 acres.
All 18 California National Forests are closed, and road closures include the 2 Freeway east of La Cañada-Flintridge to Islip Saddle, and Highway 39 at Canyon Entrance Station.
Firefighters don’t expect to have the Bobcat fire contained for at least a month.
Ash falls on a parked car as the Bobcat Fire burns in the distance in Azusa. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
On Thursday morning, Bell described a hazy mixture of marine-layer fog and smoke in the air.
“I’m southeast of the fire looking up at it,” he said. “I just can barely see the top of the mountains right now.”


latimes--2020-09-10--Mail delivery resumes at L.A. public housing complex

The U.S .
Postal Service says that mail is again being delivered at Mar Vista Gardens , a public housing complex with more than 1,800 residents , after an outcry from local leaders over delivery being suspended .
“ The idea that a decision was made to delay mail in the middle of a pandemic is heinous , ” said Rep. Karen Bass ( D-Los Angeles ) , who initiated a formal inquiry into the decision .
“ How many of those packages were medications ?
How many were checks ?
How many were letters from loved ones ?
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Culver City Post Office Postmaster Roderick Strong suspended delivery to the 43-acre complex in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Del Rey , stating that safety issues were putting mail carriers at risk .
Among the recent incidents cited by Strong were an “ uncontrollable dog ” and a threatening tenant ; the Postal Service did not provide further details about those incidents .
Strong said last month that delivery would be halted until centralized banks of mailboxes could be installed at the complex , a plan opposed by many Mar Vista Gardens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alarmed Bass and Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin , who said it was unacceptable to force elderly and disabled residents to pick up mail at a facility more than a mile away during a pandemic .
Bonin said safety could be addressed without resorting to the “ extreme action ” of cutting off mail to more than 600 households .
Resident leaders denounced it as a form of discrimination against poor renters of color .
Some were especially alarmed that the move came ahead of the November elections , when many voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail .
USPS spokeswoman Evelina Ramirez said this week that delivery resumed Sept. 3 .
“ We listened to the concerns expressed by the residents , ” Ramirez said in an email .
“ We will work with our employees to be vigilant for safety issues and security of the mail and communicate with the housing authority leaders for the opportunity to correct concerns.
” Postal officials will “ reevaluate the opportunity to install cluster box units at a later time , ” Ramirez added .
Eric Brown , a spokesman for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles , said Wednesday that he had not heard anything directly from the USPS about the decision , but that mail was being delivered door to door again at the Del Rey complex .
In response to the concerns cited by the postmaster , Brown said HACLA staffers had been doing “ dog checks ” daily and educating residents about the rules .
Mar Vista Gardens has had mail delivery suspended before : Twelve years ago , delivery was put on hold for months after a fatal shooting and other reported safety issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests from residents and elected officials .
Former housing authority official Sanford Riggs said that at the time , “ we pointed out that crime statistics in the development were lower inside that community than outside.
” Mar Vista Gardens resident Daisy Vega , president of the resident advisory council , said Thursday that she was relieved that older and disabled tenants would no longer have to head to a Culver City post office to pick up their mail .
Now residents want an agreement that would guide how any future changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We ’ re getting the mail now , ” Vega said in Spanish , “ but we don ’ t want this to happen again .
”

The U.S. Postal Service says that mail is again being delivered at Mar Vista Gardens, a public housing complex with more than 1,800 residents, after an outcry from local leaders over delivery being suspended.
“The idea that a decision was made to delay mail in the middle of a pandemic is heinous,” said Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), who initiated a formal inquiry into the decision. “How many of those packages were medications? How many were checks? How many were letters from loved ones? This can’t happen.”
Last month, Culver City Post Office Postmaster Roderick Strong suspended delivery to the 43-acre complex in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Del Rey, stating that safety issues were putting mail carriers at risk.
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Among the recent incidents cited by Strong were an “uncontrollable dog” and a threatening tenant; the Postal Service did not provide further details about those incidents. Strong said last month that delivery would be halted until centralized banks of mailboxes could be installed at the complex, a plan opposed by many Mar Vista Gardens residents.
The decision to suspend delivery alarmed Bass and Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin, who said it was unacceptable to force elderly and disabled residents to pick up mail at a facility more than a mile away during a pandemic. Bonin said safety could be addressed without resorting to the “extreme action” of cutting off mail to more than 600 households.
Resident leaders denounced it as a form of discrimination against poor renters of color. Some were especially alarmed that the move came ahead of the November elections, when many voters are expected to cast their ballots by mail.
USPS spokeswoman Evelina Ramirez said this week that delivery resumed Sept. 3.
“We listened to the concerns expressed by the residents,” Ramirez said in an email. “We will work with our employees to be vigilant for safety issues and security of the mail and communicate with the housing authority leaders for the opportunity to correct concerns.”
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Postal officials will “reevaluate the opportunity to install cluster box units at a later time,” Ramirez added.
Eric Brown, a spokesman for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, said Wednesday that he had not heard anything directly from the USPS about the decision, but that mail was being delivered door to door again at the Del Rey complex. In response to the concerns cited by the postmaster, Brown said HACLA staffers had been doing “dog checks” daily and educating residents about the rules.
Mar Vista Gardens has had mail delivery suspended before: Twelve years ago, delivery was put on hold for months after a fatal shooting and other reported safety issues, a move that was reversed following protests from residents and elected officials.
Former housing authority official Sanford Riggs said that at the time, “we pointed out that crime statistics in the development were lower inside that community than outside.”
Mar Vista Gardens resident Daisy Vega, president of the resident advisory council, said Thursday that she was relieved that older and disabled tenants would no longer have to head to a Culver City post office to pick up their mail. Now residents want an agreement that would guide how any future changes to mail delivery are rolled out, she said.
“We’re getting the mail now,” Vega said in Spanish, “but we don’t want this to happen again.”


latimes--2020-09-10--California Supreme Court rejects lawsuits seeking to reopen schools during pandemic

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to overturn Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s directives limiting in-classroom instruction to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
During a private conference , the state ’ s highest court rejected without comment lawsuits brought by the Orange County Board of Education and others to reopen schools statewide .
Robert Tyler , one of the lawyers who brought the cases , said the legal fight was not over .
“ It simply means that we will have to start the litigation by filing our claims in the Superior Courts because the court is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skip the lower courts , ” Tyler said .
“ Once we proceed through the normal process , we believe we will still be victorious in the end.
” The high court summarily denied the challenges after reviewing written legal arguments .
Jennifer Bursch , Tyler ’ s co-counsel , said the legal team had not yet “ exactly decided our next move.
” “ Be assured we are prepared to continue fighting for the rights of the vulnerable children of California , ” she said .
The lawsuits , one to reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public schools , were supported by Advocates for Faith & Freedom , a nonprofit religious liberties group .
Legal experts said the suits were always a long shot .
Courts have been giving elected leaders flexibility during the pandemic to restrict activities to reduce the spread of the disease .
Orders by Newsom and the California Department of Public Health allow for limited in-classroom instruction in counties where the spread of the virus has slowed .
On Tuesday , Orange County moved into Tier 2 of the state ’ s monitoring system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen more fully .
The reclassification allows for more businesses — including movie theaters , restaurants and places of worship — to ease restrictions and open in limited capacity .
State officials have also told Orange County it is eligible to reopen schools Sept. 22 following its reduced COVID-19 infection rate .

First-grader April Alvarez enjoys an online class from her desk at the Delano Recreation Center in Van Nuys, one of L.A.’s Safer at Parks: Alternative Learning Centers.
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to overturn Gov. Gavin Newsom’s directives limiting in-classroom instruction to slow the spread of COVID-19.
During a private conference, the state’s highest court rejected without comment lawsuits brought by the Orange County Board of Education and others to reopen schools statewide.
Robert Tyler, one of the lawyers who brought the cases, said the legal fight was not over.
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“It simply means that we will have to start the litigation by filing our claims in the Superior Courts because the court is not willing to permit this case to skip the lower courts,” Tyler said. “Once we proceed through the normal process, we believe we will still be victorious in the end.”
The high court summarily denied the challenges after reviewing written legal arguments.
Jennifer Bursch, Tyler’s co-counsel, said the legal team had not yet “exactly decided our next move.”
“Be assured we are prepared to continue fighting for the rights of the vulnerable children of California,” she said.
The lawsuits, one to reopen private schools and the other aimed at public schools, were supported by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a nonprofit religious liberties group.
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Legal experts said the suits were always a long shot. Courts have been giving elected leaders flexibility during the pandemic to restrict activities to reduce the spread of the disease.
Orders by Newsom and the California Department of Public Health allow for limited in-classroom instruction in counties where the spread of the virus has slowed.
On Tuesday, Orange County moved into Tier 2 of the state’s monitoring system, which gauges a county’s ability to reopen more fully. The reclassification allows for more businesses — including movie theaters, restaurants and places of worship — to ease restrictions and open in limited capacity.
State officials have also told Orange County it is eligible to reopen schools Sept. 22 following its reduced COVID-19 infection rate.


latimes--2020-09-10--Southern California pounded by smoke, unhealthful air from fires across the West Coast

Southern California should prepare for another miserable air day .
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is warning that smoke and ash are likely to hit much of Los Angeles , Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino counties Thursday due to two major fires locally and smoke flowing in from Northern California blazes .
The air district ’ s smoke advisory said that most of the Southern California region will be affected by smoke , with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution , tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5 , in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California “ may also contribute to widespread elevated PM2.5 concentrations , ” the air district said , but due to shifting winds , the effects of the smoke “ will be highly variable in both space and time.
” The air district said to expect “ noticeable smoke and ash impacts ” in southwest Los Angeles County , Orange County and southwest Riverside County .
The Bobcat fire has been producing “ substantial amounts of smoke ” generating unhealthy air in Azusa , Glendora and other San Gabriel Valley communities while sending falling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The smoke plume from the El Dorado fire , in San Bernardino County , is much smaller but is pushing air quality to unhealthy levels in the Redlands and Yucaipa areas .
The bad air is being generated by fires raging in California , Oregon and Washington that are lofting smoke into the air in a massive plume that is blanketing the entire West Coast and extends far out over the Pacific Ocean .
In Southern California , much of that smoke has remained aloft .
At ground level , air quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ moderate ” range Thursday morning across most of the region , except for areas in near the Bobcat and El Dorado fires , where readings showed air quality in the “ unhealthy ” range .
Air quality has been significantly worse in Northern California , where raging fires this week have choked the air with smoke and ash and snuffed out the sunlight , casting a gloomy , orange pall over San Francisco and other areas .
Air-monitoring data on Thursday morning showed unhealthy pollution levels in much of the San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday , a marine layer from the Pacific protected lower elevations from the oppressive , sun-smothering smoke , leaving the air tolerably breathable .
But there were no views of the mountains from Mountain View .
The skies darkened to a twilight-like dimness .
Street lamps along the peninsula ’ s El Camino Real illuminated the road for noontime traffic , while hotels and restaurants in Palo Alto and Mountain View kept their marquee lights and entrance displays on — lending a dinner-like atmosphere to their lunchtime patrons .
From Sacramento to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned on their headlights to navigate the gloomy streets .

A person walks across the 1st Street Bridge in downtown Los Angeles as a layer of smoke from nearby fires hovers in the sky on Wednesday.
Southern California should prepare for another miserable air day.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is warning that smoke and ash are likely to hit much of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties Thursday due to two major fires locally and smoke flowing in from Northern California blazes.
The air district’s smoke advisory said that most of the Southern California region will be affected by smoke, with the highest readings of fine-particle pollution, tiny lung-damaging particles known as PM2.5, in areas closest to the Bobcat and El Dorado fires.
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Smoke blowing in from Northern California “may also contribute to widespread elevated PM2.5 concentrations,” the air district said, but due to shifting winds, the effects of the smoke “will be highly variable in both space and time.” The air district said to expect “noticeable smoke and ash impacts” in southwest Los Angeles County, Orange County and southwest Riverside County.
The Bobcat fire has been producing “substantial amounts of smoke” generating unhealthy air in Azusa, Glendora and other San Gabriel Valley communities while sending falling ash over much of the L.A. Basin. The smoke plume from the El Dorado fire, in San Bernardino County, is much smaller but is pushing air quality to unhealthy levels in the Redlands and Yucaipa areas.
The bad air is being generated by fires raging in California, Oregon and Washington that are lofting smoke into the air in a massive plume that is blanketing the entire West Coast and extends far out over the Pacific Ocean.
California Los Angeles suffers worst smog in almost 30 years Air quality officials said the high pollution readings were a result of intense heat combined with stagnant weather conditions.
In Southern California, much of that smoke has remained aloft. At ground level, air quality remained in the “good” to “moderate” range Thursday morning across most of the region, except for areas in near the Bobcat and El Dorado fires, where readings showed air quality in the “unhealthy” range.
Air quality has been significantly worse in Northern California, where raging fires this week have choked the air with smoke and ash and snuffed out the sunlight, casting a gloomy, orange pall over San Francisco and other areas. Air-monitoring data on Thursday morning showed unhealthy pollution levels in much of the San Francisco Bay Area.
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In the Bay Area on Wednesday, a marine layer from the Pacific protected lower elevations from the oppressive, sun-smothering smoke, leaving the air tolerably breathable. But there were no views of the mountains from Mountain View. The skies darkened to a twilight-like dimness.
Street lamps along the peninsula’s El Camino Real illuminated the road for noontime traffic, while hotels and restaurants in Palo Alto and Mountain View kept their marquee lights and entrance displays on — lending a dinner-like atmosphere to their lunchtime patrons.
From Sacramento to the Bay Area to Monterey, motorists turned on their headlights to navigate the gloomy streets.


latimes--2020-09-10--The coronavirus may have reached Los Angeles even before China announced its outbreak

Was the novel coronavirus on the loose in Los Angeles way back in December , before the World Health Organization was even aware of an unusual cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan , China ?
A new analysis of medical records from UCLA hospitals and clinics suggests the answer might be yes .
Researchers from UCLA and their colleagues at the University of Washington documented an unmistakable uptick in patients seeking treatment for coughs .
The increase began the week of Dec. 22 , 2019 , and persisted through the end of February .
Some of those patients were treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency rooms , and some were ultimately admitted to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center or other hospitals operated by UCLA .
Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first recognized that the coronavirus had reached American shores in mid-January , when a man in Washington state who had traveled to the area around Wuhan tested positive for an infection .
By then , UCLA doctors may have treated dozens of COVID-19 patients without realizing it , the study authors wrote .
( Indeed , it would take another three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name . )
The researchers didn ’ t conduct any diagnostic tests , so they can ’ t say with certainty when doctors first encountered anyone infected with the virus that came to be known as SARS-CoV-2 .
But if the coronavirus had indeed been spreading under the radar since around Christmas , the pattern of patient visits to UCLA facilities would have looked a lot like what actually happened , they wrote in a study published Thursday in the Journal of Medical Internet Research .
“ A significantly higher number of patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late December 2019 and continuing through February 2020 suggests community spread of SARS-CoV-2 prior to established clinical awareness and testing capabilities , ” wrote the team led by Dr. Joann Elmore , who is both an internist and professor of health policy and management at UCLA .
To look for signs of early COVID-19 patients , Elmore and her colleagues searched through more than 9.5 million outpatient visits , nearly 575,000 emergency room visits and almost 250,000 hospital admissions going back more than five years .
Medical records that said a patient complained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis .
The researchers counted a total of 2,938 patients who went to a clinic seeking help for a cough in the 13 weeks between Dec. 1 , 2019 , and Feb. 29 , 2020 .
That was about 1,047 more than the average number of cough patients seen during the same three-month period in the previous five years .
It was also about 739 more than the number of patients seen in the winter of 2016-17 , which until this year had been the busiest cough season for clinics since 2014 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,708 cough patients this past December , January and February .
That was about 514 more than the average for the previous five winters , and about 229 more than in 2018-19 , the busiest of the five prior winters , the researchers estimated .
Finally , the search of medical records turned up 1,138 patients who were hospitalized in December , January or February and treated for acute respiratory failure .
That was about 387 more than the average number of acute respiratory failure patients admitted over the previous five winters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitted in the winter of 2018-19 , the worst of the five earlier winters .
“ It is possible that some of this excess represents early COVID-19 disease before clinical recognition and testing , ” Elmore and her colleagues wrote .
Breaking things down week by week , the study authors found that the number of cough patients coming to clinics this past winter was higher by a statistically significant margin in 10 out of the 13 weeks analyzed .
That was also true for cough patients in ERs in six of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of patients with acute respiratory distress was significantly higher in seven out of the 13 weeks .
Even if only some of these “ excess visits ” were from patients with COVID-19 , it could still be a sign that the novel coronavirus was silently spreading in and around Los Angeles , the researchers wrote .
As became clear later in the pandemic , about 40 % of those infected with SARS-CoV-2 never develop any symptoms of illness , and those with minor symptoms might not bother seeking medical treatment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a clinic or hospital probably represent just the tip of the iceberg , the study authors explained .
To be sure , some of these extra cough patients probably had the regular seasonal flu , especially since flu cases peaked earlier than usual this winter , the researchers wrote .
It ’ s also possible that the 2019 outbreak of a vaping-related respiratory illness contributed to the excess , they added .
But the idea that the coronavirus was circulating in California even before Dec. 31 , when the Wuhan Municipal Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pneumonia cases , might not be far-fetched .
We now know that seven patients treated at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in mid-March for a flu-like illness actually had COVID-19 .
The fact that they all felt well enough to leave their homes and had no clear ties to anyone who had recently visited a COVID-19 hotspot suggests they became infected through sustained community transmission , another group of researchers wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Assn .
Similar cases seen in Santa Clara County around the same time suggest the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Area by then as well , according to a study in the CDC ’ s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report .
We may never know for sure exactly when the coronavirus arrived in Los Angeles — or anywhere else in the United States .
Still , the results of the new study show that data gleaned from clinic medical records “ can provide an early warning to emergency departments and hospital intensive care units of what is to come , ” the UCLA team wrote .
“ Lessons learned from this pandemic will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to quickly provide warnings and track the next pandemic , ” they added .

An analysis of patients who came to UCLA clinics and hospitals this past winter to be treated for coughs suggests the novel coronavirus may have reached Los Angeles by Christmas.
Was the novel coronavirus on the loose in Los Angeles way back in December, before the World Health Organization was even aware of an unusual cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China?
A new analysis of medical records from UCLA hospitals and clinics suggests the answer might be yes.
Researchers from UCLA and their colleagues at the University of Washington documented an unmistakable uptick in patients seeking treatment for coughs. The increase began the week of Dec. 22, 2019, and persisted through the end of February.
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Some of those patients were treated in outpatient centers. Others came to emergency rooms, and some were ultimately admitted to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center or other hospitals operated by UCLA.
Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first recognized that the coronavirus had reached American shores in mid-January, when a man in Washington state who had traveled to the area around Wuhan tested positive for an infection. By then, UCLA doctors may have treated dozens of COVID-19 patients without realizing it, the study authors wrote. (Indeed, it would take another three weeks for COVID-19 to get its official name.)
The researchers didn’t conduct any diagnostic tests, so they can’t say with certainty when doctors first encountered anyone infected with the virus that came to be known as SARS-CoV-2. But if the coronavirus had indeed been spreading under the radar since around Christmas, the pattern of patient visits to UCLA facilities would have looked a lot like what actually happened, they wrote in a study published Thursday in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
“A significantly higher number of patients with respiratory complaints and diseases starting in late December 2019 and continuing through February 2020 suggests community spread of SARS-CoV-2 prior to established clinical awareness and testing capabilities,” wrote the team led by Dr. Joann Elmore, who is both an internist and professor of health policy and management at UCLA.
To look for signs of early COVID-19 patients, Elmore and her colleagues searched through more than 9.5 million outpatient visits, nearly 575,000 emergency room visits and almost 250,000 hospital admissions going back more than five years. Medical records that said a patient complained of a cough were included in the analysis.
The researchers counted a total of 2,938 patients who went to a clinic seeking help for a cough in the 13 weeks between Dec. 1, 2019, and Feb. 29, 2020. That was about 1,047 more than the average number of cough patients seen during the same three-month period in the previous five years. It was also about 739 more than the number of patients seen in the winter of 2016-17, which until this year had been the busiest cough season for clinics since 2014.
In emergency rooms, the researchers tallied 1,708 cough patients this past December, January and February. That was about 514 more than the average for the previous five winters, and about 229 more than in 2018-19, the busiest of the five prior winters, the researchers estimated.
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Finally, the search of medical records turned up 1,138 patients who were hospitalized in December, January or February and treated for acute respiratory failure. That was about 387 more than the average number of acute respiratory failure patients admitted over the previous five winters, and about 210 more than the number admitted in the winter of 2018-19, the worst of the five earlier winters.
“It is possible that some of this excess represents early COVID-19 disease before clinical recognition and testing,” Elmore and her colleagues wrote.
Breaking things down week by week, the study authors found that the number of cough patients coming to clinics this past winter was higher by a statistically significant margin in 10 out of the 13 weeks analyzed. That was also true for cough patients in ERs in six of the 13 weeks. And inside hospitals, the number of patients with acute respiratory distress was significantly higher in seven out of the 13 weeks.
Even if only some of these “excess visits” were from patients with COVID-19, it could still be a sign that the novel coronavirus was silently spreading in and around Los Angeles, the researchers wrote. As became clear later in the pandemic, about 40% of those infected with SARS-CoV-2 never develop any symptoms of illness, and those with minor symptoms might not bother seeking medical treatment. That means the patients who did go to a clinic or hospital probably represent just the tip of the iceberg, the study authors explained.
To be sure, some of these extra cough patients probably had the regular seasonal flu, especially since flu cases peaked earlier than usual this winter, the researchers wrote. It’s also possible that the 2019 outbreak of a vaping-related respiratory illness contributed to the excess, they added.
But the idea that the coronavirus was circulating in California even before Dec. 31, when the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission first announced its cluster of unexplained pneumonia cases, might not be far-fetched.
We now know that seven patients treated at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in mid-March for a flu-like illness actually had COVID-19. The fact that they all felt well enough to leave their homes and had no clear ties to anyone who had recently visited a COVID-19 hotspot suggests they became infected through sustained community transmission, another group of researchers wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
Similar cases seen in Santa Clara County around the same time suggest the virus was at large in the Bay Area by then as well, according to a study in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
We may never know for sure exactly when the coronavirus arrived in Los Angeles — or anywhere else in the United States. Still, the results of the new study show that data gleaned from clinic medical records “can provide an early warning to emergency departments and hospital intensive care units of what is to come,” the UCLA team wrote.
“Lessons learned from this pandemic will hopefully lead to better preparation and the ability to quickly provide warnings and track the next pandemic,” they added.


latimes--2020-09-10--'Gender reveals' are all the rage amid COVID-19. The latest one caused a wildfire

Pyrotechnics from a gender reveal party in Yucaipa sparked a wildfire and ignited an international firestorm of criticism and fierce cultural debate over a custom many say is toxic and dangerous — not least because the fire continues to rage .
“ I actually had a lot of people calling me asking if it was my gender reveal , ” said Samantha Nguyen of Santa Ana , who learned she was having a boy at her own gender reveal celebration the next day .
“ Everybody messaged me like , ‘ Oh my God , what have you done ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ extreme that even the Pasadena mom who originated them now regrets it .
But that doesn ’ t mean they ’ re going away .
Instead , gender reveals are hotter than ever , thanks in part to rapid advances in prenatal technology and a global health crisis that has compressed major rites of passage into Zoom meetings and TikToks .
“ It ’ s a highly visual way to have a kind of kinship moment around the announcement of a child , ” said professor Jules Gill-Peterson of the University of Pittsburgh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transgender Child ” and a critic of the celebrations .
“ But it ’ s also probably about how isolating it feels to be pregnant during this time and not to be able to rely on family.
” Indeed , the celebrations seem to have rushed in to fill a void as more traditional customs have been delayed or canceled because of the pandemic .
A Muslim aqiqah , a Jewish brit milah , a Catholic baptism — all typically involve large crowds , festive meals and useful gifts .
Secular baby showers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young families amass the supplies they will need for an infant , and often rely on large guest lists .
Gender reveals are different .
Their function is primarily to be witnessed — something equally possible over Instagram Live or in person .
No one jumps up and down at a naming ceremony , and only babies scream at a baptism or a circumcision .
But a gender reveal is designed for maximum drama , the kind that reads the same five feet away or on a 5.5-inch iPhone screen .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we are often missing , especially during COVID , ” said professor Carly Geisler of York College , who studies gender reveals .
“ Maybe no one is in attendance , but you ’ re putting on this huge show through social media.
” The pressure to produce ever more arresting reveals is why the El Dorado fire , which erupted Saturday in San Bernardino County , is the second to be sparked by a baby blue pyrotechnic .
( The first burned 47,000 acres in Arizona in 2017 . )
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the celebration uniquely well-suited to life under quarantine , experts said .
“ It ’ s natural that it would get a little bit crazier during the pandemic , ” said Jenna Karvunidis , who held the first gender reveal in 2008 , and has since renounced them as harmful .
“ You don ’ t have a special baby shower anymore , so you can spend all your money on a photographer and all these grandiose pyrotechnics.
” But it ’ s not just social media that has popularized the celebration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , has made gender reveals both more accessible and more attractive .
Before March of this year , a healthy , low-risk mother would typically have about a dozen prenatal visits .
Now , she might have half that many .
Though that change was deemed necessary to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus , it was made possible by some of the same innovations that have helped fuel gender reveal celebrations .
The last five years have seen an explosion in boutique prenatal imaging centers , non-medical offices that specialize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and producing “ keepsake ” ultrasound pictures .
With partners barred from all medical appointments — unable to hear a fetal heartbeat or see their baby wiggle on an ultrasound — the popularity of these facilities has soared .
“ More than ever , we get dads calling , ” said Rebecca Karadjian of Sweet Pea 4D in Beverly Hills , one of L.A. 's many commercial ultrasound centers .
“ Sometimes [ moms ] already know the gender , and they ’ ll just come to show the husband and see his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office visits , obstetricians have also begun using a maternal blood test to check for serious birth defects that were more commonly assessed via ultrasound .
That test reveals the chromosomal sex of the fetus far sooner than it would be visible on a sonogram .
The assay is now so common that a finger-prick version is advertised to expectant parents on Instagram .
Sneak Peek promises that families can know the sex of their child from the time it is still technically an embryo , often before its heartbeat is detectable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight weeks , ” said Orlando-based photographer Sydney O ’ Hare , who specializes in gender reveals .
“ Before I was pregnant , my views [ on gender reveals ] were different , but after becoming pregnant and learning about all the women who don ’ t even make it to this point , I think it ’ s such a huge milestone.
” That ’ s because between 10–15 % of all pregnancies end in miscarriage , almost always in the first trimester .
As technology has advanced , sex has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents discover about their baby to one of the first they can celebrate .
“ Around seven weeks I started bleeding , and I really thought I was going to have a miscarriage , ” O ’ Hare said .
“ I told my husband , I really want to know what this baby is so we can start calling a name to it .
If we were to lose this baby I would regret not knowing.
” Tiffany Sevillano of North Hollywood had a similar scare : Complications in her first trimester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schedule an abortion , believing the pregnancy was unviable .
“ You can ’ t imagine the stress and anxiety I was going through , ” said the mom , who learned she was pregnant amid a COVID-19 outbreak in the skilled nursing facility where she works .
“ That ’ s why we just want to embrace every single milestone.
” Ironically , the very first gender reveal party was conceived for a similar reason .
Karvunidis said she ’ d lost other pregnancies before her first daughter was conceived , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthy and secure .
Revealing the gender was an excuse .
“ It wasn ’ t even really about the baby ’ s gender , ” she said .
“ It was just about getting my family excited.
” She documented the event on her blog , which ended up being featured in a magazine .
The magazine ended up in a lot of OB/GYN offices .
The copy-cat parties ended up on Facebook .
“ I didn ’ t see it as problematic back then — it was more [ annoying ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Karvunidis said .
“ Then I was raising my daughters , and one of them wouldn ’ t play with anything unless it was pink .
It seemed like that ’ s where it would start in the baby ’ s life , and after you were either a pink person or a blue person.
” Some scholars believe it ’ s no accident the pink and blue parties have grown more popular as trans people — and trans children in particular — have grown more accepted .
“ Because trans kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that makes people want to really double down on the idea that gender is a thing in their child that belongs to them , ” said Gill-Peterson , the Pittsburgh professor .
“ Maybe things are not like the 1950s anymore , but we still really want kids to be boys or girls.
” But she also said the parties are an easy target .
“ I would love to see this cultural fad blow out and fade away , ” Gill-Peterson said .
“ But ultimately I feel much more worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lives , their ability to exist , is under constant attack right now.
” The inventor of the gender reveal said she hoped expectant families would find a way to celebrate the start of their second trimester without invoking “ toxic ” stereotypes about boys and girls .
“ Do a pregnancy reveal — it doesn ’ t have to be this whole aggressive gendered thing , ” Karvunidis said .
“ You could come out with body paint or balloons .
You don ’ t have to light anything on fire @ @

Pyrotechnics from a gender reveal party in Yucaipa sparked a wildfire and ignited an international firestorm of criticism and fierce cultural debate over a custom many say is toxic and dangerous — not least because the fire continues to rage.
For the record: A previous version of this article misspelled the last name of the York College professor who studies gender reveals. Her name is Carly Gieseler.
“I actually had a lot of people calling me asking if it was my gender reveal,” said Samantha Nguyen of Santa Ana, who learned she was having a boy at her own gender reveal celebration the next day. “Everybody messaged me like, ‘Oh my God, what have you done?’”
The events have grown so extreme that even the Pasadena mom who originated them now regrets it. But that doesn’t mean they’re going away. Instead, gender reveals are hotter than ever, thanks in part to rapid advances in prenatal technology and a global health crisis that has compressed major rites of passage into Zoom meetings and TikTok videos.
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Pyrotechnics at a gender reveal party were blamed for the El Dorado fire in Yucaipa. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s a highly visual way to have a kind of kinship moment around the announcement of a child,” said professor Jules Gill-Peterson of the University of Pittsburgh, author of “Histories of the Transgender Child” and a critic of the celebrations. “But it’s also probably about how isolating it feels to be pregnant during this time and not to be able to rely on family.”
Indeed, the celebrations seem to have rushed in to fill a void as more traditional customs have been delayed or canceled because of the pandemic. A Muslim aqiqah, a Jewish brit milah, a Catholic baptism — all typically involve large crowds, festive meals and useful gifts. Secular baby showers, too, mainly serve to help young families amass the supplies they will need for an infant, and often rely on large guest lists.
Gender reveals are different. Their function is primarily to be witnessed — something equally possible over Instagram Live or in person. No one jumps up and down at a naming ceremony, and only babies scream at a baptism or a circumcision. But a gender reveal is designed for maximum drama, the kind that reads the same five feet away or on a 5.5-inch iPhone screen.
“There’s that sense of communal ritual that we are often missing, especially during COVID,” said professor Carly Gieseler of York College, who studies gender reveals. “Maybe no one is in attendance, but you’re putting on this huge show through social media.”
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The pressure to produce ever more arresting reveals is why the El Dorado fire, which erupted Sept. 5 in San Bernardino County, is the second to be sparked by a baby blue pyrotechnic. (The first burned 47,000 acres in Arizona in 2017.) But that same over-the-top visual spectacle has also made the celebration uniquely well-suited to life under quarantine, experts said.
“It’s natural that it would get a little bit crazier during the pandemic,” said Jenna Karvunidis, who held the first gender reveal in 2008, and has since renounced them as harmful. “You don’t have a special baby shower anymore, so you can spend all your money on a photographer and all these grandiose pyrotechnics.”
Jenna Karvunidis, the inventor of the gender reveal party, has since renounced the celebrations. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
But it’s not just social media that has popularized the celebration, experts said. Medical technology, too, has made gender reveals both more accessible and more attractive.
Before March of this year, a healthy, low-risk mother would typically have about a dozen prenatal visits. Now, she might have half that many. That change, deemed necessary to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, was made possible by some of the same innovations that have helped fuel gender reveal celebrations.
The last five years have seen an explosion in boutique prenatal imaging centers, nonmedical offices that specialize in assessing the sex of a fetus and producing “keepsake” ultrasound pictures. With partners barred from all medical appointments — unable to hear a fetal heartbeat or see their baby wiggle on an ultrasound — the popularity of these facilities has soared.
“More than ever, we get dads calling,” said Rebecca Karadjian of Sweet Pea 4D in Beverly Hills, one of L.A.’s many commercial ultrasound centers. “Sometimes [moms] already know the gender, and they’ll just come to show the husband and see his face.”
In a bid to reduce office visits, obstetricians have also begun using a maternal blood test to check for serious birth defects that were more commonly assessed via ultrasound. That test reveals the chromosomal sex of the fetus far sooner than it would be visible on a sonogram.
The assay is now so common that a finger-prick version is advertised to expectant parents on Instagram. SneakPeek promises that families can know the sex of their child from the time it is still technically an embryo, often before its heartbeat is detectable.
A gender reveal celebration. (Sydney O’Hare)
“We did the blood test at eight weeks,” said Orlando, Fla.-based photographer Sydney O’Hare, who specializes in gender reveals. “Before I was pregnant, my views [on gender reveals] were different, but after becoming pregnant and learning about all the women who don’t even make it to this point, I think it’s such a huge milestone.”
That’s because 10% to 15% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, almost always in the first trimester. As technology has advanced, sex has gone from one of the last things parents discover about their baby to one of the first they can celebrate.
“Around seven weeks I started bleeding, and I really thought I was going to have a miscarriage,” O’Hare said. “I told my husband, I really want to know what this baby is so we can start calling a name to it. If we were to lose this baby I would regret not knowing.”
Tiffany Sevillano of North Hollywood had a similar scare: Complications in her first trimester were so bad her obstetrician offered to schedule an abortion, believing the pregnancy was unviable.
“You can’t imagine the stress and anxiety I was going through,” said the mom, who learned she was pregnant amid a COVID-19 outbreak in the skilled nursing facility where she works. “That’s why we just want to embrace every single milestone.”
The very first gender reveal party was conceived for a similar reason. Karvunidis said she’d lost other pregnancies before her first daughter was conceived, and she wanted to celebrate that this one was healthy and secure. Revealing the gender was an excuse.
“It wasn’t even really about the baby’s gender,” she said. “It was just about getting my family excited.”
She documented the event on her blog, which ended up being featured in a magazine. The magazine ended up in a lot of OB/GYN offices. The copy-cat parties ended up on Facebook.
“I didn’t see it as problematic back then — it was more [annoying] like when somebody wears your outfit,” Karvunidis said. “Then I was raising my daughters, and one of them wouldn’t play with anything unless it was pink. It seemed like that’s where it would start in the baby’s life, and after you were either a pink person or a blue person.”
Some scholars believe it’s no accident the pink and blue parties have grown more popular as trans people — and trans children in particular — have grown more accepted.
“Because trans kids are way more visible and known, that makes people want to really double down on the idea that gender is a thing in their child that belongs to them,” said Gill-Peterson, the Pittsburgh professor. “Maybe things are not like the 1950s anymore, but we still really want kids to be boys or girls.”
But she also said the parties are an easy target.
“I would love to see this cultural fad blow out and fade away,” Gill-Peterson said. “But ultimately I feel much more worried about all of the ways trans children’s lives, their ability to exist, is under constant attack right now.”
The inventor of the gender reveal said she hoped expectant families would find a way to celebrate the start of their second trimester without invoking “toxic” stereotypes about boys and girls.
“Do a pregnancy reveal — it doesn’t have to be this whole aggressive gendered thing,” Karvunidis said. “You could come out with body paint or balloons. You don’t have to light anything on fire.”