latimes--2020-09-14--'Boxed-in feeling' as smoke from Bobcat fire blankets Southern California

Smoke and ash from the burning in the Angeles National Forest have blanketed the region for a week , contributing to poor air quality , hazy skies and burning odors .
And residents , many of whom were already feeling confined amid stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic , say it ’ s taking a toll .
“ It ’ s a boxed-in feeling , ” said Carole J. McCoy , an artist who lives in North Hollywood .
“ Not being able to go outside , because I have asthma and allergies , takes away the one thing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” McCoy said she has lived in L.A. long enough to see and feel “ in the weather , ” and described the air in her neighborhood Monday as a “ sheer , dusky , powdery layer of particles and smoke.
” The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a smoke advisory through Tuesday for most of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino counties , noting that the air quality index remains in the unhealthy range for the San Gabriel Valley .
The Bobcat fire ignited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than burning in the state .
Smoke from Northern and Central California fires created a plume that spanned more than 1,000 miles and blanketed much of the West Coast , said Philip Fine , deputy executive officer of the South Coast AQMD , .
Current air quality readings in Los Angeles are hovering in the , which is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups , according to Environmental Protection Agency air monitoring site AirNow .
The air quality index , or AQI , is reported on a scale of 0 to 500 , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 301 are considered hazardous .
The forecast for Tuesday looks much the same .
Smoke is so strong in parts of eastern L.A. that coronavirus testing sites at the Pomona Fairplex and the San Gabriel Valley airport .
Pasadena City College also Monday because of smoke , and the and remain closed for the same reason .
“ Air quality is very poor , and there has been a strong , burning , mesquite-like smell for several days , ” Altadena resident Kevin Lingenfelser said Monday .
Lingenfelser and other residents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley foothill communities of Monrovia , Bradbury , Altadena , Duarte , Pasadena and Sierra Madre remain under an as the Bobcat fire has shifted southwest toward Mt .
Wilson and the Chantry Flat area .
Portions of Arcadia and Sierra Madre — north of Elkins Avenue and east of Santa Anita Avenue — were under mandatory evacuation orders Sunday afternoon .
Lingenfelser said he , his wife and two daughters have “ packed just in case.
” “ The smell is incredibly strong , ” he said .
“ We didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today with the [ of 2009 ] , and that fire was much , much closer to us .
”

Claudia Alcaino walks her dogs along Highland Oaks Drive in Arcadia on Sunday as crews continue to battle the Bobcat fire in the nearby Angeles National Forest.
Smoke and ash from the Bobcat fire burning in the Angeles National Forest have blanketed the region for a week, contributing to poor air quality, hazy skies and burning odors.
And residents, many of whom were already feeling confined amid stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, say it’s taking a toll.
“It’s a boxed-in feeling,” said Carole J. McCoy, an artist who lives in North Hollywood. “Not being able to go outside, because I have asthma and allergies, takes away the one thing that was a sense of freedom and peace.”
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McCoy said she has lived in L.A. long enough to see and feel “ a significant shift in the weather,” and described the air in her neighborhood Monday as a “sheer, dusky, powdery layer of particles and smoke.”
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.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a smoke advisory through Tuesday for most of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, noting that the air quality index remains in the unhealthy range for the San Gabriel Valley.
The Bobcat fire ignited Sept. 6 and is one of more than 25 fires burning in the state. Smoke from Northern and Central California fires created a plume that spanned more than 1,000 miles and blanketed much of the West Coast, said Philip Fine, deputy executive officer of the South Coast AQMD, last week .
Current air quality readings in Los Angeles are hovering in the 150-200 range , which is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to Environmental Protection Agency air monitoring site AirNow. The air quality index, or AQI, is reported on a scale of 0 to 500, with zero representing good air. Measurements higher than 301 are considered hazardous. The forecast for Tuesday looks much the same .
Smoke is so strong in parts of eastern L.A. that coronavirus testing sites at the Pomona Fairplex and the San Gabriel Valley airport have been closed .
Pasadena City College also closed its campus Monday because of smoke, and the L.A. Zoo and Los Angeles County Arboretum remain closed for the same reason.
“Air quality is very poor, and there has been a strong, burning, mesquite-like smell for several days,” Altadena resident Kevin Lingenfelser said Monday.
Lingenfelser and other residents of eastern Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley foothill communities of Monrovia, Bradbury, Altadena, Duarte, Pasadena and Sierra Madre remain under an evacuation notice as the Bobcat fire has shifted southwest toward Mt. Wilson and the Chantry Flat area.
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Portions of Arcadia and Sierra Madre — north of Elkins Avenue and east of Santa Anita Avenue — were under mandatory evacuation orders Sunday afternoon. Lingenfelser said he, his wife and two daughters have “packed just in case.”


latimes--2020-09-14--In California, Trump continues to deny climate change is real: 'It will start getting cooler'

As wildfires raging through the West force millions of voters to confront the consequences of a warming planet , the presidential race became intensely focused Monday on climate change — an issue that has been overshadowed through much of the campaign .
The realities of communities ablaze , mass evacuations and curtains of thick smoke settling over large , densely populated swaths of the Pacific coast pushed the rival candidates to detour from the battleground states and lay out starkly contrasting visions for reversing the cycle of worsening natural disaster .
Landing in California , where state officials say his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate have intensified the crisis , President Trump continued to express skepticism about climate science .
In a briefing with state and federal officials , Gov .
Gavin Newsom told Trump : “ We feel very strongly the hots are getting hotter , the dries are getting drier.
” “ Something has happened to the plumbing of the world , and we come from a perspective , humbly , that we assert that the science is in , and the observed evidence is self-evident that climate change is real .
Please respect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the fundamental issue of climate change , ” he said .
A few moments later , however , during a presentation by California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot , Trump said : “ It will start getting cooler , you just watch.
” When Crowfoot said that science disagreed , Trump shot back : “ I don ’ t think science knows.
” The exchange came as Crowfoot emphasized the effect of warming by noting Death Valley has broken a world record with temperatures reaching 130 degrees .
Trump raised his eyebrows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not alarmed .
Just before Trump landed , Democratic nominee Joe Biden denounced Trump as a “ climate arsonist ” and laid out how different policies would be under a Biden administration .
“ It shouldn ’ t be so bad that millions of Americans live in the shadow of an orange sky and are left asking , ‘ Is doomsday here ?
’ ” said Biden , delivering remarks in a meadow outside the natural history museum near his home in Wilmington , Del .
Biden pilloried the president for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included blaming the state for doing a poor job of raking leaves in forests and threatening to withhold desperately needed federal aid — and he took aim at Trump ’ s broader effort to scrap federal action to curb climate change .
He accused the president of trying to stoke racist fears among suburban voters about inclusive housing policies when , Biden said , it is natural disasters caused by climate change that pose the biggest threat to suburbs .
“ If we have four more years of Trump ’ s climate denial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from wildfires ?
” Biden said .
The effects of the infernos could be felt even thousands of miles away in the mid-Atlantic region where Biden spoke , after the intense smoke drifted east in the jet stream , tinting the sky over Washington with haze .
“ Donald Trump ’ s climate denial may not have caused these fires and record floods and record hurricanes , but if he gets a second term , these hellish events will continue to become more common , more devastating and more deadly , ” Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a virtual fundraiser later in the day hosted by Rep. Adam B. Schiff ( D-Burbank ) and entertainment mogul Haim Saban : “ The West is literally on fire , and it ’ s still all about him.
” Biden has proposed an aggressive $ 2-trillion plan for climate action that has gotten little voter attention in a race dominated by concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic , protests over racial injustice , and disputes over the integrity of America ’ s election systems .
For his part , Trump focused Monday on forest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described as “ exploding trees , ” further exasperating scientists and state officials .
“ When trees fall down after a short period of time , they become very dry — really like a matchstick ... and they can explode , ” Trump said .
“ Also leaves .
When you have dried leaves on the ground , it ’ s just fuel for the fires.
” “ I was talking to the head of a foreign country and they said , ‘ We consider ourselves a forest nation .
We have trees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have in California , and we don ’ t have that problem.
” Newsom , in his remarks , acknowledged that both state and federal officials have fallen short in forest management .
Forestry officials have said that years of policies designed to suppress as many fires as possible have allowed fuel to accumulate in forests across the West .
But , the governor stressed , all of those problems have been intensified by drought that climate change has worsened .
Biden , in his remarks , said Trump ’ s hostility to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t listen to the experts or treat this disaster with the urgency it demands , as any president should do during a national emergency.
” Biden is pledging to immediately move to revive and update Obama-era climate initiatives that Trump scrapped and push for a large-scale investment in public works that would reorient the economy toward green energy .
Trump has characterized such measures as the agenda of the far left and out of sync with American attitudes about energy .
Polls have shown voters are increasingly concerned about global warming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investments Biden promises , although the issue has never been a top priority for most voters .
California and other states are already pushing forward in the direction of more green energy , in face of fierce headwinds from the Trump administration .
The state is mired in 100 lawsuits against the federal government , some of them triggered by administration efforts to block California from taking its own climate action .
The biggest and most consequential dispute is over the state ’ s ability to set its own vehicle emissions standards .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest contributor to climate change , and California has long been empowered to set its own rules .
The state ’ s outsize influence over automobile sales has traditionally pushed automakers to adopt the California rules as their national standard .
The Trump administration is seeking to stop California from imposing those rules , even after several automakers voluntarily agreed to embrace them .
The Trump administration has also stymied the state ’ s race to move its electricity grid entirely to clean energy .
It eliminated an Obama-era plan to help all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embracing an energy policy focused heavily on boosting the use of coal and other fossil fuels .
One of Trump ’ s first moves as president was to withdraw the United States from the Paris accord on global warming , which would have held the nation to a strict timeline for reducing fossil fuels .
On landing in Sacramento , Trump was asked why he waited so long to visit California , as the fires have been raging for weeks .
“ That ’ s a nasty question , ” said the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster aid for the state .
“ I got a call from your governor immediately .
On that call , I declared it a national emergency .
That ’ s a nasty question .
”

President Trump walks to speak to reporters as he arrives at Sacramento McClellan Airport on Sept. 14, 2020, for a briefing on the California wildfires.
As wildfires raging through the West force millions of voters to confront the consequences of a warming planet, the presidential race became intensely focused Monday on climate change — an issue that has been overshadowed through much of the campaign.
The realities of communities ablaze, mass evacuations and curtains of thick smoke settling over large, densely populated swaths of the Pacific coast pushed the rival candidates to detour from the battleground states and lay out starkly contrasting visions for reversing the cycle of worsening natural disaster.
Landing in California, where state officials say his unyielding efforts to undermine global action on climate have intensified the crisis, President Trump continued to express skepticism about climate science.
In a briefing with state and federal officials, Gov. Gavin Newsom told Trump: “We feel very strongly the hots are getting hotter, the dries are getting drier.”
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“Something has happened to the plumbing of the world, and we come from a perspective, humbly, that we assert that the science is in, and the observed evidence is self-evident that climate change is real. Please respect the difference of opinion out here with respect to the fundamental issue of climate change,” he said.
The president said, “Absolutely.”
A few moments later, however, during a presentation by California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, Trump said: “It will start getting cooler, you just watch.”
When Crowfoot said that science disagreed, Trump shot back: “I don’t think science knows.”
The exchange came as Crowfoot emphasized the effect of warming by noting Death Valley has broken a world record with temperatures reaching 130 degrees. Trump raised his eyebrows and smiled, signaling he was impressed but not alarmed.
Just before Trump landed, Democratic nominee Joe Biden denounced Trump as a “climate arsonist” and laid out how different policies would be under a Biden administration.
“It shouldn’t be so bad that millions of Americans live in the shadow of an orange sky and are left asking, ‘Is doomsday here?’” said Biden, delivering remarks in a meadow outside the natural history museum near his home in Wilmington, Del.
Biden pilloried the president for his response to the fires — which has included blaming the state for doing a poor job of raking leaves in forests and threatening to withhold desperately needed federal aid — and he took aim at Trump’s broader effort to scrap federal action to curb climate change.
Advertisement
He accused the president of trying to stoke racist fears among suburban voters about inclusive housing policies when, Biden said, it is natural disasters caused by climate change that pose the biggest threat to suburbs.
“If we have four more years of Trump’s climate denial, how many more suburbs will burn from wildfires?” Biden said. The effects of the infernos could be felt even thousands of miles away in the mid-Atlantic region where Biden spoke, after the intense smoke drifted east in the jet stream, tinting the sky over Washington with haze.
“Donald Trump’s climate denial may not have caused these fires and record floods and record hurricanes, but if he gets a second term, these hellish events will continue to become more common, more devastating and more deadly,” Biden said.
He continued his critique in a virtual fundraiser later in the day hosted by Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) and entertainment mogul Haim Saban: “The West is literally on fire, and it’s still all about him.”
Biden has proposed an aggressive $2-trillion plan for climate action that has gotten little voter attention in a race dominated by concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, protests over racial injustice, and disputes over the integrity of America’s election systems.
For his part, Trump focused Monday on forest management and the role of what he described as “exploding trees,” further exasperating scientists and state officials.
“When trees fall down after a short period of time, they become very dry — really like a matchstick ... and they can explode,” Trump said. “Also leaves. When you have dried leaves on the ground, it’s just fuel for the fires.”
“I was talking to the head of a foreign country and they said, ‘We consider ourselves a forest nation. We have trees that are far more explosive than they have in California, and we don’t have that problem.’”
Newsom, in his remarks, acknowledged that both state and federal officials have fallen short in forest management. Forestry officials have said that years of policies designed to suppress as many fires as possible have allowed fuel to accumulate in forests across the West.
But, the governor stressed, all of those problems have been intensified by drought that climate change has worsened.
Biden, in his remarks, said Trump’s hostility to climate science reflects a president who “won’t listen to the experts or treat this disaster with the urgency it demands, as any president should do during a national emergency.”
Biden is pledging to immediately move to revive and update Obama-era climate initiatives that Trump scrapped and push for a large-scale investment in public works that would reorient the economy toward green energy. Trump has characterized such measures as the agenda of the far left and out of sync with American attitudes about energy.
https://twitter.com/RiegerReport/status/1305582670727049217
Polls have shown voters are increasingly concerned about global warming and in favor of the types of investments Biden promises, although the issue has never been a top priority for most voters.
California and other states are already pushing forward in the direction of more green energy, in face of fierce headwinds from the Trump administration. The state is mired in 100 lawsuits against the federal government, some of them triggered by administration efforts to block California from taking its own climate action.
The biggest and most consequential dispute is over the state’s ability to set its own vehicle emissions standards. Car and truck emissions are the single biggest contributor to climate change, and California has long been empowered to set its own rules. The state’s outsize influence over automobile sales has traditionally pushed automakers to adopt the California rules as their national standard. The Trump administration is seeking to stop California from imposing those rules, even after several automakers voluntarily agreed to embrace them.
The Trump administration has also stymied the state’s race to move its electricity grid entirely to clean energy. It eliminated an Obama-era plan to help all states move in that direction, instead embracing an energy policy focused heavily on boosting the use of coal and other fossil fuels.
One of Trump’s first moves as president was to withdraw the United States from the Paris accord on global warming, which would have held the nation to a strict timeline for reducing fossil fuels.
On landing in Sacramento, Trump was asked why he waited so long to visit California, as the fires have been raging for weeks.
“That’s a nasty question,” said the president, who noted he ultimately did approve disaster aid for the state.
“I got a call from your governor immediately. On that call, I declared it a national emergency. That’s a nasty question.”


latimes--2020-09-14--Appeals court says Trump can deport hundreds of thousands of immigrants; challenge certain

A federal appeals court decided 2-1 Monday that the Trump administration may deport hundreds of thousands of immigrants who previously received temporary protected status for humanitarian reasons .
The 2-1 ruling by a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an injunction protecting immigrants from El Salvador , Haiti , Nicaragua and Sudan from being deported pending litigation .
The Trump administration ended their protections , saying their home countries were now safe for them .
The decision affects 300,000 non-citizens and 200,000 of their children who are U.S. citizens .
Many of the immigrants have lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consuelo M. Callahan , writing for the majority , said federal law does not permit the judiciary to second-guess decisions by the secretary of Homeland Security on which countries ’ citizens receive protected status .
“ To the extent the TPS statute places constraints on the Secretary ’ s discretion , it does so in favor of limiting unwarranted designations or extensions of TPS , ” wrote Callahan , an appointee of President George W. Bush .
She was joined by Judge Ryan D. Nelson , an appointee of President Trump .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and practice without public review .
She described the administration ’ s action as “ an abrupt and unexplained change.
” She noted that the lawsuit challenging the deportation notices said they were motivated by racial and ethnic bias .
Trump reportedly called Haiti and El Salvador “ shithole countries ” and characterized immigrants from Mexico and Central America as criminals and snakes .
“ We can not sweep aside the words that were actually used , and it would be worse for us to deny their meaning , ” wrote Christen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people , not to places .
The President ’ s statements require no deciphering.
” An unnamed Department of Justice representative said Monday the DOJ was pleased with the appeals court ruling .
“ For approximately two years , the district court ’ s injunction prevented the Department of Homeland Security from taking action that Congress has vested solely within the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security — action that is statutorily precluded from judicial review , ” said the spokesman , who agreed to provide a statement on background .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s recognition of the plain language of the Immigration and Nationality Act and its rejection of the baseless accusations of animus behind the actions taken by the Department of Homeland Security.
” A statement by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California , which represented the immigrants and their children , said the ruling would not immediately end temporary protected status .
Such holders from these countries will be permitted to maintain their status until at least February , and those from El Salvador until at least November .
The challengers said they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 9th Circuit .
Sudan first received protected status in 1997 because of civil war .
Since then , Sudan ’ s status was extended or redesignated 15 times by prior administrations .
The reasons included forced relocation , human rights abuses , famine and denial of access to humanitarian agencies .
Nicaragua gained protected status designated in 1999 after Hurricane Mitch struck .
Earlier administrations extended the protection 13 times , citing droughts , flooding and other natural disasters .
El Salvador received the status in 2001 after three earthquakes displaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrations extended protections 11 times because of a tropical storm and a volcano eruption .
Haiti , designated for protection in 2010 after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake , received extensions five times for natural disasters and a cholera outbreak .
The Trump administration revoked the protections in 2017 and 2018 .
The immigrants and their children sued , and a San Francisco-based federal judge in 2018 blocked Trump ’ s action .
Challengers hope an 11-judge panel will overturn Monday ’ s decision .
If the circuit judges vote to reconsider the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selected judges and the Chief Judge Thomas , a Clinton appointee .
The decision could then be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court .
The 9th Circuit has long been considered a bastion of liberal voices .
But Trump has now appointed more than one-third of the circuit ’ s judges , and decisions have become more conservative .
Paul Andre Mondesir , lead organizer for the National TPS Alliance , said more than 130,000 members of the families challenging Trump were essential workers who have been going to their jobs during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every legal recourse at our disposal to protect our community and our loved ones , ” he said .
“ We will take this fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary and continue to demand that Congress act now to pass a permanent residency.
” Ahilan Arulanantham , senior counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California , said Trump ’ s “ vile statements ” about the people in the countries affected by Monday ’ s decision “ made perfectly clear that his administration acted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution does not permit policy to be driven by racism , ” he said .

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals building in San Francisco.
A federal appeals court decided 2 to 1 Monday that the Trump administration may deport hundreds of thousands of immigrants who previously received temporary protected status for humanitarian reasons.
The ruling by a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an injunction protecting immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan from being deported pending litigation. The Trump administration ended their protections, saying their home countries were now safe for them.
The decision affects 300,000 non-citizens and 200,000 of their children who are U.S. citizens. Many of the immigrants have lived in the U.S. for decades.
Judge Consuelo M. Callahan, writing for the majority, said federal law does not permit the judiciary to second-guess decisions by the secretary of Homeland Security on which countries’ citizens receive protected status.
“To the extent the TPS statute places constraints on the Secretary’s discretion, it does so in favor of limiting unwarranted designations or extensions of TPS,” wrote Callahan, an appointee of President George W. Bush. She was joined by Judge Ryan D. Nelson, an appointee of President Trump.
Judge Morgan Christen, an appointee of President Obama, dissented.
She said the Trump administration had changed policy and practice without public review. She described the administration’s action as “an abrupt and unexplained change.”
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She noted that the lawsuit challenging the deportation notices said they were motivated by racial and ethnic bias.
Trump reportedly called Haiti and El Salvador “shithole countries” and characterized immigrants from Mexico and Central America as criminals and snakes.
“We cannot sweep aside the words that were actually used, and it would be worse for us to deny their meaning,” wrote Christen. “Some of the statements expressly referred to people, not to places. The President’s statements require no deciphering.”
An unnamed Department of Justice representative said Monday the DOJ was pleased with the appeals court ruling.
“For approximately two years, the district court’s injunction prevented the Department of Homeland Security from taking action that Congress has vested solely within the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security — action that is statutorily precluded from judicial review,” said the spokesman, who agreed to provide a statement on background.
“We applaud the Ninth Circuit’s recognition of the plain language of the Immigration and Nationality Act and its rejection of the baseless accusations of animus behind the actions taken by the Department of Homeland Security.”
A statement by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, which represented the immigrants and their children, said the ruling would not immediately end temporary protected status.
Such holders from these countries will be permitted to maintain their status until at least February, and those from El Salvador until at least November.
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The challengers said they would appeal the ruling to a larger panel of the 9th Circuit.
Sudan first received protected status in 1997 because of civil war. Since then, Sudan’s status was extended or redesignated 15 times by prior administrations. The reasons included forced relocation, human rights abuses, famine and denial of access to humanitarian agencies.
Nicaragua gained protected status in 1999 after Hurricane Mitch struck. Earlier administrations extended the protection 13 times, citing droughts, flooding and other natural disasters.
El Salvador received the status in 2001 after three earthquakes displaced 17% of the population. Previous administrations extended protections 11 times because of a tropical storm and a volcano eruption.
Haiti, designated for protection in 2010 after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, received extensions five times for natural disasters and a cholera outbreak.
The Trump administration revoked the protections in 2017 and 2018. The immigrants and their children sued, and a San Francisco-based federal judge in 2018 blocked Trump’s action.
Challengers hope an 11-judge panel will overturn Monday’s decision. If the circuit judges vote to reconsider the case, it would be heard by randomly selected judges and the Chief Judge Sidney R. Thomas, a Clinton appointee. The decision could then be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The 9th Circuit has long been considered a bastion of liberal voices. But Trump has now appointed more than one-third of the circuit’s judges, and decisions have become more conservative.
Paul Andre Mondesir, lead organizer for the National TPS Alliance, said more than 130,000 members of the families challenging Trump were essential workers who have been going to their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We will exhaust every legal recourse at our disposal to protect our community and our loved ones,” he said. “We will take this fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary and continue to demand that Congress act now to pass a permanent residency.”
Ahilan Arulanantham, senior counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California, said Trump’s “vile statements” about the people in the countries affected by Monday’s decision “made perfectly clear that his administration acted out of racial animus.”
“The Constitution does not permit policy to be driven by racism,” he said.


latimes--2020-09-14--Trump's antagonistic relationship with California overshadows his visit to check on wildfires

President Trump arrived in Northern California on Monday for a briefing on the deadly wildfires , an event overshadowed by his longstanding tensions with state officials and refusal to acknowledge the role of climate change in the blazes .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom did not greet the president on the airfield when Air Force One landed shortly before 11 a.m. at McClellan Park , just outside Sacramento .
Trump ’ s noon meeting with Newsom and top state and federal emergency management and environmental officials kept a respectful tone .
But a discussion of climate change ’ s impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials at loggerheads over the issue .
In a contentious exchange , Wade Crowfoot , Newsom ’ s secretary for natural resources , told Trump that America must accept the realities of climate change .
“ If we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it ’ s all about vegetation management , we ’ re not going to succeed together protecting Californians , ” said Crowfoot , who was joined at the meeting by other California emergency officials including Thom Porter , director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Mark Ghilarducci , director of the California Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services .
“ OK , ” Trump replied .
“ It ’ ll start getting cooler .
You just watch.
” “ I wish science agreed with you , ” Crowfoot said before Trump responded , refusing to yield : “ I don ’ t think science knows , actually.
” Newsom later emphasized that scientific evidence showed a clear link between climate change and California ’ s catastrophic wildfires that have killed at least 24 people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has long said that when it comes to the pandemic and wildfires , his primary concern is caring for the wellbeing of Californians and not inflaming a political battle with Trump , struck a more conciliatory tone .
“ We ’ ve known each other too long , and the working relationship I value .
I think there ’ s an area of at least commonality with respect on vegetation and forest management , ” Newsom told the president during the noon briefing with top state and federal emergency management and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I know you do , to the difference of opinion out here as it relates to this fundamental issue of climate change.
” Sierra Club California Director Kathryn Phillips said Newsom was wise to keep the meeting with Trump cordial .
“ This is not a stable person that he ’ s dealing with .
I think he struck the tone with this particular individual that he had to strike in order to ensure that he would continue to be able to get resources for California for the greater good , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s kind of like dancing with a rattlesnake.
” Before his meeting with Newsom , Trump doubled down on his criticism that poor forest management has caused California ’ s wildfires .
“ Forest management is not only the leaves that have been sitting there for many years that are dry as a bone , but there ’ s also trees that go over , ” he said in brief remarks with reporters after stepping off of Air Force One .
“ Management is very important.
” He cited northern European forests — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less fire-prone environment than California — as examples of how forest management prevented fires even though those countries have “ more explosive trees.
” “ If you look at other countries in Europe — Austria , Finland and numerous countries .
They ’ re forest nations .
They don ’ t have problems .
They have very explosive trees.
” And in an apparent reference to fuel breaks — of which California has hundreds , if not thousands of miles — Trump said : “ They also have to do cuts — 50-yard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ section that goes , it ’ s not going to take the whole 100,000 acres.
” But Trump ’ s comments ignore that much of the more than 3 million acres that have burned in California this year are not forest lands , but shrublands , grasslands and oak woodlands .
Moreover , most of California forests are owned by the federal government and managed by the U.S. Forest Service , whose historic policies set the stage for more intense fires in Sierra Nevada .
The agency logged big , fire resistant trees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-intensity burns that acted as nature ’ s housekeeper in the mid-elevation pine belt , promoting dense , young growth that serves as more fuel .
Still , Trump said the federal government is working with the state on forest management and repeatedly mentioned how quickly he declared a major disaster due to the wildfires in August after speaking on the phone with Newsom .
“ We ’ re obviously from different sides of the spectrum , but we have a very good relationship , ” Trump said .
Ahead of the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters holding anti-Trump signs and more than 100 people carrying Trump 2020 signs and waving American flags gathered outside McClellan Airfield .
Two protesters sustained minor injuries when they were struck by a car in an apparent hit and run , though they did not require hospitalization , California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer A.J .
McTaggart said .
According to social media posts , other protesters may have sustained injuries after climbing on top of a CHP patrol car and falling off .
Both incidents are under investigation , McTaggart said .
Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and others accompanied Trump on the trip .
His brief two-hour visit came following criticism that he was too slow to acknowledge the blazes up and down the West Coast as he campaigns in the run-up to the November election .
In California , wildfires have burned more than 3.3 million acres this year — an area of land that Cal Fire says is larger than the state of Connecticut .
More than 4,100 structures have been destroyed since lightning strikes first ignited a series of fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president tweeted his support for firefighters and first responders and on Monday awarded Distinguished Flying Cross medals to seven members of the California Army National Guard who helped rescue dozens of stranded hikers and campers from the Creek fire in Sierra Nevada .
“ Our nation is strong because of remarkable individuals like these service members , ” Trump said in a ceremony inside an aircraft hangar at McClellan Airfield .
“ America prevails because of the brave and selfless patriots who risk everything so that they may save lives of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know.
” The trip also marks another chapter in the complicated relationship between Trump and Newsom , who stoke their polar opposite bases of support with occasional spars on social media or in the press , but talk on the phone frequently and appear almost congenial in person .
Though the president toured the destruction wrought by the 2018 Camp fire in the town of Paradise alongside then Gov.-elect Newsom and former Gov .
Jerry Brown , Trump and Newsom did not tour wildfire sites together on Monday .
At a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month , Trump blamed state officials for the blazes , again repeating his criticism that California needs to clean up fallen leaves and other natural debris on forest floors .
He also threatened to withhold federal funding , a warning he often issues on social media .
In response , Newsom has reiterated the fact that the federal government owns nearly 58 % of California ’ s 33 million acres of forestlands , compared with the 3 % owned by the state .
The remainder is owned by private landholders , local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , has in the past mocked Trump for his comments about cleaning up dead leaves and other flammable debris on the forest floors .
He also criticized the president over allegations that Trump wanted to withhold disaster relief money for California ’ s wildfires after the 2018 Camp fire because voters in the state opposed him politically .
“ The president of the United States threatened the state of California , 40 million Americans who happen to live here in the state of California , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said we hadn ’ t raked enough leaves .
You can ’ t make that up , ” Newsom said in August .
“ There ’ s so much at stake in this election.
” Despite Trump ’ s threats and affinity for excoriating California , where he finished 4 million votes behind Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election , his administration did not withhold the funding .
Meanwhile , the governor has noticeably refrained from publicly jabbing Trump on his response to the pandemic in California .
For months , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has responded each time California has asked for assistance .
“ There ’ s not one phone call that I have made to the president where he hasn ’ t quickly responded , and almost in every instance , he ’ s responded favorably in terms of addressing the needs , the emergency needs of the state , ” Newsom said just a few weeks ago .
“ Over the course of at least a year and a half that I ’ ve been governor , as it relates to these wildfires , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the working relationship privately has been a very effective one.
” In late March , Newsom lauded Trump for dispatching the Navy hospital ship Mercy to the Port of Los Angeles to help free up capacity in Southern California hospitals for those stricken with COVID-19 .
He has also credited Trump for sending mobile military medical units .
Newsom again praised the president in April after the federal government sent California coronavirus testing supplies , saying “ promise made , promise kept , ” a mainstay slogan for the Trump campaign .
Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Democrats — and it quickly appeared in a Trump reelection video touting the president ’ s response to the pandemic .
But Newsom has also highlighted California ’ s position at the forefront of battling against the Trump administration ’ s policies on the environment , immigration and healthcare .
California has sued the Trump administration more than 100 times , often successfully , on a variety of issues , including more than two dozen challenges to policies proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency , the Department of the Interior and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuel-efficiency standards .
“ We ’ re involved in dozens and dozens of lawsuits against an administration that doesn ’ t see eye to eye with us , ” Newsom said Friday .
“ Rather than lamenting about it , we ’ ll continue to fight in the courts , will continue to win , as we are overwhelmingly against the rollbacks of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
” Newsom took a shot at the Trump administration last week for failing to fight climate change , but he also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference for proactively declaring emergencies and approving federal grants for state and local governments to mitigate , manage and control fires .
Trump approved Newsom ’ s request for a presidential major disaster declaration in California on Aug. 22 due to wildfires .
The move , which came two days after Trump blamed the state for the fires at his presidential campaign rally , allows local and state governments to seek federal funds for emergency response and recovery efforts .
California and the U.S. Forest Service also reached an agreement late last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s goal of decreasing the fire risks on 500,000 acres of forest land per year by 2025 .

At Sacramento McClellan Airport in McClellan Park on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and President Trump were briefed on the wildfires burning in California.
President Trump arrived in Northern California on Monday for a briefing on the deadly wildfires, an event overshadowed by his long-standing tensions with state officials and refusal to acknowledge the role of climate change in the blazes.
Gov. Gavin Newsom did not greet the president on the airfield when Air Force One landed shortly before 11 a.m. at McClellan Park, just outside Sacramento.
Trump’s noon meeting with Newsom and top state and federal emergency management and environmental officials kept a respectful tone. But a discussion of climate change’s impact on wildfires again found the president and state officials at loggerheads over the issue.
In a contentious exchange, Wade Crowfoot, Newsom’s secretary for natural resources, told Trump that America must accept the realities of climate change.
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“If we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it’s all about vegetation management, we’re not going to succeed together protecting Californians,” said Crowfoot, who was joined at the meeting by other California emergency officials including Thom Porter, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
“OK,” Trump replied. “It’ll start getting cooler. You just watch.”
“I wish science agreed with you,” Crowfoot said before Trump responded, refusing to yield: “I don’t think science knows, actually.”
Newsom later emphasized that scientific evidence showed a clear link between climate change and California’s catastrophic wildfires that have killed at least 24 people in the last month. But the governor, who has long said that when it comes to the pandemic and wildfires, his primary concern is caring for the well-being of Californians and not inflaming a political battle with Trump, struck a more conciliatory tone.
“We’ve known each other too long, and the working relationship I value. I think there’s an area of at least commonality with respect on vegetation and forest management,” Newsom told the president during the noon briefing with top state and federal emergency management and environmental officials. “But please respect, and I know you do, to the difference of opinion out here as it relates to this fundamental issue of climate change.”
Sierra Club California Director Kathryn Phillips said Newsom was wise to keep the meeting with Trump cordial.
“This is not a stable person that he’s dealing with. I think he struck the tone with this particular individual that he had to strike in order to ensure that he would continue to be able to get resources for California for the greater good,” Phillips said. “It’s kind of like dancing with a rattlesnake.”
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Before his meeting with Newsom, Trump doubled down on his criticism that poor forest management has caused California’s wildfires.
“Forest management is not only the leaves that have been sitting there for many years that are dry as a bone, but there’s also trees that go over,” he said in brief remarks with reporters after stepping off of Air Force One. “Management is very important.”
He cited northern European forests — which grow in a much wetter and less fire-prone environment than California — as examples of how forest management prevented fires even though those countries have “more explosive trees.”
“If you look at other countries in Europe — Austria, Finland and numerous countries. They’re forest nations. They don’t have problems. They have very explosive trees.”
And in an apparent reference to fuel breaks — of which California has hundreds, if not thousands of miles — Trump said: “They also have to do cuts — 50-yard cuts so that if you have a section that goes, it’s not going to take the whole 100,000 acres.”
But Trump’s comments ignore that much of the more than 3 million acres that have burned in California this year are not forest lands, but shrublands, grasslands and oak woodlands. Moreover, most of California forests are owned by the federal government and managed by the U.S. Forest Service, whose historic policies set the stage for more intense fires in Sierra Nevada.
The agency logged big, fire resistant trees. And it suppressed the frequent, low-intensity burns that acted as nature’s housekeeper in the mid-elevation pine belt, promoting dense, young growth that serves as more fuel.
Still, Trump said the federal government is working with the state on forest management and repeatedly mentioned how quickly he declared a major disaster due to the wildfires in August after speaking on the phone with Newsom.
“We’re obviously from different sides of the spectrum, but we have a very good relationship,” Trump said.
Ahead of the president’s arrival, a group of protesters holding anti-Trump signs and more than 100 people carrying Trump 2020 signs and waving American flags gathered outside McClellan Airfield.
Two protesters sustained minor injuries when they were struck by a car in an apparent hit-and-run, though they did not require hospitalization, California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer A.J. McTaggart said. According to social media posts, other protesters may have sustained injuries after climbing on top of a CHP patrol car and falling off. Both incidents are under investigation, McTaggart said.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Pete Gaynor, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and others accompanied Trump on the trip.
His brief two-hour visit came following criticism that he was too slow to acknowledge the blazes up and down the West Coast as he campaigns in the run-up to the November election.
In California, wildfires have burned more than 3.3 million acres this year — an area of land that Cal Fire says is larger than the state of Connecticut. More than 4,100 structures have been destroyed since lightning strikes first ignited a series of fires in mid-August.
Late last week, the president tweeted his support for firefighters and first responders and on Monday awarded Distinguished Flying Cross medals to seven members of the California Army National Guard who helped rescue dozens of stranded hikers and campers from the Creek fire in Sierra Nevada.
“Our nation is strong because of remarkable individuals like these service members,” Trump said in a ceremony inside an aircraft hangar at McClellan Airfield. “America prevails because of the brave and selfless patriots who risk everything so that they may save lives of people, in many cases that they don’t know.”
The trip also marks another chapter in the complicated relationship between Trump and Newsom, who stoke their polar-opposite bases of support with occasional spars on social media or in the press, but talk on the phone frequently and appear almost congenial in person.
Though the president toured the destruction wrought by the 2018 Camp fire in the town of Paradise alongside then Gov.-elect Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown, Trump and Newsom did not tour wildfire sites together on Monday.
At a campaign rally shortly after the wildfires began last month, Trump blamed state officials for the blazes, again repeating his criticism that California needs to clean up fallen leaves and other natural debris on forest floors. He also threatened to withhold federal funding, a warning he often issues on social media.
In response, Newsom has reiterated the fact that the federal government owns nearly 58% of California’s 33 million acres of forestlands, compared with the 3% owned by the state. The remainder is owned by private landholders, local governments and others.
Newsom, a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, has in the past mocked Trump for his comments about cleaning up dead leaves and other flammable debris on the forest floors. He also criticized the president over allegations that Trump wanted to withhold disaster relief money for California’s wildfires after the 2018 Camp fire because voters in the state opposed him politically.
“The president of the United States threatened the state of California, 40 million Americans who happen to live here in the state of California, to defund our efforts on wildfire suppression because he said we hadn’t raked enough leaves. You can’t make that up,” Newsom said in August. “There’s so much at stake in this election.”
Despite Trump’s threats and affinity for excoriating California, where he finished 4 million votes behind Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, his administration did not withhold the funding.
Meanwhile, the governor has noticeably refrained from publicly jabbing Trump on his response to the pandemic in California. For months, Newsom has said that the Trump administration has responded each time California has asked for assistance.
“There’s not one phone call that I have made to the president where he hasn’t quickly responded, and almost in every instance, he’s responded favorably in terms of addressing the needs, the emergency needs of the state,” Newsom said just a few weeks ago. “Over the course of at least a year and a half that I’ve been governor, as it relates to these wildfires, he may make statements publicly, but the working relationship privately has been a very effective one.”
In late March, Newsom lauded Trump for dispatching the Navy hospital ship Mercy to the Port of Los Angeles to help free up capacity in Southern California hospitals for those stricken with COVID-19. He has also credited Trump for sending mobile military medical units.
Newsom again praised the president in April after the federal government sent California coronavirus testing supplies, saying “promise made, promise kept,” a mainstay slogan for the Trump campaign. Newsom’s comment was not well received by Democrats — and it quickly appeared in a Trump reelection video touting the president’s response to the pandemic.
But Newsom has also highlighted California’s position at the forefront of battling against the Trump administration’s policies on the environment, immigration and healthcare. California has sued the Trump administration more than 100 times, often successfully, on a variety of issues, including more than two dozen challenges to policies proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior and other federal agencies responsible for setting energy and fuel-efficiency standards.
“We’re involved in dozens and dozens of lawsuits against an administration that doesn’t see eye to eye with us,” Newsom said Friday. “Rather than lamenting about it, we’ll continue to fight in the courts, will continue to win, as we are overwhelmingly against the rollbacks of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.”
Newsom took a shot at the Trump administration last week for failing to fight climate change, but he also praised the president at the same news conference for proactively declaring emergencies and approving federal grants for state and local governments to mitigate, manage and control fires.
Trump approved Newsom’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration in California on Aug. 22 due to wildfires. The move, which came two days after Trump blamed the state for the fires at his presidential campaign rally, allows local and state governments to seek federal funds for emergency response and recovery efforts.
California and the U.S. Forest Service also reached an agreement late last month in which the federal government will match the state’s goal of decreasing the fire risks on 500,000 acres of forest land per year by 2025.
Times staff writer Bettina Boxall contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-14--7 opiate overdoses in Pasadena have police scrambling to see if they're linked

Police are investigating after seven men suffered from opiate overdoses in less than 24 hours in Pasadena , including three who died , authorities said .
“ This is kind of a big blip on our radar all of a sudden , ” Pasadena Police Lt. Pete Hettema said Monday of the overdoses , which occurred Friday and Saturday .
“ It appeared a bad batch got into the area somehow.
” Authorities are investigating whether the incidents are potentially connected to the same drug .
The men who OD ’ d ranged in age from 30s to 60s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said , while three others are recovering at a local hospital .
Naloxone — a nasal spray that can counteract the effects of an opium overdose — was administered to two of the survivors .
Police are awaiting the toxicology reports from the autopsies of the men who died to confirm whether their deaths are linked to the same set of drugs , Hettema said .
One additional drug incident was initially thought believed to be related to an opiate overdose but was not , authorities said .
“ Opium-related deaths are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police department and fire department are extremely concerned about the increase in overdose-related deaths over the past 24 hours , ” the Police Department said in a statement .
Drug overdoses accounted for 10 deaths in Pasadena in 2017 , according to the Pasadena Department of Public Health ’ s last mortality report .
The most commonly cited causes of overdose deaths included alcohol intoxication , methamphetamines , cocaine and opiates .
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , more than 2,400 people in California died of opioid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year on record .
That accounted for roughly 45 % of drug overdose deaths in the state .
The term opioid includes opiates — natural pre-processed drugs — and synthetic drugs .
Deaths from drug overdoses have increased across all age groups over the last decade .
Opioids and synthetic opioids — such as fentanyl — have been the main cause .
Last year , several student deaths at USC were connected to fentanyl overdoses .

Seven men in Pasadena have overdosed on opiates within a 24-hour span. Three of them died.
Police are investigating after seven men suffered from opiate overdoses in less than 24 hours in Pasadena, including three who died, authorities said.
“This is kind of a big blip on our radar all of a sudden,” Pasadena Police Lt. Pete Hettema said Monday of the overdoses, which occurred Friday and Saturday. “It appeared a bad batch got into the area somehow.”
Authorities are investigating whether the incidents are potentially connected to the same drug.
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The men who OD’d ranged in age from 30s to 60s. One is listed in grave condition, officials said, while three others are recovering at a local hospital.
Naloxone — a nasal spray that can counteract the effects of an opium overdose — was administered to two of the survivors.
Police are awaiting the toxicology reports from the autopsies of the men who died to confirm whether their deaths are linked to the same set of drugs, Hettema said. One additional drug incident was initially thought believed to be related to an opiate overdose but was not, authorities said.
“Opium-related deaths are not common in Pasadena, and both the police department and fire department are extremely concerned about the increase in overdose-related deaths over the past 24 hours,” the Police Department said in a statement.
Drug overdoses accounted for 10 deaths in Pasadena in 2017, according to the Pasadena Department of Public Health’s last mortality report. The most commonly cited causes of overdose deaths included alcohol intoxication, methamphetamines, cocaine and opiates.
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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2,400 people in California died of opioid overdose in 2018 — the most current year on record. That accounted for roughly 45% of drug overdose deaths in the state. The term opioid includes opiates — natural pre-processed drugs — and synthetic drugs.
Deaths from drug overdoses have increased across all age groups over the last decade. Opioids and synthetic opioids — such as fentanyl — have been the main cause. Last year, several student deaths at USC were connected to fentanyl overdoses.


latimes--2020-09-14--More than 3.2 million acres have burned across California this year; death toll reaches at least 24

As the death toll in California ’ s wildfires swelled to 24 , authorities continued to search for a number of people still missing and firefighters toiled to keep multiple blazes from reaching populated communities ahead of an expected uptick in winds .
More than 3.2 million acres have burned across the state this year , the largest amount on record .
Together , the fires have destroyed at least 4,100 structures and forced more than 60,000 people from their homes .
The devastation prompted a visit from President Trump , who arrived in Northern California on Monday for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was held mostly in private and was overshadowed by Trump ’ s antagonism toward the state and the administration of Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
The governor did not meet Trump on the airfield when Air Force One landed shortly before 11 a.m. at McClellan Park , just outside Sacramento .
Newsom has credited the president with being “ proactive ” in his efforts to provide assistance to the state , but he also took the Trump administration to task for its policies that reduced environmental protections .
Experts have said that climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spread more rapidly because of hotter temperatures and more extreme dry and wet spells .
The fires and wind spurred the U.S .
Postal Service to temporarily close some post offices in California , as well as Washington and Oregon .
Trump on Monday deflected questions about whether climate change was a driving force behind the state ’ s historic wildfires , saying instead that major fires could be attributed to what he described as a failure to properly manage the state ’ s forests , including the need to cut more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump said .
“ Also leaves .
You have years of leaves , dried leaves on the ground .
It just sets it up .
It ’ s really a fuel of a fire , so they have to do something about it.
” As he did in 2018 after the deadly Camp fire devastated the Northern California mountain community of Paradise , Trump said the state had to do a better job of clearing dead trees from the forest floor .
The state ’ s deadliest fire so far this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been crawling for weeks through the Plumas National Forest , and was more than half-contained last week , when an unusually strong offshore wind event whipped up the flames .
On Tuesday , the fire jumped the Middle Fork of the Feather River and barreled into mountain communities in Butte County before residents could flee .
Two more bodies were recovered from the burn area Sunday , bringing the death toll to 14 .
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said seven people were still missing and officials were working to locate them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , firefighters were able to construct hand and bulldozer lines around portions of the fire to keep the flames from burning farther .
They continued to report progress overnight into Monday , saying they were able to boost containment of the fire from 26 % to 38 % even as it grew by 2,900 acres , to 261,488 acres .
Acreage growth sometimes reflects better mapping , as well as intentional fires set by crews to burn fuel between containment lines and the fire front , which help ensure the flames don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines , said Rick Carhart , public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Butte County .
“ So we ’ re essentially growing the fire ourselves on purpose in order to tie in some of those fire lines we have cut and then burning back toward the fire itself , ” he said , “ just to put black ground in there to make sure that the fire doesn ’ t have any fuel to continue burning.
” Firefighters were nervously monitoring the weather for an anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fire activity .
The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for the region that was in effect until 8 p.m. Monday , warning that breezy southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph , with gusts up to 30 mph , plus daytime humidity in the 15 % to 25 % range , could increase the chance of rapid fire growth .
“ That ’ s going to be one of our big challenges for the day is what is the fire going to do , ” Carhart said .
But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t expected to be nearly as strong as Tuesday , when the fire “ blew up ” and barreled into Butte County .
“ This is actually a completely different setup , ” said Cory Mueller , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento .
“ Last week was what we call a north wind event .
We get them typically in the fall.
” Those winds are comparable to the Santa Anas in Los Angeles , he said .
They blow downslope , gaining speed , heating up and drying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower elevations and squeeze through narrow canyons and passes .
“ This event is just kind of gusty winds , ” Mueller said of Monday ’ s weather .
“ They are not nearly as dry and they won ’ t be nearly as strong.
” Fire officials were working to finish putting in contingency lines in the Cherokee area , just across the lake from the fire front , as protection in the event the winds were to blow embers across the water .
But they said they were confident they could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ ve done a lot of good work on the fire , and we feel really good about the way we ’ ve gotten it to the point we ’ ve gotten it right now , ” Carhart said .
“ And we ’ re hopeful that despite the weather conditions that we ’ re not going to have big damaging fire growth today.
” Elevated fire weather conditions were also forecast for portions of Central and Southern California because of higher temperatures and lower humidity , the Weather Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has burned 212,744 acres in the the Sierra National Forest in Fresno and Madera counties , was 10 % contained as of Monday morning .
Firefighters were working to protect structures in the Jose Basin area after winds pushed flames across the fire line toward communities .
They were concerned that a shift in the wind could clear smoke that had been providing a cover of shade over the area , which could cause the fire to make a run to the east , officials said .
A fire burning in the Sequoia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north of Kernville sparked new evacuation orders Monday afternoon after high winds pushed the fire west toward multiple small mountain communities over the weekend .
The SQF Complex fire was 90,845 acres and 12 % contained as of Monday .
It spread six to eight miles in the past several days , said Mark Vosburgh , public information officer with the Northern Rockies Type 1 Incident Management Team , which was coordinating the response to the fire .
Residents in a portion of the community of Three Rivers in Tulare County were told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evacuation order covered the area south and east of Highway 198 and east to south of the Fork Campground , the county said .
The remainder of Three Rivers was placed under an evacuation warning at 1:15 p.m .
The Exeter Memorial Building in Exeter was opened as a temporary evacuation point .
The fire behavior has been “ very , very ” active , sending up a large column of smoke that can be seen from the incident command post 15 to 20 miles away , Vosburgh said .
In some cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening , he said .
“ In more typical fire conditions there will be a shortened burn window where you have this active burning for a few hours in the middle of the day , but we ’ re experiencing longer periods of active fire behavior going into the night occasionally , ” he said .
“ The other main challenge firefighters face right now is the difficulty of getting resources , getting enough firefighters and resources to respond and give the firefighters a chance for containing it , ” he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state , officials have been forced to prioritize where to allocate personnel and equipment .
In Southern California , the Bobcat fire in the San Gabriel Mountains prompted evacuation orders for portions of Arcadia and Sierra Madre on Sunday .
Crews were toiling to keep the fire out of the foothill communities to the south .
The fire , which was at 36,366 acres and 6 % contained , was also spreading west toward Mt .
Wilson , officials said .
The El Dorado fire in San Bernardino County , a blaze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gender reveal party in Yucaipa , was at 14,478 acres and 44 % contained as of Monday morning .
Firefighters saw an uptick in fire activity that started overnight and continued throughout the day , said Cathey Mattingly , public information officer for Cal Fire San Bernardino .
“ There ’ s a lot of heavy fuel out here , ” she said .
“ And then we get a little bit of wind activity at night , there ’ s diurnal winds that come in , and overnight that set off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sun started warming up this morning , it really picked up activity.
” Fire officials were expecting the warming and drying trend to continue , she said .
Multiple communities in the San Bernardino Mountains , including Angelus Oaks , Mountain Home and Forest Falls , remained under mandatory evacuation orders , while other residents were advised to be ready to evacuate if necessary .
“ We don ’ t want anybody in harm ’ s way , ” Mattingly said .

Alex Wigglesworth, Taryn Luna, Phil Willon

Gov. Gavin Newsom takes notes as he tours the North Complex fire zone in Butte County outside Oroville, Calif.
As the death toll in California’s wildfires swelled to 24, authorities continued to search for a number of people still missing and firefighters toiled to keep multiple blazes from reaching populated communities ahead of an expected uptick in winds.
More than 3.2 million acres have burned across the state this year, the largest amount on record. Together, the fires have destroyed at least 4,100 structures and forced more than 60,000 people from their homes.
The devastation prompted a visit from President Trump, who arrived in Northern California on Monday for a briefing on the wildfires. The event was held mostly in private and was overshadowed by Trump’s antagonism toward the state and the administration of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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The governor did not meet Trump on the airfield when Air Force One landed shortly before 11 a.m. at McClellan Park, just outside Sacramento. Newsom has credited the president with being “proactive” in his efforts to provide assistance to the state, but he also took the Trump administration to task for its policies that reduced environmental protections.
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)
Experts have said that climate change is causing California’s fires to spread more rapidly because of hotter temperatures and more extreme dry and wet spells.
The fires and wind spurred the U.S. Postal Service to temporarily close some post offices in California, as well as Washington and Oregon.
Trump on Monday deflected questions about whether climate change was a driving force behind the state’s historic wildfires, saying instead that major fires could be attributed to what he described as a failure to properly manage the state’s forests, including the need to cut more fire breaks.
“They explode,” Trump said. “Also leaves. You have years of leaves, dried leaves on the ground. It just sets it up. It’s really a fuel of a fire, so they have to do something about it.”
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As he did in 2018 after the deadly Camp fire devastated the Northern California mountain community of Paradise, Trump said the state had to do a better job of clearing dead trees from the forest floor.
California Extraordinary heat, rare summer snow brought unprecedented West Coast firestorms To understand why so many fires are burning out of control in the West, you have to go back to Labor Day — and the freak snowstorm that hit Colorado.
The state’s deadliest fire so far this year, the North Complex fire, had been crawling for weeks through the Plumas National Forest, and was more than half-contained last week, when an unusually strong offshore wind event whipped up the flames. On Tuesday, the fire jumped the Middle Fork of the Feather River and barreled into mountain communities in Butte County before residents could flee.
Two more bodies were recovered from the burn area Sunday, bringing the death toll to 14. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said seven people were still missing and officials were working to locate them.
Buoyed by several days of favorable weather conditions, firefighters were able to construct hand and bulldozer lines around portions of the fire to keep the flames from burning farther.
They continued to report progress overnight into Monday, saying they were able to boost containment of the fire from 26% to 38% even as it grew by 2,900 acres, to 261,488 acres.
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)
Acreage growth sometimes reflects better mapping, as well as intentional fires set by crews to burn fuel between containment lines and the fire front, which help ensure the flames don’t come roaring over the containment lines, said Rick Carhart, public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Butte County.
“So we’re essentially growing the fire ourselves on purpose in order to tie in some of those fire lines we have cut and then burning back toward the fire itself,” he said, “just to put black ground in there to make sure that the fire doesn’t have any fuel to continue burning.”
Firefighters were nervously monitoring the weather for an anticipated pattern shift that could cause an uptick in fire activity. The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for the region that was in effect until 8 p.m. Monday, warning that breezy southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph, plus daytime humidity in the 15% to 25% range, could increase the chance of rapid fire growth.
“That’s going to be one of our big challenges for the day is what is the fire going to do,” Carhart said.
But, he said, the winds weren’t expected to be nearly as strong as Tuesday, when the fire “blew up” and barreled into Butte County.
“This is actually a completely different setup,” said Cory Mueller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. “Last week was what we call a north wind event. We get them typically in the fall.”
Those winds are comparable to the Santa Anas in Los Angeles, he said. They blow downslope, gaining speed, heating up and drying out as they move from higher to lower elevations and squeeze through narrow canyons and passes.
“This event is just kind of gusty winds,” Mueller said of Monday’s weather. “They are not nearly as dry and they won’t be nearly as strong.”
Fire officials were working to finish putting in contingency lines in the Cherokee area, just across the lake from the fire front, as protection in the event the winds were to blow embers across the water.
But they said they were confident they could keep the fire from spreading significantly Monday.
“We’ve done a lot of good work on the fire, and we feel really good about the way we’ve gotten it to the point we’ve gotten it right now,” Carhart said. “And we’re hopeful that despite the weather conditions that we’re not going to have big damaging fire growth today.”
Elevated fire weather conditions were also forecast for portions of Central and Southern California because of higher temperatures and lower humidity, the Weather Service said.
The Creek fire, which has burned 212,744 acres in the the Sierra National Forest in Fresno and Madera counties, was 10% contained as of Monday morning.
Firefighters were working to protect structures in the Jose Basin area after winds pushed flames across the fire line toward communities.
They were concerned that a shift in the wind could clear smoke that had been providing a cover of shade over the area, which could cause the fire to make a run to the east, officials said.
A fire burning in the Sequoia and Inyo national forests about 25 miles north of Kernville sparked new evacuation orders Monday afternoon after high winds pushed the fire west toward multiple small mountain communities over the weekend.
The SQF Complex fire was 90,845 acres and 12% contained as of Monday. It spread six to eight miles in the past several days, said Mark Vosburgh, public information officer with the Northern Rockies Type 1 Incident Management Team, which was coordinating the response to the fire.
Residents in a portion of the community of Three Rivers in Tulare County were told to get out immediately. The mandatory evacuation order covered the area south and east of Highway 198 and east to south of the Fork Campground, the county said.
The remainder of Three Rivers was placed under an evacuation warning at 1:15 p.m. The Exeter Memorial Building in Exeter was opened as a temporary evacuation point.
The fire behavior has been “very, very” active, sending up a large column of smoke that can be seen from the incident command post 15 to 20 miles away, Vosburgh said. In some cases, that’s persisted through the evening, he said.
“In more typical fire conditions there will be a shortened burn window where you have this active burning for a few hours in the middle of the day, but we’re experiencing longer periods of active fire behavior going into the night occasionally,” he said.
“The other main challenge firefighters face right now is the difficulty of getting resources, getting enough firefighters and resources to respond and give the firefighters a chance for containing it,” he said, noting that with all the fires across the state, officials have been forced to prioritize where to allocate personnel and equipment.
In Southern California, the Bobcat fire in the San Gabriel Mountains prompted evacuation orders for portions of Arcadia and Sierra Madre on Sunday. Crews were toiling to keep the fire out of the foothill communities to the south. The fire had grown to 38,299 acres with 3% containment by Monday evening, jumping a contingency line and burning the east side of Little Santa Anita Canyon above Sierra Madre, officials said. Fire crews are fighting the blaze’s advance on Mt. Wilson.
The El Dorado fire in San Bernardino County, a blaze sparked by a pyrotechnic device used during a gender reveal party in Yucaipa, was at 14,478 acres and 44% contained as of Monday morning.
Firefighters saw an uptick in fire activity that started overnight and continued throughout the day, said Cathey Mattingly, public information officer for Cal Fire San Bernardino.
“There’s a lot of heavy fuel out here,” she said. “And then we get a little bit of wind activity at night, there’s diurnal winds that come in, and overnight that set off kind of an increase. Then when the sun started warming up this morning, it really picked up activity.”
Fire officials were expecting the warming and drying trend to continue, she said.
Multiple communities in the San Bernardino Mountains, including Angelus Oaks, Mountain Home and Forest Falls, remained under mandatory evacuation orders, while other residents were advised to be ready to evacuate if necessary.
“We don’t want anybody in harm’s way,” Mattingly said.


latimes--2020-09-14--'Unpredictable' Bobcat fire shifts and grows as local emergency is declared

More than 350 households in Arcadia and Sierra Madre remain under evacuation orders Monday as flames from the Bobcat fire creep toward San Gabriel Valley foothill communities .
The fire , which has grown to acres since igniting Sept. 6 , remains at 6 % containment .
The U.S. Forest Service said Monday there had been “ significant western growth ” toward Mt .
Wilson and the Chantry Flat area in Santa Anita Canyon , marking a shift from last week ’ s northeastern expansion .
“ Crews today will be focused on strengthening and improving the fire line between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the foothills communities , ” the Forest Service said .
Nearly 900 firefighters have been assigned to combat the blaze .
Residents of Monrovia , Bradbury , Altadena , Duarte , Pasadena and parts of Sierra Madre remain under an and should be prepared to leave their homes if prompted .
In response to the fire , Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Sunday signed a proclamation .
“ Conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property arose as a result of the Bobcat Fire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fire “ has created conditions that are or likely to be beyond the control of local resources and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions.
” The emergency declaration will help the county accelerate requests for financial resources and additional support for the area , said Helen Chavez , assistant director for the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management .
“ We can procure things — items , supplies , personnel — much , much faster , ” Chavez said .
“ A lot of the red tape is cut.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ratification vote at the Board of Supervisors ’ regular meeting Tuesday , although Chavez said that was “ largely a formality.
” In an update published Monday , officials at the 116-year-old Mt .
Wilson observatory said they are preparing to “ go to battle.
” “ While we hope the Observatory makes it through relatively unscathed , the battle could go either way , ” Sam Hale , chairman of the Mount Wilson Institute Board of Trustees , wrote in a statement .
“ We cherish the historic telescopes on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Cosmos and hope they will be safe.
” It ’ s not just flames that have residents concerned .
Smoke from the fire is contributing to poor air quality throughout the region , and have been extended through Monday in most of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino counties .
Altadena resident Kevin Lingenfelser described “ a strong , burning , mesquite-like smell ” that had lingered for several days .
“ My primary concern is for our safety and our home , ” Lingenfelser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ in La Vina , Altadena ] since the community was built in 1998 .
I don ’ t want to go through what we had to with the where we had to evacuate for several days.
” Although mandatory evacuation orders have not been issued in Altadena , Lingenfelser said he and his wife and two daughters had “ packed just in case.
” The air quality forecast calls for moderate to unhealthful air in Los Angeles County , according to the South Coast , and smoky air from the fire is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles that Pasadena City College Monday .
The and the remain closed because of smoke as well .
Current air quality readings in Los Angeles are hovering in the , which is considered “ unhealthy for sensitive groups , ” according to EPA air monitoring site AirNow .
The air quality index , or AQI , is reported on a scale of 0 to 500 , with zero representing good air .
Measurements higher than 301 are considered hazardous .
“ I can definitely smell smoke this morning , ” said Mike Bruckner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bruckner said most residents had complied with Arcadia ’ s evacuation orders , and several others left voluntarily .
He credited bulldozer lines and hand crews for helping keep the fire from making its way into the community , and said that the priority for the rest of the day would be “ continuing to monitor the progression of the fire.
” Residents of the area received additional bad news Sunday when estimates for containment of the fire were pushed back by two weeks to Oct. 30 .
Angeles National Forest spokesman Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date was based on the size of the fire , the amount of personnel available and “ the unpredictability of this fire so far.
” Mitchell said wind gusts up to 15 mph were expected during the day , but he attributed much of the fire ’ s current growth to the dry vegetation fueling the blaze .
“ It ’ s completely terrain-driven at this point in time , ” Mitchell said .
A virtual public meeting with representatives from the fire has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday .
The meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be accessed on the Forest Service ’ s .
People in need of immediate assistance can contact the local Red Cross via the Disaster Distress Hotline at ( 800 ) 675-5799 , and residents should continue to monitor local alerts and be prepared to follow official orders .
“ I always try to reiterate the fact that evacuation orders are serious , ” Mitchell said .
“ Make sure to go .
”

A line of fire engines head to the flaming Santa Anita Canyon as the Bobcat fire burns near Arcadia.
More than 350 households in Arcadia and Sierra Madre remain under evacuation orders Monday as flames from the Bobcat fire creep toward San Gabriel Valley foothill communities.
The fire, which has grown to more than 36,000 acres since igniting Sept. 6, remains at 6% containment. The U.S. Forest Service said Monday there had been “significant western growth” toward Mt. Wilson and the Chantry Flat area in Santa Anita Canyon, marking a shift from last week’s northeastern expansion.
“Crews today will be focused on strengthening and improving the fire line between the south end of the fire and the foothills communities,” the Forest Service said. Nearly 900 firefighters have been assigned to combat the blaze.
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Residents of Monrovia, Bradbury, Altadena, Duarte, Pasadena and parts of Sierra Madre remain under an evacuation notice and should be prepared to leave their homes if prompted.
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.
In response to the fire, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Sunday signed a proclamation declaring a local emergency .
“Conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property arose as a result of the Bobcat Fire,” the proclamation said, adding that the fire “has created conditions that are or likely to be beyond the control of local resources and require the combined forces of other political subdivisions.”
The emergency declaration will help the county accelerate requests for financial resources and additional support for the area, said Helen Chavez, assistant director for the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management.
“We can procure things — items, supplies, personnel — much, much faster,” Chavez said. “A lot of the red tape is cut.”
The proclamation will be subject to a ratification vote at the Board of Supervisors’ regular meeting Tuesday, although Chavez said that was “largely a formality.”
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In an update published Monday, officials at the 116-year-old Mt. Wilson observatory said they are preparing to “go to battle.”
“While we hope the Observatory makes it through relatively unscathed, the battle could go either way,” Sam Hale, chairman of the Mount Wilson Institute Board of Trustees, wrote in a statement.
“We cherish the historic telescopes on the mountain that revolutionized humanity’s understanding of the Cosmos and hope they will be safe.”
It’s not just flames that have residents concerned. Smoke from the fire is contributing to poor air quality throughout the region, and smoke advisories have been extended through Monday in most of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Altadena resident Kevin Lingenfelser described “a strong, burning, mesquite-like smell” that had lingered for several days.
“My primary concern is for our safety and our home,” Lingenfelser said. “We’ve lived [in La Vina, Altadena] since the community was built in 1998. I don’t want to go through what we had to with the Station fire of 2009, where we had to evacuate for several days.”
Although mandatory evacuation orders have not been issued in Altadena, Lingenfelser said he and his wife and two daughters had “packed just in case.”
The air quality forecast calls for moderate to unhealthful air in Los Angeles County, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District , and smoky air from the fire is so strong in parts of Eastern Los Angeles that Pasadena City College closed its campus Monday. The L.A. Zoo and the Los Angeles County Arboretum remain closed because of smoke as well.
Current air quality readings in Los Angeles are hovering in the 150-200 range , which is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” according to EPA air monitoring site AirNow. The air quality index, or AQI, is reported on a scale of 0 to 500, with zero representing good air. Measurements higher than 301 are considered hazardous.
“I can definitely smell smoke this morning,” said Mike Bruckner, deputy city manager in Arcadia.
California Extraordinary heat, rare summer snow brought unprecedented West Coast firestorms To understand why so many fires are burning out of control in the West, you have to go back to Labor Day — and the freak snowstorm that hit Colorado.
Bruckner said most residents had complied with Arcadia’s evacuation orders, and several others left voluntarily. He credited bulldozer lines and hand crews for helping keep the fire from making its way into the community, and said that the priority for the rest of the day would be “continuing to monitor the progression of the fire.”
Residents of the area received additional bad news Sunday when estimates for containment of the fire were pushed back by two weeks to Oct. 30.
Angeles National Forest spokesman Andrew Mitchell said the decision to push the date was based on the size of the fire, the amount of personnel available and “the unpredictability of this fire so far.”
Mitchell said wind gusts up to 15 mph were expected during the day, but he attributed much of the fire’s current growth to the dry vegetation fueling the blaze.
“It’s completely terrain-driven at this point in time,” Mitchell said.
A virtual public meeting with representatives from the fire has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday. The meeting will be held via Zoom and can be accessed on the Forest Service’s website .
People in need of immediate assistance can contact the local Red Cross via the Disaster Distress Hotline at (800) 675-5799, and residents should continue to monitor local alerts and be prepared to follow official orders.
“I always try to reiterate the fact that evacuation orders are serious,” Mitchell said. “Make sure to go.”