latimes--2020-09-18--Attorney for actor Danny Masterson alleges rape charges are politically motivated

The attorney for Danny Masterson claimed Friday that rape charges filed against the actor were political in nature , motivated in part by the contentious district attorney ’ s election set to take place in Los Angeles County this November .
During a brief court hearing that ended without Masterson entering a plea to charges that he raped three women in his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s , attorney Tom Mesereau went on a tirade , claiming that Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey filed the charges only after her opponent in the November election , ex-San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he would have prosecuted the “ That ’ 70s Show ” actor .
But Gascon has never made such a comment .
Max Szabo , his chief spokesman , noted that Gascon has previously criticized Lacey for not prosecuting Masterson earlier .
Mesereau declined to take questions from reporters after the hearing in L.A. County Superior Court .
The attorney has filed a motion seeking to have the charges dismissed , and a hearing is set for Oct. 19 .
“ He is absolutely not guilty and we ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who famously defended singer Michael Jackson against child molestation charges .
Lacey ’ s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment , though Deputy Dist .
Atty .
Reinhold Mueller dismissed Mesereau ’ s claims as “ false ” and speculative .
Masterson was arrested and charged with three counts of rape in mid-June following an investigation by Los Angeles Police Department detectives .
He remains free in lieu of $ 3.3-million bail .
Prosecutors have accused Masterson of raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001 , a 28-year-old woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October and December 2003 .
The women ’ s claims first gained public notice in a 2017 civil suit .
Masterson has repeatedly denied the claims and said they were motivated by the producer of an anti-Scientology television series .
Masterson has identified himself as a practicing Scientologist .
“ Obviously , Mr. Masterson and his wife are in complete shock , considering that these nearly 20-year-old allegations are suddenly resulting in charges being filed , but they and their family are comforted knowing that ultimately the truth will come out , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s accusers all appeared in court Friday , huddling on the left side of the gallery with a few relatives and friends .
They declined to speak with reporters outside the courtroom .
Masterson was flanked by about 20 supporters in the hallway outside the courtroom , delaying the hearing as court staff struggled to handle the high volume of onlookers while maintaining social distancing requirements necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic .
The LAPD presented its case to the district attorney ’ s office in April 2017 , but prosecutors repeatedly asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.A .
's office reviewed allegations from five women , declining to bring charges in two cases .
Prosecutors said they had insufficient evidence to bring charges in one of those cases , while the statute of limitations had expired in the other .
All three women in the criminal case have also joined in a civil lawsuit filed against Masterson in 2019 in L.A. County Superior Court , according to the women ’ s attorney , Brian Kent .
In that suit , four women accused Masterson of sexually assaulting them and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the actor , along with affiliates of the Church of Scientology , sought to silence and intimidate them .
The lawsuit contends that Masterson has worked as a field staff member for Scientology-related organizations .
One of the plaintiffs , Chrissie Bixler , alleged that while dating Masterson , he assaulted her “ on more than one occasion ” in late 2001 or early 2002 , and that one of the attacks occurred while she was unconscious .
After Bixler reported the alleged assault to the LAPD in 2016 , she claims in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened , purportedly by people affiliated with Scientology-related organizations .
( The Times does not publish the names of alleged victims in sex crime cases unless they come forward publicly . )
Another woman who joined the lawsuit but opted to sue Masterson anonymously accused him of sexually assaulting her at his home in April 2003 , a date that corresponds to one of the charges in the criminal case .
That woman alleged she became “ very sick and disoriented ” after drinking a beverage at Masterson ’ s home , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suit that after she began feeling ill , Masterson brought her into a bathroom , undressed her and sexually assaulted her in the shower .
Masterson ’ s lawyers have vigorously denied the lawsuit ’ s allegations , calling them “ false and defamatory.
” The attorneys have noted that the claims do not mention that the plaintiffs “ all had long-standing relationships with Mr. Masterson.
” The lawyers have also said that the “ original claims ” stemmed from “ prior consensual relationships.
” “ This lawsuit is nothing more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Brettler wrote in an April court filing .
William Forman , an attorney for the Church of Scientology International , previously dismissed the claims made in the litigation .
“ This baseless lawsuit will go nowhere because the claims are ludicrous and a sham , ” Forman told The Times in 2019 .
Masterson faces life in prison if convicted on all counts .
“ From Day 1 , I have denied the outrageous allegations against me , ” Masterson said in 2017 .
“ I have never been charged with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

The attorney for Danny Masterson claimed Friday that rape charges filed against the actor were political in nature, motivated in part by the contentious district attorney’s election set to take place in Los Angeles County this November.
During a brief court hearing that ended without Masterson entering a plea to charges that he raped three women in his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s, attorney Tom Mesereau went on a tirade, claiming that Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey filed the charges only after her opponent in the November election, ex-San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascon, said he would have prosecuted the “That ’70s Show” actor.
But Gascon has never made such a comment. Max Szabo, his chief spokesman, noted that Gascon has previously criticized Lacey for not prosecuting Masterson earlier.
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Mesereau declined to take questions from reporters after the hearing in L.A. County Superior Court. The attorney has filed a motion seeking to have the charges dismissed, and a hearing is set for Oct. 19.
“He is absolutely not guilty and we’re going to prove it,” said Mesereau, who famously defended singer Michael Jackson against child molestation charges.
Lacey’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though Deputy Dist. Atty. Reinhold Mueller dismissed Mesereau’s claims as “false” and speculative.
Masterson was arrested and charged with three counts of rape in mid-June following an investigation by Los Angeles Police Department detectives. He remains free in lieu of $3.3-million bail.
Prosecutors have accused Masterson of raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in April 2003 and a 23-year-old woman between October and December 2003.
The women’s claims first gained public notice in a 2017 civil suit. Masterson has repeatedly denied the claims and said they were motivated by the producer of an anti-Scientology television series. Masterson has identified himself as a practicing Scientologist.
California Actor Danny Masterson charged in three rape cases Actor Danny Masterson was charged with three counts of rape involving incidents between 2001 and 2003, Los Angeles prosecutors said.
“Obviously, Mr. Masterson and his wife are in complete shock, considering that these nearly 20-year-old allegations are suddenly resulting in charges being filed, but they and their family are comforted knowing that ultimately the truth will come out,” Mesereau said earlier this year.
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Masterson’s accusers all appeared in court Friday, huddling on the left side of the gallery with a few relatives and friends. They declined to speak with reporters outside the courtroom. Masterson was flanked by about 20 supporters in the hallway outside the courtroom, delaying the hearing as court staff struggled to handle the high volume of onlookers while maintaining social distancing requirements necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The LAPD presented its case to the district attorney’s office in April 2017, but prosecutors repeatedly asked for further investigation. Ultimately, the D.A.’s office reviewed allegations from five women, declining to bring charges in two cases. Prosecutors said they had insufficient evidence to bring charges in one of those cases, while the statute of limitations had expired in the other.
All three women in the criminal case have also joined in a civil lawsuit filed against Masterson in 2019 in L.A. County Superior Court, according to the women’s attorney, Brian Kent.
In that suit, four women accused Masterson of sexually assaulting them and said that after they came forward, the actor, along with affiliates of the Church of Scientology, sought to silence and intimidate them. The lawsuit contends that Masterson has worked as a field staff member for Scientology-related organizations.
One of the plaintiffs, Chrissie Bixler, alleged that while dating Masterson, he assaulted her “on more than one occasion” in late 2001 or early 2002, and that one of the attacks occurred while she was unconscious.
After Bixler reported the alleged assault to the LAPD in 2016, she claims in the lawsuit that she was stalked and threatened, purportedly by people affiliated with Scientology-related organizations. (The Times does not publish the names of alleged victims in sex crime cases unless they come forward publicly.)
Another woman who joined the lawsuit but opted to sue Masterson anonymously accused him of sexually assaulting her at his home in April 2003, a date that corresponds to one of the charges in the criminal case.
That woman alleged she became “very sick and disoriented” after drinking a beverage at Masterson’s home, according to the lawsuit. She said in the suit that after she began feeling ill, Masterson brought her into a bathroom, undressed her and sexually assaulted her in the shower.
Masterson’s lawyers have vigorously denied the lawsuit’s allegations, calling them “false and defamatory.” The attorneys have noted that the claims do not mention that the plaintiffs “all had long-standing relationships with Mr. Masterson.” The lawyers have also said that the “original claims” stemmed from “prior consensual relationships.”
“This lawsuit is nothing more than a publicity stunt,” his lawyer Andrew Brettler wrote in an April court filing.
William Forman, an attorney for the Church of Scientology International, previously dismissed the claims made in the litigation.
“This baseless lawsuit will go nowhere because the claims are ludicrous and a sham,” Forman told The Times in 2019.
Masterson faces life in prison if convicted on all counts.
“From Day 1, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me,” Masterson said in 2017. “I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one.”


latimes--2020-09-18--'Very active' Bobcat fire threatening homes in Antelope Valley as evacuations expand

The Bobcat fire has made its way into the foothills of the Antelope Valley , where several homes and structures are now being threatened by flames .
News reports and social media posts indicate at least one home has burned in the fire , but officials with the U.S. Forest Service were not able to immediately confirm that information Friday afternoon .
“ It ’ s currently very active , ” Angeles National Forest spokeswoman Keila Vizcarra said .
“ It is starting to push up against the foothill communities that are north of the fire .
Structures are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire , which started Sept. 6 , has now chewed through more than 60,000 acres — doubling its size in the last week .
Residents in northern foothill communities , including portions of Juniper Hills , Devil ’ s Punchbowl and Paradise Springs , were placed under Thursday as flames moved within a mile of the area .
New evacuation orders were issued Friday for residents in the national forest east of Highway 39 , south of East Fork Road , west of Glendora Mountain Road and north of Glendora Ridge Road .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fort Tejon Road , west of Longview Road , north of Colley Place and east of 89th Street East , as well as residents south of East Avenue W-14 , west of 165th Street East , north of Tumbleweed Road and east of Longview Road .
Orders were also issued for residents south of Pearlblossom Highway , north of Big Pines Highway , west of Largo Vista Road and east of 165 Street .
“ Yesterday we saw the fire expand north , to the west and to a pocket to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toward the north end , we have a lot of ‘ light and flashy ’ fuels that ignite really swiftly and quickly , which is contributing to its growth.
” The Juniper Hills area is home to several ranch houses and consists of low-lying desert terrain , the Forest Service said , which fire crews hope will help rebuff the flames that have been feeding off the forest ’ s bone-dry vegetation .
Containment lines dug with bulldozers were also laid down Thursday to further protect the community .
On Friday afternoon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire was continuing to make an aggressive push into the Juniper Hills area and that structures were imminently threatened .
The fire ’ s dramatic spread has raised questions about what — if anything — could have been done to prevent its rapid growth .
have all been attributed to the fire ’ s ignition and growth .
In a meeting with Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Monday , President Trump doubled down on criticism that poor forest management has contributed to California ’ s record wildfires .
“ When you have dried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s just fuel for the fires , ” the president said .
But the Angeles National Forest is just that — a national forest — which means it falls under the purview of the federal government and not the state .
The federal government owns 57 % of California ’ s 33 million acres of forests , Newsom said .
State and local governments own 3 % , while the remaining 40 % is privately owned .
In August , Newsom reached an agreement with the Forest Service in which the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of forest land per year .
The Bobcat fire ignited just weeks after that agreement was signed .
While protecting the communities on the northern front of the blaze , Vizcarra said fire crews continue to serve as the last line of defense for Mt .
Wilson , which has been under for days .
The mountaintop is home to an important observatory as well as numerous communication towers .
Weary fire crews , meanwhile , have made significant progress on the southern end of the fire , which jeopardized several foothill communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With that side of the blaze all but stopped , the overall containment of the Bobcat fire rose from 3 % Thursday to 15 % Friday , officials reported .
“ Right now , they are feeling tired , but they ’ re also ready to continue the work that ’ s been done , ” Vizcarra said , “ and they ’ ve done a lot of good work already .
”

The Bobcat fire opened a new, dangerous front as it barreled toward homes in the Antelope Valley, prompting more evacuations.
The Bobcat fire has made its way into the foothills of the Antelope Valley and is damaging structures and forcing more evacuations.
Vince Pena, unified incident commander with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said the blaze is threatening property around Juniper Hills and Valyermo.
There has been “structure damage and we expect structure loss,” Pena said at a Friday evening news briefing.
The relentless fire, which started Sept. 6, has now chewed through more than 72,000 acres — doubling its size in the last week.
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1 / 42 Blue Ridge Hot Shots crew members from Arizona work on a backfire operation north of Mt. Wilson on Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 42 Blue Ridge Hot Shots crew members from Arizona join forces with firefighters from Northern and Southern California on a backfire operation north of Mt. Wilson on Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 42 Smoke and ash filter the sunset looking west from Angeles Crest Highway as the Bobcat fire continues to burn. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 42 Blue Ridge Hot Shots crew members from Arizona help on a backfire operation on Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 42 Firefighters continue to battle the Bobcat fire north of Mt. Wilson along Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 42 Blue Ridge Hot Shots crew members from Arizona work on a backfire operationon Angeles Crest Highway. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 42 The Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest as seen from the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles on Sept. 21. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 42 Horses are spooked by the approaching Bobcat fire on 106th Street in Juniper Hills on Sept. 18. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 42 A resident flees as Bobcat fire approaches Cima Mesa Road in Juniper Hills. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 42 A Joshua tree burns as the Bobcat fire rages in Juniper Hills. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 42 A Super Scooper dives behind a house in Juniper Hills to make a water drop. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 42 The view from Big Pines Highway as the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 42 A statue sits on top of a house that burned to the ground in Juniper Hills. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 42 A house on Cima Mesa Road in Juniper Hills burns Sept. 18 as the Bobcat fire continues to rage. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 42 Mike Gregoryan is frustrated as he is asked to leave his home on Cruthers Creek as Bobcat fire closes in on structures. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 42 A smokey sunset as the Bobcat Fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 42 Bear Divide Hotshots cover a U.S. Forestry Department information center Sept. 19 in Wrightwood to protect it from the Bobcat fire. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 42 A man riding a tractor evacuates Valyermo as the Bobcat fire burns Sept. 18 in Angeles National Forest. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 42 Castle Snider, 8, looks on as flames from a control burn are used to reduce fuel near homes in Monrovia as the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 42 A statue is left charred Sept. 19 after the Bobcat fire roared through Juniper Hills. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 42 The LA County Fire Camp 9 hand crew rests on Big Pines Highway after working the north flank of the Bobcat fire near Mile High. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 42 LaVerne engine 761 arrives to offer defense as the Bobcat fire burns near homes in Monrovia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 42 A fire engine drives into air thick with smoke along Juniper Hills Rd. as the Bobcat fire advances north into the Antelope Valley. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 42 Flames crest a hill a few miles from Juniper Hills Rd. as the Bobcat fire advances north into the Antelope Valley. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 42 Los Angeles County firefighters standing on outlook as they monitor the Bobcat fire burning in a canyon near the Mt. Wilson Observatory in Angeles National Forest. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 26 / 42 A helicopter fights the Bobcat fire burning close to Mt. Wilson Observatory. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 27 / 42 After spending night at camp Pasadena, firefighters Christina Terrazas, left, and Jason Van Vlymen have their breakfast standing next to their fire truck. Hundreds of firefighters from different agencies fighting Bobcat Fire in San Gabriel mountains above Arcadia, Monrovia and Duarte camp overnight in Santa Fe Dam Recreation Park in Irwindale. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 28 / 42 Roland Pagan surveys the remains of his home on Juniper Hills Drive. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 42 A plane makes a fire retardant drop in the Antelope Valley. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 42 Road Runners hand crew from the Angeles National Forest walk single file as they head for breakfast at the Bobcat fire command post at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Park in Irwindale. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 31 / 42 Flames from a control burn are used to reduce fuel near homes in Monrovia as the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 42 Curious deer look on as firefighters watch the progress of the Bobcat fire as it continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 42 Firefighters look on from Sawpit Canyon as a controlled fire burns on a hillside overlooking the San Gabriel Valley. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 42 Firefighters keep watch from an overlook on Mt. Wilson as the Bobcat fire burns in the Angeles National Forest near Pasadena. (Mario Tama / Getty Images) 35 / 42 A Coulson 737 firefighting tanker jet drops fire retardant to slow Bobcat fire at the top of a major run up a mountainside in the Angeles National Forest. (David McNew / Getty Images) 36 / 42 Los Angeles County firefighters, using only hand tools, keep flames from jumping a fire break in the Angeles National Forest north of Monrovia. (David McNew / Getty Images) 37 / 42 Mormon Lake, Ariz. Hotshot Squad team member Jessy Twin looks over charred hillsides after clearing brush. Twin said his crew is on their sixth day of cutting line. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 42 A firefighting helicopter refills in a reservoir on Grand View Ave. as crews continue to battle the Bobcat fire. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 42 A line of California fire engines head to the flaming Santa Anita Canyon as the Bobcat fire burns near Arcadia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 42 Claudia Alcaino walks her dogs along Highland Oaks Drive as crews continue to battle the Bobcat fire in the nearby Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 42 A worker installs a street camera along North Azusa Avenue as smoke covers the sky from the Bobcat fire. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 42 The Bobcat fire continues to blaze in the mountains above Monrovia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Strong winds are driving the blaze toward communities in the Antelope Valley, L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said.
Fire crews are trying to stop the blaze from marching in the other direction — east of Highway 39 — and working to protect Mt. Wilson, home to a historically important observatory as well as numerous communication towers.
Residents in northern foothill communities, including portions of Juniper Hills, Devil’s Punchbowl and Paradise Springs, were placed under evacuation orders earlier in the week as flames moved within a mile of the area.
New evacuation orders were issued Friday for residents in the national forest east of Highway 39, south of East Fork Road, west of Glendora Mountain Road and north of Glendora Ridge Road.
Additional orders were issued for residents south of Fort Tejon Road, west of Longview Road, north of Colley Place and east of 89th Street East, as well as residents south of East Avenue W-14, west of 165th Street East, north of Tumbleweed Road and east of Longview Road.
Orders were also issued for residents south of Pearblossom Highway, north of Big Pines Highway, west of Largo Vista Road and east of 165th Street East.
“Yesterday we saw the fire expand north, to the west and to a pocket to the east,” Angeles National Forest spokeswoman Keila Vizcarra said. “Toward the north end, we have a lot of ‘light and flashy’ fuels that ignite really swiftly and quickly, which is contributing to its growth.”
The Juniper Hills area is home to several ranch houses and consists of low-lying desert terrain, the Forest Service said, which fire crews hope will help rebuff the flames that have been feeding off the forest’s bone-dry vegetation.
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The fire’s dramatic spread has raised questions about what — if anything — could have been done to prevent its rapid growth.
Ample fuel, record heat and steep terrain have all been attributed to the fire’s ignition and growth. In a meeting with Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday, President Trump doubled down on criticism that poor forest management has contributed to California’s record wildfires.
“When you have dried leaves on the ground, it’s just fuel for the fires,” Trump said.
But the Angeles National Forest is just that — a national forest — which means it falls under the purview of the federal government and not the state.
The federal government owns 57% of California’s 33 million acres of forests, Newsom said. State and local governments own 3%, while the remaining 40% is privately owned.
In August, Newsom reached an agreement with the Forest Service in which the federal government will match California’s goal of reducing wildfire risks on 500,000 acres of forest land per year.
The Bobcat fire ignited just weeks after that agreement was signed.
Weary fire crews have made significant progress on the southern end of the fire, which jeopardized several foothill communities, including Arcadia and Sierra Madre. With that side of the blaze all but stopped, the overall containment of the Bobcat fire rose from 3% Thursday to 15% Friday, officials reported.
“Right now, they are feeling tired, but they’re also ready to continue the work that’s been done,” Vizcarra said of the crews, “and they’ve done a lot of good work already.”


latimes--2020-09-18--L.A. schools are closed — but there are loopholes for those with money

Lucio Haldeman , 9 , squirmed in his chair , his eyes darting from the math program on his Chromebook to the schedule at the front of Ms. Esquibel ’ s fourth-grade classroom .
Nearby , Alex Tanzillo slipped a snack from his lunchbox .
It was their third week at Anza Elementary School in Torrance , and the boys were itching for recess — a chance to run screaming through the otherwise empty halls .
Like all K-12 schools in Los Angeles County , Anza remains closed by state and county orders .
Yet these public school fourth-graders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unified School District students now attend remote classes from their physical classrooms .
The district waived the fees it would usually charge an outside organization , so families like the Haldemans and the Tanzillos pay just $ 205 per child per week for this YMCA-run enrichment program — a high price for public education , but a steal in the pandemic ’ s ever-expanding economy of alternatives .
“ We were thinking we ’ d be back to school pretty quickly , and this would be a bridge to that , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief business officer .
“ Obviously , that ’ s not where we are now.
” Similar programs have proliferated across L.A. County in both public and private schools as hopes for in-person learning have dimmed .
Though some districts plan to bring back small cohorts of homeless children , foster youth , disabled students and English-language learners beginning this month , county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said that others would likely not return before November , and the county has so far declined to consider waivers like those being issued elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many schools have reopened anyway , either by outsourcing their facilities to established providers like the Y or by rebranding as day camps , which are license-exempt and virtually unregulated in California .
“ There have been site visits to some of these schools to ensure that they are implementing the [ county ’ s coronavirus ] protocol with proper fidelity and are in compliance , ” L.A. County Public Health Department spokeswoman Natalie Jimenez wrote in an email .
“ Beyond assuring compliance with our orders , Public Health does not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chooses to operate as a camp.
” Neither does the state Department of Social Services , which licenses most other forms of childcare .
On Sept. 4 , DSS issued new guidance for license-exempt childcare , including day camps , requiring providers to notify their local health department and submit to inspections if they intend to open a program , and in some cases to request a waiver from the state .
But so long as they follow sanitation and social distancing protocols , almost nothing precludes students from learning in classrooms the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing but the price , which can range from $ 200 a week to several thousand a month .
“ This is a major equity issue , ” said Tyrone Howard , a professor of education at UCLA .
“ I ’ m not begrudging caregivers who provide this to their children — I begrudge a system that allows this to happen , knows it ’ s happening , and doesn ’ t acknowledge it.
” Some providers , like the YMCA , subsidize low-income students in fee-based programs , while some districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cost of care for their neediest students .
But the majority of children in classrooms in L.A. right now are there because their parents can afford it and are desperate for care .
“ What this shows is that schools fill a big void for families , ” said Chris Jefferson , the metropolitan Los Angeles Y ’ s assistant vice president of childcare .
“ We want to fill as much of that as we possibly can.
” Yet programs in public schools are small compared to the vast private market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s strict position on waivers may have backfired , emboldening private schools to seek workarounds , and pushing desperate parents to accept them .
“ The plan was to apply for a waiver , but Los Angeles County said they ’ re not giving anybody waivers , so my school looked for loopholes , ” said an elementary school teacher at Emek Hebrew Academy , a Jewish day school in Sherman Oaks , who asked not to be named for fear of losing her job .
“ Instead , they opened this camp.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tutoring programs like Sylvan Learning and Star Tutors is now increasingly dominated by schools , with little besides masks and partitions to distinguish newly inaugurated academic day camps from pre-pandemic classrooms .
On Tuesday , campers at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth used balloons to experiment with static electricity , while those at Harkam Hillel Hebrew Academy in Beverly Hills watched Israel and two Arab nations sign the Abraham Accords over livestream .
On Wednesday , campers at Woodcrest School in Tarzana studied the Indigenous people of the Southwestern U.S. at desks enclosed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such programs still spend part of each day learning remotely , as required by law .
But most of their time is spent on “ enrichment ” — outdoor science experiments , distanced games , and religious studies at some private schools .
Although most staffers who care for them are educators , they don ’ t teach academic subjects — at least , not while they ’ re in the same room .
“ I feel like I ’ m skating in this really weird margin , ” said Jill Miller , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public school to attend Woodcrest this year .
“ There ’ s a part of me that feels like we ’ re getting away with something.
” Still , camps for elementary school students , while unlicensed , largely conform to what would be allowed under state waivers , which many California counties have already issued .
More concerning to some parents and teachers are camps that have opened for junior high and high school students — groups explicitly excluded from the state ’ s waiver program .
“ Our students are hurting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an Aug. 26 note to families at private Valley Torah High School , which reopened as Teen Jewish Studies Day Camp .
“ The Day Camp scenario became the best solution for our community-wide dilemma.
” According to the letter , teen campers study religious subjects in person for half the day , and spend the other half learning academic subjects over Zoom .
Students at Ambassador High School , a private Christian school in Torrance , have also begun gathering weekly in students ’ backyards to watch chapel services together .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , our students were reporting a lot of depression and anxiety , ” said Michael Barker , head of school .
“ Just being together in the backyard , six feet apart and supporting each other , has helped a lot.
” Jefferson , the YMCA executive , said that high school students suffer the effects of social isolation differently than younger ones and may also need help with their schoolwork , even if they ’ re old enough to sit still .
But there is a growing scientific consensus that children over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pass the novel coronavirus than younger children are , making group settings more dangerous for them .
“ There ’ s no question I would put myself between a shooter and my children , ” the Emek teacher said .
“ But right now I ’ m in a position where they ’ re asking me to sacrifice myself — for what ?
” Even if the camps are safe , the fact that they operate as an open secret — widely known but rarely acknowledged in public , even by officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them — has inflamed already frustrated parents .
And the failure to name what is happening could itself deepen inequities , experts warn .
“ If we acknowledge it ’ s an unfair system , that ’ s a start , ” said Howard , the UCLA professor .
“ Someone needs to come out and say , there are kids who are not losing much of a step academically ... and when we come back , we are going to have to pay a price to those children we failed .
”

Denecia Boone, a teacher with the YMCA, helps Maya Haldeman with an exercise at the Anza Elementary School campus in Torrance.
Lucio Haldeman, 9, squirmed in his chair, his eyes darting from the math program on his Chromebook to the schedule at the front of Ms. Esquibel’s fourth-grade classroom. Nearby, Alex Tanzillo slipped a snack from his lunchbox. It was their third week at Anza Elementary School in Torrance, and the boys were itching for recess — a chance to run screaming through the otherwise empty halls.
Like all K-12 schools in Los Angeles County, Anza remains closed by state and county orders. Yet these public school fourth-graders, their siblings and almost 200 other Torrance Unified School District students now attend remote classes from their physical classrooms. The district waived the fees it would usually charge an outside organization, so families like the Haldemans and the Tanzillos pay just $205 per child per week for this YMCA-run enrichment program — a high price for public education, but a steal in the pandemic’s ever-expanding economy of alternatives.
“We were thinking we’d be back to school pretty quickly, and this would be a bridge to that,” said Keith Butler, the district’s chief business officer. “Obviously, that’s not where we are now.”
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Similar programs have proliferated across L.A. County in both public and private schools as hopes for in-person learning have dimmed. Though some districts plan to bring back small cohorts of homeless children, foster youth, disabled students and English-language learners beginning this month, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said that others would likely not return before November, and the county has so far declined to consider waivers like those being issued elsewhere to allow schools to reopen.
Students Tristen Wild, left, and Maya Haldeman participate in a Zoom lesson from a class overseen by teachers with the YMCA at the Anza Elementary School campus in Torrance. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Yet many schools have reopened anyway, either by outsourcing their facilities to established providers like the Y or by rebranding as day camps, which are license-exempt and virtually unregulated in California.
“There have been site visits to some of these schools to ensure that they are implementing the [county’s coronavirus] protocol with proper fidelity and are in compliance,” L.A. County Public Health Department spokeswoman Natalie Jimenez wrote in an email. “Beyond assuring compliance with our orders, Public Health does not have enforcement authority over whether a private school chooses to operate as a camp.”
Ella Scallia participates in a Zoom lesson from a class at the Anza Elementary School in Torrance. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Neither does the state Department of Social Services, which licenses most other forms of childcare. On Sept. 4, DSS issued new guidance for license-exempt childcare, including day camps, requiring providers to notify their local health department and submit to inspections if they intend to open a program, and in some cases to request a waiver from the state. But so long as they follow sanitation and social distancing protocols, almost nothing precludes students from learning in classrooms the county has deemed unsafe for school — nothing but the price, which can range from $200 a week to several thousand a month.
“This is a major equity issue,” said Tyrone Howard, a professor of education at UCLA. “I’m not begrudging caregivers who provide this to their children — I begrudge a system that allows this to happen, knows it’s happening, and doesn’t acknowledge it.”
California School campuses in affluent areas plan to open quicker than those in poor Latino ones San Diego County has gotten the green light to reopen schools, and Orange County officials believe they’ll soon be allowed to follow. But the picture on a school district level is far more complicated.
Some providers, like the YMCA, subsidize low-income students in fee-based programs, while some districts such as Glendale Unified have taken on the cost of care for their neediest students. But the majority of children in classrooms in L.A. right now are there because their parents can afford it and are desperate for care.
“What this shows is that schools fill a big void for families,” said Chris Jefferson, the metropolitan Los Angeles Y’s assistant vice president of childcare. “We want to fill as much of that as we possibly can.”
Yet programs in public schools are small compared to the vast private market, where some worry the county’s strict position on waivers may have backfired, emboldening private schools to seek workarounds, and pushing desperate parents to accept them.
Sharon Drobka, associate executive director with the YMCA, reflected in a mirror, looks over students Lincoln Patterson, left, and Jaxon Canteo as they participate in a Zoom lesson at Anza Elementary School. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“The plan was to apply for a waiver, but Los Angeles County said they’re not giving anybody waivers, so my school looked for loopholes,” said an elementary school teacher at Emek Hebrew Academy, a Jewish day school in Sherman Oaks, who asked not to be named for fear of losing her job. “Instead, they opened this camp.”
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Indeed, a market pioneered by tutoring programs like Sylvan Learning and Star Tutors is now increasingly dominated by schools, with little besides masks and partitions to distinguish newly inaugurated academic day camps from pre-pandemic classrooms. On Tuesday, campers at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth used balloons to experiment with static electricity, while those at Harkam Hillel Hebrew Academy in Beverly Hills watched Israel and two Arab nations sign the Abraham Accords over livestream. On Wednesday, campers at Woodcrest School in Tarzana studied the Indigenous people of the Southwestern U.S. at desks enclosed by clear plastic barriers.
Children in such programs still spend part of each day learning remotely, as required by law. But most of their time is spent on “enrichment” — outdoor science experiments, distanced games, and religious studies at some private schools. Although most staffers who care for them are educators, they don’t teach academic subjects — at least, not while they’re in the same room.
“I feel like I’m skating in this really weird margin,” said Jill Miller, whose daughter left a popular Studio City public school to attend Woodcrest this year. “There’s a part of me that feels like we’re getting away with something.”
Anza Elementary School Principal Barbara Marks, left, and Sharon Drobka, associate executive director with the YMCA, stand on the school campus, where about 20 students are being taught by YMCA teachers. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Still, camps for elementary school students, while unlicensed, largely conform to what would be allowed under state waivers, which many California counties have already issued. More concerning to some parents and teachers are camps that have opened for junior high and high school students — groups explicitly excluded from the state’s waiver program.
“Our students are hurting,” Executive Director Lev Stark wrote in an Aug. 26 note to families at private Valley Torah High School, which reopened as Teen Jewish Studies Day Camp. “The Day Camp scenario became the best solution for our community-wide dilemma.”
According to the letter, teen campers study religious subjects in person for half the day, and spend the other half learning academic subjects over Zoom.
Students at Ambassador High School, a private Christian school in Torrance, have also begun gathering weekly in students’ backyards to watch chapel services together.
“At the beginning of the year, our students were reporting a lot of depression and anxiety,” said Michael Barker, head of school. “Just being together in the backyard, six feet apart and supporting each other, has helped a lot.”
Jefferson, the YMCA executive, said that high school students suffer the effects of social isolation differently than younger ones and may also need help with their schoolwork, even if they’re old enough to sit still. But there is a growing scientific consensus that children over 10 are far more likely to catch and pass the novel coronavirus than younger children are, making group settings more dangerous for them.
“There’s no question I would put myself between a shooter and my children,” the Emek teacher said. “But right now I’m in a position where they’re asking me to sacrifice myself — for what?”
Even if the camps are safe, the fact that they operate as an open secret — widely known but rarely acknowledged in public, even by officials who have created new rules to monitor them — has inflamed already frustrated parents. And the failure to name what is happening could itself deepen inequities, experts warn.
“If we acknowledge it’s an unfair system, that’s a start,” said Howard, the UCLA professor. “Someone needs to come out and say, there are kids who are not losing much of a step academically ... and when we come back, we are going to have to pay a price to those children we failed.”


latimes--2020-09-18--San Francisco, on cusp of advancing in tiered reopening, will let restaurants serve indoors soon

San Francisco will allow inside dining at restaurants when the city moves into the next tier of reopenings , possibly by the end of the month , city officials said Friday .
Indoor dining will be limited to 25 % capacity , up to 100 people .
The Department of Public Health is working with the restaurant industry to develop health and safety guidelines for the reopening .
“ Restaurants have been hit hard by COVID-19 , ” Mayor London Breed said in a news release .
“ Many have adapted with takeout and outdoor dining , but they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sadly , some have closed for good.
” California has established color-coded tiers for reopening .
San Francisco is now in the red zone , the second most-restricted tier , indicating transmission of the virus is substantial .
City officials said restaurants can reopen for indoor dining when the city moves into the less-restrictive orange tier , which “ will occur no sooner than the end of the month , ” the release said .
Under the current system , counties are allowed to reopen indoor dining at limited capacity while in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco — the second densest city in the country after New York — has moved more slowly than other places to reopen , following its own local health indicators rather than the state ’ s .
“ Our measured approach to reopening is grounded in science and facts , and science clearly tells us that indoor activities come with additional risk , ” said Dr. Tomás Aragón , the city ’ s health officer .
“ We must work with the restaurants and business owners to implement strong safety protocols that help mitigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our employees , customers and the community.
” City officials said in-classroom instruction with limited capacity would resume Monday for schools that have submitted safety plans and received approval .

Owner Sarah Trubnick stands in the Barrel Room restaurant in San Francisco in July. The city will permit inside dining at restaurants when it moves to the next less-restrictive tier.
San Francisco will allow inside dining at restaurants when the city moves into the next tier of reopenings, possibly by the end of the month, city officials said Friday.
Indoor dining will be limited to 25% capacity, up to 100 people. The Department of Public Health is working with the restaurant industry to develop health and safety guidelines for the reopening.
“Restaurants have been hit hard by COVID-19,” Mayor London Breed said in a news release. “Many have adapted with takeout and outdoor dining, but they’ve still been barely hanging on and, sadly, some have closed for good.”
California has established color-coded tiers for reopening. San Francisco is now in the red zone, the second most-restricted tier, indicating transmission of the virus is substantial.
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City officials said restaurants can reopen for indoor dining when the city moves into the less-restrictive orange tier, which “will occur no sooner than the end of the month,” the release said.
Our restaurants have been devastated during this pandemic, & we're hopeful that this can provide another small measure of relief while still protecting public health. I want to thank @ggrasf and all of the restaurant owners who have been working with us to create a workable plan. — London Breed (@LondonBreed) September 18, 2020
Under the current system, counties are allowed to reopen indoor dining at limited capacity while in the red tier. However, San Francisco — the second densest city in the country after New York — has moved more slowly than other places to reopen, following its own local health indicators rather than the state’s.
“Our measured approach to reopening is grounded in science and facts, and science clearly tells us that indoor activities come with additional risk,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, the city’s health officer.
“We must work with the restaurants and business owners to implement strong safety protocols that help mitigate this additional risk and protect the safety of our employees, customers and the community.”
City officials said in-classroom instruction with limited capacity would resume Monday for schools that have submitted safety plans and received approval.


latimes--2020-09-18--A sigh of relief: Forecast in L.A. calls for improved air quality, lower temps

Residents in Los Angeles County can breathe a little easier this weekend , as air quality is expected to improve for the first time in nearly two weeks .
The National Weather Service said Friday that a front of cold , low-pressure air moving in from the northwest will help clear out some of the wildfire smoke that has been smothering much of the region .
“ We ’ re expecting better today , even better tomorrow and through the weekend , ” Kathy Hoxsie , a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard , said Friday .
The full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt in the northern portion of the state , Hoxsie said , but L.A. will receive “ enough of the tail that it ’ ll make a big difference.
” The system will also bring a dip in temperatures — another relief after this month .
But residents eager to get outdoors should wait until late in the weekend to resume activities , as the South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended its through Saturday afternoon .
Moderate may also shift toward unhealthful levels during the day , especially in areas near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires .
“ It ’ s about how you feel as a person because we all react differently to wildfire smoke , ” said Meredith Kurpius , assistant director at the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s Air and Radiation Division .
People should curtail exertion and outdoor activities if they feel symptomatic at any time , regardless of air quality readings , she said .
linked to poor air quality include coughing , wheezing , shortness of breath and aggravated asthma .
The precise timing of the air quality shift depends on how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hoxsie said .
“ It ’ s nice to be able to pass along good news , ” she said .

Smoke from nearby brush fires obscures the sun along the Hansen Dam on Thursday.
Residents in Los Angeles County can breathe a little easier this weekend, as air quality is expected to improve for the first time in nearly two weeks.
The National Weather Service said Friday that a front of cold, low-pressure air moving in from the northwest will help clear out some of the wildfire smoke that has been smothering much of the region.
“We’re expecting better today, even better tomorrow and through the weekend,” Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard, said Friday.
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The full benefits of the cold front will be felt in the northern portion of the state, Hoxsie said, but L.A. will receive “enough of the tail that it’ll make a big difference.”
The system will also bring a dip in temperatures — another relief after record-setting heat this month.
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)
But residents eager to get outdoors should wait until late in the weekend to resume activities, as the South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended its smoke advisory through Saturday afternoon.
Climate & Environment Your questions about air quality answered The air around Southern California feels like smoke soup because of wildfires. What does that mean for your health and daily routines?
Moderate air quality readings may also shift toward unhealthful levels during the day, especially in areas near the Bobcat, El Dorado and Snow fires.
“It’s about how you feel as a person because we all react differently to wildfire smoke,” said Meredith Kurpius, assistant director at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air and Radiation Division. People should curtail exertion and outdoor activities if they feel symptomatic at any time, regardless of air quality readings, she said.
Symptoms linked to poor air quality include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and aggravated asthma.
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The precise timing of the air quality shift depends on how quickly the low-pressure trough moves in, Hoxsie said.
“It’s nice to be able to pass along good news,” she said.


latimes--2020-09-18--Fast-moving Snow fire, sparked by burning car, prompts evacuations near Palm Springs

A fast-moving , uncontained fire prompted evacuations near Palm Springs after more than doubling in size overnight , authorities said .
The blaze , dubbed the Snow fire , was reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Snow Creek community west of Palm Springs , according to the Riverside County Fire Department .
At 7:30 p.m. , the fire had ballooned to 1,200 acres , officials said .
By Friday morning , it had grown to 2,500 acres and was still 0 % contained .
“ It was a vehicle that caught on fire , and obviously , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire Capt .
Fernando Herrera said of the cause .
“ And that ’ s how we ended up with this.
” Officials have ordered the evacuation of the entire Snow Creek area — north of Cottonwood Road , southeast of Snowcreek Canyon Road and west of Falls Creek .
About 30 homes are affected by the order , according to Herrera .
The fire also poses a potential threat to the Windy Point community , which is under an evacuation warning .
More than 400 homes are covered by that warning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and north of Overture Drive , east of Clearwater Way and west of Highway 111 .
A temporary evacuation point was set up at 50390 Carmen Ave. in Cabazon , according to fire officials .
“ The fire made a very strong push last night ” into Snow Creek , Herrera said , but firefighters were able to hold the flames at bay .
“ Our firefighters obviously did a great job and held the fire from progressing into the homes , ” he said .
Though no residences were damaged , Herrera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines in the area .
Throughout the day , crews will be challenged by 100-plus-degree temperatures and winds that could gust to between 20 mph and 30 mph — typical conditions for the area .
“ This morning we ’ ve already had some significant wind that started flaring up the fire , ” Herrera said .

Elias Lomeli of Desert Hot Springs watches firefighting helicopters refill with water from his car’s sunroof as the Snow fire burns in the background off Interstate 10 in WhitewaterFriday.
A fast-moving, uncontained fire prompted evacuations near Palm Springs after more than doubling in size overnight, authorities said.
The blaze, dubbed the Snow fire, was reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Snow Creek community west of Palm Springs, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
At 7:30 p.m., the fire had ballooned to 1,200 acres , officials said. By Friday morning, it had grown to 2,500 acres and was still 0% contained.
“It was a vehicle that caught on fire, and obviously, it started the vegetation on fire,” Fire Capt. Fernando Herrera said of the cause. “And that’s how we ended up with this.”
Officials have ordered the evacuation of the entire Snow Creek area — north of Cottonwood Road, southeast of Snowcreek Canyon Road and west of Falls Creek. About 30 homes are affected by the order, according to Herrera.
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A firefighting plane drops retardant on the eastern flank of the Snow fire as it burns in the canyons to the south of Interstate 10 Friday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
The fire also poses a potential threat to the Windy Point community, which is under an evacuation warning. More than 400 homes are covered by that warning, which has been issued for areas south and north of Overture Drive, east of Clearwater Way and west of Highway 111.
A temporary evacuation point was set up at 50390 Carmen Ave. in Cabazon, according to fire officials.
“The fire made a very strong push last night” into Snow Creek, Herrera said, but firefighters were able to hold the flames at bay.
“Our firefighters obviously did a great job and held the fire from progressing into the homes,” he said.
Though no residences were damaged, Herrera said the fire is threatening high-tension power lines in the area.
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Throughout the day, crews will be challenged by 100-plus-degree temperatures and winds that could gust to between 20 mph and 30 mph — typical conditions for the area.
“This morning we’ve already had some significant wind that started flaring up the fire,” Herrera said.


latimes--2020-09-18--Graduate student who claimed to be Black loses faculty job offer at Fresno State

Fresno State University has rescinded a faculty position offer to a graduate student candidate who allegedly misrepresented their identity , university officials said Thursday .
CV Vitolo-Haddad , currently a PhD candidate in journalism and mass communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison , had been conditionally offered a tenure-track position at the Central Valley campus of the California State University , pending a background check , the university said .
But after allegations surfaced that Vitolo-Haddad , who uses the gender pronoun they , had identified as Black and Latinx without belonging to either group , the university reversed course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its core values of discovery , diversity and distinction , ” it said in a statement last week .
“ We are taking this matter seriously and acknowledge the pain and confusion this situation has caused members of our campus and external community.
” “ We can confirm that CV Vitolo-Haddad will not be a faculty member at Fresno State , ” the university said in a statement Thursday .
A spokeswoman declined to comment further .
An anonymous post on the blogging platform Medium this month raised questions about Vitolo-Haddad ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krug acknowledged she had for years falsely claimed to be Black .
An author identified as “ See Vee ” responded in two separate Medium posts , on Sept. 6 and Sept. 8 , to the situation and online accusations .
Both posts were signed “ CV , ” and the author handle linked to them is @ cvvitolo .
“ To my dear friends , loved ones , and organizing comrades , I am so deeply sorry for the ways you are hurting right now because of me , ” the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort through parts of who I am , I ’ ve taken some very wrong turns.
” “ What I know is that I am Southern Italian/Sicilian , ” the author said in the second post .
“ In trying to make sense of my experiences with race , I grossly misstepped .
I went along with however people saw me.
” The author went on to apologize for falsely identifying as Black and for “ inserting myself into Black organizing spaces I didn ’ t belong in.
” They said they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and as co-president of the Teaching Assistants ’ Assn.
, the university ’ s graduate student worker union .
Vitolo-Haddad did not respond to requests for comment sent via email , voicemail and text on Thursday .
They told the publication Inside Higher Ed via email that , though they had benefited “ socially ” from the misrepresentation , they had not identified as Black on forms asking about identification , sought to obtain scholarships or awards for people of color , or represented themselves as Black in their published work .
Meredith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Vitolo-Haddad was not currently employed as a teaching assistant at the university but would not say whether they had been disciplined , citing federal education privacy law .
“ UW–Madison expects that people represent themselves authentically and accurately in all aspects of their academic work , '' McGlone said in an emailed statement .
The graduate union said in a statement : “ We condemn CV Vitolo-Haddad ’ s appropriation of Black and Brown identities.
” “ We can not speak for CV , but we as TAA leaders are profoundly sorry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Madison community , ” the union said .
“ The TAA enabled this harm by electing them to a position of power.
” The union committed to reform its electoral process and make changes to be more welcoming to graduate students of color .

A view of the Save Mart Center on the campus of Fresno State University in Fresno. The arena, opened in 2003, is the home of the Fresno State Bulldogs basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams.
Fresno State University has rescinded a faculty position offer to a graduate student candidate who allegedly misrepresented their identity, university officials said Thursday.
CV Vitolo-Haddad, currently a PhD candidate in journalism and mass communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, had been conditionally offered a tenure-track position at the Central Valley campus of the California State University, pending a background check, the university said.
But after allegations surfaced that Vitolo-Haddad, who uses the gender pronoun they, had identified as Black and Latinx without belonging to either group, the university reversed course.
“The University will always uphold its core values of discovery, diversity and distinction,” it said in a statement last week. “We are taking this matter seriously and acknowledge the pain and confusion this situation has caused members of our campus and external community.”
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“We can confirm that CV Vitolo-Haddad will not be a faculty member at Fresno State,” the university said in a statement Thursday. A spokeswoman declined to comment further.
An anonymous post on the blogging platform Medium this month raised questions about Vitolo-Haddad’s identity after George Washington University professor Jessica Krug acknowledged she had for years falsely claimed to be Black.
An author identified as “See Vee” responded in two separate Medium posts, on Sept. 6 and Sept. 8, to the situation and online accusations. Both posts were signed “CV,” and the author handle linked to them is @cvvitolo.
“To my dear friends, loved ones, and organizing comrades, I am so deeply sorry for the ways you are hurting right now because of me,” the first post began. “In trying to sort through parts of who I am, I’ve taken some very wrong turns.”
“What I know is that I am Southern Italian/Sicilian,” the author said in the second post. “In trying to make sense of my experiences with race, I grossly misstepped. I went along with however people saw me.”
The author went on to apologize for falsely identifying as Black and for “inserting myself into Black organizing spaces I didn’t belong in.”
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They said they had resigned from their teaching position at Wisconsin and as co-president of the Teaching Assistants’ Assn., the university’s graduate student worker union.
Vitolo-Haddad did not respond to requests for comment sent via email, voicemail and text on Thursday. They told the publication Inside Higher Ed via email that, though they had benefited “socially” from the misrepresentation, they had not identified as Black on forms asking about identification, sought to obtain scholarships or awards for people of color, or represented themselves as Black in their published work.
Meredith McGlone, a spokeswoman for UW-Madison, said Vitolo-Haddad was not currently employed as a teaching assistant at the university but would not say whether they had been disciplined, citing federal education privacy law.
“UW–Madison expects that people represent themselves authentically and accurately in all aspects of their academic work,”McGlone said in an emailed statement.
The graduate union said in a statement: “We condemn CV Vitolo-Haddad’s appropriation of Black and Brown identities.”
“We cannot speak for CV, but we as TAA leaders are profoundly sorry for the harm they have caused members of the Madison community,” the union said. “The TAA enabled this harm by electing them to a position of power.”
The union committed to reform its electoral process and make changes to be more welcoming to graduate students of color.


latimes--2020-09-18--'A tsunami of fire': North Complex fire victims couldn't outrun or hide from the flames

As a rapidly growing wildfire barreled toward Lake Oroville , residents of the small mountain communities lying in its path had to decide what to do .
Two told their families they planned to seek shelter at a nearby pond .
Another said he would leave only when he could see the fire from his home .
Three others were ready to evacuate , only to hold off based on incorrect information about how much the blaze was contained .
All of those people , along with nine others , ultimately fell victim to the North Complex fire , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the deadliest and most expansive conflagrations California has seen .
While crews continue working furiously to contain the blaze — now the fifth-largest and among the deadliest in recorded state history at more than 284,000 acres — and assess the extent of the devastation left in its wake , information has begun to trickle in about those who paid the ultimate price .
Much is unclear , and two of the victims have not been officially identified .
But the initial details of those who perished illustrate the speed and ferocity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in residents ’ response to evacuation orders and how , for some , inaccurate or incomplete information may have been the difference between life and death .
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Thursday evening that only one person reported missing is still unaccounted for — a promising sign the death toll might not climb higher .
“ Our efforts to really get out and start searching areas has increased dramatically , ” he said during a briefing , adding : “ Because we ’ re covering a lot more ground , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staying steady , that gives me some hope.
” Even so , only four California fires have killed more people than the North Complex .
The victims who have been identified range widely in age : from 16 to 79 .
Most lived in Berry Creek , a mountain hamlet northeast of Oroville , while two hailed from nearby Feather Falls .
Both towns found themselves in the crosshairs of the blaze ’ s astonishing and horrifying advance .
The fire ’ s growth , at times estimated at about 2,000 acres an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plan of attack and forced some 20,000 residents in Butte , Plumas and Yuba counties to flee .
Amid the chaos , evacuation orders came by surprise , went unheeded in some corners and were impaired by a power outage , previous Times ’ reporting showed .
Philip Rubel , 68 , and Millicent Catarancuic , 77 , were among those who prepared to flee Berry Creek as the fire approached .
“ They had packed their belongings in preparation to evacuate but later decided not to evacuate based on erroneous information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Honea said previously .
In fact , the fire was 51 % contained as of the morning of Sept. 8 , according to the U.S. Forest Service , but as it raced toward Berry Creek , it grew larger and faster , swallowing additional acres of wildland .
As of Thursday evening , the fire ’ s containment was 40 % .
Rubel and Catarancuic ’ s bodies were found Sept. 9 in the area of Graystone Lane and Coyote Road , according to the Butte County Sheriff ’ s Office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ charred Toyota pickup and Catarancuic ’ s remains were found down an embankment .
A second vehicle was found nearby , resting against a large rock .
“ They clearly tried to make some escape , and it was an escape that was too late , ” said their nephew Zygy Roe-Zurz .
“ They almost made it to the main road.
” Roe-Zurz learned Thursday that his mother — Suzan Violet Zurz , 76 — had also perished .
She had been missing for more than a week .
Suzan Violet Zurz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a half-mile up Graystone Lane , a rugged dirt road that exited near the town ’ s Village Market .
On Sunday , a detective had told Roe-Zurz that a third set of remains had been found near the doorway of the family ’ s burned-out house , but DNA identification was delayed .
The unwelcome news came just before her death was released publicly .
Roe-Zurz said the three had packed two cars and were searching for a missing cat , but then saw information online that led them to believe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is uncertain whether they received evacuation orders on their cellphones , but knows that they began to unpack , thinking they would be safe staying .
He lost communication with them after that , about 7 p.m. , and doesn ’ t know what eventually sent them fleeing .
He is also upset with Honea ’ s statements that his family relied on erroneous information .
He thinks the situation is “ not that simple ” and that it ’ s important to learn when evacuation orders were sent and who received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I was online and I couldn ’ t tell a tsunami of fire was coming toward my family , ” he said .
“ I am not trying to blame anyone , but I am resisting people blaming my family , that they are to blame fully for what happened .
I have a huge problem with that.
” Honea said Thursday that “ we do not know how they came to believe that , we don ’ t know what source of information they accessed to formulate that opinion ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it actually was , but said his “ condolences go out to Ms. Zurz ’ s family.
” Other Berry Creek residents were more reluctant to evacuate , officials said .
The body of Mark Delagardie , 61 , was found Monday at his home on Bean Creek Road .
A friend had asked authorities to check up on him , according to Honea , because Delagardie had “ ignored evacuation orders and chose to stay at his residence.
” When he spoke with his family by phone on the night of Sept. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was aware of the fire and that he would evacuate if flames became visible , ” Honea said .
The 64-year-old ’ s body was found two days later in the area of Starcrest Lane .
John Butler , 79 , and Sandra Butler , 75 , had told their family “ they were going to seek refuge from the fire at a pond near their residence , ” the sheriff said .
Their bodies were later found near their home .
Khawar Bhatti , 58 , was also found dead at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sheriff ’ s officials said , while the body of Jorge Hernandez-Juarez , 26 , was located Sunday at a property on Milsap Bar Road .
Others were found in or near vehicles , overcome as they tried to flee the flames .
Those include Paul Winer , a 68-year-old Berry Creek resident , and Randy Harrell , 67 , of Feather Falls .
Josiah Williams , 16 , is by far the youngest confirmed fatality in the North Complex fire .
His father , Justin Williams , previously told The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known , and his older brother were supposed to leave the family home in Berry Creek in their respective cars on Sept. 9 , but that the younger boy wasn ’ t able to escape .
Officials have said the fire ’ s “ historic run ” started Sept. 8 , when it jumped the middle fork of the Feather River and quickly morphed into a rampaging beast .
“ The fire ran from Cleghorn Bar to Lake Oroville as winds , terrain and dry fuels came into perfect alignment , ” Jay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Incident Management Team 4 , wrote in a public letter Wednesday .
“ The spot fire traveled more than 30 miles in 16 hours and spotted across Lake Oroville.
” It ended up moving “ 20 miles beyond all fire prediction models identified , ” he wrote .
“ Large clusters of spot fires were joining so rapidly that huge areas were igniting at once , creating a very dangerous fire environment.
” Given the swiftly evolving situation , officials have said they did everything possible to get people out of harm ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best job that we could , given the resources and time that we have , ” Honea said previously .
“ That said , as I have said many , many times before , there is no way to guarantee 100 % saturation of your message , ” he added .
“ There ’ s no way to guarantee perfection .
It ’ s particularly difficult when we ’ re dealing with communities in remote and rural areas that are hard to get to and sometimes have spotty coverage.
” While the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosive growth that last week wrought , the danger is far from over .
A new mandatory evacuation order was issued Thursday for Meadow Valley , a community of several hundred in Plumas County .
Jake Cagle , an operations section chief on the fire , urged residents to heed the latest call to evacuate .
“ If we have people trying to evacuate late , or waiting for the fire front , until they see fire ... that impedes our progress to save your structure or to save anything around your area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing Thursday .

Margaret Stewart, center, and Ben Arnold, both with the Los Angeles Fire Department along with working dog Veya, search for victims of the North Complex fire.
As a rapidly growing wildfire barreled toward Lake Oroville, residents of the small mountain communities lying in its path had to decide what to do.
Two told their families they planned to seek shelter at a nearby pond. Another said he would leave only when he could see the fire from his home.
Three others were ready to evacuate, only to hold off based on incorrect information about how much the blaze was contained.
All of those people, along with nine others, ultimately fell victim to the North Complex fire, a massive blaze that exploded last week into one of the deadliest and most expansive conflagrations California has seen.
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While crews continue working furiously to contain the blaze — now the fifth-largest and among the deadliest in recorded state history at more than 284,000 acres — and assess the extent of the devastation left in its wake, information has begun to trickle in about those who paid the ultimate price.
Much is unclear, and two of the victims have not been officially identified. But the initial details of those who perished illustrate the speed and ferocity with which the fire moved, differences in residents’ response to evacuation orders and how, for some, inaccurate or incomplete information may have been the difference between life and death.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Thursday evening that only one person reported missing is still unaccounted for — a promising sign the death toll might not climb higher.
“Our efforts to really get out and start searching areas has increased dramatically,” he said during a briefing, adding: “Because we’re covering a lot more ground, and that number [of fatalities] is staying steady, that gives me some hope.”
Even so, only four California fires have killed more people than the North Complex.
The victims who have been identified range widely in age: from 16 to 79. Most lived in Berry Creek, a mountain hamlet northeast of Oroville, while two hailed from nearby Feather Falls.
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Both towns found themselves in the crosshairs of the blaze’s astonishing and horrifying advance. The fire’s growth, at times estimated at about 2,000 acres an hour, sent crews scrambling to implement a plan of attack and forced some 20,000 residents in Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties to flee.
Amid the chaos, evacuation orders came by surprise, went unheeded in some corners and were impaired by a power outage, previous Times’ reporting showed.
California Another California firestorm where warnings did not prevent mass deaths A timetable of official response shows authorities were slow to warn those downwind of the Bear fire of the firestorm firefighters knew was likely.
Philip Rubel, 68, and Millicent Catarancuic, 77, were among those who prepared to flee Berry Creek as the fire approached.
“They had packed their belongings in preparation to evacuate but later decided not to evacuate based on erroneous information the fire was 51% contained,” Honea said previously.
In fact, the fire was 51% contained as of the morning of Sept. 8, according to the U.S. Forest Service, but as it raced toward Berry Creek, it grew larger and faster, swallowing additional acres of wildland. As of Thursday evening, the fire’s containment was 40%.
Rubel and Catarancuic’s bodies were found Sept. 9 in the area of Graystone Lane and Coyote Road, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.
Rubel’s body was inside a charred Toyota pickup and Catarancuic’s remains were found down an embankment. A second vehicle was found nearby, resting against a large rock.
“They clearly tried to make some escape, and it was an escape that was too late,” said their nephew Zygy Roe-Zurz. “They almost made it to the main road.”
Roe-Zurz learned Thursday that his mother — Suzan Violet Zurz, 76 — had also perished. She had been missing for more than a week.
Suzan Violet Zurz, Rubel and Catarancuic lived together about a half-mile up Graystone Lane, a rugged dirt road that exited near the town’s Village Market.
On Sunday, a detective had told Roe-Zurz that a third set of remains had been found near the doorway of the family’s burned-out house, but DNA identification was delayed. The unwelcome news came just before her death was released publicly.
Roe-Zurz said the three had packed two cars and were searching for a missing cat, but then saw information online that led them to believe the fire was not an immediate threat. He is uncertain whether they received evacuation orders on their cellphones, but knows that they began to unpack, thinking they would be safe staying.
He lost communication with them after that, about 7 p.m., and doesn’t know what eventually sent them fleeing.
He is also upset with Honea’s statements that his family relied on erroneous information. He thinks the situation is “not that simple” and that it’s important to learn when evacuation orders were sent and who received them.
“I am a scientist, and I was online and I couldn’t tell a tsunami of fire was coming toward my family,” he said. “I am not trying to blame anyone, but I am resisting people blaming my family, that they are to blame fully for what happened. I have a huge problem with that.”
Honea said Thursday that “we do not know how they came to believe that, we don’t know what source of information they accessed to formulate that opinion” that the fire was better contained than it actually was, but said his “condolences go out to Ms. Zurz’s family.”
Other Berry Creek residents were more reluctant to evacuate, officials said.
The body of Mark Delagardie, 61, was found Monday at his home on Bean Creek Road. A friend had asked authorities to check up on him, according to Honea, because Delagardie had “ignored evacuation orders and chose to stay at his residence.”
When he spoke with his family by phone on the night of Sept. 8, Kin Lee told them “he was aware of the fire and that he would evacuate if flames became visible,” Honea said.
The 64-year-old’s body was found two days later in the area of Starcrest Lane.
John Butler, 79, and Sandra Butler, 75, had told their family “they were going to seek refuge from the fire at a pond near their residence,” the sheriff said. Their bodies were later found near their home.
Khawar Bhatti, 58, was also found dead at a Berry Creek home on Sept. 10, sheriff’s officials said, while the body of Jorge Hernandez-Juarez, 26, was located Sunday at a property on Milsap Bar Road.
Others were found in or near vehicles, overcome as they tried to flee the flames.
Those include Paul Winer, a 68-year-old Berry Creek resident, and Randy Harrell, 67, of Feather Falls.
Josiah Williams, 16, is by far the youngest confirmed fatality in the North Complex fire. His father, Justin Williams, previously told The Times that JoJo, as he was affectionately known, and his older brother were supposed to leave the family home in Berry Creek in their respective cars on Sept. 9, but that the younger boy wasn’t able to escape.
Officials have said the fire’s “historic run” started Sept. 8, when it jumped the middle fork of the Feather River and quickly morphed into a rampaging beast.
“The fire ran from Cleghorn Bar to Lake Oroville as winds, terrain and dry fuels came into perfect alignment,” Jay Kurth, incident commander for California Interagency Incident Management Team 4, wrote in a public letter Wednesday. “The spot fire traveled more than 30 miles in 16 hours and spotted across Lake Oroville.”
It ended up moving “20 miles beyond all fire prediction models identified,” he wrote.
“Large clusters of spot fires were joining so rapidly that huge areas were igniting at once, creating a very dangerous fire environment.”
Given the swiftly evolving situation, officials have said they did everything possible to get people out of harm’s way.
“We did the best job that we could, given the resources and time that we have,” Honea said previously.
“That said, as I have said many, many times before, there is no way to guarantee 100% saturation of your message,” he added. “There’s no way to guarantee perfection. It’s particularly difficult when we’re dealing with communities in remote and rural areas that are hard to get to and sometimes have spotty coverage.”
While the fire hasn’t seen anywhere near the explosive growth that last week wrought, the danger is far from over.
A new mandatory evacuation order was issued Thursday for Meadow Valley, a community of several hundred in Plumas County.
Jake Cagle, an operations section chief on the fire, urged residents to heed the latest call to evacuate.
“If we have people trying to evacuate late, or waiting for the fire front, until they see fire ... that impedes our progress to save your structure or to save anything around your area,” he said in a video briefing Thursday.


latimes--2020-09-18--Firefighter killed battling wildfire, bringing California death toll to 26

The death toll from California ’ s unprecedented 2020 firestorms rose to 26 after officials announced the death of a firefighter battling the El Dorado fire in San Bernardino County , a blaze sparked by a pyrotechnics from a gender-reveal party .
Few details were immediately available about the death Thursday , and the firefighter ’ s name had not been released .
On Friday , residents in the San Bernardino Mountains area lined the highway in respect as the fallen firefighter was escorted from the fire zone .
“ Our deepest sympathies are with the family , friends and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement released Friday .
The fire broke out Sept. 7 near Yucaipa and is 66 % contained .
Officials said it was caused by a smoke-emitting pyrotechnic device that was part of a gender-reveal party in a park .
Such devices typically shoot off blue or pink smoke to signal the gender of an expected child .
The San Bernardino County Sheriff ’ s Department could not say whether the family whose stunt sparked the fire would be charged in the death , nor have they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are filed with our office , we will review all facts , evidence , statements and reports to determine what criminal charges , if any , need to be filed , ” San Bernardino County Dist .
Atty .
Jason Anderson said in a statement Sept. 9 , the Associated Press reported .
The El Dorado fire is not the first wildfire sparked by a gender-reveal party .
A 2017 fire in Arizona that burned 47,000 acres and caused more than $ 8 million in damage was set off by an exploding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yucaipa blaze is the 26th attributed to a California wildfire since August and the third among firefighters in that same span .
On Aug. 19 , a firefighting helicopter on a water-dropping mission crashed in Fresno County , killing the pilot , Michael John Fournier , 52 , of Rancho Cucamonga .
Firefighter Diane Jones , 63 , was fatally injured Aug. 31 while battling the Tatham fire in Tehama County , which was part of the sprawling August Complex fire north of the Bay Area — now considered the largest in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concentration of fire deaths have been in Butte County , where the North Complex fire swept through a rural region .
At least 15 residents were killed .
The victims who have been identified range widely in age : from 16 to 79 .
Most lived in Berry Creek , a mountain hamlet northeast of Oroville , while two hailed from nearby Feather Falls .
Many simply could not get out before the fire hit .
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Thursday evening that only one person reported missing is still unaccounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll might not climb higher .
“ Our efforts to really get out and start searching areas has increased dramatically , ” he said during a briefing , adding : “ Because we ’ re covering a lot more ground , and that number [ of fatalities ] is staying steady , that gives me some hope .
”

The death toll from California’s unprecedented 2020 firestorms rose to 26 after officials announced the death of a firefighter battling the El Dorado fire in San Bernardino County, a blaze sparked by a pyrotechnics from a gender-reveal party.
Few details were immediately available about the death Thursday, and the firefighter’s name had not been released. On Friday, residents in the San Bernardino Mountains area lined the highway in respect as the fallen firefighter was escorted from the fire zone.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the family, friends and fellow firefighters during this time,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement released Friday.
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The fire broke out Sept. 7 near Yucaipa and is 66% contained. Officials said it was caused by a smoke-emitting pyrotechnic device that was part of a gender-reveal party in a park. Such devices typically shoot off blue or pink smoke to signal the gender of an expected child.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department could not say whether the family whose stunt sparked the fire would be charged in the death, nor have they been identified.
“If investigative reports are filed with our office, we will review all facts, evidence, statements and reports to determine what criminal charges, if any, need to be filed,” San Bernardino County Dist. Atty. Jason Anderson said in a statement Sept. 9, the Associated Press reported.
In Riverside County, the fast-moving Snow fire, started by a vehicle, prompted evacuations near Palm Springs after doubling in size overnight. It was 0% contained.
The El Dorado fire is not the first wildfire sparked by a gender-reveal party. A 2017 fire in Arizona that burned 47,000 acres and caused more than $8 million in damage was set off by an exploding, powder-blue target.
The death in the Yucaipa blaze is the 26th attributed to a California wildfire since August and the third among firefighters in that same span.
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On Aug. 19, a firefighting helicopter on a water-dropping mission crashed in Fresno County, killing the pilot, Michael John Fournier, 52, of Rancho Cucamonga.
Firefighter Diane Jones, 63, was fatally injured Aug. 31 while battling the Tatham fire in Tehama County, which was part of the sprawling August Complex fire north of the Bay Area — now considered the largest in California’s modern history.
The largest concentration of fire deaths have been in Butte County, where the North Complex fire swept through a rural region. At least 15 residents were killed.
The victims who have been identified range widely in age: from 16 to 79. Most lived in Berry Creek, a mountain hamlet northeast of Oroville, while two hailed from nearby Feather Falls.
Many simply could not get out before the fire hit.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Thursday evening that only one person reported missing is still unaccounted for — a promising sign the death toll might not climb higher.
“Our efforts to really get out and start searching areas has increased dramatically,” he said during a briefing, adding: “Because we’re covering a lot more ground, and that number [of fatalities] is staying steady, that gives me some hope.”