latimes--2020-09-29--Limited reopening of L.A. County elementary schools allowed if waivers are approved

A limited number of elementary schools will be able to apply for waivers to reopen transitional kindergarten through second-grade classrooms under a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decision Tuesday that gives priority to schools serving higher numbers of low-income families .
“ As October approaches it ’ s critical that we begin the process of reopening our schools at limited capacity , ” said Board Chair Kathryn Barger , who proposed the motion along with Supervisor Janice Hahn .
Los Angeles County officials , citing high local COVID-19 case rates , have held back on allowing elementary schools to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are allowed under state guidelines .
But some school leaders , particularly private school operators , have been urging the county to rethink its position .
This week , a coalition of private schools called on supervisors and public health officials to begin accepting waiver applications in which schools must demonstrate they have strict safety measures in place .
The had also urged the county to begin accepting the applications .
Barger framed the motion as one meant to help address deep inequities in distance learning that disproportionately affect the education of low-income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also said that distance learning forced by coronavirus school campus closures is particularly difficult for the youngest elementary school children .
“ The state , county and school districts have invested heavily in distance learning technology , however gaps still exist that disproportionately impact minority communities , ” Barger said .
“ All students are entitled to a free and appropriate education .
For many of our students most at risk , distance learning is neither free nor appropriate.
” Although state guidelines allow elementary schools to reopen under waivers approved by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties are not required to grant them .
Los Angeles County officials have previously said that no campus in the county will be able to fully reopen until November at the earliest .
Though case rates in L.A. County have shown positive signs recently , the county remains in the state ’ s most-restrictive purple tier , officials said .
“ We ’ re a very large county and the cautious approach I think at this point has been beneficial , ” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer .
Still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents and educators who wanted the county to consider accepting waivers .
“ I know that on my calls with educators and parents there have been questions raised about is there a possibility for us to reconsider , ” she said .
The county has allowed schools to offer small in-person classes for children with special needs and more than 500 schools are opened now under those rules , Ferrer said .
Times staff writers Andrew J. Campa and Jaclyn Cosgrove contributed to this story .

A limited number of elementary schools will be able to apply for waivers to reopen transitional kindergarten through second-grade classrooms under a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decision Tuesday that gives priority to schools serving higher numbers of low-income families.
“As October approaches, it’s critical that we begin the process of reopening our schools at limited capacity,” said board Chair Kathryn Barger, who proposed the motion along with Supervisor Janice Hahn.
Los Angeles County officials, citing high local COVID-19 case rates, have held back on allowing elementary schools to apply for waivers to reopen, which are allowed under state guidelines. But some school leaders, particularly private school operators, have been urging the county to rethink its position.
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The decision represents another step in the slow, incremental reopening of schools in the county. This month, officials began allowing schools to bring back small cohorts of special-needs students. A broader reopening, meanwhile, cannot happen until the county moves from the state’s purple tier, which indicates widespread coronavirus transmission, to a lower, less-restrictive tier and stays there for 14 days.
Los Angeles County officials have previously said that no campus in the county will be able to open to all K-12 students until November at the earliest.
Barger framed Tuesday’s motion as one meant to help address deep inequities in distance learning that disproportionately affect the education of low-income and Black and Latino students. Educators have also said that distance learning forced by coronavirus school campus closures is particularly difficult for the youngest elementary school children.
“The state, county and school districts have invested heavily in distance learning technology. However, gaps still exist that disproportionately impact minority communities,” Barger said. “All students are entitled to a free and appropriate education. For many of our students most at risk, distance learning is neither free nor appropriate.”
Under the motion approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, the county will implement the waiver program “starting at 30 schools per week” with priority given to schools with higher percentages of students who qualified for free or reduced-priced lunch and “equally divided among the five supervisorial districts.”
It remains unclear, under the latest rules, which types of schools will ultimately apply to reopen.
Los Angeles Unified spokeswoman Shannon Haber declined to answer questions about whether the nation’s second-largest school district would pursue waivers for any of its schools.
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“Los Angeles Unified continues to work on plans for students to return to schools as soon as it’s safe and appropriate to do so,” Haber said.
Officials with the teachers union said that it remains unsafe for LAUSD to reopen schools.
“We know some of our most vulnerable students — our younger students, those with special needs and English language learners — are more acutely impacted by remote learning challenges. But we also know that it is those same students’ communities — predominantly communities of color living in poverty — that are most acutely impacted by this deadly virus,” UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz said in a statement. “It is not easy for educators to see any student struggling. But we must let science and these realities guide our actions.”
State guidelines require schools seeking waivers to consult with labor, parent and community organizations.
So far across the state, the waiver process has been largely dominated by private schools — California has approved more than 600 waivers since August and the nonprofit newsroom Cal Matters recently reported that more than 500 had gone to private schools.
Schools in many low-income communities, which have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus, may also decide they cannot safely reopen. In counties that have been allowed to open schools, district leaders in some low-income majority-Latino neighborhoods with higher coronavirus rates have said it’s still unsafe to do so, even as their neighbors in more affluent communities with lower case rates open their doors.
The county supervisors’ decision was greeted with mixed emotions by some of the school leaders who had pushed the county to allow waivers. This week, a coalition of private schools called on supervisors and public health officials to begin accepting waiver applications in which schools must demonstrate they have strict safety measures in place. The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District had also urged the county to begin accepting the applications.
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified Supt. Alex Cherniss said he was disappointed that waivers would be limited to 30 a week and give priority to schools with more low-income families.
Last school year, only 7.9% of Palos Verdes district students qualified for free and reduced lunch.
“What is maybe most disappointing for me is that all kids matter and for the county to put a priority on socioeconomics is disappointing,” Cherniss said. “This just puts us at the end of the line.”
Tom Konjoyan, head of school at Village Christian, who signed the letter calling on the county to open the waiver process, said he was unsure how his school would quantify its low-income student population.
The school charges $10,980 to $15,580 per student, depending on the grade level. Konjoyan said many of his families receive financial aid and some are lower-income, but the school does not offer a free-and-reduced lunch program.
But Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese Supt. Paul Escala, who also signed the letter, called the decision “progress.”
“We’re grateful that the Board of Supervisors has really responded to what parents and educators have been saying, which is allow us to let some students back into the classroom,” Escala said. “Children in the lower grades are simply dropping out, and parents have already been removing them from school because distance learning doesn’t work for everyone.”
Escala said he was confident that the district’s schools would be able to comply with the waiver application rules.
County Office of Education spokeswoman Margo Minecki, meanwhile, said officials there are still learning about how the waiver process will work.
“Our districts will likely have a lot of questions about how this will be implemented,” she said. “We look forward to learning more from County Public Health and sharing that information with districts. “
Though case rates in L.A. County have shown positive signs recently, the county remains in the state’s most-restrictive purple tier, officials said.
“We’re a very large county and the cautious approach I think at this point has been beneficial,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
Still, Ferrer noted that she had heard from parents and educators who wanted the county to consider accepting waivers.
“I know that on my calls with educators and parents there have been questions raised about is there a possibility for us to reconsider,” she said.
Times staff writer Jaclyn Cosgrove contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-29--Playgrounds can reopen in California with some COVID-19 restrictions

Outdoor playgrounds in California have been given the green light for reopening six months after the state shuttered parks , campgrounds and public recreational areas over COVID-19 concerns .
The California Department of Public Health announced new guidance Monday to allow outdoor playground spaces to reopen in all counties , regardless of tier status .
Like every allowance from the state , however , the choice to move forward with a reopening is up to local jurisdictions .
In Los Angeles County , for example , the Public Health Department and Board of Supervisors are determining timing for that allowance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to indoor playgrounds , which remain closed in Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the state ’ s color-coded four-part blueprint for reopening .
To use the playgrounds , children and visitors 2 or older must wear face masks and maintain a 6-foot separation between households .
Facilities operators will be expected to determine the maximum limit at a playground .
Visits are expected to be limited to 30 minutes .
Additionally , childcare programs , schools and youth groups will not be allowed to use the playgrounds when they are open to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the space if the facility offers reservations for exclusive use .
The decision comes roughly two weeks after two dozen lawmakers pressed Gov .
Gavin Newsom to reopen outdoor playgrounds , an effort led by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez ( D-San Diego ) .
“ Playgrounds don ’ t make money ... but they keep our kids happy and healthy , physically and mentally , ” she tweeted earlier this month .
“ We need as much focus on our kids as we have had on adult recreation ( bars and salons . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort ’ s launch to a report from KPBS-TV .

Adeline Hernandez seems perplexed by the yellow caution tape as she approaches the closed-off swing sets at Ryan Bonaminio Park in Riverside in April.
Outdoor playgrounds in California have been given the green light for reopening six months after the state shuttered parks, campgrounds and public recreational areas over COVID-19 concerns.
The California Department of Public Health announced new guidance Monday to allow outdoor playground spaces to reopen in all counties, regardless of tier status.
Like every allowance from the state, however, the choice to move forward with a reopening is up to local jurisdictions. In Los Angeles County, for example, the Public Health Department and Board of Supervisors are determining timing for that allowance. The new guidelines do not apply to indoor playgrounds, which remain closed in Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the state’s color-coded four-part blueprint for reopening.
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To use the playgrounds, children and visitors 2 or older must wear face masks and maintain a 6-foot separation between households. Facilities operators will be expected to determine the maximum limit at a playground. Visits are expected to be limited to 30 minutes.
Additionally, childcare programs, schools and youth groups will not be allowed to use the playgrounds when they are open to the public. Those groups can use the space if the facility offers reservations for exclusive use.
California Why one coronavirus metric might be keeping your county from reopening California counties need to show seven or fewer new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents each day for two weeks to see some restrictions lifted. That’s a high bar for some.
The decision comes roughly two weeks after two dozen lawmakers pressed Gov. Gavin Newsom to reopen outdoor playgrounds, an effort led by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego).
“Playgrounds don’t make money ... but they keep our kids happy and healthy, physically and mentally,” she tweeted earlier this month. “We need as much focus on our kids as we have had on adult recreation (bars and salons.)”
Gonzalez credited the idea for the effort’s launch to a report from KPBS-TV.


latimes--2020-09-29--Glass fire grows nearly fourfold in a day, burning 80 homes in Napa, Sonoma counties

At least 80 homes have been destroyed in Napa and Sonoma counties as the Glass fire continues to rampage through Northern California ’ s wine country .
The blaze had burned 42,560 acres as of Tuesday — nearly quadrupling in size since Monday morning — and there is still no containment , according to Erick Hernandez , a public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
So far , Hernandez said , crews had confirmed that the fire has destroyed 52 residences in Napa County and 28 in Sonoma County .
Figures on how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available Tuesday morning , he said .
The fire burned rapidly Sunday through Napa Valley ’ s Silverado Trail , raising concerns about the fate of the area ’ s famed wineries .
Napa and Sonoma counties are home to more than 800 wineries , according to their tourism associations , and many are family owned .
One building that was lost was the distinctive stone structure at the Chateau Boswell Winery in St. Helena , which marked its 40th anniversary last year .
Officials said Monday evening that at least eight wineries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chateau Boswell was flanked by smoldering brush and trees Tuesday morning as firefighters worked to quell the flames scorching the region .
Just off Silverado Trail , downed power lines and burned cars blocked one of the mountain paths to the winery , known for its Cabernet , Chardonnay and Pinot Noir .
The vineyard ’ s entrance was roped off by yellow sheriff ’ s tape .
Singed cypress trees towered over the driveway that now leads to scorched rubble and earth .
Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said Tuesday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personnel to fight the Glass fire .
“ Every available firefighter that could work came to work , ” he said during a briefing , noting that crews ’ top priorities for Tuesday are extinguishing the fire and maintaining perimeter control .
Of particular focus is the mountainous area between Calistoga and Angwin .
“ We ’ re going to be in this for a couple of weeks , ” Gossner said .
“ It ’ s going to be long , and it ’ s going to be painful for those that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deep breath , take care of yourself and take care of your neighbors.
” Though Cal Fire officials could not immediately confirm the acreage breakdown by county , they emphasized that California ’ s wildfire-fighting infrastructure is “ one of the strongest and most diverse in the nation.
” “ This is a large fire , ” Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said .
“ We ’ re at 42,000 acres covering two counties .
That is a lot of territory , and it ’ s a lot of work.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee from the fire .
Sonoma County Sheriff ’ s Department spokesman Sgt .
Spencer Crum said some 68,000 residents had been ordered to leave .
Large swaths of Santa Rosa remain under mandatory evacuation orders , as does the entire city of Calistoga , a Napa Valley community of about 5,000 people .
Evacuations also have been issued for the Summerfield and Spring Lake areas , according to the Santa Rosa Police Department , along with areas covering Trione-Annadel State Park and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as north of Bennett Valley Road , west of Savannah Trail and east and south of the Santa Rosa city limits .
Evacuation orders also are in place for the hills on both sides of the northern Napa Valley , flanking Calistoga and St. Helena , and parts of the east side of the Silverado Trail .
Officials have urged residents to comply with those directives — saying some of those who refused to leave had to be rescued from their homes later , placing further strain on law enforcement and public safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s historic fire season .
“ The dynamics of climate change , the dynamics as it relates to the lack of forest management over the last century , have created ... real concern as it relates to the spread of these wildfires in ferocious ways , ” Gov .
Gavin Newsom said Monday .
Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Napa and Sonoma counties — as well as Shasta County , where the Zogg fire has burned more than 40,000 acres and killed three people .
The governor has also requested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which would bring increased aid to Los Angeles , Fresno , Madera , Mendocino , San Bernardino , San Diego and Siskiyou counties .
The Glass fire is the latest to besiege Northern California ’ s wildfire-weary wine country .
Dozens of people were killed and more than 9,000 structures were lost in 2017 , when fires swept through Santa Rosa and surrounding communities .
Last year , the Kincade fire menaced the region for weeks , putting nearly 100,000 people under evacuation orders .
More than 50 % of Lake County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burned in the last decade .
Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said that “ we are all dealing with significant fire fatigue.
” “ This is the fourth major fire in our community since 2017 , ” he said Tuesday .
“ Many people are feeling the effects , and many people are evacuating and have evacuated multiple times.
” For many , the latest fire carries with it an unwelcome wave of memories : the terror of having to evacuate and the uncertainty of not knowing whether their homes were spared from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is real , ” said Rincon Valley resident Randi Cornwall , referring to the 2017 fire that devastated the region .
“ When you have seen fire move fast before , you know to get the hell out before traffic backs up and fire is licking at your cars.
” Some , however , were hesitant to flee .
Monday morning , Ben Illia stood in the frontyard of the gray ranch house where he grew up .
He was watering down the landscape with a hose .
A veteran of the Tubbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave unless “ I see flames coming over the hill , ” he said .
Tucked into the hillside off Highway 29 in Calistoga , a young man reached for a thick hose attached to a water tank at the back of his truck and doused the spot fire licking the brush around a neighbor ’ s home .
The man , who declined to give his name , said he lived about a mile away and had defended the area from flames in the past .
Dressed in a T-shirt , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he waited for his water tank to refill , then aimed the hose at a tree that had caught fire .
Other residents had fled from the home behind him after hanging a tag that read “ EVACUATED ” in red letters .
Down below , at the edge of the highway , Joe Ortega watched the flames char a parcel of land that he said a real estate agent he knows had put up for sale .
Burning trees crackled behind him .
The 61-year-old said he had been checking on friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properties since 4:30 a.m. , when he made the rest of his family evacuate from their Calistoga home .
Ortega said he planned to head back into town later in the day to hand out Red Bull and water to firefighters .
“ I ’ m a rebel , ” he laughed as fire engines whizzed by .
Parvini reported from Calistoga , and Money and Smith reported from Los Angeles .
Times staff writers Anita Chabria , Paige St. John , Maura Dolan , Marisa Gerber , Joseph Serna , Matthew Ormseth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .

The rapid spread of the nearly 50,000-acre Glass fire has raised concerns about the fate of the wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties.
At least 80 homes have been destroyed in Napa and Sonoma counties as the Glass fire continues to rampage through Northern California’s wine country.
The blaze had burned 46,600 acres as of Tuesday evening — nearly quadrupling in size since Monday morning — with just 2% containment.
The fire destroyed 52 residences in Napa County and 28 in Sonoma County, said Erick Hernandez, a public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Two commercial structures in Napa County have been burned.
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The fire burned rapidly Sunday through Napa Valley’s Silverado Trail, raising concerns about the fate of the area’s famed wineries.
1 / 28 The Glass fire in Napa County burns on a mountainside Sept. 28 with the Beckstoffer Vineyards in the foreground in St. Helena, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 28 Smoke billows behind a row of vines in a St. Helena, Calif., vineyard Sept. 28. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 28 An air tanker drops retardant on the Glass fire burning Sept. 27 above Davis Estates winery in Calistoga, Calif. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) 4 / 28 Flames from the Glass fire consume the Black Rock Inn in St. Helena, Calif., on Sept. 27. (Noah Berger/Associated Press) 5 / 28 The Shady fire burns structures Sept. 28 in Santa Rosa, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 28 Santa Rosa firefighters monitor the Shady fire Sept. 27 as it makes its way toward homes along Mountain Hawk Drive in the city. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 28 The Shady fire burns homes Sept. 28 in the Skyhawk community in Santa Rosa, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 28 Wildlife is seen running into an engulfed Skyhawk Park on Sept. 28. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 28 An American flag flaps in the wind as the Shady fire burns structures Sept. 28 in Santa Rosa, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 28 Firefighters work to contain the Glass fire along Sanitarium Road in Napa County on Sept. 27. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 28 Fire burns along Sanitarium Road in Napa County on Sept. 27. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 28 A firefighter works along Sanitarium Road. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 28 Trees burn along Sanitarium Road in Napa County. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 28 A firefighter hoists a hose over one shoulder, dousing fire Sept. 17 in Napa County. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 28 The night sky glows red and orange from the Glass fire in Napa County on Sept. 27. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 28 Fire glows in the night Sept. 27 in Napa County. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 28 Headlights light up the smoke from the Glass fire. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 28 The Glass fire burns a distinctive building at the Chateau Boswell Winery on Sept. 27, several miles northwest of St. Helena in Napa County. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 28 The Glass fire burns along the Silverado Trail in Napa County near the Chateau Boswell Winery on Sept. 27. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 28 The Glass fire burns along the Silverado Trail. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 28 Firefighters from the Sacramento Fire Department take part in an operation near a property along Crystal Springs Road in Napa County. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 28 The Bell Canyon reservoir glows orange as firefighters work to contain the the fire Sept. 27 at the Viader Vineyards & Winery. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 28 Fire roars near the Viader Vineyards & Winery. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 28 Goats are evacuated from the Glass fire on Sept. 27. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 28 A tanker flies amid smoke from the Glass fire. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 28 Smoke obscures the trees behind a vineyard along the Silverado Trail. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 28 Tim Gutierrez of the Sonoma County Fire Protection District hoses down hot spots. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 28 Smoke obscures trees behind a Napa County vineyard on Sept. 27. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Napa and Sonoma counties are home to more than 800 wineries, according to their tourism associations, and many are family owned.
One building that was lost was the distinctive stone structure at the Chateau Boswell Winery in St. Helena, which marked its 40th anniversary last year.
Officials said Monday evening that at least eight wineries were damaged.
The winding road to Chateau Boswell was flanked by smoldering brush and trees Tuesday morning as firefighters worked to quell the flames scorching the region.
Just off Silverado Trail, downed power lines and burned cars blocked one of the mountain paths to the winery, known for its Cabernet, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
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The vineyard’s entrance was roped off by yellow sheriff’s tape. Singed cypress trees towered over the driveway that now leads to scorched rubble and earth.
Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said Tuesday that his department had called in all possible personnel to fight the Glass fire.
“Every available firefighter that could work came to work,” he said during a briefing, noting that crews’ top priorities for Tuesday are extinguishing the fire and maintaining perimeter control.
Of particular focus is the mountainous area between Calistoga and Angwin.
“We’re going to be in this for a couple of weeks,” Gossner said. “It’s going to be long, and it’s going to be painful for those that are dealing with it. So take a deep breath, take care of yourself and take care of your neighbors.”
Though Cal Fire officials could not immediately confirm the acreage breakdown by county, they emphasized that California’s wildfire-fighting infrastructure is “one of the strongest and most diverse in the nation.”
“This is a large fire,” Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said. “We’re at 42,000 acres covering two counties. That is a lot of territory, and it’s a lot of work.”
Although no injuries have been confirmed, tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee from the fire.
Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Spencer Crum said some 68,000 residents had been ordered to leave.
Authorities on Tuesday downgraded mandatory evacuation orders to warnings for areas that included Summerfield, Spring Lake and parts of the communities of Melita and Calistoga.
In Melita, about five miles east of Santa Rosa, evacuation orders were reduced to warnings for the area west of Calistoga Road, south of Melita and north of Montgomery Drive.
The entire city of Calistoga, with a population of slightly more than 5,000 people, was ordered to evacuate Monday evening; authorities scaled back the order to a warning for the area west and north of Mountain Hawk Drive between Highway 12 and San Ramon Way, as well as the area west of San Ramon Way.
Evacuation orders remain in place elsewhere in Calistoga, and on Tuesday evening, authorities ordered residents in an area southeast of Calistoga to evacuate from an area west of State Route 29, extending to the Sonoma County line and bounded by Diamond Mountain Road and Petrified Forest Road.
Evacuation orders remain in place for the hills on both sides of the northern Napa Valley, flanking Calistoga and St. Helena, and parts of the east side of the Silverado Trail.
Officials have urged residents to comply with those directives — saying some of those who refused to leave had to be rescued from their homes later, placing further strain on law enforcement and public safety personnel already stretched thin by California’s historic fire season.
“The dynamics of climate change, the dynamics as it relates to the lack of forest management over the last century, have created ... real concern as it relates to the spread of these wildfires in ferocious ways,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.
GLASS FIRE - early this morning (Silverado Trail just outside St. Helena). Never underestimate how quickly a fire can spread. Reminder, an evacuation order means there’s an immediate threat to life. Be safe. pic.twitter.com/5tVbIMvn61 — Napa County Sheriff's Office (@NapaSheriff) September 29, 2020
Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Napa and Sonoma counties — as well as Shasta County, where the Zogg fire has burned more than 40,000 acres and killed three people.
The governor has also requested a disaster declaration from the federal government, which would bring increased aid to Los Angeles, Fresno, Madera, Mendocino, San Bernardino, San Diego and Siskiyou counties.
The Glass fire is the latest to besiege Northern California’s wildfire-weary wine country.
Dozens of people were killed and more than 9,000 structures were lost in 2017, when fires swept through Santa Rosa and surrounding communities. Last year, the Kincade fire menaced the region for weeks, putting nearly 100,000 people under evacuation orders. More than 50% of Lake County to the north of Santa Rosa has burned in the last decade.
Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick said that “we are all dealing with significant fire fatigue.”
“This is the fourth major fire in our community since 2017,” he said Tuesday. “Many people are feeling the effects, and many people are evacuating and have evacuated multiple times.”
California How wine country became the epicenter for fires in California Fire stormed through California’s wine country Sunday night, destroying numerous homes and forcing thousands to flee, including in areas devastated by the Tubbs fire in 2017.
For many, the latest fire carries with it an unwelcome wave of memories: the terror of having to evacuate and the uncertainty of not knowing whether their homes were spared from the flames.
“The Tubbs trauma is real,” said Rincon Valley resident Randi Cornwall, referring to the 2017 fire that devastated the region. “When you have seen fire move fast before, you know to get the hell out before traffic backs up and fire is licking at your cars.”
Some, however, were hesitant to flee. Monday morning, Ben Illia stood in the frontyard of the gray ranch house where he grew up. He was watering down the landscape with a hose.
A veteran of the Tubbs fire, he had no plans to leave unless “I see flames coming over the hill,” he said.
Tucked into the hillside off Highway 29 in Calistoga, a young man reached for a thick hose attached to a water tank at the back of his truck and doused the spot fire licking the brush around a neighbor’s home.
The man, who declined to give his name, said he lived about a mile away and had defended the area from flames in the past. Dressed in a T-shirt, with a cigarette resting between his lips, he waited for his water tank to refill, then aimed the hose at a tree that had caught fire.
Other residents had fled from the home behind him after hanging a tag that read “EVACUATED” in red letters.
Down below, at the edge of the highway, Joe Ortega watched the flames char a parcel of land that he said a real estate agent he knows had put up for sale. Burning trees crackled behind him.
The 61-year-old said he had been checking on friends’ and family’s houses and properties since 4:30 a.m., when he made the rest of his family evacuate from their Calistoga home.
Ortega said he planned to head back into town later in the day to hand out Red Bull and water to firefighters.
“I’m a rebel,” he laughed as fire engines whizzed by.
Parvini reported from Calistoga, and Money and Smith reported from Los Angeles.
Times staff writers Anita Chabria, Paige St. John, Maura Dolan, Marisa Gerber, Joseph Serna, Matthew Ormseth and Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-29--USC admits largest, most diverse freshman class  despite coronavirus setbacks

USC ’ s new freshman class is the largest and most diverse in the university ’ s history , reflecting similar trends in the UC system and coming as overall college enrollment numbers across the U.S. have declined amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
In fall 2020 , students who are first in their family to attend college comprise 22.5 % of USC ’ s 3,460 freshmen .
The class of 2024 includes students who are 31 % white ; 27 % Asian or Asian American ; 17 % Latino ; and 6 % Black .
The university saw a dip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % in 2019 to 12 % in 2020 .
Meanwhile , the number of California residents who enrolled increased from 39 % to 44 % .
By comparison , about 3,100 freshmen enrolled in 2019 , and 15 % were first-generation students , according to USC dean of admissions Tim Brunold .
The announcement comes as some recent high school graduates nationwide have made the difficult choice to delay college as they are confronted with the less-than-ideal realities of online education and the economic effects of the pandemic .
USC classes remain nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , undergraduate student enrollment declined 2.5 % nationally , while graduate students are up 3.9 % , according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center .
The University of California , with its nine undergraduate campuses , also offered admission to its most diverse class ever and to a record number of students : 119,054 freshmen , up from 108,178 last year .
Latinos slightly eclipsed Asian Americans for the first time , making up 36 % of the 79,953 California students offered admission .
Asians made up 35 % , whites 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The rest were American Indians , Pacific Islanders or those who declined to state their race or ethnicity .
About 45 % were the first in their families to attend a four-year university .
Brunold said several factors contributed to the makeup of USC ’ s freshman class .
USC offered admission to 2,000 more students than it did in 2019 , or 9,600 in all , in anticipation that the coronavirus crisis could affect enrollment numbers , Brunold said .
Of those students offered admission , 36 % accepted — down about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ granted about 75 requests to delay enrollment .
“ When colleges do this work of managing enrollment , we are basically guessing the behavior of 17- and 18-year-olds , ” Brunold said .
In recent years , USC has doubled down on efforts to expand its diversity , in part by increasing financial aid and widening access for students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds .
In February , the university announced that it would eliminate tuition for families earning $ 80,000 or less annually and would no longer consider home equity in financial aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California residents and students from other states , but not international students .
Brunold said this new program , combined with deliberate efforts to recruit students of diverse backgrounds nationwide , contributed to the increased diversity of the class of 2024 .
USC increased its tuition by 3.5 % for the 2020-2021 academic year despite the switch to online instruction .
Undergraduate tuition costs $ 59,260 a year .
The campus ranked 10th among 65 elite universities in the proportion of students in the bottom 20 % of family income , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University professor Raj Chetty and others .
The six high schools sending the most students to USC are all public , according to university officials .
Foshay Learning Center , a Los Angeles Unified School District school less than a mile from the USC University Park Campus , tops the list with 25 of its recent graduates attending USC .
Foshay is one of three schools in L.A. that participate in USC ’ s Neighborhood Academic Initiative , a seven-year , college-aimed enrichment program that promises a free ride to college for students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program ’ s first graduating classes in East Los Angeles also are attending USC this year .
Sulara Merghani , a daughter of Sudanese immigrants and a first-generation college student , went to Foshay from sixth to 12th grade .
She considered offers from Chapman University and UC San Diego but ultimately chose USC because it offered the best financial aid package .
And being from South L.A. , she wanted to be closer to home .
Merghani said that she had to push herself to go to college .
In Sudanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education , she said .
She has three older siblings , and just one graduated from college .
“ Why should I ?
” she would sometimes think .
But Foshay motivated her to follow through , and the USC offer sweetened the deal .
“ It ’ s an achievement not just for me , ” Merghani said , “ but also for my family .
”

USC, above, announced that its class of 2024 is the largest and most diverse group of freshman in the school’s history even as overall college enrollment across the U.S. has fallen during the coronavirus crisis.
USC’s new freshman class is the largest and most diverse in the university’s history, reflecting similar trends in the UC system and coming as overall college enrollment numbers across the U.S. have declined amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fall 2020, students who are first in their family to attend college comprise 22.5% of USC’s 3,460 freshmen. The class of 2024 includes students who are 31% white; 27% Asian or Asian American; 17% Latino; and 6% Black.
The university saw a dip in enrolled international students, from 15% in 2019 to 12% in 2020. Meanwhile, the number of California residents who enrolled increased from 39% to 44%.
By comparison, about 3,100 freshmen enrolled in 2019, and 15% were first-generation students, according to USC dean of admissions Tim Brunold.
The announcement comes as some recent high school graduates nationwide have made the difficult choice to delay college as they are confronted with the less-than-ideal realities of online education and the economic effects of the pandemic. USC classes remain nearly all online.
Compared with fall 2019, undergraduate student enrollment declined 2.5% nationally, while graduate students are up 3.9%, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The University of California, with its nine undergraduate campuses, also offered admission to its most diverse class ever and to a record number of students: 119,054 freshmen, up from 108,178 last year. Latinos slightly eclipsed Asian Americans for the first time, making up 36% of the 79,953 California students offered admission. Asians made up 35%, whites 21% and Black students 5%. The rest were American Indians, Pacific Islanders or those who declined to state their race or ethnicity. About 45% were the first in their families to attend a four-year university.
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Brunold said several factors contributed to the makeup of USC’s freshman class.
USC offered admission to 2,000 more students than it did in 2019, or 9,600 in all, in anticipation that the coronavirus crisis could affect enrollment numbers, Brunold said. Of those students offered admission, 36% accepted — down about 2% from last year. USC granted about 75 requests to delay enrollment.
“When colleges do this work of managing enrollment, we are basically guessing the behavior of 17- and 18-year-olds,” Brunold said.
In recent years, USC has doubled down on efforts to expand its diversity, in part by increasing financial aid and widening access for students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. In February, the university announced that it would eliminate tuition for families earning $80,000 or less annually and would no longer consider home equity in financial aid calculations. The benefit is available to California residents and students from other states, but not international students.
Brunold said this new program, combined with deliberate efforts to recruit students of diverse backgrounds nationwide, contributed to the increased diversity of the class of 2024.
USC increased its tuition by 3.5% for the 2020-2021 academic year despite the switch to online instruction. Undergraduate tuition costs $59,260 a year.
The campus ranked 10th among 65 elite universities in the proportion of students in the bottom 20% of family income, according to research on the class of 2013 by Stanford University professor Raj Chetty and others.
The six high schools sending the most students to USC are all public, according to university officials. Foshay Learning Center, a Los Angeles Unified School District school less than a mile from the USC University Park Campus, tops the list with 25 of its recent graduates attending USC.
Foshay is one of three schools in L.A. that participate in USC’s Neighborhood Academic Initiative, a seven-year, college-aimed enrichment program that promises a free ride to college for students who get in. Eleven students from the program’s first graduating classes in East Los Angeles also are attending USC this year.
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Sulara Merghani, a daughter of Sudanese immigrants and a first-generation college student, went to Foshay from sixth to 12th grade. She considered offers from Chapman University and UC San Diego but ultimately chose USC because it offered the best financial aid package. And being from South L.A., she wanted to be closer to home.
Merghani said that she had to push herself to go to college. In Sudanese culture, women do not typically seek education, she said. She has three older siblings, and just one graduated from college. “Why should I?” she would sometimes think. But Foshay motivated her to follow through, and the USC offer sweetened the deal.
“It’s an achievement not just for me,” Merghani said, “but also for my family.”


latimes--2020-09-29--After dozens died in 2017, Santa Rosa residents were prepared when flames returned this week

Like almost everyone else in the Coffey Park neighborhood , Maria del Carmen lost her home three years ago .
“ I still get panic attacks , ” the 33-year-old Santa Rosa resident said Monday .
Terror shoots through her when she smells smoke , “ until I can figure out there ’ s no fire here .
Then I can relax.
” She learned of the 2017 Tubbs fire when she woke in the night and looked out her window , so it was without question that when she rebuilt , Del Carmen signed up for emergency Nixle alerts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Sunday night , packing and monitoring fire news .
The midnight urban evacuation that Sonoma County officials feared would be a repeat of 2017 ’ s exodus instead went relatively smoothly , Del Carmen said , “ because of all the Nixles .
Everyone gets them.
” She , however , left even without an evacuation warning for her home — leaving before dawn and heading early into work to a retirement center whose residents were being moved to a community shelter in nearby Petaluma .
The fire that burned into Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 2017 firestorms that destroyed thousands of homes and killed dozens of people .
But this fire has been far less destructive , and there have been no reports of fatalities .
And there are clear signs that officials and residents learned from 2017 , with warnings to get out being issued — and followed — more effectively .
On Sunday night and Monday morning , thousands fled to safety , jamming Highway 12 .
A lot has changed in three years , Del Carmen said .
“ It [ the evacuation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire did come faster.
” Sitting on the sidewalk outside the Petaluma shelter , Rose , a 32-year-old Santa Rosa resident who did not want to give her last name , similarly relied on the text alerts .
“ A friend said , ‘ You have to subscribe to Nixle , ’ ” she said .
When a loud emergency alert also blasted on her phone , Rose made the decision to leave , though it was an hour before she could find a way out of town .
She doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a complete stranger , ” she said .
Most of Santa Rosa remained open for business Monday , with ash flakes drifting out of the overhead smoke , cars driving with their lights on and major stores running air-filtration machines full blast at their entrances .
Santa Rosa Mayor Tom Schwedhelm credited seasoned residents and emergency planners for an unpanicked evacuation .
The main road on the fire-side of town became gridlocked midway through the night , but in less than two hours , traffic flowed again .
Police Chief Rainer Navarro called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start .
Navarro said he had more than 130 officers using pre-planned evacuation routes and directing traffic , while others picked up garden hoses to help quench spot fires until outside fire agencies could arrive .
Public warnings and orders to leave began within half an hour of the realization that embers from the Glass fire had kicked off a new blaze headed over Mt .
Hood toward Santa Rosa .
The action plan differed greatly from that of the Tubbs Fire , when Sonoma County officials delayed warnings out of fear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block the narrow roads that firefighters needed to access .
“ This isn ’ t our first rodeo experiencing this , and I think everyone now understands we have to work together to do this safely and effectively , ” Schwedhelm said .

Residents of the Oakmont Gardens senior home evacuate on a bus as the Glass fire approaches Santa Rosa on Monday.
Like almost everyone else in the Coffey Park neighborhood, Maria del Carmen lost her home three years ago.
“I still get panic attacks,” the 33-year-old Santa Rosa resident said Monday. Terror shoots through her when she smells smoke, “until I can figure out there’s no fire here. Then I can relax.”
She learned of the 2017 Tubbs fire when she woke in the night and looked out her window, so it was without question that when she rebuilt, Del Carmen signed up for emergency Nixle alerts on her cellphone. She stayed most of Sunday night, packing and monitoring fire news.
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The midnight urban evacuation that Sonoma County officials feared would be a repeat of 2017’s exodus instead went relatively smoothly, Del Carmen said, “because of all the Nixles. Everyone gets them.”
She, however, left even without an evacuation warning for her home — leaving before dawn and heading early into work to a retirement center whose residents were being moved to a community shelter in nearby Petaluma.
The fire that burned into Santa Rosa on Sunday and Monday was reminiscent of the 2017 firestorms that destroyed thousands of homes and killed dozens of people. But this fire has been far less destructive, and there have been no reports of fatalities.
And there are clear signs that officials and residents learned from 2017, with warnings to get out being issued — and followed — more effectively. On Sunday night and Monday morning, thousands fled to safety, jamming Highway 12.
A lot has changed in three years, Del Carmen said.
“It [the evacuation] was better, even though the fire did come faster.”
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Sitting on the sidewalk outside the Petaluma shelter, Rose, a 32-year-old Santa Rosa resident who did not want to give her last name, similarly relied on the text alerts. “A friend said, ‘You have to subscribe to Nixle,’ ” she said.
When a loud emergency alert also blasted on her phone, Rose made the decision to leave, though it was an hour before she could find a way out of town. She doesn’t drive. “I really relied on a complete stranger,” she said.
Most of Santa Rosa remained open for business Monday, with ash flakes drifting out of the overhead smoke, cars driving with their lights on and major stores running air-filtration machines full blast at their entrances.
Santa Rosa Mayor Tom Schwedhelm credited seasoned residents and emergency planners for an unpanicked evacuation. The main road on the fire-side of town became gridlocked midway through the night, but in less than two hours, traffic flowed again.
Police Chief Rainer Navarro called out the entire department at the very start. Navarro said he had more than 130 officers using pre-planned evacuation routes and directing traffic, while others picked up garden hoses to help quench spot fires until outside fire agencies could arrive.
Public warnings and orders to leave began within half an hour of the realization that embers from the Glass fire had kicked off a new blaze headed over Mt. Hood toward Santa Rosa.
The action plan differed greatly from that of the Tubbs Fire, when Sonoma County officials delayed warnings out of fear that a mass evacuation would cause panic and block the narrow roads that firefighters needed to access.
“This isn’t our first rodeo experiencing this, and I think everyone now understands we have to work together to do this safely and effectively,” Schwedhelm said.


latimes--2020-09-29--As crews battle Martindale fire, heat and dry conditions keep L.A. County on edge

As temperatures in Southern California spike amid a fall heat wave , fears of fire weather continue .
Hot , dry conditions are fueling large blazes and small brush fires across Los Angeles County .
On Monday afternoon , the Martindale fire broke out in the Bouquet Canyon area of the Santa Clarita Valley and jumped to more than 200 acres in less than 30 minutes , the U.S. Forest Service said .
Evacuation orders were issued from the Bouquet Reservoir Dam south to Mile Marker 11.5 , and fire crews deployed more than a dozen aircraft in an aerial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overnight to build containment lines , and as of Tuesday morning , the blaze was 40 % contained , officials said .
Earlier in the day , a small brush fire broke out near Acton amid red flag warnings across the region .
The blaze , which ignited shortly before noon , was quickly stopped by the Los Angeles County Fire Department .
“ Fire was held at 10 acres , ” the Fire Department said in a tweet .
“ No structures damaged .
No injuries to civilians or firefighters.
” Southeast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bobcat fire continues to burn .
It ignited Sept. 6 in the Angeles National Forest and has chewed through more than 114,000 acres .
As of Tuesday morning , it was 62 % contained , but its smoldering status could shift at any time , officials said .
“ The fuels are critically dry , ” U.S. Forest Service spokesman Larry Smith said , “ and until we get moisture , the fuels are going to remain critically dry .
You ’ re going to continue to see smoke , continue to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s containment were pushed back Tuesday by one month , to Oct. 30 , the Forest Service said .
The San Bernardino County Sheriff ’ s Department said evacuations for the community of Wrightwood have been lifted .
High temperatures and low humidity that arrived in the region Monday are expected to last throughout the week , while gusty winds had mostly dissipated Tuesday .
A heat advisory has been issued for valleys in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through 8 p.m. Thursday .
Wednesday will be the hottest day in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digits in the valleys and in the 80s and 90s along the coasts , the National Weather Service said .
“ Strong high pressure over the West Coast will dominate the weather for the week , bringing hot and dry conditions , ” forecasters warned .
And although Monday ’ s red flag warning for gusty winds has been removed , officials said Angelenos should stay vigilant .
“ The Bobcat fire started in a time when we didn ’ t have a red flag warning , ” said Mike Wofford , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oxnard .
“ It doesn ’ t require red flag conditions to get major fires.
” Wofford said other factors , such as dry grass and vegetation , can encourage the spread of a blaze .
“ Things are drier than they would be normally this time of year , ” he said .
“ We haven ’ t had rain in a long time , so that ’ s another part of the equation : These fuels are really ripe to go.
” Forest Service spokesman Andrew Mitchell said resources will remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires Tuesday and throughout the week , noting there is always a potential for any fire to reignite .
Wofford agreed : “ We can ’ t let our guard down for a long time , ” he said .

A water drop is made from a helicopter on the Martindale fire burning above Bouquet Canyon Road, north of Santa Clarita.
As temperatures in Southern California spike amid a fall heat wave, fears of fire weather continue.
Hot, dry conditions are fueling large blazes and small brush fires across Los Angeles County.
On Monday afternoon, the Martindale fire broke out in the Bouquet Canyon area of the Santa Clarita Valley and jumped to more than 200 acres in less than 30 minutes, the U.S. Forest Service said.
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Evacuation orders were issued from the Bouquet Reservoir Dam south to Mile Marker 11.5, and fire crews deployed more than a dozen aircraft in an aerial attack against the fire.
Crews worked overnight to build containment lines, and as of Tuesday morning, the blaze was 40% contained, officials said.
Earlier in the day, a small brush fire broke out near Acton amid red flag warnings across the region. The blaze, which ignited shortly before noon, was quickly stopped by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“Fire was held at 10 acres,” the Fire Department said in a tweet. “No structures damaged. No injuries to civilians or firefighters.”
Southeast of the Martindale fire, the formidable Bobcat fire continues to burn. It ignited Sept. 6 in the Angeles National Forest and has chewed through more than 114,000 acres. As of Tuesday morning, it was 62% contained, but its smoldering status could shift at any time, officials said.
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“The fuels are critically dry,” U.S. Forest Service spokesman Larry Smith said, “and until we get moisture, the fuels are going to remain critically dry. You’re going to continue to see smoke, continue to see flames.”
Estimates for the fire’s containment were pushed back Tuesday by one month, to Oct. 30, the Forest Service said. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said evacuations for the community of Wrightwood have been lifted.
High temperatures and low humidity that arrived in the region Monday are expected to last throughout the week, while gusty winds had mostly dissipated Tuesday.
A heat advisory has been issued for valleys in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through 8 p.m. Thursday.
Wednesday will be the hottest day in the region, with temperatures reaching into the triple digits in the valleys and in the 80s and 90s along the coasts, the National Weather Service said.
“Strong high pressure over the West Coast will dominate the weather for the week, bringing hot and dry conditions,” forecasters warned.
And although Monday’s red flag warning for gusty winds has been removed, officials said Angelenos should stay vigilant.
“The Bobcat fire started in a time when we didn’t have a red flag warning,” said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “It doesn’t require red flag conditions to get major fires.”
Wofford said other factors, such as dry grass and vegetation, can encourage the spread of a blaze.
“Things are drier than they would be normally this time of year,” he said. “We haven’t had rain in a long time, so that’s another part of the equation: These fuels are really ripe to go.”
Forest Service spokesman Andrew Mitchell said resources will remain on both the Bobcat and the Martindale fires Tuesday and throughout the week, noting there is always a potential for any fire to reignite.
Wofford agreed: “We can’t let our guard down for a long time,” he said.


latimes--2020-09-29--Earthquake: 3.3 quake strikes near Fremont, Calif.

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Tuesday at 9:02 a.m. two miles from Fremont , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred two miles from Milpitas , Calif. , four miles from San Jose , seven miles from Alum Rock and eight miles from Pleasanton .
In the last 10 days , there have been three earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported at 9:02 a.m. near Fremont in Northern California.
A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Tuesday at 9:02 a.m. two miles from Fremont, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred two miles from Milpitas, Calif., four miles from San Jose, seven miles from Alum Rock and eight miles from Pleasanton.
In the last 10 days, there have been three earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 to 4.0 occur each year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 2.7 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-09-29--Deadly Zogg fire remains out of control; reinforcements called in

A deadly wildfire continued to carve a destructive path through Northern California ’ s Shasta County , swelling to more than 40,000 acres Tuesday .
The fast-moving Zogg fire — which started Sunday afternoon near the rural community of Igo , about nine miles southwest of Redding — has already been blamed for three deaths , destroyed 146 structures and prompted numerous evacuations in the area .
The blaze is still threatening more than 1,500 structures , fire officials said Tuesday morning .
“ Light winds , high temperatures , low humidities and a lack of resources will continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection wrote in an incident report .
“ Firefighters will continue to focus on structure defense and increasing containment lines.
” Officials said Tuesday that reinforcements were being deployed to the scene , bolstering the arsenal available to stymie the blaze .
“ We ’ ve had crews that are still on the line from when the fire started on Sunday , ” said Sean Kavanaugh , a Cal Fire incident commander .
“ They ’ re in their third day out there ; we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in [ for a break ] .
We do have resources that are coming from across the state to come help us.
” Issac Sanchez , a Cal Fire spokesman , said helicopters were dropping water and planes were dumping retardant on the fire .
A thick layer of smoke or clouds — he wasn ’ t sure which — was helping keep temperatures down , he said .
“ The conditions are more favorable than they were two days ago and even from yesterday , but it is still warm , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , ” Sanchez said .
Details about the three people who died in the fire — including their names , ages and where they were found — have yet to be released .
Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini said Monday that authorities were working to identify the victims and notify their families .
The Shasta County coroner declined to provide details about the victims .
A man who answered the telephone at the coroner ’ s office told a reporter to call back Wednesday and hung up .
Cal Fire said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deputies have evacuated 466 homes in the communities of Igo and Ono , displacing about 1,250 people , the sheriff said .
Magrini urged residents to heed orders to evacuate , noting that with this fast-moving blaze , “ we ’ re not issuing warnings.
” Kavanaugh said deciding whether to order people to leave their homes was always a tough call , but “ it ’ s a necessary evil that we have to do ” when residents are potentially in harm ’ s way .
Cal Fire ’ s Shasta-Trinity Unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another tragedy here in Shasta County that we ’ re all too familiar with.
” It was only a little more than two years ago that the Carr fire swept through the area in and around Redding , ultimately charring 229,651 acres , killing eight people and consuming 1,614 structures .
“ We have faced these tragedies in this county before , ” Gouvea said during a briefing Monday .
“ One thing I know about Shasta County is it ’ s very resilient .
Two years ago , this county dealt with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from [ fire ] suppression all the way through recovery — the communities come together and quickly recover from these devastating incidents .
We will be here until the end , and this county will recover from this.
” The sheer scope and scale of this year ’ s punishing fire season , however , has strained resources statewide — presenting another challenge for frontline firefighters .
The Zogg fire is one of more than two dozen major wildfires burning throughout California .
Over 18,700 firefighters have been deployed to battle those blazes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he was hopeful that the arrival of additional personnel and equipment — as well as more cooperative weather — would boost the firefight .
“ We ’ re starting to get a foothold , though .
We ’ re starting to get the resources in , ” he said .
“ That ’ s important , and we ’ ll see how we do the rest of the week.
” The red flag conditions that persisted across much of Northern California over the weekend and Monday have vanished .
However , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high pressure continues to keep temperatures above normal across much of the inland areas of California , ” Cal Fire officials wrote in a statewide situation report Tuesday .
“ With no significant precipitation in sight , ” they warned , “ California remains dry and ripe for wildfires.
” In recent days , dry and windy conditions helped fan the Zogg fire — as well as the Glass fire in Northern California ’ s wine country — and further fueled some of the major wildfires already burning statewide .
Among them is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grew by nearly 60,000 acres from Monday to Tuesday .
That fire — burning in and around the Mendocino , Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests , farther southwest of Redding — dwarfs all others on record in California .
At roughly 938,000 acres , it ’ s more than twice as large as any fire in the state ’ s modern history .
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said the fire was driven Monday “ specifically to the west and even to the southwest by those gusty winds.
” “ Firefighters worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and constructing both indirect and direct containment lines , ” he said in a video briefing Tuesday .
“ Overnight , the fire was extremely active ... making uphill , terrain-driven runs.
” The overall fire is 43 % contained .
Dangerous fire weather persisted in other parts of the state Tuesday — with hot , dry conditions fueling large blazes and small brush fires across Los Angeles County .
The Martindale fire broke out in the Bouquet Canyon area of the Santa Clarita Valley on Monday afternoon and jumped to more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the U.S. Forest Service .
As of Tuesday morning , the blaze was 40 % contained , officials said .
Meanwhile , the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest .
It has scorched more than 114,000 acres and is 62 % contained .
More than 8,100 wildfires have been recorded in California just this year , burning in excess of 3.8 million acres .
The collective death toll from the historic firestorm now stands at 29 .
More than 7,000 structures have been destroyed .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packed with hundreds of firefighters from across the country on their way in under mutual-aid agreements , highlighting how dependent California is on outside help with resources stretched thin .
“ We ’ re dealing with some pretty extreme times in this state , ” Gouvea said .
“ I think anybody can see that fire behavior , fire starts and the potential for large fire growth , the damaging fires , is prevalent .
It ’ s historic times.
” Dolan reported from Orinda , and Money and Ormseth reported from Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Los Angeles and Anita Chabria in Sacramento contributed to this report .

Luke Money, Matthew Ormseth, Maura Dolan

A deadly wildfire continued to carve a destructive path through Northern California’s Shasta County, swelling to more than 40,000 acres Tuesday.
The fast-moving Zogg fire — which started Sunday afternoon near the rural community of Igo, about nine miles southwest of Redding — has already been blamed for three deaths, destroyed 146 structures and prompted numerous evacuations in the area.
The blaze is still threatening more than 1,500 structures, fire officials said Tuesday morning.
“Light winds, high temperatures, low humidities and a lack of resources will continue to challenge firefighters today,” officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection wrote in an incident report. “Firefighters will continue to focus on structure defense and increasing containment lines.”
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Officials said Tuesday that reinforcements were being deployed to the scene, bolstering the arsenal available to stymie the blaze.
“We’ve had crews that are still on the line from when the fire started on Sunday,” said Sean Kavanaugh, a Cal Fire incident commander. “They’re in their third day out there; we’re trying to get those folks back in [for a break]. We do have resources that are coming from across the state to come help us.”
Resident Tom Smith, who refused to evacuate from the path of the Zogg fire, watches a home burn near Ono, Calif. (Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
Issac Sanchez, a Cal Fire spokesman, said helicopters were dropping water and planes were dumping retardant on the fire.
A thick layer of smoke or clouds — he wasn’t sure which — was helping keep temperatures down, he said.
“The conditions are more favorable than they were two days ago and even from yesterday, but it is still warm, and the fire is still growing at this point,” Sanchez said.
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The fire remained uncontained Tuesday morning.
Details about the three people who died in the fire — including their names, ages and where they were found — have yet to be released. Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini said Monday that authorities were working to identify the victims and notify their families.
The Shasta County coroner declined to provide details about the victims. A man who answered the telephone at the coroner’s office told a reporter to call back Wednesday and hung up. Cal Fire said it had no information about the fatalities.
Deputies have evacuated 466 homes in the communities of Igo and Ono, displacing about 1,250 people, the sheriff said.
Magrini urged residents to heed orders to evacuate, noting that with this fast-moving blaze, “we’re not issuing warnings.”
Kavanaugh said deciding whether to order people to leave their homes was always a tough call, but “it’s a necessary evil that we have to do” when residents are potentially in harm’s way.
Cal Fire’s Shasta-Trinity Unit Chief Bret Gouvea called the fire “another tragedy here in Shasta County that we’re all too familiar with.”
It was only a little more than two years ago that the Carr fire swept through the area in and around Redding, ultimately charring 229,651 acres, killing eight people and consuming 1,614 structures.
Firefighters Bradcus Schrandt, right, and Joe Catterson tend to an injured kitten near Ono, Calif. (Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
“We have faced these tragedies in this county before,” Gouvea said during a briefing Monday. “One thing I know about Shasta County is it’s very resilient. Two years ago, this county dealt with massive loss, and I saw — from [fire] suppression all the way through recovery — the communities come together and quickly recover from these devastating incidents. We will be here until the end, and this county will recover from this.”
The sheer scope and scale of this year’s punishing fire season, however, has strained resources statewide — presenting another challenge for frontline firefighters.
The Zogg fire is one of more than two dozen major wildfires burning throughout California. Over 18,700 firefighters have been deployed to battle those blazes, according to Cal Fire.
Kavanaugh said he was hopeful that the arrival of additional personnel and equipment — as well as more cooperative weather — would boost the firefight.
“We’re starting to get a foothold, though. We’re starting to get the resources in,” he said. “That’s important, and we’ll see how we do the rest of the week.”
The red flag conditions that persisted across much of Northern California over the weekend and Monday have vanished. However, “although gusty winds have dissipated, strong high pressure continues to keep temperatures above normal across much of the inland areas of California,” Cal Fire officials wrote in a statewide situation report Tuesday.
“With no significant precipitation in sight,” they warned, “California remains dry and ripe for wildfires.”
The worst fire season ever. Again. Fire season in California looks different these days. Temperatures are hotter. Fires are bigger and more destructive. Air quality is the worst in decades.
In recent days, dry and windy conditions helped fan the Zogg fire — as well as the Glass fire in Northern California’s wine country — and further fueled some of the major wildfires already burning statewide.
Among them is the behemoth August Complex fire, which grew by nearly 60,000 acres from Monday to Tuesday.
That fire — burning in and around the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests, farther southwest of Redding — dwarfs all others on record in California.
At roughly 938,000 acres, it’s more than twice as large as any fire in the state’s modern history.
Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said the fire was driven Monday “specifically to the west and even to the southwest by those gusty winds.”
“Firefighters worked in extremely difficult terrain performing structure defense and constructing both indirect and direct containment lines,” he said in a video briefing Tuesday. “Overnight, the fire was extremely active ... making uphill, terrain-driven runs.”
The overall fire is 43% contained.
Dangerous fire weather persisted in other parts of the state Tuesday — with hot, dry conditions fueling large blazes and small brush fires across Los Angeles County.
The Martindale fire broke out in the Bouquet Canyon area of the Santa Clarita Valley on Monday afternoon and jumped to more than 200 acres in less than 30 minutes, according to the U.S. Forest Service. As of Tuesday morning, the blaze was 40% contained, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Bobcat fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest. It has scorched more than 114,000 acres and is 62% contained.
California Extreme fire danger in Southern California amid new heat wave The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the Los Angeles and Ventura county mountains and the Santa Clarita Valley.
More than 8,100 wildfires have been recorded in California just this year, burning in excess of 3.8 million acres.
The collective death toll from the historic firestorm now stands at 29. More than 7,000 structures have been destroyed.
On Tuesday morning, the Sacramento airport was packed with hundreds of firefighters from across the country on their way in under mutual-aid agreements, highlighting how dependent California is on outside help with resources stretched thin.
“We’re dealing with some pretty extreme times in this state,” Gouvea said. “I think anybody can see that fire behavior, fire starts and the potential for large fire growth, the damaging fires, is prevalent. It’s historic times.”
Dolan reported from Orinda, and Money and Ormseth reported from Los Angeles.
Times staff writers Hayley Smith in Los Angeles and Anita Chabria in Sacramento contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-29--How wine country became the epicenter for fires in California

Perhaps no part of California has felt more threatened by fire in recent years than the vast expanse of wine country and the Redwood Empire north of San Francisco .
More than 9,000 structures were lost and dozens of people were killed in 2017 , when fires swept through Santa Rosa and surrounding communities .
Last year , the Kincade fire menaced the region for weeks , putting nearly 100,000 people under evacuation orders .
More than 50 % of Lake County to the north of Santa Rosa has burned in the last decade .
You could be forgiven for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break .
But on Sunday night , a fiery chain of events returned like a nightmare : a dry winter followed by a hot summer , which leads to a small grass fire on a windy autumn day spreading to an overgrown forest , where it feeds and transforms into a monster that races toward civilization .
Between the Tubbs and Nuns fires , which in 2017 burned almost 100,000 acres of trees and shrubs from Santa Rosa to Napa County to the east , and the 2019 Kincade fire , which scorched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forested areas east of the city have seen flames sometime in the last few years .
But there was one wedge of land north-northeast of Santa Rosa — on the other side of Highway 12 , above Trione-Annadel State Park , the Oakmont neighborhood and the Skyhawk Community development — that had no fire history going back 70 years .
Its foothills were covered with fast-burning grass , chaparral and oak , and its rugged canyons and ridgetops were dotted with drought-stricken conifers .
That ’ s the area that burned through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of residents fleeing once again , as a 20-acre spot fire graduated to a 50-acre runner , then grew from 2,500 acres to 11,000 acres overnight .
“ It truly was one of the areas we had established ... as the greatest threat to Santa Rosa , and it was something we ’ ve been trying to secure grants for , to aid in future vegetation management , ” said the city ’ s assistant fire marshal , Paul Lowenthal .
While the cause of the fire is under investigation , officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embers from the Glass fire on the other side of the Napa Valley .
Winds Sunday night were blowing steadily between 40 and 60 mph across the North Bay hills , with some gusts up to 65 mph , said National Weather Service meteorologist Anna Schneider .
While it wasn ’ t remarkably warm Sunday night , the air was extremely dry because it was being pulled over inland mountains from the hot , dry Great Basin , sapping it of any moisture as it traveled downslope and across the valley floor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire on the other side of the valley , they pushed it west toward Sonoma County and uphill into that one unburned area of the forest where it could flourish .
“ When you have a drought year , critical fuel moistures , ignition and a wind event , then it ’ s just kind of the recipe , ” said Craig Clements , a professor at San Jose State University ’ s Fire Weather Research Laboratory .
“ It doesn ’ t matter what ’ s happening — when you have wind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread and spot long-distance.
” The counties north of San Francisco and Sacramento have been battered by fire in recent years , and there is much debate about why .
The two largest fires ever recorded in California occurred here : the current August Complex , which began in Tehama County and is now approaching 900,000 acres , and the Mendocino Complex , which burned nearly 450,000 acres in 2018 .
All the flames have residents on edge whenever the winds pick up .
Maria del Carmen , 33 , lost her home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone else living in Santa Rosa ’ s Coffey Park , where 1,500 homes burned in 2017 .
“ I still get panic attacks , ” she said .
Terror shoots through her when she smells smoke , “ until I can figure out there ’ s no fire here .
Then I can relax.
” She had learned of the Tubbs fire when she woke in the night and looked out her window .
So it was without question when Del Carmen rebuilt that she would sign up for emergency Nixle alerts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost all Sunday night , monitoring fire news and packing .
She decided to leave even without an evacuation warning for her home — she took off before dawn and headed early to work at a retirement center whose residents were being moved to a community shelter in nearby Petaluma .
A lot has changed in three years , she said .
The evacuation “ was better , even though the fire did come faster.
” Social media posts showed Sonoma County residents holding up chunks of ash and scorched bark as big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wind-driven fire .
Whereas grass and chaparral burn quickly and completely , the gray pine or foothill pine is known for launching red-hot embers as it gets hotter , spreading the fire farther , Clements said .
“ It ’ s so unpredictable ; you don ’ t know how fast that fire can move , ” said Tyree Vander , a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
“ It will outrun you.
” While Northern California is no stranger to autumn fires , they haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much as they do now , said LeRoy Westerling , a UC Merced professor who researches the interactions between climate , ecosystems and wildfires .
Development from the suburbs to the wildlands has increased and carried the fire risks of utility infrastructure along with it .
But our changing climate and increasingly frequent fires are also a significant factor in the long term , according to Westerling .
The state ’ s northern coast usually receives about two-thirds of California ’ s rainfall and has seen that turn into a relative trickle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dialed up — a dangerous combination , he said .
“ Climate change is giving [ Northern California ] a climate like Southern California , in terms of the degree of drying that the fuels undergo , ” Westerling said .
If the fires come again and again , as they have the last few years , invasive species that are better adjusted to frequent fires will displace the native plants and trees that need more time to grow , Westerling warned .
But even as soon as next year , officials say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again for those in Santa Rosa .
“ It did help clean up some of the forest as it burned through , ” Lowenthal said of Sunday ’ s fire .
“ But I ’ ll just remind everyone : Grass grows back annually , and brush grows back pretty quick .
... Every year brings a new challenge .
”

The Bell Canyon reservoir glows orange as firefighters work to contain the the fire Sept. 27 at the Viader Vineyards & Winery. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters from the Sacramento Fire Department take part in an operation near a property along Crystal Springs Road in Napa County. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The Glass fire burns along the Silverado Trail in Napa County near the Chateau Boswell Winery on Sept. 27. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The Glass fire burns a distinctive building at the Chateau Boswell Winery on Sept. 27, several miles northwest of St. Helena in Napa County. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The night sky glows red and orange from the Glass fire in Napa County on Sept. 27. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters work to contain the Glass fire along Sanitarium Road in Napa County on Sept. 27. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
An American flag flaps in the wind as the Shady fire burns structures Sept. 28 in Santa Rosa, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Santa Rosa firefighters monitor the Shady fire Sept. 27 as it makes its way toward homes along Mountain Hawk Drive in the city. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
An air tanker drops retardant on the Glass fire burning Sept. 27 above Davis Estates winery in Calistoga, Calif. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)
The Glass fire in Napa County burns on a mountainside Sept. 28 with the Beckstoffer Vineyards in the foreground in St. Helena, Calif. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Perhaps no part of California has felt more threatened by fire in recent years than the vast expanse of wine country and the Redwood Empire north of San Francisco.
More than 9,000 structures were lost and dozens of people were killed in 2017, when fires swept through Santa Rosa and surrounding communities. Last year, the Kincade fire menaced the region for weeks, putting nearly 100,000 people under evacuation orders. More than 50% of Lake County to the north of Santa Rosa has burned in the last decade.
For the record: An earlier version of this story said the number of homes that burned in Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park in 2017 was 15,000. The correct number is 1,500.
You could be forgiven for thinking the region is due for a break. But on Sunday night, a fiery chain of events returned like a nightmare: a dry winter followed by a hot summer, which leads to a small grass fire on a windy autumn day spreading to an overgrown forest, where it feeds and transforms into a monster that races toward civilization.
Between the Tubbs and Nuns fires, which in 2017 burned almost 100,000 acres of trees and shrubs from Santa Rosa to Napa County to the east, and the 2019 Kincade fire, which scorched an additional 75,000 acres, most of the forested areas east of the city have seen flames sometime in the last few years.
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But there was one wedge of land north-northeast of Santa Rosa — on the other side of Highway 12, above Trione-Annadel State Park, the Oakmont neighborhood and the Skyhawk Community development — that had no fire history going back 70 years. Its foothills were covered with fast-burning grass, chaparral and oak, and its rugged canyons and ridgetops were dotted with drought-stricken conifers.
That’s the area that burned through Sunday into Monday, sending tens of thousands of residents fleeing once again, as a 20-acre spot fire graduated to a 50-acre runner, then grew from 2,500 acres to 11,000 acres overnight.
“It truly was one of the areas we had established ... as the greatest threat to Santa Rosa, and it was something we’ve been trying to secure grants for, to aid in future vegetation management,” said the city’s assistant fire marshal, Paul Lowenthal.
While the cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said Monday it was possibly sparked by embers from the Glass fire on the other side of the Napa Valley.
Winds Sunday night were blowing steadily between 40 and 60 mph across the North Bay hills, with some gusts up to 65 mph, said National Weather Service meteorologist Anna Schneider.
While it wasn’t remarkably warm Sunday night, the air was extremely dry because it was being pulled over inland mountains from the hot, dry Great Basin, sapping it of any moisture as it traveled downslope and across the valley floor.
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When the winds reached the 20-acre spot fire on the other side of the valley, they pushed it west toward Sonoma County and uphill into that one unburned area of the forest where it could flourish.
“When you have a drought year, critical fuel moistures, ignition and a wind event, then it’s just kind of the recipe,” said Craig Clements, a professor at San Jose State University’s Fire Weather Research Laboratory. “It doesn’t matter what’s happening — when you have wind like that, things are going to spread and spot long-distance.”
The counties north of San Francisco and Sacramento have been battered by fire in recent years, and there is much debate about why.
The two largest fires ever recorded in California occurred here: the current August Complex, which began in Tehama County and is now approaching 900,000 acres, and the Mendocino Complex, which burned nearly 450,000 acres in 2018.
All the flames have residents on edge whenever the winds pick up.
Maria del Carmen, 33, lost her home three years ago, as did almost everyone else living in Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park, where 1,500 homes burned in 2017.
“I still get panic attacks,” she said. Terror shoots through her when she smells smoke, “until I can figure out there’s no fire here. Then I can relax.”
She had learned of the Tubbs fire when she woke in the night and looked out her window. So it was without question when Del Carmen rebuilt that she would sign up for emergency Nixle alerts on her cellphone. She stayed up almost all Sunday night, monitoring fire news and packing.
She decided to leave even without an evacuation warning for her home — she took off before dawn and headed early to work at a retirement center whose residents were being moved to a community shelter in nearby Petaluma.
A lot has changed in three years, she said. The evacuation “was better, even though the fire did come faster.”
Social media posts showed Sonoma County residents holding up chunks of ash and scorched bark as big as their hands, telltale signs of a wind-driven fire. Whereas grass and chaparral burn quickly and completely, the gray pine or foothill pine is known for launching red-hot embers as it gets hotter, spreading the fire farther, Clements said.
“It’s so unpredictable; you don’t know how fast that fire can move,” said Tyree Vander, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “It will outrun you.”
While Northern California is no stranger to autumn fires, they haven’t always carried the potential to grow as much as they do now, said LeRoy Westerling, a UC Merced professor who researches the interactions between climate, ecosystems and wildfires.
Development from the suburbs to the wildlands has increased and carried the fire risks of utility infrastructure along with it. But our changing climate and increasingly frequent fires are also a significant factor in the long term, according to Westerling. The state’s northern coast usually receives about two-thirds of California’s rainfall and has seen that turn into a relative trickle this year while the heat has been dialed up — a dangerous combination, he said.
“Climate change is giving [Northern California] a climate like Southern California, in terms of the degree of drying that the fuels undergo,” Westerling said.
If the fires come again and again, as they have the last few years, invasive species that are better adjusted to frequent fires will displace the native plants and trees that need more time to grow, Westerling warned.
But even as soon as next year, officials say, the fire threats could be back again for those in Santa Rosa.
“It did help clean up some of the forest as it burned through,” Lowenthal said of Sunday’s fire. “But I’ll just remind everyone: Grass grows back annually, and brush grows back pretty quick. ... Every year brings a new challenge.”