latimes--2020-07-05--Brush fires in Santa Clarita and Hawthorne force freeway closures; evacuations ordered in parts of S

Brush fires in Santa Clarita and Hawthorne force freeway closures; evacuations ordered in parts of Santa Clarita

Brush fires spurred the closure of two freeways and evacuations in Los Angeles County on Sunday afternoon amid hot and dry conditions in the region .
In Santa Clarita , a brush fire that broke out in the area of Soledad Canyon Road jumped the 14 Freeway at around 4 p.m. , according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department .
The freeway was closed in that area .
The fire had grown to 400 acres by 4:45 p.m. , the fire department said , with the potential to grow to 1,000 acres .
Residents living northeast of the freeway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roads were ordered to evacuate .
Around the same time , all southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway at El Segundo Boulevard were shut down because of a nearby brush fire in Hawthorne , according to the California Highway Patrol .
The causes of the fires were still unknown Sunday afternoon .
It was not clear when the freeways would open .
The fires follow a night of relentless Fourth of July pyrotechnics .
L.A. firefighters responded to thousands of emergency calls Saturday and extinguished at least one large blaze that consumed half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Dry conditions , hot temperatures and high winds in some parts of L.A. County have raised concerns about the potential for fires to spread quickly over the weekend .
Minimum humidities dropped to the single digits and teens in many inland and foothill areas on Sunday , while high temperatures in those areas were forecast to reach up to 10 degrees above normal , the National Weather Service said .

The Soledad fire in Santa Clarita has burned more than 1,100 acres and forced evacuations, but firefighters were beginning to make progress Monday morning.
The brush fire broke out in the area of Soledad Canyon Road and spread rapidly, jumping the 14 Freeway around 4 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The 14 freeway was shut down for several hours.
The blaze, dubbed the Soledad fire, grew to 1,100 acres by 8 p.m. and was 0% contained, the Fire Department said. Four hundred personnel were battling the fire.
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More than 200 residents living near the freeway in the Agua Dulce Canyon Road area were ordered to evacuate.
The Red Cross established a temporary evacuation site in Palmdale at the Victory Outreach church parking lot on 25th Street East. Evacuees will be required to stay in their vehicles.
Firefighters will work throughout the night to contain the blaze, officials said.
UPDATE (6:50 pm): The fire is now reportedly 800 acres in size with winds moving N/NE. Mandatory evacuations are in place for the fire area - East of Agua Dulce Cyn, West of Briggs, North of Soledad Cyn, South of 14 Fwy - 9 homes have been evacuated thus far. We are updating map. — Santa Clarita City (@santaclarita) July 6, 2020
Fire officials urged Los Angeles County residents to refrain from setting off fireworks anywhere near dry brush.
In Hawthorne, all southbound lanes of the 405 Freeway at El Segundo Boulevard were also temporarily shut down because of a small brushfire, the California Highway Patrol said.
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The causes of the fires were not immediately known.
The fires follow a night of relentless Fourth of July pyrotechnics. L.A. firefighters responded to thousands of emergency calls Saturday and extinguished at least one large blaze that consumed half an apartment complex in Northridge, officials said.
Dry conditions, hot temperatures and high winds in some parts of L.A. County have raised concerns about the potential for fires to spread quickly over the weekend.
Minimum humidities dropped to the single digits and teens in many inland and foothill areas on Sunday, while high temperatures in those areas were forecast to reach up to 10 degrees above normal, the National Weather Service said.
Elevated fire danger is expected to continue into Monday across inland areas such as Santa Clarita, with highs in the 90s and gusty winds in the forecast.
Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-05--Hit-and-run driver kills man who tripped in street after lighting firework, police say

A man was struck and killed Saturday in Lennox in a hit-and-run crash when he tripped in the street after @ @ @ @ @ said .
Authorities identified the victim as Victor Torres Carrillo , 26 , of Inglewood @ @ @ @ @ in the middle of 105th Street , east of Hawthorne Boulevard , at about 9:30 @ @ @ @ @ Patrol said in a news release .
He tried to walk out of the road @ @ @ @ @ tripped and was struck by a black sedan that was speeding west on 105th Street @ @ @ @ @ car , which witnesses described as a Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro , sped away @ @ @ @ @ according to investigators .
Carrillo was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:45 p.m. , @ @ @ @ @ said .
Anyone with information about the crash was asked to call Officer Vance Perreria @ @ @ @ @ of the California Highway Patrol ’ s West Los Angeles Area office , at ( @ @ @ @

A man was struck and killed Saturday in Lennox in a hit-and-run crash when he tripped in the street after lighting a firework, police said.
Authorities identified the victim as Victor Torres Carrillo, 26, of Inglewood.
Carrillo was seen standing in the middle of 105th Street, east of Hawthorne Boulevard, at about 9:30 p.m., the California Highway Patrol said in a news release. He tried to walk out of the road after igniting the firework but tripped and was struck by a black sedan that was speeding west on 105th Street, police said.
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The car, which witnesses described as a Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro, sped away north on Hawthorne Boulevard, according to investigators.
Carrillo was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:45 p.m., before officers arrived, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash was asked to call Officer Vance Perreria or Officer Karina Malkandueva, of the California Highway Patrol’s West Los Angeles Area office, at (310) 642-3939.


latimes--2020-07-05--L.A.'s extreme fireworks bring terrible air quality, record calls for fire service

With officials canceling Fourth of July fireworks displays because of the coronavirus outbreak , many in Los Angeles County decided to put on their own show — leading to surges in both air pollution and calls for emergency services .
L.A. firefighters responded to thousands of emergency calls Saturday and extinguished at least one large blaze that consumed half an apartment complex in Northridge , officials said .
The fireworks also caused levels of fine-particle pollution to skyrocket , leading air quality to be rated as hazardous in some areas well into the following morning .
“ It definitely was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 and July 5 fireworks episodes , ” said Phillip Fine , deputy executive officer for planning and rules for the South Coast Air Quality Management District .
The Los Angeles Fire Department , which serves the city of Los Angeles , averages just under 1,400 calls for service over a typical 24-hour period .
On Saturday , it responded to 1,738 calls for service , spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said .
“ As it always is , the Fourth of July was a busier night for all different types of fires , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting rubbish fires , 103 reporting tree fires , 40 reports of structure fires , 28 of grass fires and 11 of brush fires , she said .
The Los Angeles County Fire Department , which serves unincorporated L.A. County and 59 cities , also saw a higher-than-normal call volume .
The department responded to 1,676 calls for service Saturday , compared with an average of 1,100 to 1,200 calls , said Sky Cornell , public information officer .
Nearly 500 of those calls were received between 9 and 10 p.m. , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from last year ’ s Fourth of July , when county firefighters responded to 1,349 calls .
In fact , it was the second-busiest day in the department ’ s history , second only to Feb. 17 , 2017 , when firefighters responded to 1,777 calls during a rainstorm , Cornell said .
The calls for service to which firefighters were dispatched included 370 outdoor fires , 44 structure fires and 13 brush fires , he said .
County fire officials were working Sunday to determine how many of the calls were related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. , the most serious incident took place when fireworks ignited several large palm trees in Northridge and the flames spread to a neighboring apartment complex , destroying several units and displacing about 50 residents , Stewart said .
“ Whereas people like to disregard and create their reasons for why they think fireworks are illegal , last night proved the point in terms of a tree fire that extended into an apartment building , ” Stewart said .
The fire was reported in the 8600 block of North Wilbur Avenue shortly before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 43 minutes to extinguish the palm trees and eight apartment units that were fully engulfed , officials said .
Multiple residents were rescued , and three people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation , the Fire Department said .
Embers from the burning palm trees also spread to the roof of a second eight-unit apartment building in the complex , starting a surface fire , but firefighters were able to put it out before it caused major damage , the department said .
An investigation by the department ’ s arson and counterterrorism unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fireworks , officials said .
Earlier in the week , L.A. County public health officials announced that the county was temporarily banning fireworks displays and closing beaches to avoid crowding during the holiday weekend in a bid to slow an alarming surge in coronavirus cases .
The city of Lancaster chose to defy the ban by holding a public fireworks show at the Lancaster National Soccer Center .
Parking lots were closed , and residents were encouraged to watch from their homes or isolated outdoor areas .
The city ’ s mayor framed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments on social media .
“ The ultra left is trying to steal 4th of July , ” Mayor R. Rex Parris wrote on Facebook .
“ In our city , we celebrate being Americans .
Please come visit me in jail , because no one is going to stop 4th of July in our city.
” The display , which was livestreamed on the city ’ s Facebook page , took place without incident .
Despite the relative dearth of official fireworks shows , the backyard displays left the region dealing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels of particulate matter known as PM2.5 , and July 4 and 5 are typically among the region ’ s worst days when it comes to high levels of the pollutants in the air , health officials said .
But this year , the PM2.5 pollution appeared to be more concentrated and linger for longer even compared with past holidays , officials said .
While the air quality usually reaches very unhealthy levels on July 4 and 5 , this year some areas reached hazardous levels .
Hazardous air quality was first reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , an area centered on downtown L.A. , and didn ’ t significantly improve until about 8 a.m .
Hazardous conditions also were reported in Anaheim from about midnight to 1 a.m. Stagnant weather conditions were probably a big contributor , the Air Quality Management District ’ s Fine said .
“ When the atmosphere mixes a lot , you get cleaner air from up above mixing with dirty air from activity down below , and the smoke dilutes and doesn ’ t build up , ” Fine said .
“ But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get that mixing so it gets trapped.
” On Sunday morning , the inversion layer was almost at ground level , compared with the height of 1,000 to 1,500 feet that is typical for this time of year , he said .
“ We also don ’ t know for sure but anecdotally we ’ ve had reports of a lot of backyard and neighborhood fireworks shows , maybe to replace some of the larger shows that were canceled , ” Fine said .
He noted that many professional fireworks shows use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sky with compressed air , whereas people at home tend to use rocket-launched fireworks .
It ’ s also possible that the chemical compositions of some backyard fireworks are more polluting than those used by professionals , or there were simply more of them , he said .
The PM2.5 pollution was dissipating as the day went on and was expected to continue to do so , Fine said .
Still , children , older people and those with respiratory conditions were being advised to avoid prolonged outdoor activity in some areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys .
The increase in pollution , albeit temporary , raised an additional layer of concern in light of the recent increase in coronavirus cases that have prompted public health officials to tell people to redouble efforts to stay at home and avoid unnecessary contact with others .
“ There ’ s obviously a lot of research that has been done over the last several months on COVID , ” Fine said .
“ The studies I ’ ve seen have shown that yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ susceptible , more likely to contract or have worse symptoms from COVID .
“ We also know that poor air quality and long-term exposure to poor air quality can cause some of those preexisting respiratory conditions .
We also know that on a day-to-day basis , those conditions can be made worse by poor air quality , which can make you more susceptible to contracting the virus .
So there is a connection there.
” Meanwhile , drier conditions , hotter temperatures and high winds in some parts of L.A. County raised concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly .
Minimum humidity dropped to the single digits and teens in many inland and foothill areas on Sunday , while high temperatures in those areas were forecast to reach up to 10 degrees above normal , the National Weather Service said .
Gusty winds were expected to hit the Castaic Lake area , mountains of Ventura County and the south coast of Santa Barbara County on Sunday night .
The “ sundowner ” winds are northerly winds driven by differences in pressure that tend to strengthen in the evening and overnight hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Weather Service in Oxnard .
Combined , the weather conditions create an elevated fire risk that is not unusual for this time of year , she said .
“ In this time period , we ’ re dealing with a lot of conditions starting to reach elevated fire weather conditions , just periodically , ” Phillips said .
“ We ’ re in our fire season now.
” Temperatures were expected to cool off gradually starting Monday , with coastal areas seeing highs in the mid-70s and valleys in the upper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warm-up forecast for Friday .
But the increased risk of fire was expected to persist , Phillips said .
“ Really , everyone should be considering most days to be elevated , just in terms of precautions we have to be taking with the season changing , ” she said .

Fireworks over North Hollywood, as seen from Burbank on Saturday.
With officials canceling Fourth of July fireworks displays because of the coronavirus outbreak, many in Los Angeles County decided to put on their own show — leading to surges in both air pollution and calls for emergency services.
L.A. firefighters responded to thousands of emergency calls Saturday and extinguished at least one large blaze that consumed half an apartment complex in Northridge, officials said.
The fireworks also caused levels of fine-particle pollution to skyrocket, leading air quality to be rated as hazardous in some areas well into the following morning.
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“It definitely was one of our worst years for July 4 and July 5 fireworks episodes,” said Philip Fine, deputy executive officer for planning and rules for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The Los Angeles Fire Department, which serves the city of Los Angeles, averages just under 1,400 calls for service over a typical 24-hour period. On Saturday, it responded to 1,738 calls for service, spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said.
“As it always is, the Fourth of July was a busier night for all different types of fires,” she said.
They included 200 calls reporting rubbish fires, 103 reporting tree fires, 40 reports of structure fires, 28 of grass fires and 11 of brush fires, she said.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department, which serves unincorporated L.A. County and 59 cities, also saw a higher-than-normal call volume. The department responded to 1,676 calls for service Saturday, compared with an average of 1,100 to 1,200 calls, said Sky Cornell, public information officer. Nearly 500 of those calls were received between 9 and 10 p.m., he said.
That was an increase even from last year’s Fourth of July, when county firefighters responded to 1,349 calls. In fact, it was the second-busiest day in the department’s history, second only to Feb. 17, 2017, when firefighters responded to 1,777 calls during a rainstorm, Cornell said.
The calls for service to which firefighters were dispatched included 370 outdoor fires, 44 structure fires and 13 brush fires, he said. County fire officials were working Sunday to determine how many of the calls were related to fireworks.
In the city of L.A., the most serious incident took place when fireworks ignited several large palm trees in Northridge and the flames spread to a neighboring apartment complex, destroying several units and displacing about 50 residents, Stewart said.
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“Whereas people like to disregard and create their reasons for why they think fireworks are illegal, last night proved the point in terms of a tree fire that extended into an apartment building,” Stewart said.
The fire was reported in the 8600 block of North Wilbur Avenue shortly before 9:30 p.m. It took 81 firefighters 43 minutes to extinguish the palm trees and eight apartment units that were fully engulfed, officials said. Multiple residents were rescued, and three people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, the Fire Department said.
Embers from the burning palm trees also spread to the roof of a second eight-unit apartment building in the complex, starting a surface fire, but firefighters were able to put it out before it caused major damage, the department said.
An investigation by the department’s arson and counterterrorism unit determined the fire was started by illegal fireworks, officials said.
Earlier in the week, L.A. County public health officials announced that the county was temporarily banning fireworks displays and closing beaches to avoid crowding during the holiday weekend in a bid to slow an alarming surge in coronavirus cases.
The city of Lancaster chose to defy the ban by holding a public fireworks show at the Lancaster National Soccer Center. Parking lots were closed, and residents were encouraged to watch from their homes or isolated outdoor areas.
The city’s mayor framed the move as a political statement in comments on social media.
“The ultra left is trying to steal 4th of July,” Mayor R. Rex Parris wrote on Facebook. “In our city, we celebrate being Americans. Please come visit me in jail, because no one is going to stop 4th of July in our city.”
The display, which was livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page, took place without incident.
Despite the relative dearth of official fireworks shows, the backyard displays left the region dealing with poor air quality. Fireworks emit high levels of particulate matter known as PM2.5, and July 4 and 5 are typically among the region’s worst days when it comes to high levels of the pollutants in the air, health officials said.
But this year, the PM2.5 pollution appeared to be more concentrated and linger for longer even compared with past holidays, officials said.
While the air quality usually reaches very unhealthy levels on July 4 and 5, this year some areas reached hazardous levels. Hazardous air quality was first reported about 10 p.m. in central Los Angeles County, an area centered on downtown L.A., and didn’t significantly improve until about 8 a.m. Hazardous conditions also were reported in Anaheim from about midnight to 1 a.m.
Stagnant weather conditions were probably a big contributor, the Air Quality Management District’s Fine said.
“When the atmosphere mixes a lot, you get cleaner air from up above mixing with dirty air from activity down below, and the smoke dilutes and doesn’t build up,” Fine said. “But an inversion layer means you don’t get that mixing so it gets trapped.”
On Sunday morning, the inversion layer was almost at ground level, compared with the height of 1,000 to 1,500 feet that is typical for this time of year, he said.
“We also don’t know for sure but anecdotally we’ve had reports of a lot of backyard and neighborhood fireworks shows, maybe to replace some of the larger shows that were canceled,” Fine said.
He noted that many professional fireworks shows use smokeless launchers that propel fireworks into the sky with compressed air, whereas people at home tend to use rocket-launched fireworks. It’s also possible that the chemical compositions of some backyard fireworks are more polluting than those used by professionals, or there were simply more of them, he said.
The PM2.5 pollution was dissipating as the day went on and was expected to continue to do so, Fine said. Still, children, older people and those with respiratory conditions were being advised to avoid prolonged outdoor activity in some areas, which included portions of the coast and parts of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.
The increase in pollution, albeit temporary, raised an additional layer of concern in light of the recent increase in coronavirus cases that have prompted public health officials to tell people to redouble efforts to stay at home and avoid unnecessary contact with others.
“There’s obviously a lot of research that has been done over the last several months on COVID,” Fine said. “The studies I’ve seen have shown that yes, people with preexisting respiratory conditions are more susceptible, more likely to contract or have worse symptoms from COVID.
“We also know that poor air quality and long-term exposure to poor air quality can cause some of those preexisting respiratory conditions. We also know that on a day-to-day basis, those conditions can be made worse by poor air quality, which can make you more susceptible to contracting the virus. So there is a connection there.”
Meanwhile, drier conditions, hotter temperatures and high winds in some parts of L.A. County raised concern about the potential for fires to spread quickly.
Minimum humidity dropped to the single digits and teens in many inland and foothill areas on Sunday, while high temperatures in those areas were forecast to reach up to 10 degrees above normal, the National Weather Service said.
Gusty winds were expected to hit the Castaic Lake area, mountains of Ventura County and the south coast of Santa Barbara County on Sunday night. The “sundowner” winds are northerly winds driven by differences in pressure that tend to strengthen in the evening and overnight hours, said Lisa Phillips, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Combined, the weather conditions create an elevated fire risk that is not unusual for this time of year, she said.
“In this time period, we’re dealing with a lot of conditions starting to reach elevated fire weather conditions, just periodically,” Phillips said. “We’re in our fire season now.”
Temperatures were expected to cool off gradually starting Monday, with coastal areas seeing highs in the mid-70s and valleys in the upper 80s by Thursday, ahead of another warm-up forecast for Friday. But the increased risk of fire was expected to persist, Phillips said.
“Really, everyone should be considering most days to be elevated, just in terms of precautions we have to be taking with the season changing,” she said.


latimes--2020-07-05--10 spectacular scenes from Southern California's July 4 celebrations

Beaches were closed and many fireworks shows were canceled .
Huntington Beach ’ s annual 4th of July Parade went @ @ @ @ @ of the Mississippi to a neighborhood drive-by .
Lighting up the sky over North Hollywood @ @ @

Mike Whitford, of Newport Beach, wearing a Captain America costume, is shown with his family and the Schmidgall family as the OneHB Neighborhood Parade passes by celebrating July 4 with two vehicle caravans traveling on separate routes, passing within a mile of every single home in Huntington Beach.
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)


latimes--2020-07-05--Earthquake: 4.0 quake reported near Clearlake, Calif.

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake was reported Sunday at 9:14 a.m. Pacific time 11 miles from Clearlake , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 11 miles from Healdsburg , Calif. , 17 miles from Windsor , Calif. , 21 miles from Santa Rosa , Calif. and 28 miles from Ukiah , Calif .
In the last 10 days , there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a depth of 5.6 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 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake was reported Sunday at 9:14 a.m. Pacific time 11 miles from Clearlake, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake was reported Sunday at 9:14 a.m. Pacific time 11 miles from Clearlake, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 11 miles from Healdsburg, Calif., 17 miles from Windsor, Calif., 21 miles from Santa Rosa, Calif. and 28 miles from Ukiah, Calif.
In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 5.6 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--2020-07-05--Earthquake: 3.5 quake registered near Alpine, Calif.

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Sunday at 5:17 a.m. Pacific time 27 miles from Alpine , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 31 miles from San Diego Country Estates , Calif. , 36 miles from Ramona , Calif. , 36 miles from Imperial , Calif. , and 37 miles from El Centro , Calif .
In the past 10 days , there have been three earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.2 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re interested in learning more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck near Alpine, Calif., at 5:17 a.m. Pacific time Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Sunday at 5:17 a.m. Pacific time 27 miles from Alpine, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 31 miles from San Diego Country Estates, Calif., 36 miles from Ramona, Calif., 36 miles from Imperial, Calif., and 37 miles from El Centro, Calif.
In the past 10 days, there have been three earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
Advertisement
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.2 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--2020-07-05--California megadrought? Not if you look at precipitation

If you want to know what climate change means for California ’ s water supply , consider the last two Februaries .
In 126 years of statewide record-keeping , you can ’ t find a drier February than the one we just experienced .
But February 2019 was the third-wettest on record .
The extremes underscore how global warming is exaggerating the year-to-year swings in California precipitation , which is naturally the most variable in the country .
But surprisingly , the dramatic ups and downs even out .
Average precipitation is not declining .
Michael Anderson , the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of withering drought in the last two decades , precipitation in the northern Sierra Nevada — a key water source for the state — hasn ’ t changed .
Moreover , the region was actually drier during the Dust Bowl era of the 1920s and ‘ 30s .
“ Oddly enough , in the 21st century — because we ’ ve had those wet extremes and dry years that haven ’ t been extremely dry — our average comes out really close to ” the 20th century , Anderson said .
Statewide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years have been recorded since 1980 , according to the California Climate Tracker .
That mirrors projections that global warming will hit California with more extreme wet years and boost precipitation a bit in the north .
But how does that fit with a recent scientific paper that concluded the Southwest , including all of California , has been in the grip of a 21st century megadrought intensified by human-caused global warming ?
The study , which ranked 2000-2018 as the second-driest 19-year period in 1,200 years , factored in far more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , humidity and temperature and analyzed tree ring records .
Look solely at precipitation and the Southwest has not been stuck in a megadrought — and was drier in the Dust Bowl era — said co-author John Abatzoglou , an associate geography professor at the University of Idaho .
Moreover , using the broader criteria of soil moisture , etc.
, the paper pointed to 1980-1998 as the wettest 19-year period in at least 1,200 years .
“ Basically , we had the wettest multi-decadal period followed by the second-driest multi-decadal period back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That ’ s an eye-opening roller coaster.
” All of that is rewriting a water management playbook that is appearing increasingly outdated .
Though overall precipitation may not significantly change , it will come in a different form and at different times .
Rising temperatures are turning snow into rain , diminishing the mountain snowpack that functions as nature ’ s slow-release reservoir in the spring and early summer .
Evaporation will increase .
The rainy season is expected to be shorter and more intense , shifting the timing of peak runoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man-made reservoirs .
A 2018 report warned that despite a modest increase in Northern California streamflow in coming decades , State Water Project deliveries that help supply more than 27 million Californians will go down , not up .
The reason : There will be more flood flows that are difficult to capture and store .
“ We ’ ve learned through drought cycle after drought cycle after flood cycle to be prepared for another dry year , ” said Brad Coffey , water resource manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest customer .
“ That said , we are concerned about how climate change will be affecting water supplies for the future , ” he added .
How California should adapt is the subject of considerable debate and not a little controversy : Build more dams and reservoirs ?
Construct a huge tunnel to divert more Sacramento River flow and send it south ?
Other proposals include the revival of natural flood plains and the revision of old rules that require reservoir operators to leave space for a spring snowmelt the state will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies want to capture more storm water that now rushes to the sea .
“ Water management strategies are going to be changing , ” said regional climatologist Daniel McEvoy at the Western Regional Climate Center .
Whether big infrastructure projects such as the long planned and much disputed tunnel system under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta or the proposed Sites Reservoir in Northern California are ever built is an open question .
But urban water users are moving to diversify sources that will help buffer them from greater extremes .
Metropolitan , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drinking water , has launched a pilot project to gauge the feasibility of using cleansed wastewater from a big Carson sewage plant to replenish regional aquifers .
“ Our goal is to de-link year-to-year hydrology with year-to-year water supply , ” Coffey said .
“ Our investments in storage and local conservation and local supplies are the way to do that.
” Spring storms boosted rainy season totals to above average in many parts of Southern California this year .
Santa Barbara County ’ s Lake Cachuma , which emptied during the 2012-2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second year in a row .
But statewide , the water year is so far among the 20 driest on record , prompting the big government water projects to slash deliveries from the north .
Metropolitan nonetheless says it will have no problems meeting demand for the foreseeable future , thanks to record reserves in regional reservoirs and groundwater banks .
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power , which gets most of its supplies from Metropolitan and the Owens Valley , similarly says it will have no difficulty meeting demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water conservation programs that have yielded impressive results .
Annual water use by the city of Los Angeles has stabilized at the lowest levels in nearly half a century .
In the early 1970s , when the city ’ s population was approaching 3 million , Angelenos used an average of 586,000 acre-feet of water a year .
Now , as the population hovers around 4 million , the average is 502,000 acre-feet .
Metropolitan used to say an acre-foot would supply two Southern California households for a year .
Now it serves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and appliances , lawn-removal rebate programs and tiered water rates have all played a role in the downward trends , as have changing development patterns .
In L.A. , new housing is likely to be a four-story apartment building where residents are watering a few potted plants rather than the lawn that was a standard feature of 20th century housing tracts .
Statewide , the conservation habits city dwellers were forced to adopt during the parched years of 2012 to 2016 seem to have largely stuck .
The first-ever , state-imposed cuts on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
But overall urban use has rebounded only slightly .
It remains 20 % less than it was in 2013 , according to the State Water Resources Control Board .
“ Californians continue to conserve water , ” said Charlotte Ely , a water board senior environmental scientist .
“ I think people learned a lot during the last drought .
”

If you want to know what climate change means for California’s water supply, consider the last two Februaries.
In 126 years of statewide record-keeping, you can’t find a drier February than the one we just experienced. But February 2019 was the third-wettest on record.
The extremes underscore how global warming is exaggerating the year-to-year swings in California precipitation, which is naturally the most variable in the country.
But surprisingly, the dramatic ups and downs even out. Average precipitation is not declining.
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Michael Anderson, the state climatologist, points out that despite periods of withering drought in the last two decades, precipitation in the northern Sierra Nevada — a key water source for the state — hasn’t changed.
Moreover, the region was actually drier during the Dust Bowl era of the 1920s and ‘30s.
“Oddly enough, in the 21st century — because we’ve had those wet extremes and dry years that haven’t been extremely dry — our average comes out really close to” the 20th century, Anderson said.
Spring storms in Central California helped fill Cachuma Reservoir, which emptied during the 2012-2016 drought. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Statewide, the four wettest Oct. 1-Sept. 30 water years have been recorded since 1980, according to the California Climate Tracker.
That mirrors projections that global warming will hit California with more extreme wet years and boost precipitation a bit in the north.
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But how does that fit with a recent scientific paper that concluded the Southwest, including all of California, has been in the grip of a 21st century megadrought intensified by human-caused global warming?
The study, which ranked 2000-2018 as the second-driest 19-year period in 1,200 years, factored in far more than precipitation. Researchers also modeled soil moisture, humidity and temperature and analyzed tree ring records.
Look solely at precipitation and the Southwest has not been stuck in a megadrought — and was drier in the Dust Bowl era — said co-author John Abatzoglou, an associate geography professor at the University of Idaho.
Moreover, using the broader criteria of soil moisture, etc., the paper pointed to 1980-1998 as the wettest 19-year period in at least 1,200 years.
“Basically, we had the wettest multi-decadal period followed by the second-driest multi-decadal period back to back,” Abatzoglou said. “That’s an eye-opening roller coaster.”
All of that is rewriting a water management playbook that is appearing increasingly outdated.
Though overall precipitation may not significantly change, it will come in a different form and at different times. Rising temperatures are turning snow into rain, diminishing the mountain snowpack that functions as nature’s slow-release reservoir in the spring and early summer. Evaporation will increase.
The rainy season is expected to be shorter and more intense, shifting the timing of peak runoff that helps fill a vast system of man-made reservoirs.
An egret takes flight at Cachuma Reservoir. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A 2018 report warned that despite a modest increase in Northern California streamflow in coming decades, State Water Project deliveries that help supply more than 27 million Californians will go down, not up. The reason: There will be more flood flows that are difficult to capture and store.
“We’ve learned through drought cycle after drought cycle after flood cycle to be prepared for another dry year,” said Brad Coffey, water resource manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the state project’s biggest customer.
“That said, we are concerned about how climate change will be affecting water supplies for the future,” he added.
How California should adapt is the subject of considerable debate and not a little controversy: Build more dams and reservoirs? Construct a huge tunnel to divert more Sacramento River flow and send it south?
Other proposals include the revival of natural flood plains and the revision of old rules that require reservoir operators to leave space for a spring snowmelt the state will see less and less of.
Coastal agencies want to capture more storm water that now rushes to the sea.
“Water management strategies are going to be changing,” said regional climatologist Daniel McEvoy at the Western Regional Climate Center.
Whether big infrastructure projects such as the long planned and much disputed tunnel system under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta or the proposed Sites Reservoir in Northern California are ever built is an open question.
But urban water users are moving to diversify sources that will help buffer them from greater extremes.
Metropolitan, the country’s largest distributor of treated drinking water, has launched a pilot project to gauge the feasibility of using cleansed wastewater from a big Carson sewage plant to replenish regional aquifers.
“Our goal is to de-link year-to-year hydrology with year-to-year water supply,” Coffey said. “Our investments in storage and local conservation and local supplies are the way to do that.”
Danny Santistevan gives his grandson, Mario Antonio Garcia, 6, a fishing lesson at Cachuma Reservoir. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Spring storms boosted rainy season totals to above average in many parts of Southern California this year. Santa Barbara County’s Lake Cachuma, which emptied during the 2012-2016 drought, was 80% full for the second year in a row.
But statewide, the water year is so far among the 20 driest on record, prompting the big government water projects to slash deliveries from the north.
Metropolitan nonetheless says it will have no problems meeting demand for the foreseeable future, thanks to record reserves in regional reservoirs and groundwater banks.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which gets most of its supplies from Metropolitan and the Owens Valley, similarly says it will have no difficulty meeting demand this year.
Both agencies have embraced water conservation programs that have yielded impressive results.
Annual water use by the city of Los Angeles has stabilized at the lowest levels in nearly half a century.
In the early 1970s, when the city’s population was approaching 3 million, Angelenos used an average of 586,000 acre-feet of water a year. Now, as the population hovers around 4 million, the average is 502,000 acre-feet.
Metropolitan used to say an acre-foot would supply two Southern California households for a year. Now it serves three households.
More efficient plumbing fixtures and appliances, lawn-removal rebate programs and tiered water rates have all played a role in the downward trends, as have changing development patterns.
In L.A., new housing is likely to be a four-story apartment building where residents are watering a few potted plants rather than the lawn that was a standard feature of 20th century housing tracts.
Statewide, the conservation habits city dwellers were forced to adopt during the parched years of 2012 to 2016 seem to have largely stuck.
The first-ever, state-imposed cuts on urban water use were lifted in late 2017. But overall urban use has rebounded only slightly. It remains 20% less than it was in 2013, according to the State Water Resources Control Board.
“Californians continue to conserve water,” said Charlotte Ely, a water board senior environmental scientist. “I think people learned a lot during the last drought.”


latimes--2020-07-05--'You started the corona!' As anti-Asian hate incidents explode, climbing past 800, activists push fo

'You started the corona!' As anti-Asian hate incidents explode, climbing past 800, activists push for aid

Wearing their masks , Donalene Ferrer and two other generations of family members were walking along an Oceanside neighborhood in April when a car pulled up and a woman yelled : “ You started the corona !
” The accuser , with a baby and a toddler in tow , turned out to be her mother ’ s neighbor , Ferrer said .
Still in shock , the victim said she stepped near the woman to ask , “ Why are you targeting us ?
I ’ m a nurse and my father fought for this country .
You shouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ferrer , 41 , a Filipina , remembered the unmasked woman taunting them back : “ Come over here .
Say it to my face.
” But worried that the person might be carrying a hidden weapon , Ferrer said she left .
Hate incidents directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are exploding this year , according to advocates pushing for California Gov .
Gavin Newsom to boost funding for programs fighting bias and add a cultural representative to his new COVID-19 task force .
Supporters and organizers of Stop AAPI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Golden State in the last three months , with assaults and verbal tirades “ becoming the norm ” since the pandemic started , instigated by people following the inflammatory rhetoric of the nation ’ s highest-profile leader , they say .
The escalating number of incidents has triggered outrage among the public and elected officials .
“ We seem to have a president that has given the green light to the racists to come out of the woodwork and start attacking Asians , ” said state Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi ( D-Rolling Hills Estates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scene of some the most widely viewed hate episodes recorded on video .
These include a stranger , later identified by police as Lena Hernandez of Long Beach , accosting an Asian woman who was exercising at Wilson Park , telling her to “ go back to whatever ... Asian country you belong in.
” On June 10 , the same day at the same location , Hernandez also allegedly berated an Asian man who had parked close to her Honda , calling him “ Chinaman ” and adding : “ You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Officials in Torrance — whose population of over 145,000 is more than one-third Asian — arrested Hernandez on Friday , charging her with battery from a separate confrontation with a female bystander at Del Amo Fashion Center last October .
Authorities have been flooded with hundreds of calls about the harassment in June , along with another in which a racist letter posted on the front door of a cookware shop warned the owner : “ Go back to Japan ... .
We are going to bomb your store if you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you live.
” Muratsuchi joined state Assemblyman David Chiu ( D-San Francisco ) , chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus , and founders of Stop AAPI Hate , the most prominent aggregator of incidents , at a news conference last week to denounce structural racism .
Advocates had asked Newsom for $ 1.4 million to fund research on how the coronavirus is affecting AAPI health in connection to racism and to establish a racial bias strike team to investigate the mounting problem of COVID-19-related hate incidents against Asian Americans .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , excluded money for initiatives supported by the Asian America community .
“ Asian Americans need to see concrete actions and we ’ re here to work with the state to ensure that we can live free from racial discrimination and enjoy equal rights and access , ” said Manjusha Kulkarni , executive director of Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council and a founder of Stop AAPI Hate .
Early in the global health crisis , when residents were learning about the coronavirus , business activity in the San Francisco Chinatown area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
He also highlighted the case of an older man beaten while collecting cans in the city ’ s Bayview district .
An attacker swung a metal bar at the victim while others , shouting racial slurs , continued to mock him .
“ It ’ s incredibly disturbing .
There ’ s not just a pandemic of health — there ’ s a pandemic of hate , ” Chiu said .
He points a finger at President Trump ‘ s casual use of terms such as “ kung flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies and press briefings , behavior mirrored by citizens imitating him in everyday speech and inciting hate .
Participants at the news conference cited a new report of multiple examples across 34 counties , including an Asian American family in Los Angeles who said they were harassed inside the elevator at their apartment building .
A couple not wearing face coverings told them “ this f— virus came from your mother— country ” and “ you nasty as roaches.
” Another Asian American in Los Angeles reported that “ our Zoom feed was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our members and viewers with racial slurs and anti-immigrant remarks .
They also hacked into our Zoom chat , typing the Nazi salute and pro-Trump messages.
” Counted in the 800-plus incidents taking place at retail stores , work , school and online are 81 incidents of assault and 64 potential civil rights violations , according to Stop AAPI Hate .
In Rosemead , an Asian American reported that “ three Hispanic and two white individuals entered the store and cut in front of me .
I spoke up and said , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line and I ’ m next.
’ ” The strangers allegedly turned and yelled out names , spitting at the individual and telling him to keep waiting .
A cashier said they should stop and asked whether the shopper wanted to alert police .
“ I declined and left the store immediately , not wanting any more confrontation.
” In San Francisco , an Asian American reported that someone threw a glass bottle at her friend while she was putting her baby in the car and yelled a racist epithet .
In Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man kicked his dog and ordered him to shut the canine up .
Then the man spat on him , adding : “ Take your disease that ’ s ruining our country .
Go home.
” The scapegoating of China and people of Chinese descent happens again and again , said Cynthia Choi , co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action , a group that co-founded Stop AAPI Hate .
“ Racist demagoguery matched with anti-immigrant policies have always been used to deny Asian Americans full social and political rights , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chair and professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University : “ Without government accountability , we risk COVID-related racism against Asian Americans becoming deeply entrenched , ultimately impacting the lives of millions of people in California and around the country.
” Ferrer , a birth unit nurse who lives in Riverside County and whose mother is from Oceanside , said her parents find it difficult to be near their confrontational neighbors .
She reported the family ’ s attack to Stop AAPI Hate when a friend introduced her to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Instagram and Facebook .
“ We were lucky to have someone listen to us , but what about all the others who stay silent ?
” she asked .
Her daughter , Charlie Ferrer , 17 , said that before family members stepped outside that day , she and her mother had just watched a news segment on Asian teenagers being blamed for the coronavirus and attacked in Australia .
“ I felt anger boiling inside of me , ” she recalled .
“ It was so surreal .
Now I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because this could easily happen again in the future .
”

Wearing their masks, Donalene Ferrer and two other generations of family members were walking along an Oceanside neighborhood in April when a car pulled up and a woman yelled: “You started the corona!”
The accuser, with a baby and a toddler in tow, turned out to be her mother’s neighbor, Ferrer said. Still in shock, the victim said she stepped near the woman to ask, “Why are you targeting us? I’m a nurse and my father fought for this country. You shouldn’t be teaching your children racism.”
Ferrer, 41, a Filipina, remembered the unmasked woman taunting them back: “Come over here. Say it to my face.” But worried that the person might be carrying a hidden weapon, Ferrer said she left.
Hate incidents directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are exploding this year, according to advocates pushing for California Gov. Gavin Newsom to boost funding for programs fighting bias and add a cultural representative to his new COVID-19 task force.
Advertisement
Supporters and organizers of Stop AAPI Hate have documented 832 incidents across the Golden State in the last three months, with assaults and verbal tirades “becoming the norm” since the pandemic started, instigated by people following the inflammatory rhetoric of the nation’s highest-profile leader, they say.
The escalating number of incidents has triggered outrage among the public and elected officials.
“We seem to have a president that has given the green light to the racists to come out of the woodwork and start attacking Asians,” said state Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Rolling Hills Estates), who represents Torrance, the scene of some the most widely viewed hate episodes recorded on video.
Donalene Ferrer, left, a Filipina, and her daughter, Charlie, 17. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
These include a stranger, later identified by police as Lena Hernandez of Long Beach, accosting an Asian woman who was exercising at Wilson Park, telling her to “go back to whatever ... Asian country you belong in.” On June 10, the same day at the same location, Hernandez also allegedly berated an Asian man who had parked close to her Honda, calling him “Chinaman” and adding: “You know what, you need to go home.”
Officials in Torrance — whose population of over 145,000 is more than one-third Asian — arrested Hernandez on Friday, charging her with battery from a separate confrontation with a female bystander at Del Amo Fashion Center last October. Authorities have been flooded with hundreds of calls about the harassment in June, along with another in which a racist letter posted on the front door of a cookware shop warned the owner: “Go back to Japan.... We are going to bomb your store if you don’t listen and we know where you live.”
Advertisement
Muratsuchi joined state Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, and founders of Stop AAPI Hate, the most prominent aggregator of incidents, at a news conference last week to denounce structural racism.
Advocates had asked Newsom for $1.4 million to fund research on how the coronavirus is affecting AAPI health in connection to racism and to establish a racial bias strike team to investigate the mounting problem of COVID-19-related hate incidents against Asian Americans. But the state budget, voted on last month, excluded money for initiatives supported by the Asian America community.
“Asian Americans need to see concrete actions and we’re here to work with the state to ensure that we can live free from racial discrimination and enjoy equal rights and access,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council and a founder of Stop AAPI Hate.
Early in the global health crisis, when residents were learning about the coronavirus, business activity in the San Francisco Chinatown area that Chiu represents started dropping by half, he said. He also highlighted the case of an older man beaten while collecting cans in the city’s Bayview district. An attacker swung a metal bar at the victim while others, shouting racial slurs, continued to mock him.
“It’s incredibly disturbing. There’s not just a pandemic of health — there’s a pandemic of hate,” Chiu said. He points a finger at President Trump‘s casual use of terms such as “kung flu” and “China virus” at rallies and press briefings, behavior mirrored by citizens imitating him in everyday speech and inciting hate.
Participants at the news conference cited a new report of multiple examples across 34 counties, including an Asian American family in Los Angeles who said they were harassed inside the elevator at their apartment building. A couple not wearing face coverings told them “this f— virus came from your mother— country” and “you nasty as roaches.”
Another Asian American in Los Angeles reported that “our Zoom feed was hacked by white supremacists who verbally attacked our members and viewers with racial slurs and anti-immigrant remarks. They also hacked into our Zoom chat, typing the Nazi salute and pro-Trump messages.”
Counted in the 800-plus incidents taking place at retail stores, work, school and online are 81 incidents of assault and 64 potential civil rights violations, according to Stop AAPI Hate.
In Rosemead, an Asian American reported that “three Hispanic and two white individuals entered the store and cut in front of me. I spoke up and said, ‘Hey, I’ve been in line and I’m next.’” The strangers allegedly turned and yelled out names, spitting at the individual and telling him to keep waiting. A cashier said they should stop and asked whether the shopper wanted to alert police. “I declined and left the store immediately, not wanting any more confrontation.”
In San Francisco, an Asian American reported that someone threw a glass bottle at her friend while she was putting her baby in the car and yelled a racist epithet. In Santa Clara, an Asian American reported that a man kicked his dog and ordered him to shut the canine up. Then the man spat on him, adding: “Take your disease that’s ruining our country. Go home.”
The scapegoating of China and people of Chinese descent happens again and again, said Cynthia Choi, co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, a group that co-founded Stop AAPI Hate. “Racist demagoguery matched with anti-immigrant policies have always been used to deny Asian Americans full social and political rights,” she added.
Said Russell Jeung, chair and professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University: “Without government accountability, we risk COVID-related racism against Asian Americans becoming deeply entrenched, ultimately impacting the lives of millions of people in California and around the country.”
Ferrer, a birth unit nurse who lives in Riverside County and whose mother is from Oceanside, said her parents find it difficult to be near their confrontational neighbors. She reported the family’s attack to Stop AAPI Hate when a friend introduced her to the group, after reading her racism posts on Instagram and Facebook. “We were lucky to have someone listen to us, but what about all the others who stay silent?” she asked.
Her daughter, Charlie Ferrer, 17, said that before family members stepped outside that day, she and her mother had just watched a news segment on Asian teenagers being blamed for the coronavirus and attacked in Australia.
“I felt anger boiling inside of me,” she recalled. “It was so surreal. Now I’m telling my friends to be careful because this could easily happen again in the future.”


latimes--2020-07-05--Do L.A. politicians who pushed for reopening now have regrets as coronavirus cases climb?

The death toll in Los Angeles County had just topped 2,000 and public health officials were painting a grim scenario .
“ This is a very sad milestone for us , ” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a news conference on May 21 .
But around the same time , some county supervisors were pushing to reopen the economy .
Supervisor Janice Hahn asked Gov .
Gavin Newsom that same week to allow retailers to reopen at limited capacity .
And Supervisor Kathryn Barger , the following week , co-authored a motion with Hahn at the Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county ’ s reopening .
L.A. County , she said , based off the data , had flattened the curve , and it was time to move forward .
Soon , not only were barbershops and salons reopening but also all retailers at 50 % capacity .
One month later , the pandemic has roared back , forcing public health officials to reverse some reopening efforts .
Newsom on Wednesday ordered 19 counties , including L.A. , to halt visits to indoor restaurants , bars , wineries and tasting rooms , entertainment centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and card rooms for the next three weeks .
Any regrets from the supervisors ?
Not Barger .
She stands firm in her view that businesses must be allowed to remain open at least in some capacity .
Hahn and other supervisors , however , are more cautious .
“ I do not have any regrets about the speed at which we reopened because I felt we were very deliberate in how we as a county moved that forward , ” Barger said .
“ The lessons learned , in hindsight , were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just because we ’ re reopening doesn ’ t mean the virus isn ’ t very much still in the community.
” But would she support another shutdown ?
“ I ’ d be hard-pressed to support rolling back and having a complete shutdown again , ” Barger said in an interview Wednesday .
“ There are people out there that are truly wondering if they ’ re going to have a business to come back to , or whether people are going to have jobs to come back to.
” While Barger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s arguably the most progressive Board of Supervisors in its history , remains cautious of further shutdowns , Hahn said more businesses might need to close to protect the public .
“ To be honest with you , we knew how difficult it would be to reclose , and to walk it back , ” Hahn said .
“ We knew that would not go over well , but we have to right now .
“ We might have tried to get back to normalcy too soon , ” Hahn later added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re frustrated that the county ’ s contact tracing teams haven ’ t been able to provide more precise data on how and where outbreaks are occurring .
“ I want to know where this is happening , ” Hahn said .
“ Where are people getting this ?
Is it the grocery store ?
Is it in the churches ?
Is it the restaurants ?
Is it at the beaches ?
Is it riding Metro ?
Is it at the bars ?
And that ’ s more difficult to ascertain .
Apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gather all the information you ’ d liked to have.
” In her public statements , Hilda Solis — whose 1st District includes communities such as East L.A. with more than 2,600 cases , the most confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the county — has been cautious in her support for reopening .
“ In hindsight , I think we probably could have gone slower , ” Solis said in an interview Wednesday , “ and I think we ’ re still learning much about this pandemic because obviously , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , residents were “ very much aware ” about adhering to the public health order , Solis said .
People stayed at home , but as a result , the county ’ s economy suffered greatly , especially in retail and tourism jobs , where a high percentage of workers are people of color and women , particular Latinos , she said .
People who work as janitors , factory workers and grocery store clerks do not have the luxury of telecommuting , and thousands of people work multiple jobs , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other healthcare settings , or retail workers who work at multiple stores , she said .
They are unlikely to have the savings to get them through the pandemic but also are at an incredibly heightened risk of getting sick , she said .
These are the workers whom Solis said she worries most about if the county shuts down businesses again .
“ It ’ s going to again be saddled on the backs of the people who need these jobs .
Here we go again with another redoubling down .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s my question , and why can ’ t we do more ?
” Solis said , adding that the county must allocate much of the $ 1 billion it received from the federal CARES Act for underresourced communities and families of color to ensure they have ample access to healthcare , testing and protective equipment .
Solis said as the county moves forward , businesses that do not comply with safety regulations must face consequences .
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl agreed , saying she was frustrated at how many restaurant and bars failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county moved to reopen .
“ We thought there would be a high level of compliance , and frankly , we wanted to have a trusting relationship with the business community because we didn ’ t want people to be out of work , and we thought , if they followed the rules , we would continue to be safe , ” Kuehl , whose 3rd District stretches from the ocean to Los Feliz , said .
“ Well , they didn ’ t. ” At Tuesday ’ s Board of Supervisors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , co-authored by Hahn , that asks the county ’ s Department of Public Health to develop a plan on how to fine businesses that ignore the county ’ s coronavirus protocols and , if they continue to forgo public safety , to pull their licenses .
Kuehl said she wishes more residents would call out businesses that ignore the county ’ s health order .
While at her favorite restaurant , Kuehl noticed three tables were set up outside , separated by hedges and only two feet apart .
She told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle table to ensure patrons were six feet apart .
“ This is serious , ” she said .
“ If you want to stay open , you ’ re going to have to comply because we ’ re going to have to get serious again if people don ’ t obey.
” Times staff writers Colleen Shalby and Ron Lin contributed to this report .

Mary Granados, a waitress at the Original Pantry Cafe in downtown Los Angeles, tapes a sign designating dining services are limited to takeout. For the next few weeks, restaurants in L.A. County and other counties statewide will only be allowed to offer only takeout or delivery service due to an increase in coronavirus cases.
The death toll in Los Angeles County had just topped 2,000 and public health officials were painting a grim scenario. “This is a very sad milestone for us,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a news conference on May 21.
But around the same time, some county supervisors were pushing to reopen the economy. Supervisor Janice Hahn asked Gov. Gavin Newsom that same week to allow retailers to reopen at limited capacity.
And Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the following week, co-authored a motion with Hahn at the Board of Supervisors meeting that led to the county’s reopening. L.A. County, she said, based off the data, had flattened the curve, and it was time to move forward. Soon, not only were barbershops and salons reopening but also all retailers at 50% capacity.
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One month later, the pandemic has roared back, forcing public health officials to reverse some reopening efforts. Newsom on Wednesday ordered 19 counties, including L.A., to halt visits to indoor restaurants, bars, wineries and tasting rooms, entertainment centers, movie theaters, zoos, museums and card rooms for the next three weeks.
Any regrets from the supervisors?
Not Barger. She stands firm in her view that businesses must be allowed to remain open at least in some capacity. Hahn and other supervisors, however, are more cautious.
“I do not have any regrets about the speed at which we reopened because I felt we were very deliberate in how we as a county moved that forward,” Barger said. “The lessons learned, in hindsight, were we didn’t stress enough that just because we’re reopening doesn’t mean the virus isn’t very much still in the community.”
But would she support another shutdown?
“I’d be hard-pressed to support rolling back and having a complete shutdown again,” Barger said in an interview Wednesday. “There are people out there that are truly wondering if they’re going to have a business to come back to, or whether people are going to have jobs to come back to.”
While Barger, the only Republican on what’s arguably the most progressive Board of Supervisors in its history, remains cautious of further shutdowns, Hahn said more businesses might need to close to protect the public.
“To be honest with you, we knew how difficult it would be to reclose, and to walk it back,” Hahn said. “We knew that would not go over well, but we have to right now.
“We might have tried to get back to normalcy too soon,” Hahn later added.
Advertisement
Barger and Hahn both say they’re frustrated that the county’s contact tracing teams haven’t been able to provide more precise data on how and where outbreaks are occurring.
“I want to know where this is happening,” Hahn said. “Where are people getting this? Is it the grocery store? Is it in the churches? Is it the restaurants? Is it at the beaches? Is it riding Metro? Is it at the bars? And that’s more difficult to ascertain. Apparently contact tracing is a difficult procedure to gather all the information you’d liked to have.”
In her public statements, Hilda Solis — whose 1st District includes communities such as East L.A. with more than 2,600 cases, the most confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the county — has been cautious in her support for reopening.
“In hindsight, I think we probably could have gone slower,” Solis said in an interview Wednesday, “and I think we’re still learning much about this pandemic because obviously, it’s relentless.”
In the first two months, residents were “very much aware” about adhering to the public health order, Solis said.
People stayed at home, but as a result, the county’s economy suffered greatly, especially in retail and tourism jobs, where a high percentage of workers are people of color and women, particular Latinos, she said.
People who work as janitors, factory workers and grocery store clerks do not have the luxury of telecommuting, and thousands of people work multiple jobs, such as home healthcare nurses who moonlight in other healthcare settings, or retail workers who work at multiple stores, she said. They are unlikely to have the savings to get them through the pandemic but also are at an incredibly heightened risk of getting sick, she said.
These are the workers whom Solis said she worries most about if the county shuts down businesses again.
“It’s going to again be saddled on the backs of the people who need these jobs. Here we go again with another redoubling down. How much can they sustain? That’s my question, and why can’t we do more?” Solis said, adding that the county must allocate much of the $1 billion it received from the federal CARES Act for underresourced communities and families of color to ensure they have ample access to healthcare, testing and protective equipment.
Solis said as the county moves forward, businesses that do not comply with safety regulations must face consequences.
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl agreed, saying she was frustrated at how many restaurant and bars failed to enforce masks and social distancing after the county moved to reopen.
“We thought there would be a high level of compliance, and frankly, we wanted to have a trusting relationship with the business community because we didn’t want people to be out of work, and we thought, if they followed the rules, we would continue to be safe,” Kuehl, whose 3rd District stretches from the ocean to Los Feliz, said. “Well, they didn’t.”
At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Kuehl will introduce a motion, co-authored by Hahn, that asks the county’s Department of Public Health to develop a plan on how to fine businesses that ignore the county’s coronavirus protocols and, if they continue to forgo public safety, to pull their licenses.
Kuehl said she wishes more residents would call out businesses that ignore the county’s health order.
While at her favorite restaurant, Kuehl noticed three tables were set up outside, separated by hedges and only two feet apart. She told the restaurant that it needed to remove the middle table to ensure patrons were six feet apart.
“This is serious,” she said. “If you want to stay open, you’re going to have to comply because we’re going to have to get serious again if people don’t obey.”
Times staff writers Colleen Shalby and Ron Lin contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-05--LAPD responds to a million 911 calls a year, but relatively few for violent crimes

More than a million times last year Los Angeles police officers were dispatched on calls for help .
Contained within that huge volume of 911 calls is a defining aspect of policing in modern America : The job has expanded over time to include far more than fighting crime .
Although armed with weapons and the unique authority to use force , cops often are sent to resolve problems that should not require their coercive powers .
Family fights , episodes of mental illness , complaints of loud parties , and dogs running loose are all part of the job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively little time responding to reports of violent crime , despite that being widely viewed as a core police function , a Los Angeles Times analysis found .
Of the nearly 18 million calls logged by the LAPD since 2010 , about 1.4 million of them , or less than 8 % , were reports of violent crimes , which The Times defined as homicides , assaults with deadly weapons , robberies , batteries , shots fired and rape .
By contrast , police responded to a greater number of traffic accidents and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The Times found .
The Times included in its analysis categories of 911 calls and calls initiated by police officers .
The extensive role of police in American life has come under scrutiny in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and other recent deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police .
Fury over the killings and , more broadly , a long history of police abuse of Black people have led not only to demands for police to be better trained and more restrained in their use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in American life be cut back as well .
“ The only way to guarantee police violence does not occur is to avoid the encounter altogether , ” said Philip McHarris , a sociologist whose work focuses on policing and who has argued for the need to dramatically reduce police presence .
Any such rethinking of policing in America will include an examination of how officers currently spend their time .
To better understand what the job looks like now , The Times analyzed the decade of LAPD calls for service .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges of redefining what police do .
Reaching agreement on how to curtail the job of policing will be difficult .
Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement in Los Angeles and others are calling for a wholesale replacement of police with an expansive network of unarmed professionals including social workers and mental health experts .
Police officials and powerful unions representing rank-and-file officers , meanwhile , are opposed to any significant cuts to the size , massive budgets and influence that police departments have steadily amassed over the decades .
And with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are torn on how far reforms should go , elected officials in Los Angeles , San Francisco , New York and elsewhere are searching for some middle ground .
Last week , the Los Angeles City Council voted to cut $ 150 million from the LAPD ’ s roughly $ 1.85-billion annual budget , but did not impose any changes on what the city ’ s police are allowed to do .
By far , the most common types of police work recorded by the LAPD were stops of drivers and pedestrians that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for perceived violations .
Each year over the past decade , Los Angeles police have made between 550,000 and 950,000 such stops , according to The Times ’ review .
These stops have contributed heavily to the distrust and anger Black Americans feel toward police as studies have found repeatedly that police target Black people for stops at disproportionately high rates compared to other races and ethnicities .
Last year , for example , a Times investigation found that a special unit of LAPD officers stopped Black drivers at a rate more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s population .
Dramatically scaling back the frequency of these stops could lead to a meaningful change , McHarris said .
“ A big piece of this is removing police from traffic safety , ” he said .
“ Much of police violence starts during traffic stops.
” The idea of removing police from traffic enforcement is under consideration in New York City and in Los Angeles , where members of the city council proposed replacing police officers with staff from the city ’ s transportation department or automated technology for enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consensus has emerged over types of calls that should be taken from police , there is some agreement around the idea that calls involving people with mental illness could be better handled by specially trained , unarmed professionals .
LAPD Chief Michel Moore expressed support for the idea recently , and the department is planning to begin diverting some suicide calls to a phone line run by a mental health organization .
But removing police from all mental-health-related calls would reduce the LAPD ’ s overall footprint in the city only minimally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of all calls , according to the analysis .
The Times included 911 calls of someone possibly being suicidal in the tally of mental-health-related calls .
Mental health calls also illustrate some of the challenges for Los Angeles or other cities that attempt to overhaul their police departments , experts cautioned .
In more than 324,000 mental-health-related calls over the past decade , at least 9 % of the time — 29,000 calls — the person reporting the incident indicated to the 911 dispatcher that the mentally ill person was acting violently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coded by LAPD dispatchers .
It is unknown from the available data whether these calls were resolved peacefully or if the presence of armed police officers , who receive little training in how to help someone suffering from mental illness , escalated already tense scenarios and resorted to using deadly force as they have several times in recent years .
Nonetheless , as elected officials in Los Angeles and elsewhere contemplate sending psychologists or social workers instead of police when people with mental illness are in distress , the LAPD data underscore the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be violent .
“ We need to decide how much risk as a society we ’ re willing to take that we might send someone into a situation that turns violent , ” said Steve Matrofski , a criminologist who has studied the structures and effectiveness of police departments .
“ But we also must decide if we are willing to continue to take the risk that sending police into some situations actually make things worse .
Where is the balance ?
” That tension is embedded in other types of calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , LAPD officers responded to about 170,000 reports of disturbances , a broad category that over the past decade has accounted for about 9 % of all of LAPD ’ s calls for service .
A breakdown of the dispatch data indicates the vast majority of those calls did not include a reference to violence and could have possibly been handled by people other than police .
But about 17 % of the time the caller to 911 referred to a weapon or fight , according to The Times ’ analysis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ little more than direct traffic at many of the 70,000 traffic collisions they responded to last year , but others involved possible drunk driving and hit and run investigations .
In comments last week to the civilian board that oversees the department , Moore alluded to the complexities of parsing which calls should and should not be the domain of police .
Calling for “ a multi-phase approach ” to mental health calls , Moore envisioned a system in which “ a clinician , perhaps a medical professional , will go and handle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there needs to be a law enforcement presence in concert with the clinician ... and then one in which the life challenge or emergency is so great or so significant that we dispatch police first , and then quickly followed behind them is clinician support once the scene is safe.
” The city would need to boost its ranks of mental health professionals to make such a plan possible , Moore and others have said .
And it remains to be seen how the high-stakes , on-the-spot decisions of whether to send police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Matrofski and others said cities will need to improve their collection and use of data , such as the history of calls at a particular address , to minimize the chance of mistakes .
Some categories of calls appear less complicated .
Nearly 66,000 times last year , police were called on to respond to minor disturbances , which included complaints of fireworks , loud music and car alarms .
And thousands of times each year police are summoned to referee squabbles between family members , tenants and landlords and others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be handled by something along the lines of the unarmed , uniformed “ police support officers ” used in the United Kingdom , said Alex Vitale , a sociologist at Brooklyn College who has argued for the need to dramatically scale back police responsibilities .
“ Police are not social workers , they are violence workers — they are authorized to use violence in a way no other person is allowed and their authority is derived from this power , ” Vitale said .
“ We ’ ve turned over all these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one else left , but we need to open our minds to other options .
”

More than a million times last year Los Angeles police officers were dispatched on calls for help.
Contained within that huge volume of 911 calls is a defining aspect of policing in modern America: The job has expanded over time to include far more than fighting crime.
Although armed with weapons and the unique authority to use force, cops often are sent to resolve problems that should not require their coercive powers. Family fights, episodes of mental illness, complaints of loud parties, and dogs running loose are all part of the job.
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Police, in fact, spend relatively little time responding to reports of violent crime, despite that being widely viewed as a core police function, a Los Angeles Times analysis found.
Of the nearly 18 million calls logged by the LAPD since 2010, about 1.4 million of them, or less than 8%, were reports of violent crimes, which The Times defined as homicides, assaults with deadly weapons, robberies, batteries, shots fired and rape. By contrast, police responded to a greater number of traffic accidents and calls recorded as “minor disturbances,” The Times found.
The Times included in its analysis categories of 911 calls and calls initiated by police officers.
The extensive role of police in American life has come under scrutiny in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and other recent deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police. Fury over the killings and, more broadly, a long history of police abuse of Black people have led not only to demands for police to be better trained and more restrained in their use of force, but that their extensive presence in American life be cut back as well.
“The only way to guarantee police violence does not occur is to avoid the encounter altogether,” said Philip McHarris, a sociologist whose work focuses on policing and who has argued for the need to dramatically reduce police presence.
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Any such rethinking of policing in America will include an examination of how officers currently spend their time. To better understand what the job looks like now, The Times analyzed the decade of LAPD calls for service. The figures underscore both the possibilities and the challenges of redefining what police do.
Reaching agreement on how to curtail the job of policing will be difficult.
Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement in Los Angeles and others are calling for a wholesale replacement of police with an expansive network of unarmed professionals including social workers and mental health experts.
Police officials and powerful unions representing rank-and-file officers, meanwhile, are opposed to any significant cuts to the size, massive budgets and influence that police departments have steadily amassed over the decades.
LAPD officers watch a peaceful protest June 1 on Van Nuys Boulevard. (Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
And with polls showing Americans support changes, but are torn on how far reforms should go, elected officials in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and elsewhere are searching for some middle ground. Last week, the Los Angeles City Council voted to cut $150 million from the LAPD’s roughly $1.85-billion annual budget, but did not impose any changes on what the city’s police are allowed to do.
By far, the most common types of police work recorded by the LAPD were stops of drivers and pedestrians that officers elected to make on their own for perceived violations. Each year over the past decade, Los Angeles police have made between 550,000 and 950,000 such stops, according to The Times’ review.
These stops have contributed heavily to the distrust and anger Black Americans feel toward police as studies have found repeatedly that police target Black people for stops at disproportionately high rates compared to other races and ethnicities.
Last year, for example, a Times investigation found that a special unit of LAPD officers stopped Black drivers at a rate more than five times their share of the city’s population.
Dramatically scaling back the frequency of these stops could lead to a meaningful change, McHarris said.
“A big piece of this is removing police from traffic safety,” he said. “Much of police violence starts during traffic stops.”
The idea of removing police from traffic enforcement is under consideration in New York City and in Los Angeles, where members of the city council proposed replacing police officers with staff from the city’s transportation department or automated technology for enforcement of many traffic laws.
Although little consensus has emerged over types of calls that should be taken from police, there is some agreement around the idea that calls involving people with mental illness could be better handled by specially trained, unarmed professionals.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore expressed support for the idea recently, and the department is planning to begin diverting some suicide calls to a phone line run by a mental health organization.
But removing police from all mental-health-related calls would reduce the LAPD’s overall footprint in the city only minimally, since they accounted for less than 2% of all calls, according to the analysis. The Times included 911 calls of someone possibly being suicidal in the tally of mental-health-related calls.
Mental health calls also illustrate some of the challenges for Los Angeles or other cities that attempt to overhaul their police departments, experts cautioned.
Protesters join a news conference by community activist Najee Ali in front of LAPD Headquarters on June 4. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
In more than 324,000 mental-health-related calls over the past decade, at least 9% of the time — 29,000 calls — the person reporting the incident indicated to the 911 dispatcher that the mentally ill person was acting violently, according to how the calls were coded by LAPD dispatchers.
It is unknown from the available data whether these calls were resolved peacefully or if the presence of armed police officers, who receive little training in how to help someone suffering from mental illness, escalated already tense scenarios and resorted to using deadly force as they have several times in recent years.
Nonetheless, as elected officials in Los Angeles and elsewhere contemplate sending psychologists or social workers instead of police when people with mental illness are in distress, the LAPD data underscore the stark reality that some of those calls will be violent.
“We need to decide how much risk as a society we’re willing to take that we might send someone into a situation that turns violent,” said Steve Matrofski, a criminologist who has studied the structures and effectiveness of police departments. “But we also must decide if we are willing to continue to take the risk that sending police into some situations actually make things worse. Where is the balance?”
That tension is embedded in other types of calls as well.
Last year, for example, LAPD officers responded to about 170,000 reports of disturbances, a broad category that over the past decade has accounted for about 9% of all of LAPD’s calls for service.
A breakdown of the dispatch data indicates the vast majority of those calls did not include a reference to violence and could have possibly been handled by people other than police. But about 17% of the time the caller to 911 referred to a weapon or fight, according to The Times’ analysis.
In a similar vein, police did little more than direct traffic at many of the 70,000 traffic collisions they responded to last year, but others involved possible drunk driving and hit and run investigations.
In comments last week to the civilian board that oversees the department, Moore alluded to the complexities of parsing which calls should and should not be the domain of police.
Calling for “a multi-phase approach” to mental health calls, Moore envisioned a system in which “a clinician, perhaps a medical professional, will go and handle that call, another one in which there needs to be a law enforcement presence in concert with the clinician ... and then one in which the life challenge or emergency is so great or so significant that we dispatch police first, and then quickly followed behind them is clinician support once the scene is safe.”
The city would need to boost its ranks of mental health professionals to make such a plan possible, Moore and others have said. And it remains to be seen how the high-stakes, on-the-spot decisions of whether to send police officers to a call will be made.
Matrofski and others said cities will need to improve their collection and use of data, such as the history of calls at a particular address, to minimize the chance of mistakes.
Some categories of calls appear less complicated. Nearly 66,000 times last year, police were called on to respond to minor disturbances, which included complaints of fireworks, loud music and car alarms. And thousands of times each year police are summoned to referee squabbles between family members, tenants and landlords and others.
These types of quality of life issues could be handled by something along the lines of the unarmed, uniformed “police support officers” used in the United Kingdom, said Alex Vitale, a sociologist at Brooklyn College who has argued for the need to dramatically scale back police responsibilities.
“Police are not social workers, they are violence workers — they are authorized to use violence in a way no other person is allowed and their authority is derived from this power,” Vitale said. “We’ve turned over all these problems to police because there was no one else left, but we need to open our minds to other options.”