Feb 21 Los Angeles mayor dismisses city's fire chief over response to devastating Palisades Fire By Michael R. Blood, Associated Press Six weeks after the start of the most destructive wildfire in city history, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ousted the fire chief Friday amid a public rift over preparations for a potential blaze and finger-pointing between the chief and City… Continue reading
Feb 18 Watch 5:58 Examining the truth about fighting fires in California amid water management claims By William Brangham, Sam Lane, Mike Fritz Last month’s wildfires in California destroyed thousands of homes, killed at least 29 people and will likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars. President Trump has claimed that state officials made the disaster worse by how they managed the state’s… Continue watching
Feb 18 Schools confront anxiety over Trump's actions on immigration By Moriah Balingit, Bianca Vázquez Toness, Jocelyn Gecker, Associated Press School officials have found themselves responding to rising anxiety among parents and their children, including those who are here legally. Continue reading
Feb 13 Californians brace for flooding in areas torched by wildfires as ice and snow hit East Coast By Christopher Weber, Patrick Whittle, Associated Press Evacuation orders and warnings were issued in areas where hillsides were burned bare by the Palisades Fire, which was the most destructive in LA history, over concerns about potential debris flows during thunderstorms. Continue reading
Feb 11 Watch 7:03 Students and teachers find ways to keep learning after wildfires destroy schools By William Brangham, Mike Fritz, Sam Lane Amid the devastation of the wildfires that tore through Southern California last month, thousands had their education disrupted. At least a dozen schools were burned or so badly damaged that students can’t return any time soon. William Brangham spent time… Continue watching
Feb 10 Watch 9:06 California faces insurance crisis as homeowners lose coverage amid extreme weather By William Brangham, Sam Lane, Mike Fritz Before thousands lost their homes in the recent Los Angeles wildfires, many had lost their insurance. Some residents found that their policies had been cancelled as companies said the rising cost of rebuilding, and the risk of extreme weather, was… Continue watching
Feb 06 California utility says its equipment may have started blaze that erupted during LA firestorm By Christopher Weber, Associated Press A California utility says its equipment may have sparked a small wildfire in Los Angeles that broke out the same day as two massive blazes in the area killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Continue reading
Jan 29 Emergency alert systems lagged when residents needed them most during LA wildfires By Christopher L. Keller, Claudia Lauer, Amy Taxin, Rebecca Boone, Associated Press When disaster strikes, government emergency alert systems offer a simple promise: Residents will get information about nearby dangers and instructions to help them stay safe. Continue reading
Jan 28 Climate change made conditions that fed California wildfires more likely and intense, preliminary study finds By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press Tuesday's report, too rapid for peer-review yet, found global warming boosted the likelihood of high fire weather conditions in this month's fires by 35 percent and its intensity by 6 percent. Continue reading
Jan 27 Southern California rain helps fight fires but causes mudflows, boosting toxic ash runoff risk By Christopher Weber, Associated Press Rain is easing after Southern California’s first significant storm of the season brought weekend downpours that aided firefighters but caused ash, mud and debris to flow across streets in wildfire-burned areas. Continue reading