Fueled by bone-dry vegetation, flames from the Alisal fire in Santa Barbara County prompted officials to shut down the 101 between Pacific Coast Highway and Winchester Canyon/Cathedral Oaks Road. It remained closed in both directions on Tuesday morning after flames jumped the freeway in several spots.
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
How much do wildfires really cost California’s economy?
A preliminary estimate shows that the Caldor fire cost tens of millions in lost economic activity. Wildfires, and the economic disruption they cause, have a large economic impact. But right now, California has a mostly incomplete picture of how much fires cost the state each year.
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Oil spill off Orange County coast is smaller than estimated, Coast Guard says
Officials determine that between 25,000 and 131,000 gallons of oil were released in last weekend’s spill off the Orange County coast. Previous estimates were as much as 144,000 gallons.
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Oil spill puts spotlight on the magic and fragility of California’s coast
Scientists say shifting currents could push thicker parts of the oil slick ashore, which would be devastating for ecosystems
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How a coast crowded with ships, port gridlock and an anchor might have caused O.C. oil spill
A final determination for the cause of the spill could take months, but Coast Guard investigators have come up with no other explanation than anchor drag, federal sources said.
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California and the West can see small glimmers of hope in weather outlooks for October
Drought-stricken California has equal chances of normal temperatures and precipitation. “Any change in the atmospheric pattern that has us locked in this drought would be welcome,” one climatologist said.
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Did a wayward ship anchor cause Orange County oil spill? Here’s what we know
The offshore waters along the Orange and Los Angeles county coasts are teeming with cargo ships waiting to get into the ports of L.A. and Long Beach, and the Coast Guard is investigating the possibility that one of them dragged its anchor across a pipeline running from the Port of Long Beach to an offshore oil platform.
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Oil spills have marred the California coast — and shaped our politics
California’s distaste for offshore drilling dates back to the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. Here’s a recap of how the state has led the charge against the practice ever since.
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What it was like to surf on day of Huntington Beach oil spill: Frantic dolphins, exhaust smell
What it was like to be surfing the morning of the Orange County oil spill. In a word: surreal.
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Earthquake: 3.2 quake reported in Oakland
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…