Misleading claims and falsehoods about water and firefighting resources – including from President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire backer Elon Musk – distracted from the unprecedented conditions that left Los Angeles primed for the most destructive fire in its history.
Wildfires
Posted inPolitics & Policy
L.A. fires underscore how much California has to lose if Trump withholds disaster aid
The federal government typically covers 75% of rebuilding costs after a major disaster. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to withhold firefighting money from California.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz County firefighters help battle raging Palisades blaze
Cal Fire firefighters from the San Mateo-Santa Cruz and Santa Clara units have traveled to Los Angeles County to fight the Palisades fire, which started Tuesday morning and had burned nearly 16,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon. Cal Fire CZU Unit Chief Jed Wilson said local fire risk is currently low, and that the personnel remaining at area stations should be adequate with the current risk level.
Posted inLatest News
Too wet and too dry: The enormous north-south gap in California’s rain
Some Northern California cities have been soaked with almost twice their average rainfall, while southern cities are bone-dry. This season’s huge — possibly unprecedented — disparity works in favor of the state’s water supplies.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In departing from 4Leaf, county thinks it’s ready to handle next phase of CZU recovery
More than four years after the CZU wildfire, Santa Cruz County plans to phase out its partnership with 4Leaf, the firm praised for streamlining rebuild permits for fire victims. While officials promise continuity, residents fear a return to bureaucratic delays.
Posted inLatest News
Prescribed burn in Soquel Demonstration State Forest rescheduled for Tuesday
Cal Fire is planning a 5-acre prescribed burn in the Soquel Demonstration State Forest on Tuesday. It is scheduled to occur between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and will take place near the upper helipad within the forest. The agency said smoke could “linger in the area for several days afterward.”
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Central, Scotts Valley fire district bond measures fail; fire district races conclude with narrow wins
Both Central Fire’s Measure R and Scotts Valley Fire District’s Measure S failed to reach the two-thirds of the vote required to pass. Zayante’s Measure T, a parcel tax, passed with 72%.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure Q, climate resilience bond, passes with over 60% of vote
Measure Q, the Santa Cruz County Water and Wildfire Protection Initiative, has passed, with 60% of the vote.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Californians pay billions for power companies’ wildfire prevention efforts. Are they cost-effective?
After utility equipment sparked tragic wildfires, Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric received state approval to collect $27 billion from ratepayers. As California electric bills soar, questions have emerged about oversight and costs.
Posted inEducation
FEMA gives $3.6 million to clear CZU fire debris from Swanton Pacific Ranch
A $3.6 million FEMA grant will allow Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to begin clearing an estimated 2,688 dead or dying trees from the 3,200-acre sit enear Davenport.