wildfires News

Man Charged With Setting Wildfires in California Forest

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Northern California man has been charged with serial arson in connection with four wildfires in 5, authorities announced Wednesday. Eric Michael Smith, 38, of Redding, is accused of setting the fires in June and July in …

California Heat Wave Prompts Power Shutdowns, Fire Danger

SAN FRANCISCO — More than 50,000 California utility customers were without power and others around the state were urged to conserve electricity Thursday amid a fall heat wave that brought another round of extreme wildfire danger. The National Weather Service …

California Braces for Renewed Fire Threat From Windy Weather

SAN FRANCISCO — Dry, windy weather posed an extreme wildfire risk Wednesday in Northern California, where massive blazes already have destroyed hundreds of homes and killed or injured dozens of people. The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for …

The One-Stop Rebuilding Shop for Wildfire Victims

California is on fire. Already this year, thousands of people have lost their homes, and communities are struggling to figure out how to rebuild. Nikki Pechet wants to be the person they turn to. Pechet co-founded Homebound Inc. in 2018 …

California Wildfires Are Huge This Year, But Not Deadliest

SAN FRANCISCO — With months still to go in California’s fire season, the state has already shattered records for the amount of land scorched in a single year — more than 4 million acres to date, with one blaze alone …

California’s Grim Fire Mark: Burn Exceeds Last 3 Years Combined

Wildfires in California have burned a record 4 million acres since the start of 2020, charring more land in the past nine months than during the previous three years combined. The results are devastating. The more than 8,200 blazes since …

California’s Wine Country Residents Facing Fire Fatigue

NAPA, Calif. — Will Abrams and his family packed their pickup truck with laptops, clothes, sleeping bags and a tent and quickly left their rental home in California’s wine country after seeing flames on a hill about a quarter-mile away …

Croptober Is Going Up In Smoke Amid Wildfires

October usually heralds the harvest of outdoor cannabis plants, affectionately known as “Croptober.” But this fall, something more serious is in the air: smoke from the wildfires that are ravaging California and Oregon. Fires are clustered in Northern California’s “Emerald …

Power Company Plans Series Of Shutoffs To Prevent Wildfires

LOS ANGELES — One of California’s largest power companies announced Saturday it plans to temporarily shut off power to residents of 16 counties and a tribe to prevent wildfires sparked by electrical equipment. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said it …

Residents Debate Mountain Living Amid Wildfire Concerns

RED FEATHER LAKES, Colo. — Amanda Harmon spent years dreaming of living in Colorado’s mountains. And she worked for it, too. Seven days a week, Harmon waited tables at a golf course and cleaned vacation rentals here, a remote community …