California wildfires

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LA Health Concern: Piles of Toxic Ash

And it may not be reflected in air quality readings

(Newser) - Smoke is a big concern for California residents in the wake of devastating wildfires. Another is ash. As the New York Times reports, one man who managed to save his home from the flames isn't going back inside due to the ash and dust blown inside. "My 5-year-old...

Fire Prevention Efforts Paid Off at Getty Museum

'We're holding up well, but it's been totally wild'

(Newser) - They take fire prevention extremely seriously at the J. Paul Getty Museum's two campuses in Los Angeles, and those efforts paid off last week when the Palisades fire came within 6 feet of the Getty Villa's eastern wall. The museum—and its 40,000 antiquities—remained intact, though...

Musk Deploys Cybertruck Fleet to Fire-Ravaged LA

Starlink is keeping city online; officials had previously asked for service 'for expressly this type of scenario'

(Newser) - The world's richest person is helping keep Los Angeles connected as fires continue to rage around the county of nearly 10 million. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has sent Tesla Cybertrucks outfitted with terminals for SpaceX's satellite internet service, Starlink, to the LA area so those affected...

After the 'Unimaginable,' Hollywood Steps Up to Help

Halle Berry donates 'entire closet' to wildfire victims; Sharon Stone, other celebs also boosting efforts

(Newser) - As firefighters desperately work to contain the Palisades Fire and other blazes breaking out in Southern California, locals are trying to help, too —even stars like Halle Berry, who decided she was going to donate all the clothes she owns to help, reports USA Today . "I'm packing...

Mike Johnson: There Should Be 'Conditions' on Aid to California

House speaker says there's been 'discussion' about tying aid to debt limit increase

(Newser) - House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans have suggested placing conditions on any aid sent to California in the wake of the latest devastating wildfires to hit the state. "Obviously there has been water resource mismanagement, forest management mistakes, all sorts of problems," Johnson told reporters at the...

Police Say LA Looters Are Impersonating Firefighters

'We have people who will go to all ends to do what they do,' LAPD chief says

(Newser) - What's lower than looting homes evacuated amid the Los Angeles wildfires? How about looting homes while dressed as a firefighter? Police say at least one of the dozens of looting suspects arrested over the weekend was in disguise. "We are turning him over to LAPD because he was...

Dad-Daughter Duo Tell Neighbors if Houses Survived

Vanessa and Aluizio Prata stayed behind, do drive-bys to let neighbors know if they still have a home

(Newser) - As the fire roared toward their Altadena home, Vanessa Prata and her parents hurried to pack their car. But they didn't leave, reports the AP . Instead, the Pratas remained in their family home of 27 years, which is somehow still standing even as homes just over a block away...

Oscar Nominations Pushed Back Amid Fires

Academy has also extended voting period

(Newser) - The Oscar nominations are being pushed back almost a week from their original date amid the ongoing California wildfires. Nominations will now be announced on Jan. 23, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday. "We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the...

Heidi Montag's Old Song Is No. 1 Again After Fire

Reality star's 'Superficial' shoots to No. 1 on iTunes after blaze destroys couple's LA-area home

(Newser) - Reality TV stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have a small bit of consolation after the California wildfires. Variety reports that on Friday, Pratt, 41, posted a bunch of photos on TikTok showing him in front of their scorched, destroyed home, along with a plea for fans to stream Montag'...

Weather Service Issues Highest Alert Level in LA Area

Strong winds expected to return Monday night

(Newser) - Firefighters have been making progress against the deadly wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area—but that progress is being threatened by dangerous winds that have caused the National Weather Service to issue its most severe fire warning . The NWS says another round of Santa Ana winds will cause a...

Screenwriter's LA Lament: We Could Use a Hero
Screenwriter's LA Lament:
We Could Use a Hero
OPINION
Jan 13, 2025 11:21 AM CST

Screenwriter's LA Lament: We Could Use a Hero

Amy Chozick says leadership is sorely lacking amid the wildfires

(Newser) - Writer Amy Chozick, who had to flee the California wildfires with her family, voices a complaint about the experience in a New York Times essay:
  • "People keep saying the scenes out of Los Angeles look like something from a movie. Except they don't, not really. Movies need a
...

After Trump Jr. Tweet, Zelensky Pledges Help to LA

Ukrainian president offers his nation's firefighters to fight California's deadly wildfires

(Newser) - Last week, Donald Trump Jr. weighed in on the Los Angeles-area wildfires thusly: "Oh look of course The LA fire department donated a bunch of their supplies to Ukraine," the eldest son of the president-elect posted Wednesday on X , retweeting a few 2022 headlines noting that the LA...

To Rebuild Fast, Newsom Halts Environmental Rules

California's stringent regulations have been suspended for the time being after fires

(Newser) - With massive rebuilding needed in the Los Angeles area after a series of devastating wildfires, including the deadly Palisades Fire , Gov. Gavin Newsom has already made a big move to expedite that process. The New York Times reports that Newsom has given his OK to a "broad" executive order...

Pro vs. Private Firefighters: 'We Consider Them a Liability'

Private firefighters inspire controversy as they protect the rich, insurance firms, government agencies

(Newser) - As the Palisades Fire raged last week, wealthy local entrepreneur Keith Wasserman put out a tweet he's come to regret. "Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home?" he posted in the since-deleted tweet. "Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will...

Mandy Moore Gets Grief Over Sharing In-Laws' Fire Fundraiser

Many wondered why she didn't just donate the entire amount herself

(Newser) - Mandy Moore was among those whose homes burned in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, and so are her sister- and brother-in-law. But many online commenters weren't happy when Moore shared a crowdfunding campaign for her in-laws on her social media, USA Today reports. The critics wondered why Moore, a...

Palisades Fire May Have Started at Site of New Year's Blaze

Fireworks are believed to have started first fire, which was extinguished quickly

(Newser) - Not long after midnight on the first day of the new year, firefighters were called to a fire in the Santa Monica Mountains near the southern California community of Pacific Palisades. Believed to have been sparked by New Year's Eve fireworks, it spread slowly amid relatively light 15mph winds,...

Palisades Fire Spreads, Threatens More Neighborhoods

Concerns grow for Brentwood, Encino, the Getty, and UCLA

(Newser) - A shift in winds expanded the Palisades fire in the Los Angeles area, triggering an air and ground battle in Mandeville Canyon to keep the flames from reaching previously spared neighborhoods. Evacuation orders were issued covering much of Brentwood and parts of Encino and Tarzana. Helicopters and planes flew a...

LA Fire Chief Keeps Job After Ripping Mayor's Administration

Karen Bass calls Kristin Crowley in, but everyone says the chief wasn't fired

(Newser) - After a meeting so long that Mayor Karen Bass missed her Friday night media briefing on the crisis, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley emerged still in the job despite blaming the administration's budget cuts for the failure to contain the raging wildfires. Bass said this week that the...

Blind Former Child Actor Dies in LA Fires
Former Child Actor
Killed in LA Fires
Jan 11, 2025 11:30 AM CST

Former Child Actor Killed in LA Fires

The Australian actor was blind and had cerebral palsy

(Newser) - A former child actor is tragically among the victims of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. Rory Sykes, who was on the British TV show Kiddy Kapers in the '90s, died at his family's home in Malibu on Wednesday, according to his mother, Shelley Sykes. He was 32....

Smoke From LA Fires Is Especially Dangerous

Hazardous chemicals likely released as fire rips through urban areas

(Newser) - "Wildfires in California aren't all wild anymore," the Wall Street Journal reports, meaning it's not just trees and brush going up in smoke. The fires burning throughout Los Angeles County have decimated urban areas, charring roads, homes, and commercial buildings, sending out particles likely to be...

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