Governor Newsom removes red tape to accelerate California wildfire recovery

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

California expedites rebuilding efforts for Los Angeles wildfire survivors

Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order to accelerate the rebuilding process for homes affected by the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

The order expands on previous directives by suspending certain permitting requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act.

It clarifies existing exemptions and extends regulatory flexibility requested by local governments to ease the recovery process.

Newsom said: “We will not let overly strict regulations get in the way of rebuilding these communities.

“The state stands with its local partners to ensure that we cut red tape and make recovery as easy as possible.”

Permit extensions and access to building plans

The executive order allows homes previously approved under modern safety standards, including fire protection measures, to be rebuilt according to their original specifications.

The directive also extends construction permit deadlines to reduce administrative delays and provides homeowners with expedited access to original building plans held by local planning and building departments.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said: “From allowing LA to automatically reissue permits for homes built in the last few years to quickly getting copies of building plans in the hands of residents who lost theirs in the fire, I am proud to partner with Governor Newsom to help Angelenos get back home.”

Financial relief for affected residents

The state has postponed individual tax filing deadlines for Los Angeles County residents until 15 October 2025.

Sales and use tax filings originally due on 31 January 2025 have also been extended to 30 April 2025.

Newsom’s executive order suspends penalties and interest on late property tax payments for a year.

State and federally chartered banks have committed to providing mortgage relief for eligible wildfire survivors.

The executive order also protects residents from price gouging on rent, hotel stays, and construction materials, with violations to be reported to the Office of the Attorney General.

Housing and cleanup initiatives

Temporary housing efforts include measures to streamline the construction of accessory dwelling units, increase the availability of temporary trailers, and waive fees for mobile home parks.

The order prohibits landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants for housing wildfire survivors.

Additionally, the Governor directed state agencies to prioritise debris removal and flood mitigation efforts.

Federal hazardous materials teams have been mobilised to clear affected properties.

California expedites rebuilding efforts for Los Angeles wildfire survivors: Summary

Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires.

The order expands the scope of previously suspended permitting requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act.

It also extends construction permit deadlines, allows previously approved homes to be rebuilt to their original specifications, and ensures homeowners can quickly access original building plans.

Financial relief measures include extended tax filing deadlines and a one-year suspension of penalties on late property tax payments.

Mortgage relief has been secured for eligible survivors, and price gouging restrictions have been strengthened.

The state has prioritised temporary housing by easing restrictions on accessory dwelling units and mobile homes while prohibiting evictions of tenants sheltering wildfire survivors.

Debris removal and flood mitigation efforts have also been expedited.

FireAid benefit concert raises funds for wildfire relief in Los Angeles

by EventsFeatured NewsWildland Fire

Stars perform at FireAid to support wildfire victims

FireAid took place in Los Angeles on Thursday, with artists including Billie Eilish, Pink, Katy Perry, Nirvana, and Dr Dre performing to raise funds for wildfire relief efforts.

The benefit concert aimed to support recovery from the Palisades and Eaton fires, two of the largest wildfires in the city’s history.

The event was held simultaneously at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome, with an online stream alternating between the two venues.

Billy Crystal, who lost his home in the fires, opened the concert at the Kia Forum, saying: “You’ll be hearing from a number of people who were tragically affected by these fires, and I was one of them.”

California artists highlight local impact

Several artists at the event have ties to California.

Katy Perry, a native of the state, performed with a California flag while singing “California Gurls.”

Dr Dre also referenced his connection to the region, performing “California Love” and expressing gratitude: “I appreciate all the first responders and all the firemen who put their lives on the line.”

Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac dedicated her performance of “Landslide” to firefighters, recounting how they saved her home from destruction.

“I was a full-on Pacific Palisadean woman with an old, beautiful, famous house that was almost taken from me,” she said.

Donations and contributions for fire relief

The concert raised funds through ticket sales and donations.

Crystal announced that U2 donated $1 million, while Connie and Steve Ballmer pledged to match all donations made during the event.

Funds will be managed by the Annenberg Foundation to assist with short-term relief efforts and long-term fire prevention.

Viewers were encouraged to donate through FireAidLA.org or via text message.

FireAid concludes with major performances

The event featured a mix of rock, pop, and hip-hop performances.

Nirvana’s remaining members reunited, performing with St Vincent and Kim Gordon.

Olivia Rodrigo performed “Deja Vu,” referencing her experiences in Los Angeles.

Lady Gaga closed the event with “Shallow” and a new song written specifically for the night.

At least 29 people died in the January fires, with more than 16,000 homes and businesses destroyed.

The Palisades and Eaton fires were exacerbated by strong winds, spreading embers that ignited entire communities.

FireAid aimed to provide relief to those affected and support rebuilding efforts.

FireAid benefit concert raises funds for wildfire relief in Los Angeles: Summary

FireAid was held in Los Angeles to raise funds for wildfire recovery efforts following the Palisades and Eaton fires.

The event featured performances from over 20 artists, including Billie Eilish, Pink, Katy Perry, and Nirvana, with simultaneous concerts at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome.

Billy Crystal, who lost his home in the fires, opened the event.

Artists with ties to California, such as Katy Perry and Dr Dre, highlighted the local impact of the wildfires.

Stevie Nicks dedicated a performance to the firefighters who saved her home.

The concert raised funds through donations and ticket sales, with U2 contributing $1 million.

The Annenberg Foundation will oversee fund distribution for immediate relief and fire prevention projects.

The event concluded with performances from Olivia Rodrigo, Nirvana, and Lady Gaga.

The fires, which began on 7 January, destroyed more than 16,000 homes and businesses, leading to ongoing recovery

Winds fuel wildfires in California as blazes rage across US West

by Uncategorized

San Francisco has been left under an eerie orange glow as a result of the smoke from the fires blazing across the western United States.

Wildfires raged unchecked across large parts of the western United States on Wednesday in blazes unprecedented in their scale and ferocity, as Oregon warned of many deaths after blazes destroyed at least five small towns.

Winds gusting as high as 80km/h (50mph) fanned dozens of catastrophic fires across a large swathe of Oregon and neighbouring Washington state – places that rarely experience such intense fire activity because of the Pacific Northwest’s cool and wet climate.

Flames ravaged the towns of Detroit, Blue River, Vida, Phoenix and Talent, Oregon Governor Kate Brown said Wednesday.

The blazes, which also forced the evacuation of much of Medford in southern Oregon, could bring “the greatest loss in human lives and property due to wildfire in our state’s history”, Brown said at a news briefing.

In Washington state, a one year old boy was killed and his parents badly burned as tried to flee a fire, police said.

Nearly 100 fires are raging across the west of the US, with 28 in California, where nearly 930,800 hectares (2.3 million acres) have been burned and three people were on Wednesday confirmed dead. A massive cloud of smoke has enveloped much of the state leaving San Francisco beneath an eerie orange glow.

A 12-year-old boy and his grandmother died in a wildfire about 50 miles south of Portland, KOIN News reported. In Washington state a 1-year-old boy was killed and his parents severely burned as they tried to flee a fire in Okanogan County, police said.

Firefighters retreated from uncontrollable blazes in Oregon as officials gave residents “go now” orders to evacuate, meaning they had only minutes to leave their homes.

“It was like driving through hell,” Jody Evans told local television station NewsChannel21 after a midnight evacuation from Detroit, southwest of Portland.

Officials in the Pacific Northwest said they did not recall ever having to deal with so many destructive fires at once in the areas where they were burning.

In suburban Clackamas County, home to about 420,000 people who mostly work in nearby Oregon, four major fires were burning, with sheriff’s deputies travelling with chainsaws in patrol cars to remove fallen trees blocking roads.

“These winds are so incredible and are spreading so fast, we don’t have a lot of time,” said Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts.

Flames bear down on vehicles on Highway 162 in Oroville, north of Sacramento in California on September 9.

Fires were burning in seven Oregon counties, and rural and suburban homes miles away from Portland, Oregon’s largest city, were under preliminary orders to prepare for possible evacuations. Three prisons were evacuated late on Tuesday.

Brown saw no respite to the hot, windy weather and requested a federal emergency declaration for the state.

“Absolutely no area in the state is free from fire,” said Doug Graf, chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry.

The Pacific Northwest is no stranger to wildfires, but most of the biggest ones until now have been in the eastern or southern parts of the region – where the weather is considerably hotter and drier and the vegetation more fire-prone than it is on the western side of the region.

Helicopter pilot killed in California wildfires

by Americas - Breaking News

A helicopter pilot involved in fighting fires in California died yesterday (19th August) when the aircraft crashed near Coalinga, authorities said.

According to Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Ian Gregory, the Bell UH-1 helicopter was helping to fight the Hills Fire when it crashed around 10 a.m., about 11 miles south of New Coalinga Municipal Airport, the Fresno Bee reported.

In a statement, Cal Fire said the helicopter crashed while it was on a water-dropping mission on the Hills Fire in western Fresno County. The blaze has been burning in the area since Saturday and has consumed 1,500 acres and is 35% contained, KGO reported. Winds of 26 mph have been clocked in the area, with gusts to 35 mph.

The impact of the helicopter crash ignited a new brush fire, Gregory told reporters.

The pilot, who was not identified, was the only person aboard the helicopter, according to Cal Fire officials.

“There was one person on board, they did not survive,” Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant told the Los Angeles Times.

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Botti said the department’s search and rescue team assisted in the search for survivors, the Bee reported.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, with the NTSB in charge of determining the probable cause of the crash, the newspaper reported.

According to fire officials, 50 structures have burned down in Vacaville, with another 50 damaged by the fire.

“We are experiencing fires the likes of which we haven’t seen in many, many years,” Governor Newsom told reporters.

The blazes are thought to have been sparked by a heatwave combined with nearly 11,000 lightning strikes which have hit the state over the last three days.

Earlier this week, one of the highest ever temperatures on Earth was recorded in California’s Death Valley. Across the US western states on Wednesday, nearly 45 million people were living in areas under some form of excessive heat warning or heat advisory.

Mr Newsom said 367 known fires have been recorded so far, but noted that “the prospect of that going up is very real”.

“As those lightning strikes spark, as you have a lot of smoke, you have a difficult time determining total number of fires until certain things clear and we have the opportunity to go to more remote parts of the state,” he added.

The group of fires in the San Francisco Bay Area was driven by winds throughout Tuesday night and has now grown to 46,000 uncontained acres.

The fire, which is larger than city of Washington DC, has injured four people and threatens about 2,000 buildings in Vacaville, authorities say.

‘Firenado’ warning issued as Loyalton wildfire spreads across California

by Americas - Featured News

A rare fire tornado – or “firenado” – warning has been issued over the weekend in California due to wildfires burning near the Nevada border.

The Loyalton fire, named due to its proximity to the city, has prompted evacuations and jumped a highway on Saturday (15th August), forcing firefighters to protect drivers who tried to avoid the flames.

The National Weather Service (NWS) based in the Nevada city of Reno tweeted that the “extreme fire behaviour” was expected to continue and a fire tornado could follow.

The NWS defines a “firenado” as an “extreme weather phenomenon that can occur with rotating fire columns” and erupts when rising heat from a fire is caught by gusts of wind that change direction, similar to a traditional tornado. It ultimately makes for particularly dangerous conditions as winds combine with smoke plumes.

The Loyalton fire started in Sierra County in the Tahoe National Forest early on Saturday (15th August) and by 5pm, it was estimated to have grown to 20,000 acres and was only 5% contained as it spread toward Reno.

Video captured by firefighters showed the flame burning towards the Interstate-395 highway. The Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue department tweeted about a “close call” with cars that were left “stuck on the road” as the fire jumped the highway.

John Mittelstadt, a meteorologist at the NWS, told NBC News the “erratic” nature of the wildfires made their trajectory difficult to predict.

The warning came as firefighters also battled at least five wildfires in Colorado – one of which was reportedly the largest in the state’s history.

As of Saturday night, firefighters were dealing with extremely challenging conditions, including hot temperatures, some difficult terrain and highly flammable fuel.

The wildfires in California and Colorado have been put down to a multi-day heatwave across much of the western US, and Mr Mittelstadt said conditions such as these could lead to more “firenados” in future.

He said: “These conditions can lead to more firenados for sure. Everyone need to be very alert and very careful not to create any sparks so that we can avoid any human-caused fires.”

California ‘Apple Fire’ forces thousands to evacuate

by Americas - Featured News

California fire services are currently battling a massive wildfire that has forced thousands of people from their homes east of Los Angeles.

More than 1,300 firefighters, backed by helicopters and water-dumping planes, have been tackling the blaze dubbed the Apple Fire which started on Friday 31st July.

Parts of the fire are on steep, rugged hillsides, making it hard for fire engines to reach.

Around 7,800 residents have been told to evacuate the area.

Images show flumes of smoke filling the sky over the mountainous region. In a tweet, the National Weather Service said some smoke had blown east to Phoenix, Arizona – nearly 300 miles (482km) away.

The wildfire began as two adjacent blazes in Cherry Valley, an area near the city of Beaumont.

It has since stretched out to 20,516 acres (8,302 hectares), San Bernadino National Forest said in a tweet on Sunday 2nd August.

COVID-19 adds disruptions as California prepares for intense fire season

by ActiveAmericas - Events

California and states in the US south-west are bracing for an intense fire season complicated by the coronavirus pandemic. With 2020 on track to be one of the hottest and driest years on record, the National Interagency Fire Centre is warning of a higher potential for fires across much of America’s west and south-west.

A historically dry winter – not a single drop of rain fell on San Francisco and Sacramento in February – followed by a hot spring has dried out fire-fueling vegetation, priming the region for an unusually early start to the fire season.

California saw fires popping up early in springtime, with bigger, faster wildfires picking up in recent weeks amid hot and dry conditions that could persist for months. Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to multiple blazes across Arizona, with the fifth-largest fire in the state’s history burning northeast of Phoenix. A number of smaller fires in California over the past two weeks also prompted evacuations.

“Unfortunately we’re already seeing a bit of a preview of what’s to come,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that some sort of historical, catastrophic blaze is assured,” Swain said. “It just means that the risk is a lot higher this year than it would normally be, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we get lucky and there are relatively few ignitions.”

The response to these blazes has been understandably complicated due to the coronavirus pandemic. Officials are asking the public to leave their homes to seek safety – the opposite of what public health guidelines have dictated in the past four months.

To mitigate the risk of coronavirus spreading, the Red Cross has arranged for more, smaller evacuation shelters, with staff on site to check temperatures and screen for Covid-19. But eradicating the risk entirely is impossible, since the virus spreads most efficiently in crowded, indoor spaces, and can be stealthily passed by people who show no symptoms.

The coronavirus also threatens to sideline wildland firefighters. They’re exposed to large amounts of smoke that could aggravate their lungs and cause complications if they were to contract the disease. And they normally station at crowded camps for days near major blazes, where they may have few opportunities to wash their hands.

California’s fire agency CalFire is going to recommend that crews space out sleeping areas, and arrange for firefighters to eat and receive instructions in smaller groups, said Robert Foxworthy, a spokesman for CalFire.

“We have a lot of ideas about what we can do to mitigate risks,” he said. “But this is still kind of uncharted territory. Everybody is learning as we go.”