Wildfire season is upon us. Here’s what to know and how to prepare
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, June 18. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- Here’s what to know and how to prepare for wildfire season
- L.A. will pay $300,000 to settle lawsuit over undercover police officer photos
- Get high (legally) at the massive new weed oasis inside the California State Fair
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
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Wildfire season is upon us
If the last couple of years of fewer rampant wildfires and less smoke choking our skies eased your wildfire concerns, let this week’s Post fire be a wake-up call.
The blaze near Gorman has scorched more than 15,000 acres to become the largest wildfire so far this season. It’s burning in northwestern Los Angeles County but has crossed into parts of Ventura County. Firefighters put containment at 8% as of Monday afternoon.
As of this morning, 18 fires are burning across the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. Wildfires are a fact of life in the Golden State — especially as we approach the hottest months in what are becoming increasingly hotter years.
It’s true that California experienced notably milder fire seasons in 2022 and 2023 when compared with previous years. Cal Fire reported about 331,000 acres burned across the state in 2022, and nearly 325,000 acres burned last year. That’s a significant drop from the prior two years, when wildfires consumed a record-breaking 4.3 million acres in 2020 and 2.5 million in 2021.
But that recent downtick does not negate the last few decades, during which wildfires have grown more intense, according to research.
So what should we expect this fire season?
To understand that, I asked Alex Wigglesworth, who covers wildfires and other environmental issues for The Times. She said she’ll be monitoring the state’s grasslands and desert areas, which are particularly vulnerable to fire right now.
“Two consecutive wet winters have helped ensure that there’s plenty of vegetation to act as kindling, and it’s all been drying out as the weather warms,” Alex said. “But unlike last year, when conditions were so wet that the moisture essentially moderated fire activity all season long, precipitation was closer to normal this year, so those winter rains may not have the same effect.”
How bad could it get? A lot depends on how hot it gets in the coming months. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest seasonal temperature outlook points to above-normal temperatures in June, July and August across California and most of the U.S.
Other high-risk weather conditions could affect fire season, Alex noted, like “bursts of dry lightning or fierce winds [that] can quickly turn unremarkable fire seasons into dangerous and deadly ones.”
And as she reported last month, recent research shows wildfire weather is becoming more frequent in the U.S. — and especially in California.
Fire risks are heightened by three key ingredients: hot temperatures, dry air and high winds. Those factors prime the landscape, but the most common source of ignition is human activity (and the fires we start tend to be more dangerous).
So what can you do to stay ready for fire season?
For many Californians, smoke will present the biggest hazard, making the state’s already dirty air even more unhealthy. Experts advise people to stay indoors and avoid strenuous physical activities when smoke advisories are in effect. You can explore this Times guide for more do’s and don’ts.
If you live in areas prone to wildfires, explore this guide on getting prepared. And if you’re looking to fireproof your home, check out this Times primer.
There’s also an effort underway to change how the federal government defines and responds to deadly heat and dangerous wildfire smoke. The Federal Emergency Management Agency does not include those two events in its definition of a “major disaster.” Changing that could open the door to more funding to provide heat relief and other emergency preparedness.
Today’s top stories
Crime and courts
- L.A. will pay $300,000 to settle lawsuit over undercover police officer photos.
- Two women are brutally attacked on Venice Canals, forcing debate on crime, homelessness.
- When prosecutor is defendant: L.A. D.A. George Gascón’s legal battles with his own staff.
- An inmate awaiting trial on attempted murder charge escapes San Bernardino County jail.
- He stole millions from a mentally ill Malibu doctor. Now he’ll spend nearly 16 years in prison.
- Maxine Waters tells judge of ‘nightmares’ after Texas man threatened to cut her throat.
Politics
- Poll: Many California voters get their info from social media, even if they don’t trust it.
- Biden helps immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens: What to know.
Sports
- Angel Reese says Caitlin Clark gets ‘special whistle.’ It blew after Reese’s blow to Clark’s head.
- Four ways the Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto injuries affect the Dodgers.
- Dodgers GM: Betts and Yamamoto injuries shouldn’t affect trade deadline plans.
More big stories
- ‘Unprecedented time’: Hollywood slowdown brings peril for talent agencies and managers.
- Cal State L.A. encampment is shut down days after takeover of building with administrators inside.
- Only 8% of California rivers and streams have gauges measuring flow, a study finds.
- A new threat to cannabis users: Smuggled Chinese pesticides.
- ‘Inside Out 2’ box office smash plays head games with movie theaters.
- Fast-food chains launch ‘value menu’ war after cost complaints. Will it last?
- A piglet on the lam. An escaped mini pig leads police in California city on a frenzied pursuit.
- A tiny fern with a big secret just got into the Guinness Book of World Records.
- A watchdog group files IRS complaint against Epoch Times Network.
- California plans to enlist AI to translate healthcare information.
- Morgan Freeman, once again, shares his ‘detest’ of Black History Month.
- A couple’s Pride flag was slashed in Anaheim. Their neighbors rallied to send a message.
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Commentary and opinions
- LZ Granderson: One pillar of American racism is also propping up Fox News.
- Jonah Goldberg: The Supreme Court’s role in our partisan polarization has been greatly exaggerated.
- Bill Shaikin: Why the Dodgers’ new City Connect uniforms are an L.A. blast.
- Dylan Hernández: Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto injuries create a Dodgers trade deadline problem.
- Shelby Grad: ‘Will you shut up, man?’ The Trump-Biden rematch no one really wants is almost here.
- Michael Hiltzik: Elon Musk thinks Tesla’s investors love him. He’s very wrong.
- Editorial: Juneteenth is about more than the end of slavery.
Today’s great reads
Letterboxd started as a cinephile’s best-kept secret. Now studios want in. Letterboxd, the movie-logging app loved by cinephiles, helped drive ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’s’ success. Now it has the attention of Hollywood’s biggest players.
Other great reads
- Do you get mysterious seasonal headaches? Blame weather whiplash.
- ‘Queer Rhapsody,’ a new film series coming to five L.A. venues, arrives in a moment of need.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Going out
- 🌿 Get high (legally) at the massive new weed oasis inside the California State Fair.
- ❓What are your secret tips and hacks for living in L.A.?
Staying in
- 📺 L.A. library users’ 10 most-watched movies and TV shows of 2024 (so far).
- 🧑🍳 Here’s a recipe for roasted chicken and potatoes with salsa verde.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
And finally ... a great photo
Show us your favorite place in California! We’re running low on submissions. Send us photos that scream California and we may feature them in an edition of Essential California.
Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Jason Armond. The photo was captured in Palm Springs, where a new play dramatizes how people of color lost their haven in the desert.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor and Saturday reporter
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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