As ash drifted down from the fires burning through Solano County, a woman sweating under the smoke-reddened sun dug through her car, searching for an adapter for her husband’s oxygen machine. The couple had fought traffic on Wednesday to reach the evacuation shelter at Vacaville’s Ulatis Cultural Center — but,...
Wildfires Turn Valley and All of California Into a Sci-Fi Landscape
As crews battle 367 wildfires in heatwave-baked California, the satellite view from above shows a state enveloped in smoke. On the ground, firefighters are doing their best to contain the blazes — many of them ignited by nearly 11,000 lightning strikes during a 72-hour period. Strong winds are spreading some...
Smoke Hangs in the Air as Valley Fires Trigger Health Warnings
Smoke drifting across the Fresno area from a large pallet fire in Reedley and nearby wildland grass fires is prompting health warnings from local air quality officials. The fire at fruit packaging manufacturer Maxco Supply broke out early Thursday and continued to burn throughout the morning. That led to a...
Alaska Pot Shops to Be Among 1st in US to Allow Consumption
JUNEAU, Alaska — Marijuana shops in Alaska will be among the first nationally where onsite use would be permitted. Alaska's legal marijuana industry hit the milestone Thursday as regulators approved the first retail stores in the state that will be allowed to have customers smoke or consume marijuana products on...
As Wildfires Get Worse, Smoke Spreads, Stokes Health Worries
PARADISE — First came the flames, a raging firestorm propelled by 50 mph wind gusts that incinerated Kelsey Norton’s house and killed 85 people in her community. Then came the smoke — not just from the forest but also from 14,000 houses and their contents that burned, generating a thick...
Smokers, Do Not Apply: U-Haul Won't Hire Some Nicotine Users
NEW YORK — U-Haul has a New Year's resolution: Cut down on hiring people who smoke. The moving company said that it won't hire nicotine users in the 21 states where it is legal to do so, saying that it wants to ensure a “healthier workforce." The new policy will...
Rebirth, Angst and the 'New Normal' of California Wildfires
SANTA ROSA — Tina Chandler walks outside her home and sniffs the air. "Do you smell smoke?" she asks. Even when the scent is no longer there, it haunts her. So does the fear of the monstrous winds of autumn, the kind that stoked the wildfires that destroyed her northern...
Briceburg Fire Grows to 3,600 Acres.
The Briceburg Fire has spread to 3,600 acres near Yosemite National Park, but it hasn't burned any buildings or resulted in fatalities, Cal Fire officials said Wednesday morning. The wildfire, which is restricted to Mariposa County, is 10% contained. Nearly 1,000 fire personnel are fighting the blaze, which covered 2,000...
E-Cigarette Maker Juul Facing Mounting Scrutiny by State AGs
WASHINGTON — E-cigarette giant Juul Labs is facing mounting scrutiny from state law enforcement officials, with the attorneys general in Illinois and the District of Columbia investigating how the company's blockbuster vaping device became so popular with underage teens, The Associated Press has learned. The company's rapid rise to the...
Fighting Fire With Fire Often Falls Short in US West
KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK — The thick scent of smoke hung in the midday air when a trail along the Kings River opened up to an ominous scene: flames in the trees and thick gray smoke shrouding canyon walls. Firefighters were on the job. In fact, they had started the...