Photo of firefighter battling a wildfire in California

Technology to Keep Lights on Could Help Prevent Wildfires

LOS ANGELES — B. Don Russell wasn’t thinking about preventing a wildfire when he developed a tool to detect power line problems before blackouts and bigger disasters. “If we can find things when they start to fail, if we can find things that are in the proc...
Photo of a helicopter dropping water on the Cave Fire

Wildfire Burning in California Mountains Grows

GOLETA — A wildfire burning Tuesday on Southern California mountains north of Santa Barbara forced as many as 6,300 people from their homes, but an approaching storm offered hope that the flames would be doused...
Photo of community wiped out by Camp Fire.

Chico Didn’t Burn but Fire Brought New Way of Life

CHICO — Amber Blood got to Chico on Nov. 8, 2018, wearing pink slacks and her favorite white peacoat. It was all she had left. "You normally would have a decade to prepare for such growth. We had about 10 hours." — Chico Police Chief Michael O'Brien Bloo...

Wildfire Erupts Near Reagan Library in Southern California

SIMI VALLEY — A new wildfire erupted Wednesday in wind-whipped Southern California, forcing the evacuation of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and nearby homes, as both ends of the state struggled with blazes, dangerously gusty weather and deliberate bla...
Photo of a burning house

PG&E Admits It May Have Ignited Sonoma Fire

LOS ANGELES — Pacific Gas & Electric admitted its electrical equipment may have ignited a ruinous wildfire spreading across the California wine country, despite blackouts imposed across the region to preven...
Photo of the Kincade Fire

Fire Erupts as Californians Hit With 2nd Round of Blackouts

GEYSERVILLE — A Northern California wildfire exploded in size early Thursday amid dangerous winds that prompted PG&E to impose electrical blackouts to prevent fires. Authorities ordered the entire community of Geyserville to evacuate after the fire in t...