California
'A fire year': California wildfires have burned more than 20 times as much land as last year
After a wet winter and hot summer, this year’s fire season is off to a fierce start. Here’s the latest to date, including the largest fires burning in California.
So far, more than 3,500 wildfires have eaten up at least 219,247 acres across the state, according to California fire officials. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated, dozens of structures have been damaged or destroyed, and officials say at least one person has died.
“We are not just in a fire season, but we are in a fire year,” Joe Tyler, the head of Cal Fire, told reporters this week at a news conference.
400% more acres burned
The number of fires is only slightly higher than this time last year, but state data show that the acreage burned is more than 20 times greater. By this point in 2023, just over 3,000 blazes had consumed 10,398 acres. According to David Acuna, a Cal Fire battalion chief, the longer-term trends are similarly alarming.
“If you look at the five-year average, we are slightly below on the number of fires,” Acuna told The Times, “but we are more than 400% greater in acres burned.”
In part, that’s because it’s been such a scorching summer, with an oppressive heat wave shattering temperature records across the West. But Acuna said it’s also because the last two fire seasons were relatively mild, and the winter and spring were wetter than usual — factors that combined to leave behind more layers of dried vegetation to fuel flames.
“With the hotter weather and the wind events,” Acuna said, “all of those added together for a much faster moving, much more vigorous fire season.”
This week, the Mina fire in the northwestern part of the state may have claimed California’s first wildfire-related fatality for the season, Acuna said. According to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, firefighters near Covelo found human remains inside a structure that had been engulfed by flames a day earlier after a burn pile got out of control and started the wildfire. The official cause of death is pending.
By midday Thursday, the Mina fire had burned through 98 acres of timber and was 50% contained.
Lake and Vista fires grow
Meanwhile, the Lake fire — the state’s largest active blaze as of Thursday evening — continued to burn in Santa Barbara County with 16% containment. The fire began on July 5 and quickly chewed through more than 21,000 acres over the weekend as firefighters on the ground struggled to reach the flames due to the enduring heat and challenging terrain.
A handful of buildings and campgrounds in Los Padres National Forest were damaged or destroyed, and at one point the fire came within a mile of Sycamore Valley Ranch — the former Neverland Ranch, owned by Michael Jackson — which fell inside the evacuation zone. By Thursday, the fire had destroyed more than 34,000 acres, and 3,044 fire personnel were fighting the blaze.
Closer to Los Angeles, the Vista fire continued to burn in the San Bernardino National Forest on Thursday, covering more than 2,700 acres as of morning, officials said. The blaze ignited Sunday around 1 p.m. on the south side of Lytle Creek and soon threatened the iconic Mt. Baldy area, including its nearly 100-year-old resort. Portions of the Pacific Crest Trail were closed, in addition to trails below the resort.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from nearby recreational areas, and an estimated 416 structures were threatened by the flames, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Officials said the fire almost doubled in size overnight from Wednesday into Thursday, with fire crews working to build containment and contingency lines.
By midday Thursday, firefighters reported 0% containment. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Other large blazes in the state include the Basin fire in Fresno County — which was more than 90% contained after scorching just over 14,000 acres — and the Shelly fire, which injured one person and burned more than 9,800 acres in the Marble Mountain Wilderness. State fire officials said it was 1% contained by Thursday evening.
Current wildfires
The active wildfire incidents in the state as of Thursday evening included:
Despite the rough start to the season, Acuna said predictions for the future are difficult. Last year seemed set for a heavy fire season until a tropical storm inundated parts of the state in August.
“That changed everything, which is why we did not have a lot of acres burn last year,” Acuna said. “But for us to already be at the high number of acres [burned] this year, that is very unusual.”
Heat to subside slightly
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Sirard, there could at least be a slight reprieve ahead when it comes to the heat in Los Angeles and to the north. There are still excessive heat warnings in place for the mountains, interior valleys and deserts in the region through Saturday evening. But by the end of the weekend, the heat wave is expected to move slightly east, and temperatures will be only a few degrees above normal next week across the region.
When it comes to the fire outlook, Sirard said one potentially aggravating factor is the slight chance of a thunderstorm Friday in Santa Barbara County. He warned that could create winds as well as the possibility of dry lightning that would make for hazardous conditions in the vicinity of the Lake fire.
State fire officials track all fire incidents of more than 10 acres publicly on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection website, which details evacuation warnings and orders. Fire prevention and preparation tips are available at ReadyForWildfire.org.
California
Republican governor candidate Chad Bianco says he’s the ‘antithesis to California state government’
We are counting down to the California governor’s race. Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, is one of the two biggest names running on the Republican ticket.
In a one-on-one interview with Eyewitness News political reporter Josh Haskell, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said, “I am the antithesis to California state government because I am going to take a nuclear bomb into that building and absolutely destroy everything that they do to us behind closed doors.”
Although he’s been elected by the voters twice, Bianco says he’s not a politician — which is why he believes his campaign for California governor is resonating, as reflected in the polls.
“President Trump, in one year, from 2025 when he took over, until now, did absolutely nothing to harm California. What’s harming California is 30 years of Democrat one-party rule that have created an environment here that no one can live in anymore. They’ve only been successful here in California because we vote D no matter what. You vote D or die. I mean, that’s it. Charles Manson would be elected in California if he was the only Democrat on the ballot,” Bianco said.
Bianco isn’t the only conservative Republican running for governor, and according to polling, he’s neck-and-neck with former Fox News host Steve Hilton.
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Leading in some polls in the wide-open California Governor’s race as the June primary creeps closer is Republican and former Fox News host Steve Hilton.
“Steve has no chance of winning in November. The Democrats know that I’m going to win in November, and so they have to do everything they can to keep me out of that,” Bianco said.
When asked about the affordability crisis in the state, Bianco said, “Almost the entire issue of affordability in California is because of regulation, excessive regulation imposed by government. Every single regulation can be signed away with the governor’s signature.”
“It is a drug and alcohol addiction problem that, and a mental health problem,” he said about the homelessness crisis. “Every single bit of money that is going to these nonprofits that say ‘homeless,’ zero money. You’re getting absolutely nothing. I can’t tell you that we would end what we see in the homeless situation within a year, but I guarantee you we would never see it again after two years.”
When challenged on that prediction, pointing to how the state doesn’t have the facilities to treat the number of people living on our streets, Bianco responded, “We have been conditioned to believe that buildings take five years to build. It takes 90 days or less to build a house, but in California, it takes three to five years because the government won’t allow it. The regulations that are destroying this state are going to be removed with me as the governor.”
Bianco also said California jails shouldn’t have to play the role of treatment facilities.
Although he says he supports the Trump administration and wants the president’s endorsement, Bianco has been traveling the state — meeting not just with Republicans, but Democrats and independents as well. He says all of our state government officials have failed.
The primary election is June 2.
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A new poll shows there’s still no clear front-runner in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
California
PlayOn Sports fined $1.1 million by California watchdog over student data violations
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (FOX26) — California’s privacy watchdog has ordered PlayOn Sports to pay a $1.10 million fine and change how it handles consumer data after finding the company’s practices violated state law in ways that affected students and schools in the state.
The California Privacy Protection Agency Board issued the decision following a settlement reached by CalPrivacy’s Enforcement Division.
The decision is the first by the board to address privacy violations involving students and California schools.
Schools across the country use PlayOn Sports’ GoFan platform to sell digital tickets to high school sporting events, theater performances, and homecoming and prom dances, with attendees presenting tickets at the door on their mobile phones.
Schools also use PlayOn Sports’ platforms for other sports-related activities, including attending games, streaming them online, and looking up statistics about teams and players.
In California, about 1,400 schools contract with PlayOn Sports for these services.
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GoFan is also the official ticketing platform for the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for high school sports.
According to the board’s decision, PlayOn Sports used tracking technologies to collect personal information and deliver targeted advertisements to ticketholders and others using its services.
The company allegedly required Californians to click “agree” to tracking technologies before they could use their tickets or view PlayOn Sports websites, without providing a sufficient opt-out option.
“Students trying to go to prom or a high school football game shouldn’t have to leave their privacy rights at the door,” said Michael Macko, CalPrivacy’s head of enforcement. “You couldn’t attend these events without showing your ticket, and you couldn’t show your ticket without being tracked for advertising. California’s privacy law does not work that way. Businesses must ensure they offer lawful ways for Californians to opt-out, particularly with captive audiences.”
The decision also describes students as a uniquely vulnerable population and warns that targeted advertising systems can subject students to profiling that can follow them for years, expose them to manipulative or harmful content, and develop sensitive inferences about their lives.
Instead of providing its own opt-out method, PlayOn Sports directed students and other users to opt out through the Network Advertising Initiative and the Digital Advertising Alliance, which the decision said violated the company’s responsibility to provide its own way for consumers to opt out. The company also allegedly failed to recognize opt-out preference signals and did not provide Californians with sufficient notice of its privacy practices.
“We are committed to making it as easy as possible for all Californians — from high school students to older adults, and everyone in between — to make the choice of whether they want to be tracked or not,” said Tom Kemp, CalPrivacy’s executive director. “Californians can opt-out with covered businesses, and they can sign up for the newly launched DROP system to request that data brokers delete their personal information.”
Beyond the $1.10 million fine, the board’s order requires PlayOn Sports to conduct risk assessments, provide disclosures that are easy to read and understand, and implement proper opt-out methods.
The order also requires the company to comply with California’s privacy law prohibiting the selling or sharing of personal information of consumers between 13 and 16 without their affirmative opt-in consent.
California
California bill to bar police from taking second job with ICE advances in state Assembly
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 4:43AM
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KABC) — A bill that would prevent police officers from moonlighting with federal immigration enforcement agencies, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is advancing through the California State Assembly.
AB 1537 passed the State Assembly’s committee on public safety on Tuesday.
The bill also requires that officers report any offers for secondary employment related to immigration enforcement to their place of work.
Those failing to comply could face decertification as a peace officer in California.
The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, whose district includes Mar Vista, Ladera Heights, Mid-Wilshire and parts of South Los Angeles.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
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