California
A true California hot spot: fire ants invade town loved by celebrities
A swank town in California’s central coast where celebrities from Oprah Winfrey to Prince Harry have bought properties, has become a hot spot for another reason: an active infestation of red imported fire ants.
The Santa Barbara county agricultural commissioner’s office is addressing an active infestation of these ants in Montecito, California, according to a statement issued last week.
This infestation likely originated from ant-infested nursery stock shipped from Riverside county in September 2023, according to officials.
“This is the only known infestation in the county,” according to the statement.
Staff from the commissioner’s office, along with the California department of food and agriculture, the University of California Cooperative Extension, and Riverside county agricultural commissioner’s office, are conducting regular property surveys.
Red imported fire ants, native to South America, have established themselves in parts of southern California, particularly in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties, according to researchers at the University of California, Riverside.
The first recorded sighting in California was in 1984. Since then, there have been periodic outbreaks in several counties.
Stings from these ants are painful and can cause pustules that may scar if infected, and a small percentage of the human population is allergic to these stings. Newborn livestock and poultry are also vulnerable to attacks.
These ants can clog irrigation lines, short-circuit electrical systems and displace native wildlife, including young birds and lizards. Their stinging behavior is also hazardous to fieldworkers and poses a significant risk to agriculture by feeding on various hosts, particularly turf.
The ants, mainly originating from Argentina and Brazil, pose a significant threat to California’s agricultural economy because they require quarantine of nursery products to prevent spreading through potting soil. In Texas, for example, over $1.1bn is spent each year on pesticides for fire ant control and $872m of those funds is used to control the ants from infesting lawns in urban areas.
No fire ants-related quarantines were in place in Santa Barbara amid the infestation.
Nursery products ranked second in value in the county’s agricultural economy, below strawberries, in the 2023 Santa Barbara County Crop and Livestock Report at $122,301,000.
Residents were encouraged to contact the Santa Barbara county agricultural commissioner’s office if they detected these ants or bring a sample to their offices.
“There are native fire ants and Argentine ants that are not hazardous and the quickest way to distinguish RIFA from other ants are their aggressive behavior, not color or size,” the county of Santa Barbara said in a Facebook post.
Montecito, located about 80 miles west of Los Angeles, is known for its celebrity and affluent community. Current and former residents include Ariana Grande, Adam Levine, Rob Lowe and others.
California
Jamie Lee Curtis fights back tears on ‘Tonight Show’ over California wildfire ‘catastrophe’ near her home: ‘It’s f–king gnarly, guys’
Jamie Lee Curtis fought back tears as she detailed the “catastrophe” of the Palisades Fire near her California home when she appeared on “The Tonight Show” Wednesday.
“As you know, where I live is on fire right now. Literally, the entire city of the Pacific Palisades is burning. I flew here last night. I was on the plane and started getting texts. It’s f–king gnarly, you guys,” Curtis said.
“It’s a catastrophe in Southern California. Obviously there has been horrific fires in many places. This is literally where I live. Everything.”
Curtis said she had “many, many, many” friends who have lost their homes in the devastation of the fires.
“It’s a really awful situation,” she added.
The 66-year-old added she was flying home first thing Thursday to be with her family and friends.
The Academy Award-winning actress, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband Christopher Guest, took to Instagram earlier Wednesday to share with her followers that her home was “possibly” on fire.
“My community and possibly my home is on fire,” the actress wrote in the post. “My family is safe. Many of my friends will lose their homes. Many other communities as well.”
“Take care of each other,” she told her followers. “Stay out of the way and let the firefighters do their work. Pray if you believe in it and even if you don’t, pray for those who do.”
Stay up to date with the NYP’s coverage of the terrifying LA-area fires
The Emmy winner is one of tens of thousands of people who have been forced to flee their homes in Pacific Palisades and neighboring areas.
Four fires have exploded in Los Angeles County, taking over 27,000 acres of land with zero containment in the Palisades, Eaton and Sunset fires.
The Hurst Fire is 10 percent contained, officials announced.
The fires are being fueled by strong winds, “dry fuels” and low humidity.
The “Halloween” star isn’t the only Hollywood figure whose home is under threat due to the fires.
Harrison Ford was seen talking to police as he attempted to get through to check on his $12.6 million Brentwood home he had evacuated because of the raging blaze.
Ford’s “Star Wars” co-star Mark Hamill was forced to flee his Malibu home Tuesday as the fire bore down on the area.
The 73-year-old actor detailed his hour-long “last minute” evacuation from Malibu as he experienced the most horrific fire since 1993.
Other LA-based celebrities have been forced to evacuate their homes amid the crisis, including “This Is Us” star Mandy Moore, “Schitt’s Creek” star Eugene Levy and “Once Upon a Time in America” actor James Woods.
California
Maps: See how large the California wildfires are
Multiple major wildfires are leaving a trail of destruction and death in the Los Angeles area.
A handful of wildfires kicked up Tuesday, powered by high winds and dry conditions , and have exploded in size. As of Tuesday afternoon, 2 people have been killed and more than 80,000 people have been evacuated.
Follow live coverage here.
The maps below show the size and status of the fires. They will be updated frequently.
California
AIR7 video offers aerial view of wildfires' destruction in LA County: WATCH LIVE
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Aerial video from AIR7 on Wednesday morning offered one of the first overhead glimpses at the devastation caused by multiple wildfires in Los Angeles County.
Footage from the helicopter showed the destructive path of the Eaton Fire near Altadena, which resulted in at least two fatalities while destroying more than 100 structures and burning more than 2,200 acres.
Shortly after 9:30 a.m., the aircraft’s perspective showed several two-story homes burning in the area of Lilac Canyon Lane, located in a residential neighborhood near the north end of Lincoln Avenue. Many nearby houses were smoldering.
Meanwhile, another ABC7 helicopter was over Pacific Palisades, where massive plumes of smoke continued to rise above burning homes in the foothills. Other structures were completely destroyed.
Houses were also on fire near Topanga Canyon Boulevard, the major artery that stretches from the San Fernando Valley to Pacific Coast Highway.
Media and fire department aircraft were mostly grounded Tuesday due to dangerous conditions caused by a powerful windstorm in the region.
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