California

California’s Line Fire grows due to high temperatures, forces evacuations: See map

Published

2 years ago

September 9, 2024

Press Room

California’s Line Fire grows due to high temperatures, forces evacuations: See map

“It’s critical that residents in the impacted areas remain vigilant and prepare to evacuate immediately if called for by local authorities,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement.

The Line Fire in Southern California has set over 20,500 acres ablaze and is 0% contained.

The wildfire was discovered Thursday, according to InciWeb’s data. It’s located in San Bernardino County, around 121 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

High temperatures have increased the fire’s activity Sunday night and will continue through Monday, and then temperatures will be below normal by Wednesday.

The fire is spreading towards the northeast direction, according to Daily Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network. However, the cooler weather will help moderate the flames below the marine level.

Over 36,000 structures, including single and multi-family homes, commercial buildings, and others, are threatened by the fire, and thousands are forced to evacuate.

The fire also set areas of the San Bernadino National Forest ablaze.

A Damage Inspection Team was ordered, and there were 1,855 personnel assigned to fight the fire while more resources arrived from other parts of the California.

Stories about our planet, explained. Sign up for USA TODAY’s Climate Point newsletter.

What caused the fire?

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

However, as firefighting efforts continued on Sunday, rising temperatures allowed the fire to increase, according to InciWeb.

“Temperatures ranged from the upper 80s to the mid-100s over the fire area,” stated its website.

Line fire map

State of emergency

California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency and secured “a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fire,” stated a press release, as the fire grew over 17,400 acres on Saturday.

“It’s critical that residents in the impacted areas remain vigilant and prepare to evacuate immediately if called for by local authorities,” said Newsom in a statement.

Emergency declared after Line Fire grows

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County where a fire has exploded past 17,000 acres.

Evacuation orders

People in areas with evacuation orders are required to leave for their safety as “there is an immediate threat to life and property,” according to InciWeb.

The following locations have been ordered to evacuate the area:

The area from Calle Del Rio to Hwy 38, including Greenspot Road North
Underdeveloped land from east of Highway 330 to Summertrail Place and north of Highland Avenue
Areas of Running Spring east of Highway 330 and south of Highway 18
Community of Running Springs
Community of Arrow Bear Lake
East of Orchard Road to Cloverhill from Highland Avenue north to the foothills
North of Highland Avenue and East of Palm Avenue to Highway 330
Garnett Street east to the 138 and Mill Creek north to the foothills
Community of Forest Falls
Community of Mountain Home Village

The following areas have evacuation warnings:

Conditions may worsen in areas with an evacuation warnings. People in the following areas will need to evacuate should conditions change, according to InciWeb:

Boulder Avenue east to Church Street
Greenspot Road north to the foothills
Church Street east to the city limit
Area from the foothills south to Greenspot Road
Green Valley Lake, north of Highway 18
Community of Cedar Glen
Community of Lake Arrowhead
Community of Crestline
Community of Valley of Enchantment
Angelus Oaks
Seven Oaks
Garnet Street to Bryant Street and Carter Street North the Mill Creek

Contributing: Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.

Source link

Click to comment

California

Coast Guard increasing patrols for Northern California salmon season

Published

52 minutes ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

Coast Guard increasing patrols for Northern California salmon season

HUMBOLDT, Calif. — As Northern California’s recreational salmon season ramps up, the U.S. Coast Guard says they are increasing patrols to help keep anglers safe and ensure boaters are following federal and state safety regulations.

This marks the second recreational salmon season after several years of closures, bringing more boat traffic to the water as anglers head out in search of salmon. The Coast Guard says their focus during the busy season will be less about fishing violations and more about making sure boaters are prepared before leaving the dock.

“The majority of the violations that we see on the wreck side from the Coast Guard standpoint typically are safety here,” said Lieutenant Junior Grade Amanda Bourgeois with the U.S. Coast Guard. “So, less living marine resources and more safety recreational. So you’re looking at like fire extinguishers, flares, personal flotation devices, that kind of thing.”

According to Humboldt Bay Surface Operations Chief Scott Bock, some of the biggest violations seen during Northern California’s salmon season involve missing required safety gear and paperwork.

“It is imperative that boaters carry the required safety equipment per state and federal law,” Bock said in an emailed statement. “As a reminder, children under 13 are required to wear a lifejacket all times, above decks, on a moving vessel.”

Bock said officers also regularly encounter boaters without vessel documentation and registration paperwork onboard.

“It is also important that boaters carry their vessel’s documentation and registration paperwork onboard, similar to what you carry in your vehicle,” Bock said. “Last year, we saw numerous boats that did not have that paperwork onboard.”

The Coast Guard says the most common citations involve not carrying required safety equipment for the size of the vessel or the number of people onboard.

“Not carrying the required safety equipment, including lifejackets, fire extinguishers, and flares for the size of vessel and number of people onboard,” Bock said.

Bourgeois said the Coast Guard often works alongside California Department of Fish and Wildlife during enforcement operations, particularly when it comes to fishing regulations and living marine resource violations.

As for catch limits, Bock said the current recreational limit remains two salmon per person per day with a minimum size requirement of 20 inches. However, he said anglers should continue checking with California Fish and Wildlife throughout the season, as regulations can change.

While California Fish and Wildlife manages state waters within three nautical miles of shore, Bock said federal regulations take over farther offshore, though recreational limits currently mirror state rules.

Before heading out, Coast Guard officials are also encouraging boaters to check weather and ocean conditions, follow safety regulations and make smart decisions on the water.

“Our pitch in the Coast Guard is always please be safe, follow the recreational and commercial safety regulations, be smart about being out there, check the weather, and as always follow all laws and regulations,” Bourgeois said.

—

Report a correction or typo.

Source link

California

Steyer’s exit from California governor’s race could spell bad news for climate policy

Published

11 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

Steyer’s exit from California governor’s race could spell bad news for climate policy

A showdown between Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer in the California governor’s race would have made climate policy one of the most talked-about issues through November.

Now, environmental advocates are preparing for their work to fade into the background.

Steyer, the billionaire climate activist who ran as a progressive, finished third in the primary behind Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton, the Trump-backed political commentator. His loss ended a campaign that spent millions on ads attacking Becerra for accepting oil industry money and promising to break up power companies.

“I’m proud of the enemies we made,” Steyer said in a concession statement Tuesday, singling out energy corporations like Chevron and PG&E that infused millions in independent expenditure committees opposing him.

Source link

California

This creepy insect has been found on grapevines. What it could mean for California’s wine industry

Published

21 hours ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

This creepy insect has been found on grapevines. What it could mean for California’s wine industry

A pest that is considered a major threat to California’s vineyards and its $73-billion wine industry has been found on grapevines sold at Northern and Central California Costco stores between April 21 and May 21, according to authorities.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter, which was first identified and detected May 19 from grapevines sold at a wholesaler in Fresno, is a small invasive insect that can spread a strain of bacteria, Xylella fastidiosa, that kills grapevines by “clogging their water-conducting vessels (xylem).” The deadly plague is called Pierce’s disease. Several other strains of the bacteria exist and can infect other host plants, including citrus, stone fruits, almonds, oleander and some shade trees, according to the California Pierce’s Disease Control Program.

If the insect was left unchecked, the disease could cost the California wine industry $166 million annually, California Department of Food and Agriculture officials said in an email.

The insect can be identified by its flat triangular head, large eyes and clear wings. The head is brown to black and has several ivory to yellowish spots, which helps separate it from its native counterpart, the smoke-tree sharpshooter. The insect is often found on the stems of plants and grows up to about half-an-inch as fully grown adults, according to the University of California.

“While many vines have been intercepted and destroyed, locating the thousands that may still be in customers’ hands remains our top priority,” said California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross in a press release. “Anyone who purchased these vines should contact their local agricultural commissioner immediately.”

California’s wine grape industry supports more than 422,000 jobs statewide, according to the CDFA.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter was first reported in California in the early 1990s and is native to the southeastern U.S. and northeastern Mexico. The insect was first identified as a threat in August 1999, when more than 300 acres of grapevines in Temecula were infested with the glassy-winged sharpshooter and Pierce’s disease and subsequently destroyed, the CDFA reported.

Overall, the disease has costs growers and government agencies about $110 million a year in losses and compliance costs, according to a March 2025 report titled The Costs of Pierce’s Disease in the California Grape and Wine Industry.

Up to 13,000 grapevine plants potentially infected by the bacteria have been sold across a total of 24 Northern and Central California counties, the CDFA said.

“In addition to destroying infested stock still in Costco warehouses, CDFA is working with agricultural commissioners and conducting public outreach to locate vines sold to consumers across 24 counties, as well as neighboring at-risk counties,” CDFA authorities said in a press release.

“Officials are responding to public reports, conducting inspections and public outreach, and trapping near stores and locations where purchased vines were taken. They are also ensuring that potentially infested plants are safely contained and disposed of,” the press release said.

Costco has also been working with the CDFA to notify customers, issue refunds to those who purchased the grapevines and assisted in connecting them to local agricultural officials in the impacted counties “for inspection and disposal guidance,” the CDFA said in a notice about the pests.

Authorities are asking residents that purchased the grapevines in the impacted counties to follow strict guidelines, including to isolate the plant and wrap it in double trash bags and contact their county agricultural commissioner, authorities said.

Source link