California
Mountain Fire update: California fire threatens critical infrastructure
The Mountain Fire in Southern California continues to threaten critical infrastructure after destroying over 130 homes and injuring six people in Ventura County, according to officials and local reporting.
Sixty crews have been deployed to fight the flames of the Mountain Fire that started Wednesday morning in the Ventura County community of Somis.
The Ventura County Fire Department said Saturday night that the Mountain Fire had burned through 20,630 acres and that only 21 percent of the fire had been contained.
“Threats remain to critical infrastructure, highways and communities, while active fire continues to burn within islands of unburned fuel,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) said in an update from Saturday. “Damage inspection teams remain out in the fire area assessing affected structures.”
Newsweek has reached out to CAL FIRE via email for comment Sunday morning.
Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images
Local residents grieved the loss of their homes and their neighbors’ homes. One man’s home that had been in his family for almost four decades was destroyed in the fire.
Brandon Francis told local news station KTLA 5 on Saturday morning that he, his wife, his grandmother and his newborn baby don’t have a place to live.
Their lives were “turned upside down in a matter of minutes” by the Mountain Fire, he said.
“Those rooms had such value to us because we grew up here,” Francis said. “This was the meeting spot for our entire family.”
Suzette Barrick, another local resident, called the fire “horrible,” and said, “I couldn’t stop crying.”
She told KTLA 5 that her neighbor, “a sweet lady, her house is gone, but the one next to hers is fine.” And the home of her friend “is now gone to the ground.”
Nearly 3,000 personnel have been assigned to help fight the fire while 21 helicopters and 497 fire engines have been deployed.
According to CAL FIRE’s Saturday update, decreasing winds have helped crews “with their aggressive fire attack.” But “terrain in some areas continue to be a challenge.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Ventura County on Thursday.
“This is a dangerous fire that’s spreading quickly and is threatening lives,” Newsom said in a statement on Thursday. “California has mobilized state resources, including personnel, engines and aircraft from CAL FIRE and Cal OES [California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services], to protect communities as our fire and emergency response teams work around the clock to combat this fire.”
He added: “Stay safe and remain alert for instructions from local authorities as dangerous fire weather conditions continue.”
On Wednesday, the governor said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to help crews on the ground.
Meanwhile, there are currently multiple evacuation orders and evacuation warnings in effect. Details can be found on CAL FIRE’s website.
California
More SoCal rallies for and against military action in Iran expected on Sunday and Monday
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Worshippers across Los Angeles were met with an increased law enforcement presence on Sunday as police and sheriff’s deputies stepped up patrols outside mosques, synagogues and cultural landmarks following the strikes on Iran.
Local officials said there are no credible threats to Southern California, but the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department heightened visibility as a precaution to ensure communities stay safe.
More demonstrations tied to the attack on Iran are expected Sunday and Monday. Several protests were held across Southern California on Saturday.
READ MORE | Rallies for and against military action in Iran draw demonstrators across Southern California
While Iranian-Americans celebrated in Westwood, protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles to oppose the Trump administration’s attacks against Iran.
While some groups gathered in downtown Los Angeles to protest the strikes, others assembled in Westwood to celebrate “the fall of the Ayotollah,” according to organizers.
Authorities said they will continue monitoring events as the region prepares for additional gatherings in the days ahead.
This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
California
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan officially announce run for California governor
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California
Six planets to align in “planetary parade” above California. Here’s how to see it.
A rare celestial event will be taking place in the sky above California on Saturday night, as six planets are expected to be visible in what is being called a “planetary parade.”
Look towards the western horizon 30-60 minutes after sunset. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn will all be lined up along an arc, visible to the naked eye creating a literal parade of planets.
The alignment only occurs every few years, with the next one not until 2028.
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are frequently seen in the night sky, but the addition of Venus and Mercury make this planet lineup particularly noteworthy.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, there will be some cloud coverage Saturday evening, but it should be in the high levels of the atmosphere so hopefully the horizon remains clear. In Los Angeles and San Diego, the forecast is expected to be clear.
Meanwhile, the planetary parade may not be visible in the northern part of the state, with cloudy conditions expected Saturday night in Sacramento, and possible showers and thunderstorms in Eureka and Redding.
People with telescopes and binoculars will also be able to see Uranus and Neptune as well.
For amateur astronomers, this also would be a fun time to test out your telescope skills by checking out Jupiter’s many moons or Saturn’s rings.
Please note that if your view is obscured by buildings, trees or hills, you won’t see the parade because it will appear very low on the horizon.
The nontechnical term is Parade of Planets, but the technical term is planetary alignment. Basically, it’s just the name for what happens when the planets and sun line up in the sky, these happen during events called oppositions and conjunctions.
Opposition is the term for when a planet is directly opposite the Earth from the Sun. Meanwhile, conjunction is when they are aligned with each other and is when we get the best views of the planets.
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