California
Smoke-sniffing drones may be future of California wildland firefighting
![Smoke-sniffing drones may be future of California wildland firefighting](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2023/08/31/4dee5918-dcbf-474b-bce7-10b397f19cd6/thumbnail/1200x630/e91feac50f72dd2934d3eb4f3a0cb2fa/smoke-sniffing-drone.jpg?v=a8a34dbc23229a263a09ea92e9d5b7dc)
DAVIS — When a wildfire breaks out, early detection is key in stopping it from spreading.
Cal Fire’s goal is to get on the scene of these fires quickly and contain 95 percent of all fires to just 10 acres or less. Now, drones may be the latest technology that helps detect wildland blazes as soon as they break out.
“We’re going to have a swarm of them,” said Professor Zhaodan Kong of the UC Davis mechanical and aerospace engineering department.
A team of mechanical aerospace engineers at UC Davis is building these drones.
“The official name is an octocopter,” said UC Davis Ph.D. student Prabhesh Ragbir.
Octocopters are equipped with detectors that can sniff out smoke.
“We have sensors for particulate matter, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, VOCs,” Ragbir said.
They say it works much like a search dog’s nose.
“You track the scents, and then you track the scents, and you figure out the location of the wildfire,” Kong said.
The onboard air samplers are so sensitive that they can detect smoke before it becomes visible to cameras or the human eye.
“Even down to the nanomoles, very small amounts,” Ragbir said.
The drone can then follow the trail to pinpoint the precise origin of the fire and quickly alert firefighters.
“Our hope is, basically, we can catch or detect the wildfire as early as possible, and that means that the damage caused by fire will be minimized,” Kong said.
With the potential to protect millions of dollars worth of property, the drones are actually pretty economical.
“The whole thing is about $2,000,” Kong said.
The engineers have been working with Cal Fire to experiment with the drones on several prescribed burns, and so far, they’ve seen success.
“You need to show them that it works and that you can gradually incorporate this into their workflow,” Kong said.
The drones have limited flight time, so they will only be launched during times of high fire danger — like the red flag conditions that we saw Wednesday in parts of the north state.
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California
Over 100 horses at Southern California facility at risk of being displaced
![Over 100 horses at Southern California facility at risk of being displaced](https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/Lakewood-Equesterian-Center-5.png?w=1280)
More than 100 horses are in danger of being displaced, including some that are too old to be moved and would need to be euthanized, after the city of Lakewood announced it could no longer afford to run the beloved equestrian center.
The Lakewood Equestrian Center also houses miniature horses and some mules. Some of the horses are old and have been retired, while others are used for training and riding.
Taylor Cohen, who works as a first responder and boards her horse at the center, explained that horses provide people with the opportunity to relax and just love their animals.
Hearing news that the city plans to shutter the equestrian center, she said, was devastating.
“Having been a first responder [for] the last 18 years of my life, finding ways to manage the stress that you come into is huge,” Cohen explained. “There has to be other ways [to do that] besides going and seeing a therapist.”
Part of the land the equestrian center sits on is owned by the county. Another portion is owned by Southern California Edison.
The city has announced plans to wipe the equestrian center out and build a park with pickleball courts, though, according to Cohen and others, this comes with a huge problem.
“There’s nowhere for these horses to go,” she said. “Some of them won’t be able to be moved because of age or health issues. There’s actually no place around that will be able to board all these horses.”
Lakewood City Council halted their vote on the issue to give people more time to come up with a proposal for taking it over, but the facility needs at least $6 million in repairs and Edison is owed more than $40,000 on the lease, leaving some people who use the center at a loss.
“We have nowhere else to go,” Noah Grove, who boards his animals at the facility, told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “Huntington Beach Equestrian Center, their full and have a 35-horse waitlist. I’m actually from Huntington Beach. I drive 18 to 30 minutes to get here, depending on traffic, and I’m up here sometimes twice a day.”
Riders like Makella Mahan are hoping someone can grab the reins of the facility and save this haven for her and the horses.
“Honestly, all these beautiful horses would be out of a home, and I think that would be very sad,” she said.
For its part, city officials have said they don’t necessarily want to close the facility and are hoping to come up with a plan, along with the equestrian community, for making the center profitable or even getting it to break even.
California
New law requiring California bars to offer drink spiking drug test kits takes effect July 1 | CNN
![New law requiring California bars to offer drink spiking drug test kits takes effect July 1 | CNN](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/gettyimages-980583384.jpg?c=16x9&q=w_800,c_fill)
CNN
—
A new law requiring many California bars and nightclubs to offer common date-rape drug test kits will take effect Tuesday, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The law, Assembly Bill 1013, requires approximately 2,400 establishments with a Type 48 license to have signage letting patrons know that drug testing kits are available.
Type 48 licenses are issued to bars and nightclubs and authorize the sale of beer, wine, and distilled spirits, according to the department.
The signage reads, “Don’t get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details.”
The drug testing devices will either be offered for sale at a reasonable price or be given to customers for free, according to the department.
Devices could include test strips, stickers, or straws that can detect the presence of controlled substances in drinks.
California
California bars required to offer drug testing kits starting July 1
![California bars required to offer drug testing kits starting July 1](https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/06/30/7fb790a6-5c07-4ea0-b5b9-486a813e607f/thumbnail/1200x630/1b4a404b11be318e69d430a3e82eaa11/2618a4d0e77bc2a5874f3462d4d1abfe.jpg?v=a23cb4bdf4fa7f3cb72e5118085577f9)
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