California governor declares state of emergency over wildfires
With multiple wildfires burning, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency on Sunday.
The fires have torched roughly 50,000 acres across the state, resulting in the evacuations of at least 180,000 people. The Kincade Fire in Sonoma County has destroyed 79 structures and threatens 31,000 more, the Los Angeles Times reports, and has burned down several wineries, including the historic Soda Rock Winery. Fire officials are worried that the blaze will jump Highway 101, entering an area that hasn't burned since the 1940s. The fire is being fueled by high winds, and there are more than 3,000 local, state, and federal firefighters on the scene. In Southern California, the Tick Fire in Santa Clarita has burned more than 4,600 acres, and is 65 percent contained.
On Saturday night, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. started cutting electricity to 2 million customers in Northern California, and a spokeswoman said on Sunday that the lights might not go back on until Wednesday. The utility is waiting for winds to die down, saying that before the power can be turned back on, workers will have to finish inspecting lines for any damage.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Will auto safety be diminished in Trump's second administration?
Today's Big Question The president-elect has reportedly considered scrapping a mandatory crash-reporting rule
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
One great cookbook: 'A Girl and Her Greens' by April Bloomfield
The Week Recommends Vegetables deserve the best. In this chef-author's hands, they achieve their ultimate potential.
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
DeSantis appoints Florida's top lawyer to US Senate
Speed Read The state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, will replace Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The worst wildfires in California history
The Explainer Total damage from the ongoing fires could be up to $150 billion, according to AccuWeather
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How will home insurance change after LA's fires?
Today's Big Question Climate disasters leave insurance industry in crisis
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cyclone
Speed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
Speed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Global plastics summit starts as COP29 ends
Speed Read Negotiators gathering in South Korea seek an end to the world's plastic pollution crisis, though Trump's election may muddle the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published