As Oak Fire Prompts State Of Emergency, Where Does California Stand This Fire Season?
A fast-moving brush fire near Yosemite National Park exploded in size Saturday into one of California’s largest wildfires of the year, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people and shutting off power to more than 2,000 homes and businesses.
The Oak Fire started Friday afternoon southwest of the park near the town of Midpines in Mariposa County and by Saturday had grown to nearly 19 square miles (48 square kilometers), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. It erupted as firefighters made progress against an earlier blaze that burned to the edge of a grove of giant sequoias in the southernmost part of Yosemite park. Evacuation orders were put in effect Saturday for over 6,000 people living across a several-mile span in the sparsely populated, rural area, said Daniel Patterson, a spokesman for the Sierra National Forest. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for Mariposa County over the weekend due to the effects of the Oak Fire. Today on AirTalk, guest host Sharon McNary talks with state government and investigative CapRadio reporter, Scott Rodd and Chris Dicus, professor of fire and fuels management at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, about the latest with the Oak Fire and where things stand statewide with this fire season.
With files from the Associated Press
COVID-19 AMA: Potential Mask Mandate Looms, New Cases Flatten In L.A. County, And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Annabelle De St. Maurice, assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases and the co-chief infection prevention officer at University of California Los Angeles/Mattel Children’s Hospital.
Controversy Surrounds Orange County Power Authority. Does That Raise Bigger Questions Over The Community Choice Energy Model?
Concerns are growing over a lack of transparency and internal strife at The Orange County Power Authority, just two years after the agency formed. The Orange County grand jury released a report at the end of June critical of the authority’s executive leadership. The agency is what’s known as a Community Choice Energy program, formally known as Community Choice Aggregation. The model was enacted in California in 2002 and since then, agencies have been created in LA County and beyond. These agencies can basically buy power on the open energy market with the goal of creating competitive rates for consumers. Reports have also found community choice agencies to be effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Today on AirTalk, guest host Sharon McNary talks with Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley about the concerns involving the Orange County Power Authority and Keith Taylor, professor of cooperative extension at UC Davis, about the evolution of Community Choice Aggregation in California.
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