California California Wildfires

Gov. Gavin Newsom surveys a home destroyed in the Kincade Fire

California Wildfires

Comforting California, Newsom bashes a familiar villain — PG&E

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s lambasting of PG&E as California reels from wildfires and mass blackouts reflects his roots in San Francisco — and a public perception that’s built up over the last half century.

By

Laurel Rosenhall

• October 31, 2019

Firefighters stand watch by a fire line along Mayacama Club Drive as the Kincade Fire burns in the outskirts of Santa Rosa on Oct. 28, 2019. Photo by Dai Sugano, Bay Area News Group

Explainers

California’s on fire, unplugged and out of easy answers. So why don’t we…?

Only hard options remain for dealing with California’s wildfire crisis. From controlled burns to burying power lines to breaking up PG&E, what are the odds?

By

Julie Cart

and

Judy Lin

• October 30, 2019

A firefighter can be seen running and using a hose to help contain a fire in front of him that is devouring nearby buildings and structures.

Explainers

California’s worsening wildfires explained

In California, wildfire season is nearly year-round. CalMatters explores why, and what could help fireproof the state.

By

Julie Cart

• October 25, 2019

California wildfire utility blackouts PG&E and SDG&E

California Wildfires

Is it fair to blast PG&E for not managing blackouts like SDG&E?

As Pacific Gas & Electric cuts power to thousands to avoid igniting wildfires, policymakers are comparing it unfavorably with San Diego Gas & Electric, a veteran of preemptive blackouts. Local critics say California shouldn't be so quick to put SDG&E on a pedestal.

By

Claire Trageser, KPBS

• October 23, 2019

Los Angeles fire official Michael Flynn demonstrates advanced information equipment in a command vehicle, part of a California pilot program. Photo by Nancy Pastor for CalMatters

Environment

California pursues a holy grail: high-tech data to predict how wildfire will spread

Real-time data from whiz-bang cameras and supercomputers has potential downsides: too many alarm bells, more blackouts and less boots-on-the-ground input.

By

Julie Cart

• October 23, 2019

The deadly 2018 Camp Fire burns around PG&E transmission towers east of Pulga, near the source of the first report of the fire.

California Wildfires

Are power outages the new normal? A chat about PG&E, California fires and the future of electricity

CalMatters' reporters Judy Lin, Julie Cart and Dan Morain discuss California's recent blackout and what that means for the future of fires, utilities and politics.

By

CalMatters Staff

• October 14, 2019

A worker douses potentially contaminated soil n Paradise, California, 11 months after the Camp Fire. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Environment

Cleaning up Paradise as a grim anniversary nears

Almost a year after wildfire destroyed the California town, environmental dangers persist. Residents are still advised not to drink the water.

By

Julie Cart

• October 9, 2019

California Wildfires

What wildfire did to one California town’s schools in four years

Since 2002, nearly two-thirds of the days lost to school closures have been for wildfire and wildfire-related issues. Of those fire closures, half have occurred in the past four school years.

By

Ricardo Cano

• September 16, 2019

The Camp Fire smoke covers the Butte Creek on Honey Run Road in Paradise, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. Photo by Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group

Economy

PG&E offers $18 billion for wildfires — less than half would go directly to victims

PG&E is back where it started — searching for a way forward amid tens of billions of dollars in damages from past wildfires. And its narrowing options are driving the state’s largest utility into the arms of Wall Street investors, including a group led by major Republican donor Paul Singer, the billionaire known for his combative style and portfolio of distressed properties.

By

Judy Lin

• September 6, 2019

Burned homes, trees and vehicles in the Northern California city of Santa Rosa, after a devastating 2017 wildfire. Photo by Anne Belden, istockphotos.com

Environment

What to know as California’s peak fire months loom

The state's forests are clogged with 147 million dead trees — wildfire fuel — and late-winter rains nourished grasses and other highly combustible plants.

By

Julie Cart

• August 29, 2019