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SAN DIEGO (AP) — The military said search-and-rescue efforts were continuing for five U.S. Marines after their helicopter went down during stormy weather in the Southern California mountains. Here’s what we know so far:WHAT HAPPENEDA CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was returning from a training mission in Nevada when it disappeared Tuesday night. About 99 feet (30 meters) long, the Super Stallion can move troops and equipment from ships to shore, ferry supplies and launch amphibious assaults. Nicknamed the “hurricane maker” because of the downwash from its three engines, the Super Stallion has a 50-mile (80.5-kilometer) range. In 2005, a Super Stallion went down in a sandstorm in Iraq, killing 31 people on board.

Persons: Mike Cornette, Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, “, John Kirby, San Diego County’s, ___ Baldor, John Antczak Organizations: DIEGO, U.S, Marines, Stallion, Civilian, Creech Air Force Base, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, CBS, Cal Fire, WHO, Heavy Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Super Stallion, U.S . Navy, White, National Security, U.S . Forest Service, . Border Patrol, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Civil Air Patrol, San Diego, Cleveland National Forest, Super, U.S ., Marine Corps, Associated Press Locations: Southern California, Nevada, Pine Valley, San Diego, Las Vegas, California, New York City, San Diego County, Pine, San, Cleveland, Beirut, Somalia, Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mogadishu, Miramar, El Centro, Mexico, Washington, Los Angeles

☆ 5 Marines aboard helicopter that went down outside San Diego are confirmed dead, military says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Five U.S. Marines aboard a helicopter that went down during stormy weather in the mountains outside of San Diego are confirmed dead, the military said Thursday. Authorities say the CH-53E Super Stallion vanished late Tuesday night while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after training at Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas. "It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that I share the loss of five outstanding Marines from 3d Marine Aircraft Wing and the "Flying Tigers," Maj. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte, commander of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a statement. The craft was discovered Wednesday morning near the mountain community of Pine Valley, an hour's drive from San Diego. Civilian authorities searching on ground and by air located the aircraft, which went down during stormy weather in the Southern California mountains, about 45-miles (72-kilometers) from San Diego.

Persons: Maj, Michael J, Borgschulte, Borgshulte, Stephanie Leguizamon, Mike Cornette Organizations: Stallion, U.S, Marines, Authorities, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Creech Air Force Base, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing, Flying Tigers, 3rd Marine Aircraft, California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, CBS, Cal Fire, Civilian Locations: Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines, San Diego, Las Vegas, Pine Valley, Southern California

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An elevated Los Angeles freeway closed for more than a week because of an arson fire reopened ahead of Monday morning's commute, at least a day earlier than previously announced and weeks ahead of the original estimate. “Welcome back, Los Angeles!” Mayor Karen Bass posted late Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter. Gavin Newsom said recent safety inspections showed the span was safe to start reopening Sunday evening and that the freeway would be “fully operational” before Monday's rush hour. State investigators repeatedly identified fire and safety hazards at a leased storage space under an elevated Los Angeles freeway before it burned in the fire, documents show. The California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, released the documents Friday.

Persons: Karen Bass, Gavin Newsom, ” Newsom, Kamala Harris, Sen, Alex Padilla, Bass, ” Bass, Padilla, Investigators, ”, Newsom, Daryl Myatt, Mainak, hasn't, Marshall, ” D’Attaray, Izzy Gordon, Gordon, —, ” Brandon Richards, Richards, Sophia Tareen Organizations: ANGELES, Twitter, Gov, California Department of Transportation, Caltrans, Cal Fire, State Fire, Apex Development Inc, Apex, Apex Development, “ Apex, CalTrans, California’s, California Department of Forestry, Associated Press Locations: Los, Los Angeles, U.S, Angeles, Apex, Chicago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — State investigators repeatedly identified fire and safety hazards at a leased storage space under an elevated Los Angeles freeway before it burned in an arson fire, documents show. Gavin Newsom said the state will reassess the practice of leasing land under roads to bring in money for mass transportation projects. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesApex Development Inc. has leased the land under I-10 since 2008. In September, state officials filed a lawsuit against Apex saying it owes $78,000 in unpaid rent. Caltrans had “informed Apex Development of the need to address violations, especially those creating safety hazards,” the agency said in a statement.

Persons: ”, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Newsom, Karen Bass, Daryl Myatt, Mainak, ” D’Attaray, Marshall, Izzy Gordon, ” Brandon Richards, Richards Organizations: ANGELES, —, The California Department of Transportation, Caltrans, Authorities, Gov, Apex Development Inc, Apex, Apex Development, “ Apex, CalTrans, California’s, California Department of Forestry, Cal Fire, Caltrans “, State Fire Locations: Angeles, Los Angeles, Apex, California

☆ California wildfire, fueled by desert winds, forces evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A firefighter works to extinguish the Highland Fire, a wind driven wildfire near Aguanga, California, U.S., October 31, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsTEMECULA, California, Oct 31 (Reuters) - A Southern California wildfire fueled by desert winds burned 2,487 acres (1,010 hectares) and prompted evacuation orders for more than 4,000 people in Riverside County, officials said on Tuesday. The seasonal phenomenon occurs when dry desert air blows toward the ocean, creating a fire hazard in Southern California. Some 1,220 homes and 4,270 residents were under mandatory evacuation orders, with another 1,136 homes and 3,976 residents under evacuation warnings, Cal Fire spokesperson Thomas Shoots said. Southern California has had a mild fire year in 2023, after unusually heavy rainfall that included the first tropical storm to reach heavily populated areas in the state in 84 years.

Persons: Mike Blake, Thomas Shoots, Barb Bommarito, Robert Duke, Duke, Omar Younis, Daniel Trotta, Mary Milliken, Jonathan Oatis, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Highland Fire, California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, Fire, Cal Fire, Thomson Locations: Aguanga , California, U.S, Rights TEMECULA , California, Southern California, Riverside County, Santa, Temecula, Aguanga, Carlsbad , California

Riverside Animal Control looks for stray dogs as as the Fairview Fire smoulders near Hemet, California, U.S., September 9, 2022. After disastrous years in 2020 and 2021, wildfire damage this season has been largely limited to the sparsely populated northwest corner of the state. The five-year average over the same interval is 6,142 fires and 1.2 million acres burned. "We're really only a prolonged heatwave followed by a windstorm away from having major fires," Chavez said. UCLA meteorologist Daniel Swain said climate change is going to result in more extreme dry years periodically interspersed with more extreme wet years.

Persons: David Swanson, California's, Tim Chavez, Nick Schuler, Michele Steinberg, Chavez, Daniel Swain, we'll, Swain, Daniel Trotta, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Riverside, REUTERS, of Water Resources, Labor, California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, Cal Fire, National Fire Prevention, UCLA, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Fairview, Hemet , California, U.S, California, Western Canada, United States, Hawaii, Lahaina, Southern California

☆ California Escapes Fire Season Mostly Unharmed, but Danger Could Lie Ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

After disastrous years in 2020 and 2021, wildfire damage this season has been largely limited to the sparsely populated northwest corner of the state. Cal Fire has reported 5,474 wildfires burning 257,407 acres (104,169 hectares) in 2023, similar to the same period of 2022. The five-year average over the same interval is 6,142 fires and 1.2 million acres burned. "We're really only a prolonged heatwave followed by a windstorm away from having major fires," Chavez said. UCLA meteorologist Daniel Swain said climate change is going to result in more extreme dry years periodically interspersed with more extreme wet years.

Persons: Daniel Trotta, California's, Tim Chavez, Nick Schuler, Michele Steinberg, Chavez, Daniel Swain, we'll, Swain, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: of Water Resources, Labor, California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, Cal Fire, National Fire Prevention, UCLA, YouTube Locations: California, Western Canada, United States, Hawaii, Lahaina, Southern California

A German company is building a constellation of satellites to detect fires from space. “They’re trained very specifically to detect smoke or not, and we train them with images of smoke and images of not smoke,” CEO Sonia Kastner said. The cameras help detect fires quicker and get teams on the ground faster, shaving up to two hours off response times. German startup OroraTech analyzes satellite images with artificial intelligence. "There are algorithms on the satellite, very efficient ones to detect fires even faster," CEO Thomas Gruebler said.

Persons: Phillip SeLegue, SeLegue, It's, “ They’re, Sonia Kastner, ” Kastner, ”, Larry Bekkedahl, Bekkedahl, “, ” Bekkedahl, Juan Lavista Ferres, Ferres, “ It’s, OroraTech, Thomas Gruebler, Gruebler, Barbara Ortutay Organizations: Firefighters, Microsoft, California Department of Forestry, Portland General Electric, PGE, AP Technology Locations: Maui, San Diego, Francisco, Oregon, Canada, Munich, Chile, Alberta, San Francisco

☆ How California is using AI to snuff out wildfires before they explode
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Stephanie Elam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says it has a new tool to battle wildfires before they explode – artificial intelligence. “I think it is a game changer … It has enhanced our abilities to validate situational awareness and then respond in a quick fashion,” Phillip SeLegue, Cal Fire’s staff chief for fire intelligence, told CNN. Cal Fire, in partnership with the University of California at San Diego’s Alert California program and its network of more than 1,000 cameras across the state, is using the technology to spot fires early. Stephanie Elam/CNNCal Fire staff chief for fire intelligence Phillip SeLegue stands on a lookout tower in San Diego County. At Boucher Hill lookout tower in San Diego County, volunteer Bill Angel of the Forest Fire Lookout Association is in his second season of keeping an eye out for wildfires.

Persons: ” Phillip SeLegue, Cal Fire’s, ”, Scott Slumpff, ” Slumpff, “, SeLegue, Dean Veik, Cal Fire, Stephanie Elam, Phillip SeLegue, Brian Norton, ” Norton, Bill Angel, Boucher, ” SeLegue Organizations: CNN — Firefighters, California Department of Forestry, Cal, CNN, Cleveland National Forest, intel, Cal Fire, University of California, Alert, UC San Diego Alert, CNN Cal Fire, Lookout Association, Association Locations: California, San Diego County, Alert California, Boucher

Here's a look at what California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara proposed and how it would affect the state's insurance market:WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES? It said insurance companies had to get permission from the state Department of Insurance before they could raise their rates. When setting their rates, insurance companies cannot consider current or future risks to a property. Insurance companies also buy insurance themselves, a process known as reinsurance. The process includes lots of time for insurance companies and consumer groups to give their input.

Persons: Ricardo Lara, They've, Lara Organizations: California, of Insurance, Insurance, Companies, California Department of Forestry, Protection . Insurance, . Insurance, FAIR, Consumer Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, ratepayers

Many wildfires in the United States occur when poles owned by utilities or other structures carrying power lines are blown down, or when branches or other objects land on power lines and cause them to produce high-energy flashes of electricity that can start fires. Image Nearly a week after the wildfire tore through Lahaina, state and local officials have not determined a cause for the blaze. Like most other utilities, Hawaiian Electric operates under the scrutiny of public commissioners who have to approve its spending plans. Power lines have caused catastrophic wildfires in California in recent years, prompting lawsuits that have led to multibillion-dollar payouts by the state’s utilities. Hawaiian Electric in a regulatory filing last year detailed measures aimed at reducing the risk of its equipment causing fires.

Persons: Hurricane Dora, “, ”, James Frantz, Frantz, There’s, Max Whittaker, Shahriar Pourreza, Shelee Kimura, ” Ms, Kimura, Pourreza, Michael Wara, Philip Cheung, Bob Marshall, Jim Kelly, Ken Pimlott, Anne Lopez, Mr, Wara, Kellen Browning, John Keefe, Susan C, Beachy, Alain Delaquérière Organizations: Wildfire, National Weather Service, Frantz Law, Hawaiian Electric, The New York Times, Guggenheim Securities, Maui Electric, Pacific Gas, Pacific Gas and Electric, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Pacific Disaster Center, Stanford University, The New York Times Lightning, Western, NASA, Whisker Labs, Labs, California Department of Forestry, Stanford, U.S . Energy Information Administration Locations: Lahaina, West Maui, Maui, California, United States, Northern California, Paradise, Hawaii, Western United States, Maui County, Germantown, Md, San Francisco

☆ California's fire season under way weeks after heavy rain and snow
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Reuters) - Barely five weeks after the last bout of heavy rain and snow in California's historically wet winter, firefighters on Friday battled the state's first large wildfire of the year in rugged foothills east of Los Angeles. The blaze posed no immediate threat to populated areas as it burned steep terrain deep in the forest, agency spokesperson Lyn Sieliet said. Still, it marked the first blaze of the 2023 season measuring 100 acres or more, signaling the potential for extreme wildfire activity this summer and fall. Forecasters said a warming trend hastened a spring thaw following a spate of Pacific storms that pummeled California with torrential rains and mountain snow from late December until late March. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tesla driver who plunged his family off California cliff did so on purpose, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Phil Helsel | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A California man intentionally drove a Tesla off a 250-foot cliff in an attempt to kill himself and his family, officials said Tuesday. The driver and his wife and children survived and were rescued Monday at Devil's Slide in San Mateo County, the California Highway Patrol said. Four people were rescued after a Tesla plunged over a cliff in Calif., on Monday. Brian Pottenger, incident commander for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said that witnesses called 911 after the crash around 10:50 a.m. The car was traveling south on State Route 1 when it went over the cliff at Devil’s Slide, south of the Tom Lantos Tunnels, and landed near the water’s edge, the fire department said.

☆ Why California’s 2022 Wildfire Season Was Unexpectedly Quiet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Elena Shao | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Maps of California show the perimeters of wildfire burns for every year between 2018 and 2022 (desktop version) or 2017 and 2022 (mobile version). The extent of acreage burned in 2022 is far less than what burned in 2021 and 2022, and looks more similar to what burned in 2019. 2018 2017 Camp fire 2022 2021 2020 McKinney fire 2020 was the state’s worst fire year on record. Wildfires have burned about 362,000 acres this year, compared to 2.5 million acres last year and a historic 4.3 million acres in 2020. Acres Burned by Wildfires in California A bar chart showing the total acres burned by California wildfires since 1987.

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