FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus043526

WILDFIRES…

… A DEVASTATING DROUGHT …

A MELTING SNOWPACK.

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE …

(NATS)

PLAYING OUT IN CALIFORNIA.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law

"California's motivations for being a leader on climate policy are clear. California has a lot at stake."

THE STATE HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING …

MUCH AS IT WAS 70 YEARS AGO WHEN A MYSTERIOUS HAZE CALLED "SMOG" SPURRED THE STATE TO REGULATE AIR QUALITY.

IN 1947, THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE GAVE COUNTIES THE POWER TO CRACK DOWN ON LOCAL POLLUTERS …

SOUNDBITE (English), narrative from a 1963 video by the Air Pollution Control District of Los Angeles County

"What is this pollution that we've heard so much about?"

… AND IN 1966, CALIFORNIA ADOPTED THE FIRST VEHICLE EMISSIONS STANDARDS IN THE NATION.

ITS AIR QUALITY STANDARDS ARE STILL THE TOUGHEST IN THE U-S.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab

"There's a certain level of affluence and awareness in places like California. So we're making a concerted effort -- businesses, on a government level and certainly on an environmental level -- to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, and lead the rest of the world, set an example for the rest of the world, for what can be done."

GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN RECENTLY PLEDGED TO REDUCE CLIMATE EMISSIONS TO 40 PERCENT BELOW 1990 LEVELS WITHIN THE NEXT 15 YEARS.

SOUNDBITE (English), Governor Jerry Brown

"The trouble with climate change is it's a 'bad' happening very slowly. And if we don't get it in time, it'll be too late."

THAT'S HALFWAY TO THE GOAL SET BY FORMER REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER FOR THE YEAR 2050.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY START-UPS FLOURISH IN CALIFORNIA …

… AND WHEN LEADERS WANT TO TALK CLIMATE CHANGE, THEY LOOK TO CALIFORNIA.

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN RECENTLY ATTENDED A ROUNDTABLE FOR GREEN START-UPS IN LOS ANGELES.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vice President Joe Biden

"We're in a position where we have the cheapest energy in the world and will for the remainder of the century and you guys are going to make sure that it's clean energy."

CALIFORNIA IS SENDING A DELEGATION TO THE PARIS SUMMIT TO SHARE ITS EXPERTISE.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, UCLA School of Law

"California has figured out how to grow its GDP while bending down the curve of emissions, and that's part of what's been a really powerful lesson for the rest of the globe."

A LEADING ROLE EVEN MORE CRITICAL NOW AS CALIFORNIA ITSELF BEARS THE BRUNT OF GLOBAL WARMING.

THE HISTORIC DROUGHT IS PARCHING FARMERS AND LED TO MANDATORY WATER RATIONING STATEWIDE.

WITH BONE-DRY HILLSIDES, ONCE SEASONAL WILDFIRES NOW CHEW THROUGH THE STATE YEAR-ROUND …

… BURNING HOMES AND COSTING BILLIONS.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA

"It's really a question of whether you want to get hit in the head by a hard ball or by a whiffle ball. So we can have a big impact on the future by switching to more sustainable energy sources."

A CAUTIONARY TALE CALIFORNIA IS SHARING WITH THE WORLD.

GILLIAN FLACCUS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, LOS ANGELES

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus043526

WILDFIRES…

… A DEVASTATING DROUGHT …

A MELTING SNOWPACK.

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE …

(NATS)

PLAYING OUT IN CALIFORNIA.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law

"California's motivations for being a leader on climate policy are clear. California has a lot at stake."

THE STATE HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING …

MUCH AS IT WAS 70 YEARS AGO WHEN A MYSTERIOUS HAZE CALLED "SMOG" SPURRED THE STATE TO REGULATE AIR QUALITY.

IN 1947, THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE GAVE COUNTIES THE POWER TO CRACK DOWN ON LOCAL POLLUTERS …

SOUNDBITE (English), narrative from a 1963 video by the Air Pollution Control District of Los Angeles County

"What is this pollution that we've heard so much about?"

… AND IN 1966, CALIFORNIA ADOPTED THE FIRST VEHICLE EMISSIONS STANDARDS IN THE NATION.

ITS AIR QUALITY STANDARDS ARE STILL THE TOUGHEST IN THE U-S.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab

"There's a certain level of affluence and awareness in places like California. So we're making a concerted effort -- businesses, on a government level and certainly on an environmental level -- to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, and lead the rest of the world, set an example for the rest of the world, for what can be done."

GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN RECENTLY PLEDGED TO REDUCE CLIMATE EMISSIONS TO 40 PERCENT BELOW 1990 LEVELS WITHIN THE NEXT 15 YEARS.

SOUNDBITE (English), Governor Jerry Brown

"The trouble with climate change is it's a 'bad' happening very slowly. And if we don't get it in time, it'll be too late."

THAT'S HALFWAY TO THE GOAL SET BY FORMER REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER FOR THE YEAR 2050.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY START-UPS FLOURISH IN CALIFORNIA …

… AND WHEN LEADERS WANT TO TALK CLIMATE CHANGE, THEY LOOK TO CALIFORNIA.

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN RECENTLY ATTENDED A ROUNDTABLE FOR GREEN START-UPS IN LOS ANGELES.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vice President Joe Biden

"We're in a position where we have the cheapest energy in the world and will for the remainder of the century and you guys are going to make sure that it's clean energy."

CALIFORNIA IS SENDING A DELEGATION TO THE PARIS SUMMIT TO SHARE ITS EXPERTISE.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, UCLA School of Law

"California has figured out how to grow its GDP while bending down the curve of emissions, and that's part of what's been a really powerful lesson for the rest of the globe."

A LEADING ROLE EVEN MORE CRITICAL NOW AS CALIFORNIA ITSELF BEARS THE BRUNT OF GLOBAL WARMING.

THE HISTORIC DROUGHT IS PARCHING FARMERS AND LED TO MANDATORY WATER RATIONING STATEWIDE.

WITH BONE-DRY HILLSIDES, ONCE SEASONAL WILDFIRES NOW CHEW THROUGH THE STATE YEAR-ROUND …

… BURNING HOMES AND COSTING BILLIONS.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA

"It's really a question of whether you want to get hit in the head by a hard ball or by a whiffle ball. So we can have a big impact on the future by switching to more sustainable energy sources."

A CAUTIONARY TALE CALIFORNIA IS SHARING WITH THE WORLD.

GILLIAN FLACCUS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, LOS ANGELES

AP TELEVISION

Lower Lake, California — July 31, 2015

1. Tree burning

AP TELEVISION

Westmoreland, California —April 29, 2015

2. Wide, dead tree, dry playa

AP TELEVISION

Mammoth Lakes, California -- March 25, 2014

3. Mountains with reduced snowpack seen from a snow survey plane

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — June 8, 2015

4. Los Angeles Water and Power "water police" officer exits car

5. Dead lawn with drought water conservation sign

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 20, 2015

6. SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (transcript below)

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 13, 2015

7. Wide, Hollywood sign

8. Various of Los Angeles traffic

AP PHOTOS

Los Angeles, California — November 26, 1954

9. File photo of smog in downtown Los Angeles.

AP PHOTOS

Los Angeles, California — July 15, 1978

10. File photo of smog over downtown Los Angeles.

AP PHOTOS

Los Angeles, California — November 26, 1954

11. File photo of smog in downtown Los Angeles

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, BANCROFT LIBRARY

California — 1971

12. Promotional newsreel of Kaiser Industries' "war on pollution" program

COURTESY CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE ARCHIVES

Los Angeles, California — 1963

13. Educational newsreel by the Public Utilities Commission about power plant pollution

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, BANCROFT LIBRARY

California — 1971

14. Promotional newsreel of Kaiser Industries' "war on pollution" program

15. Cars on freeway

16. Exhaust from car tailpipe

AP TELEVISION

El Monte, California — September 30, 2015

17. Car undergoing emissions testing

AP TELEVISION

Pasadena, California — November 13, 2015

18. SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (see transcript below) ++sot partially covered++

AP TELEVISION

Mojave Desert, California-Nevada border — February 11, 2014

19. Tight, solar panels

20. Wide, field of solar panels

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — October 7, 2015

Gov. Jerry Brown signs climate legislation

21. SOUNDBITE (English), California Gov. Jerry Brown (see transcript below)

AP TELEVISION

Paris, France — October 10, 2014

22. Various European leaders greet former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at 2014 Paris climate summit

AP TELEVISION

San Jose, California — November 9, 2012

23. Clean Tech Open sign

24. Winners of Clean Tech Open hold check

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 16, 2015

25. Vice President Joe Biden greets investors and entrepreneurs at roundtable for green tech incubator

26. SOUNDBITE (English), Vice President Joe Biden (see transcript below)

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 13, 2015

27. Various of Los Angeles traffic

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 20, 2015

28. SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (transcript below) ++sot partially covered++

AP TELEVISION

Long Beach, California — November 20, 2015

29. Various of trucks at Port of Long Beach

AP TELEVISION

Echo Lake, California — April 1, 2015

30. Top of mountains with reduced snow cover

AP TELEVISION

Okieville, California — June 30, 2015

31.Wide of drought-stricken lawn

32. Tight of farmer pulling small onion from dried-up garden

33. Tight of dripping shower head

AP TELEVISION

Weed, California — September 16, 2014

34. Smoking hillside, firefighters working

AP TELEVISION

Lower Lake, California — July 31, 2015

35. Chickens flee wildfire

AP TELEVISION

Weed, California — September 16, 2014

36. Folding chairs remain in smoldering church destroyed by wildfire

AP TELEVISION

Pasadena, California — November 13, 2015

37. SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (see transcript below) ++sot partially covered++

AP TELEVISION

Lower Lake, California — July 31, 2015

38. Burning tree

39. Firefighters fight blaze from on top of fire truck

40. Fire trucks drive down country road

41. Handwritten sign thanking firefighters

WILDFIRES…

… A DEVASTATING DROUGHT …

A MELTING SNOWPACK.

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE …

(NATS)

PLAYING OUT IN CALIFORNIA.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law

"California's motivations for being a leader on climate policy are clear. California has a lot at stake."

THE STATE HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING …

MUCH AS IT WAS 70 YEARS AGO WHEN A MYSTERIOUS HAZE CALLED "SMOG" SPURRED THE STATE TO REGULATE AIR QUALITY.

IN 1947, THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE GAVE COUNTIES THE POWER TO CRACK DOWN ON LOCAL POLLUTERS …

SOUNDBITE (English), narrative from a 1963 video by the Air Pollution Control District of Los Angeles County

"What is this pollution that we've heard so much about?"

… AND IN 1966, CALIFORNIA ADOPTED THE FIRST VEHICLE EMISSIONS STANDARDS IN THE NATION.

ITS AIR QUALITY STANDARDS ARE STILL THE TOUGHEST IN THE U-S.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab

"There's a certain level of affluence and awareness in places like California. So we're making a concerted effort -- businesses, on a government level and certainly on an environmental level -- to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, and lead the rest of the world, set an example for the rest of the world, for what can be done."

GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN RECENTLY PLEDGED TO REDUCE CLIMATE EMISSIONS TO 40 PERCENT BELOW 1990 LEVELS WITHIN THE NEXT 15 YEARS.

SOUNDBITE (English), Governor Jerry Brown

"The trouble with climate change is it's a 'bad' happening very slowly. And if we don't get it in time, it'll be too late."

THAT'S HALFWAY TO THE GOAL SET BY FORMER REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER FOR THE YEAR 2050.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY START-UPS FLOURISH IN CALIFORNIA …

… AND WHEN LEADERS WANT TO TALK CLIMATE CHANGE, THEY LOOK TO CALIFORNIA.

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN RECENTLY ATTENDED A ROUNDTABLE FOR GREEN START-UPS IN LOS ANGELES.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vice President Joe Biden

"We're in a position where we have the cheapest energy in the world and will for the remainder of the century and you guys are going to make sure that it's clean energy."

CALIFORNIA IS SENDING A DELEGATION TO THE PARIS SUMMIT TO SHARE ITS EXPERTISE.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, UCLA School of Law

"California has figured out how to grow its GDP while bending down the curve of emissions, and that's part of what's been a really powerful lesson for the rest of the globe."

A LEADING ROLE EVEN MORE CRITICAL NOW AS CALIFORNIA ITSELF BEARS THE BRUNT OF GLOBAL WARMING.

THE HISTORIC DROUGHT IS PARCHING FARMERS AND LED TO MANDATORY WATER RATIONING STATEWIDE.

WITH BONE-DRY HILLSIDES, ONCE SEASONAL WILDFIRES NOW CHEW THROUGH THE STATE YEAR-ROUND …

… BURNING HOMES AND COSTING BILLIONS.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA

"It's really a question of whether you want to get hit in the head by a hard ball or by a whiffle ball. So we can have a big impact on the future by switching to more sustainable energy sources."

A CAUTIONARY TALE CALIFORNIA IS SHARING WITH THE WORLD.

GILLIAN FLACCUS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, LOS ANGELES

WILDFIRES…

… A DEVASTATING DROUGHT …

A MELTING SNOWPACK.

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE …

(NATS)

PLAYING OUT IN CALIFORNIA.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law

"California's motivations for being a leader on climate policy are clear. California has a lot at stake."

THE STATE HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING …

MUCH AS IT WAS 70 YEARS AGO WHEN A MYSTERIOUS HAZE CALLED "SMOG" SPURRED THE STATE TO REGULATE AIR QUALITY.

IN 1947, THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE GAVE COUNTIES THE POWER TO CRACK DOWN ON LOCAL POLLUTERS …

SOUNDBITE (English), narrative from a 1963 video by the Air Pollution Control District of Los Angeles County

"What is this pollution that we've heard so much about?"

… AND IN 1966, CALIFORNIA ADOPTED THE FIRST VEHICLE EMISSIONS STANDARDS IN THE NATION.

ITS AIR QUALITY STANDARDS ARE STILL THE TOUGHEST IN THE U-S.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab

"There's a certain level of affluence and awareness in places like California. So we're making a concerted effort -- businesses, on a government level and certainly on an environmental level -- to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, and lead the rest of the world, set an example for the rest of the world, for what can be done."

GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN RECENTLY PLEDGED TO REDUCE CLIMATE EMISSIONS TO 40 PERCENT BELOW 1990 LEVELS WITHIN THE NEXT 15 YEARS.

SOUNDBITE (English), Governor Jerry Brown

"The trouble with climate change is it's a 'bad' happening very slowly. And if we don't get it in time, it'll be too late."

THAT'S HALFWAY TO THE GOAL SET BY FORMER REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER FOR THE YEAR 2050.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY START-UPS FLOURISH IN CALIFORNIA …

… AND WHEN LEADERS WANT TO TALK CLIMATE CHANGE, THEY LOOK TO CALIFORNIA.

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN RECENTLY ATTENDED A ROUNDTABLE FOR GREEN START-UPS IN LOS ANGELES.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vice President Joe Biden

"We're in a position where we have the cheapest energy in the world and will for the remainder of the century and you guys are going to make sure that it's clean energy."

CALIFORNIA IS SENDING A DELEGATION TO THE PARIS SUMMIT TO SHARE ITS EXPERTISE.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, UCLA School of Law

"California has figured out how to grow its GDP while bending down the curve of emissions, and that's part of what's been a really powerful lesson for the rest of the globe."

A LEADING ROLE EVEN MORE CRITICAL NOW AS CALIFORNIA ITSELF BEARS THE BRUNT OF GLOBAL WARMING.

THE HISTORIC DROUGHT IS PARCHING FARMERS AND LED TO MANDATORY WATER RATIONING STATEWIDE.

WITH BONE-DRY HILLSIDES, ONCE SEASONAL WILDFIRES NOW CHEW THROUGH THE STATE YEAR-ROUND …

… BURNING HOMES AND COSTING BILLIONS.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA

"It's really a question of whether you want to get hit in the head by a hard ball or by a whiffle ball. So we can have a big impact on the future by switching to more sustainable energy sources."

A CAUTIONARY TALE CALIFORNIA IS SHARING WITH THE WORLD.

GILLIAN FLACCUS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, LOS ANGELES

AP TELEVISION

Lower Lake, California — July 31, 2015

1. Tree burning

AP TELEVISION

Westmoreland, California —April 29, 2015

2. Wide, dead tree, dry playa

AP TELEVISION

Mammoth Lakes, California -- March 25, 2014

3. Mountains with reduced snowpack seen from a snow survey plane

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — June 8, 2015

4. Los Angeles Water and Power "water police" officer exits car

5. Dead lawn with drought water conservation sign

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 20, 2015

6. SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (transcript below)

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 13, 2015

7. Wide, Hollywood sign

8. Various of Los Angeles traffic

AP PHOTOS

Los Angeles, California — November 26, 1954

9. File photo of smog in downtown Los Angeles.

AP PHOTOS

Los Angeles, California — July 15, 1978

10. File photo of smog over downtown Los Angeles.

AP PHOTOS

Los Angeles, California — November 26, 1954

11. File photo of smog in downtown Los Angeles

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, BANCROFT LIBRARY

California — 1971

12. Promotional newsreel of Kaiser Industries' "war on pollution" program

COURTESY CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE ARCHIVES

Los Angeles, California — 1963

13. Educational newsreel by the Public Utilities Commission about power plant pollution

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, BANCROFT LIBRARY

California — 1971

14. Promotional newsreel of Kaiser Industries' "war on pollution" program

15. Cars on freeway

16. Exhaust from car tailpipe

AP TELEVISION

El Monte, California — September 30, 2015

17. Car undergoing emissions testing

AP TELEVISION

Pasadena, California — November 13, 2015

18. SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (see transcript below) ++sot partially covered++

AP TELEVISION

Mojave Desert, California-Nevada border — February 11, 2014

19. Tight, solar panels

20. Wide, field of solar panels

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — October 7, 2015

Gov. Jerry Brown signs climate legislation

21. SOUNDBITE (English), California Gov. Jerry Brown (see transcript below)

AP TELEVISION

Paris, France — October 10, 2014

22. Various European leaders greet former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at 2014 Paris climate summit

AP TELEVISION

San Jose, California — November 9, 2012

23. Clean Tech Open sign

24. Winners of Clean Tech Open hold check

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 16, 2015

25. Vice President Joe Biden greets investors and entrepreneurs at roundtable for green tech incubator

26. SOUNDBITE (English), Vice President Joe Biden (see transcript below)

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 13, 2015

27. Various of Los Angeles traffic

AP TELEVISION

Los Angeles, California — November 20, 2015

28. SOUNDBITE (English), Cara Horowitz, executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (transcript below) ++sot partially covered++

AP TELEVISION

Long Beach, California — November 20, 2015

29. Various of trucks at Port of Long Beach

AP TELEVISION

Echo Lake, California — April 1, 2015

30. Top of mountains with reduced snow cover

AP TELEVISION

Okieville, California — June 30, 2015

31.Wide of drought-stricken lawn

32. Tight of farmer pulling small onion from dried-up garden

33. Tight of dripping shower head

AP TELEVISION

Weed, California — September 16, 2014

34. Smoking hillside, firefighters working

AP TELEVISION

Lower Lake, California — July 31, 2015

35. Chickens flee wildfire

AP TELEVISION

Weed, California — September 16, 2014

36. Folding chairs remain in smoldering church destroyed by wildfire

AP TELEVISION

Pasadena, California — November 13, 2015

37. SOUNDBITE (English), Bill Patzert, research scientist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (see transcript below) ++sot partially covered++

AP TELEVISION

Lower Lake, California — July 31, 2015

38. Burning tree

39. Firefighters fight blaze from on top of fire truck

40. Fire trucks drive down country road

41. Handwritten sign thanking firefighters

Headline: Ack! Distant fires leave California's capital city in a haze

No major wildfires are burning near Sacramento but for two weeks a dull haze and the faint smell of smoke from distant blazes has blanketed California's capital region.

It's forced summer campers to stay inside, obscured normally bright skylines and left ash on cars.

Experiencing smoky air from blowing winds is nothing new in many California cities, but Sacramento air quality experts say it's rare for the dirty air to linger for so long, a reality of ever-larger fires that take longer to extinguish.

The haze stretches to the Sierra Nevada mountain range and nearly every major population center in between has suffered air quality considered dangerous for children, the elderly and people with asthma.

Winds often blow smoky air around California during intense fires, but Sacramento air quality experts say it's rare for the dirty air to linger for so long, a reality of ever-larger fires that take longer to extinguish.

There are two major wildfires _ one called the Mendocino Complex Fire that is the largest in California history _ burning more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Sacramento and another huge fire near Yosemite National Park a little farther to the southeast. Firefighters made significant process against the Mendocino Complex for the first time Wednesday but said the blazes will likely continue through September.

Wednesday marked the Sacramento region's 13th straight "Spare the Air" day, when people are encouraged not to drive and add further pollutants to the air _ the longest stretch since at least 2001. A similar warning is effect in the San Francisco Bay Area, and air quality experts in California's Central Valley and areas southeast of Los Angeles are warning residents to limit outdoor exposure because of wildfires there.

A day earlier, dozens of summer campers sat inside watching a movie at a Sacramento YMCA.

"Normally that doesn't happen on a regular day at camp," said Jay Lowden, president of the YMCA for a nine-county region that serves more than 700 kids weekly at 13 summer camps. His counselors monitor the air quality on a daily basis, and Lowden said he may cancel a planned family camp this weekend in the foothills because of the smoke.

Lori Kobza, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Air Quality Management District, said it's hard to predict when things will improve because of the unpredictably of the fires and the winds.

Because the city is located in a valley, it's easier for smoky air to get trapped here when high pressure systems blow in, making Sacramento like a smoke-filled bowl that's had a lid placed tightly on top.

Sacramento, California - 8 August 2018

1. Various of kids playing indoors at YMCA Sacramento day camp (YMCA says parents signed waivers allowing kids to be on camera)

2. Various of playground equipment not being used

3. SOUNDITE (English) Jay Lowden, president of YMCA of Superior California

"The wildfires and the air quality and lack of good air quality has impacted our camps. We have to keep the kids inside more. A lot of the outdoor physical activities we've had to curtail and cut back on. And it's frustrating because the kids are spending more time inside. They get a little bit of cabin fever."

4. California State Capitol building in hazy air

5. Sacramento River and skyline in hazy air

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lori Kobza, spokeswoman, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

"We're just most concerned right now with the wildfire smoke and the particulate matter. So we do encourage people to stay indoors and limit their outside activities."

7. Screen showing air quality index

8. Kobza on computer showing air quality map

9. Screen showing air quality map of Sacrament region

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Lori Kobza, spokeswoman, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

"Now the Mendocino Complex Fires right now are so huge are burning over 300,000 acres and they are contributing the majority of the smoke. Right now however we are still seeing impacts from the Carr Fire, which is burning up near Redding and the Ferguson Fire which is burning in the Yosemite Valley area."

11. Various of kids playing indoors at YMCA day camp

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Braylin Sligar, YMCA camp director

"So air quality wise, so it limits our outdoor time which is hard during summer because it's all about being outdoors and using the outdoors to have fun and to play. So we've had to incorporate a lot more indoor activities in developing our program to accommodate the weather."

13. Boys playing basketball in gym

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Nolasco, 11, YMCA day camper

"It's a very good idea to have a stay indoors because sometimes the pollution can make us sick and stuff."

15. Kids sitting in gym with camp counselor

Headline: Ack! Distant fires leave California's capital city in a haze

No major wildfires are burning near Sacramento but for two weeks a dull haze and the faint smell of smoke from distant blazes has blanketed California's capital region.

It's forced summer campers to stay inside, obscured normally bright skylines and left ash on cars.

Experiencing smoky air from blowing winds is nothing new in many California cities, but Sacramento air quality experts say it's rare for the dirty air to linger for so long, a reality of ever-larger fires that take longer to extinguish.

The haze stretches to the Sierra Nevada mountain range and nearly every major population center in between has suffered air quality considered dangerous for children, the elderly and people with asthma.

Winds often blow smoky air around California during intense fires, but Sacramento air quality experts say it's rare for the dirty air to linger for so long, a reality of ever-larger fires that take longer to extinguish.

There are two major wildfires _ one called the Mendocino Complex Fire that is the largest in California history _ burning more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Sacramento and another huge fire near Yosemite National Park a little farther to the southeast. Firefighters made significant process against the Mendocino Complex for the first time Wednesday but said the blazes will likely continue through September.

Wednesday marked the Sacramento region's 13th straight "Spare the Air" day, when people are encouraged not to drive and add further pollutants to the air _ the longest stretch since at least 2001. A similar warning is effect in the San Francisco Bay Area, and air quality experts in California's Central Valley and areas southeast of Los Angeles are warning residents to limit outdoor exposure because of wildfires there.

A day earlier, dozens of summer campers sat inside watching a movie at a Sacramento YMCA.

"Normally that doesn't happen on a regular day at camp," said Jay Lowden, president of the YMCA for a nine-county region that serves more than 700 kids weekly at 13 summer camps. His counselors monitor the air quality on a daily basis, and Lowden said he may cancel a planned family camp this weekend in the foothills because of the smoke.

Lori Kobza, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Air Quality Management District, said it's hard to predict when things will improve because of the unpredictably of the fires and the winds.

Because the city is located in a valley, it's easier for smoky air to get trapped here when high pressure systems blow in, making Sacramento like a smoke-filled bowl that's had a lid placed tightly on top.

Sacramento, California - 8 August 2018

1. Various of kids playing indoors at YMCA Sacramento day camp (YMCA says parents signed waivers allowing kids to be on camera)

2. Various of playground equipment not being used

3. SOUNDITE (English) Jay Lowden, president of YMCA of Superior California

"The wildfires and the air quality and lack of good air quality has impacted our camps. We have to keep the kids inside more. A lot of the outdoor physical activities we've had to curtail and cut back on. And it's frustrating because the kids are spending more time inside. They get a little bit of cabin fever."

4. California State Capitol building in hazy air

5. Sacramento River and skyline in hazy air

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lori Kobza, spokeswoman, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

"We're just most concerned right now with the wildfire smoke and the particulate matter. So we do encourage people to stay indoors and limit their outside activities."

7. Screen showing air quality index

8. Kobza on computer showing air quality map

9. Screen showing air quality map of Sacrament region

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Lori Kobza, spokeswoman, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

"Now the Mendocino Complex Fires right now are so huge are burning over 300,000 acres and they are contributing the majority of the smoke. Right now however we are still seeing impacts from the Carr Fire, which is burning up near Redding and the Ferguson Fire which is burning in the Yosemite Valley area."

11. Various of kids playing indoors at YMCA day camp

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Braylin Sligar, YMCA camp director

"So air quality wise, so it limits our outdoor time which is hard during summer because it's all about being outdoors and using the outdoors to have fun and to play. So we've had to incorporate a lot more indoor activities in developing our program to accommodate the weather."

13. Boys playing basketball in gym

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Nolasco, 11, YMCA day camper

"It's a very good idea to have a stay indoors because sometimes the pollution can make us sick and stuff."

15. Kids sitting in gym with camp counselor

No major wildfires are burning near Sacramento but for two weeks a dull haze and the faint smell of smoke from distant blazes has blanketed California's capital region.

It's forced summer campers to stay inside, obscured normally bright skylines and left ash on cars.

Winds often blow smoky air around California during intense fires, but Sacramento air quality experts say it's rare for the dirty air to linger for so long, a reality of ever-larger fires that take longer to extinguish.

The haze stretches to the Sierra Nevada mountain range and nearly every major population center in between has suffered air quality considered dangerous for children, the elderly and people with asthma.

There are two major wildfires - one called the Mendocino Complex Fire that is the largest in California history - burning more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Sacramento and another huge fire near Yosemite National Park a little farther to the southeast.

Sacramento, California - 8 August 2018

1. Various of kids playing indoors at YMCA Sacramento day camp

2. Various of playground equipment not being used

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jay Lowden, president of YMCA of Superior California

"The wildfires and the air quality and lack of good air quality has impacted our camps. We have to keep the kids inside more. A lot of the outdoor physical activities we've had to curtail and cut back on. And it's frustrating because the kids are spending more time inside. They get a little bit of cabin fever."

4. California State Capitol building in hazy air

5. Sacramento River and skyline in hazy air

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lori Kobza, spokeswoman, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

"We're just most concerned right now with the wildfire smoke and the particulate matter. So we do encourage people to stay indoors and limit their outside activities."

7. Screen showing air quality index

8. Kobza on computer showing air quality map

9. Screen showing air quality map of Sacramento region

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Lori Kobza, spokeswoman, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

"Now the Mendocino Complex Fires right now are so huge are burning over 300,000 acres and they are contributing the majority of the smoke. Right now however we are still seeing impacts from the Carr Fire, which is burning up near Redding and the Ferguson Fire which is burning in the Yosemite Valley area."

11. Various of kids playing indoors at YMCA day camp

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Braylin Sligar, YMCA camp director

"So air quality wise, so it limits our outdoor time which is hard during summer because it's all about being outdoors and using the outdoors to have fun and to play. So we've had to incorporate a lot more indoor activities in developing our programme to accommodate the weather."

13. Boys playing basketball in gym

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Nolasco, 11, YMCA day camper

"It's a very good idea to have a stay indoors because sometimes the pollution can make us sick and stuff."

15. Kids sitting in gym with camp counselor

A wildfire fueled by high heat has so far charred at least 5,000 hectares in the Santa Clarita Valley area of California, USA.

The brush fire broke out along the northbound Antelope Valley Freeway around 14:00 on Friday, near Sand Canyon Road in Santa Clarita.

Hot and dry temperatures coupled with gusts of up to 40 mph (about 64 km per hour) helped the fire burn more than 800 hectares overnight.

Residents were reporting of smoke-filled air and falling ash in many parts of the greater Los Angeles area, and at least one building is believed to have been damaged or destroyed. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze, said the authority.

Fewer than 100 people were evacuated from the area of Capra Road off Soledad Canyon Road because of the flames, county fire officials said.

Residents of between 200-300 homes in the area were also under a mandatory evacuation order, according to the sheriff's department. An emergency shelter for residents has been set up at a high School.

"So far we have evacuated 100 homes, which equates to about 300 people. They are located here at the Golden Valley High School evacuation center." said Burton Brink, sergeant, County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

About 300 firefighters were battling the flames from the ground and air. The Los Angeles Fire Department sent a water-dropping helicopter to join the county fire department. Eight fixed-wing firefighting aircraft were also called in to control the blaze.

A smoke advisory was issued through midnight Sunday for the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys, San Gabriel Mountains, Pomona/Walnut Valley, and the central Los Angeles area, as smoke from the fire drifted southeast toward Los Angeles.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District said those areas were susceptible to direct smoke impact and unhealthy air quality, and recommended that people stay indoors and avoid using swamp coolers and wood-burning appliances.

A wildfire fueled by high heat has so far charred at least 5,000 hectares in the Santa Clarita Valley area of California, USA.

The brush fire broke out along the northbound Antelope Valley Freeway around 14:00 on Friday, near Sand Canyon Road in Santa Clarita.

Hot and dry temperatures coupled with gusts of up to 40 mph (about 64 km per hour) helped the fire burn more than 800 hectares overnight.

Residents were reporting of smoke-filled air and falling ash in many parts of the greater Los Angeles area, and at least one building is believed to have been damaged or destroyed. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze, said the authority.

Fewer than 100 people were evacuated from the area of Capra Road off Soledad Canyon Road because of the flames, county fire officials said.

Residents of between 200-300 homes in the area were also under a mandatory evacuation order, according to the sheriff's department. An emergency shelter for residents has been set up at a high School.

"So far we have evacuated 100 homes, which equates to about 300 people. They are located here at the Golden Valley High School evacuation center." said Burton Brink, sergeant, County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

About 300 firefighters were battling the flames from the ground and air. The Los Angeles Fire Department sent a water-dropping helicopter to join the county fire department. Eight fixed-wing firefighting aircraft were also called in to control the blaze.

A smoke advisory was issued through midnight Sunday for the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys, San Gabriel Mountains, Pomona/Walnut Valley, and the central Los Angeles area, as smoke from the fire drifted southeast toward Los Angeles.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District said those areas were susceptible to direct smoke impact and unhealthy air quality, and recommended that people stay indoors and avoid using swamp coolers and wood-burning appliances.

Santa Clarita, California, USA - July 23, 2016

1. Wildfire

2. Various of scenes at Santa Clarita Valley

3. Fire engines

4. Police vehicle; sign reading "Road closed"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Burton Brink, sergeant, County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department:

"So far we have evacuated 100 homes, which equates to about 300 people. They are located here at the Golden Valley High School evacuation center."

6. Moving train in a distance

7. Various of scenes at Santa Clarita Valley

HEADLINE: Wildfires causing poor air quality in N. Calif.

---------------------------------------

CAPTION: Wildfires raging across California are being blamed for unhealthy air quality throughout the San Joaquin Valley. The heavy smoke and particulate pollution has prompted an air quality warning. (June 24)

----------------------------------------

[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]

NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST.

(locator - Napa, CA)

RIGHT NOW THE SMOKY AROMA IN CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY ISN'T COMING FROM THE OAK AGED MERLOT.

Ripple Sharma, Tourist, says: "Normally there's a great view of the ocean but all you see are these dry hills and haze."

THE HAZE IS COMING FROM HUNDREDS OF SMALL WILDFIRES BURNING ALL OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Elaine St. Clair, Black Stallion Winery, says: "At night we could see an orange glow at the very top of the hill and there was smoke."

THAT SMOKE IS EVERYWHERE. AIR QUALITY OFFICIALS TO PUT OUT AN ADVISORY TO AVOID THE OUTDOORS IF POSSIBLE.

Kristine Roselius, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, says: "We do have some smoke effects here in the Bay Area. We have higher than usual levels of particulate matter. So we're advising people that are sensitive to the smoke to stay inside, keep their children inside and just use common sense."

(camp counselor tells kids: "We're gonna play indoor baseball with the rubber ball.")

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS ARE KEEPING CHILDREN INDOORS.

Eric Dreikosen, Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley, says: "It's much darker. You can absolutely smell the smoke in the air."

THE KIDS SHOULD BE ALLOWED BACK OUTSIDE WEDNESDAY AS OFF-SHORE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BLOW MUCH OF THE SMOKE AWAY. HAVEN DALEY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, NAPA, CALIFORNIA.

STORYLINE

Winds picked up and sent flames from a massive Southern California wildfire rushing downhill on the flanks of Mount San Jacinto.

Helicopters making water drops and air tankers pouring red flame retardant circled overhead as flames burned both sides of the main road leading to the scenic town of Idyllwild.

The blaze erupted on July 25th and quickly turned into a wall of flame that torched timber and dry brush. In a matter of hours, the so-called Cranston Fire grew to 7.5 square miles (19 square kilometers).

About 3,000 residents were under evacuation orders Thursday in Idyllwild and several neighboring communities.

California Governor Jerry Brown declared states of emergency for this fire and two others.

***

An explosive wildfire that has torn through several Northern California communities, forcing thousands to flee and burning hundreds of home houses, continues to grow out of control.

Firefighters spent much of the day on July 28th scrambling from one flare-up to another spread over miles of mountainous terrain.

It's now the largest fire burning in California.

Two firefighters were killed in the blaze, including a bulldozer operator who was helping clear vegetation in the wildfire's path.

About 38,000 people were under evacuation orders, 5,000 homes were threatened and the fire was just 5 percent contained.

The latest tally of 536 destroyed structures was up from 500 earlier in the day, and sure to rise.

A count by The Associated Press found at least 300 of those structures were homes.

Authorities also announced that three more people had been killed in the blaze, two young children and their great-grandmother.

***

Keswick, a mountain town of about 450 people, has been reduced to an ashy moonscape of blackened trees and smouldering rubble.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department was called in to tamp down smoking piles of debris that were scattered around the town amid downed electricity lines.

The deadly Northern California wildfire that has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes slowed down on July 29th after days of explosive growth, giving officials hope even as they announced the discovery of a sixth fatality.

The blaze is burning around Redding, a city of roughly 92,000 people about 230 miles (370 kilometers) north of San Francisco.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said authorities found a sixth victim of the blaze at a home that was consumed by flames. The victim's identity was not released. Several others have been reported missing.

The so-called Carr Fire was ignited by a vehicle problem on Monday about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of the city.

On July 27th, it swept through the historic Gold Rush town of Shasta and nearby Keswick, fueled by gusty winds and dry vegetation.

It then jumped the Sacramento River and took out subdivisions on the western edge of Redding.

The latest tally showed at least 657 homes destroyed and another 145 damaged, with the fire having consumed 149 square miles (386 square kilometers).

***

In Northern California, twin fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties have destroyed at least seven homes and threatened an estimated 12,000 more, US fire officials said.

Firefighters pressed their battle against a pair of fires that have burned 117 square miles (300 square kilometres) across Mendocino and Lake counties.

Lake County is about 110 miles (180 kilometres) north of San Francisco.

In all, roughly 19,000 people have been warned to flee.

Evacuation orders remained in effect on July 31st for the town of Lakeport, along with some smaller communities and a section of the Mendocino National Forest.

Lakeport is a popular destination for bass anglers and boaters on the shores of Clear Lake. By July 30th, it was a ghost town, its main streets deserted.

***

One of two wildfires burning miles apart in Northern California grew overnight, scorching dry vegetation in rugged terrain.

Satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the European Space Agency show the scope of the fires as they burned across the state in the last few days.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday the blaze burning in Mendocino, Lake and Colusa counties has scorched 378 square miles (979 square kilometers). It's only 20 percent contained.

But fire crews made progress against the other blaze, which is now 78 percent contained.

On August 6th the wildfires known as the Mendocino Complex, became the state's largest wildfire in history.

Officials say together the blazes about 100 miles (259 kilometers) north of San Francisco have charred 455 square miles (1,178 square kilometers).

That surpasses a wildfire in 2017 in Southern California that burned 440 square miles (1,140 square kilometers).

***

Smoke from hundreds of wildfires ranging along the North American West Coast are blanketing Seattle and the northwest with heavy smoke.

Public-health officials warned of unhealthy air across many parts of the Pacific Northwest.

Local and regional wildfires are causing smoke and haze in Washington, prompting air quality alerts from Walla Walla to Spokane to Yakima.

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for much of Central and Eastern Washington and northern Idaho through August 14th.

The service says unhealthy air will be common because of the large wildfires currently burning in the region.

People should limit outdoor activity when possible, officials said.

Smoke can irritate eyes and worsen problems for people with pre-existing health conditions.

Air quality was at unhealthy levels for sensitive groups including children, the elderly and people with respiratory illness on August 13th, several clean-air agencies in Puget Sound said.

In Oregon, fires in Washington state and in the southern part of the state were also causing smoky, hazy conditions August 13th.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on August 13th issued several air quality advisories.

It says air quality was unhealthy in the Portland region, as well as in areas including Pendleton, Grants Pass, Medford and Pendleton.

In Beaverton, schools suspended outdoor athletic activities because of the unhealthy air quality.

Thirteen large wildfires have burned more than 211 square miles in Washington state, while 10 large fires have scorched more than 256 square miles in Oregon, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. About 600 wildfires are burning across British Columbia.

01:11:01

00:00:00

California fire burns homes, injures firefighters, civilians

4165359

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Idyllwild, California - 26 July 2018

1. Smoke rising behind trees

2. Flames, smoke rising from mountain

3. Vehicles driving on road, massive pillar of smoke behind them

00:12:00

Deadly fire in rural Northern California rages into its seventh day

4165571

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Redding, California - 28 July 2018

4. Various of firefighters fighting fire on the outskirts of Redding

00:23:23

California wildfire leaves swathe of devastation in Keswick

4165669

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Keswick - 29 July 2018

5. Tracking shot of area destroyed by fire, including burned cars, trees, houses and scorched land

00:32:23

Twin Northern California fires threaten 12,000 homes

4165996

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lakeport, California - 31 July 2018

6. Various of firefighter watching smoke and helicopter

7. Flames

8. Various of group of firefighters looking at flaming mountains

9. Helicopter near flames

10. Fire on the mountains

11. Firefighting aircraft

00:58:17

California Wildfires Seen from Space

4166859

NOAA

Space - 6 August 2018

12. STILL: Satellite image with map boundaries and locations overlaid

01:03:01

Smoke from western wildfires blankets Seattle

4167906

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seattle - August 14, 2018

13. Various of smoke-filled Seattle, skyline

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4164008

Hot and dry weather on Tuesday hindered efforts to slow the growth of a forest fire near Yosemite National Park that killed a California firefighter last weekend, leading some tourists to cut short their visits although all park trails remained open.

The blaze roaring through dry brush and timber between the town of Mariposa and Yosemite National Park has scorched more than 19 square miles (49 square kilometers) in steep terrain on the park's western edge, the U.S. Forest Service said.

More than 1,400 firefighters were battling the flames threatening more than 100 homes and businesses, the Forest Service said. It's just 5 percent contained.

An inversion layer trapped smoke in the area, limiting air attacks and leading officials to issue a hazardous air alert, saying people with health conditions should stay indoors.

All amenities and trails remained opened Tuesday, and park rangers tending the entrances and the visitor center were informing tourists of the poor air quality, park spokesman Scott Gediman said. Information was also posted on the park's social media accounts.

Air quality monitors showed particulate levels in the park at "very unhealthy" levels, meaning everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion or risk serious health effects such as respiratory problems.

Yet tourists plan their visit to Yosemite months or even years in advance. So far, there have been few cancellations, Gediman said.

KFSN - MUST COURTESY/NO ACCESS FRESNO

Mariposa County, California - 17 July 2018

1. Various smoke and flames rise from hillside

2. No Access to Yosemite Park sign

Yosemite, California - 17 July 2018

3. Cars lined up outside Yosemite National Park

4. Various smoke in scenic view area

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Pam Austin, Visiting From Iowa

"We've seen a lot of smoke. The smell of smoke. Our clothes smell like smoke we smell like smoke."

5. Various smoke in scenic view area

6. UPSOUND woman: "Can't see anything."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Barney Farley, Visiting From Missouri

"We've been planning on coming here for years. A little disappointing but like I said we're here."

8. Various smoke visible through trees

9. Man showing boy rock

Upsound: 'And if it was clear we would be able to see all of this."

10. Various family visiting, looking at view

Mariposa County, California - 17 July 2018

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Therese Williams, Visit Yosemite

"We actually have not seen any cancellations which is great and it's not impacting business. And it's come through 41. Restaurants are still open everything is still open. I think that's important to get the message out that we're open for business."

12. Various traffic, hotels, restaurants in smokey haze

Hot and dry weather on Tuesday hindered efforts to slow the growth of a forest fire near Yosemite National Park that killed a California firefighter last weekend, leading some tourists to cut short their visits although all park trails remained open.

The blaze roaring through dry brush and timber between the town of Mariposa and Yosemite National Park has scorched more than 19 square miles (49 square kilometers) in steep terrain on the park's western edge, the U.S. Forest Service said.

More than 1,400 firefighters were battling the flames threatening more than 100 homes and businesses, the Forest Service said. It's just 5 percent contained.

An inversion layer trapped smoke in the area, limiting air attacks and leading officials to issue a hazardous air alert, saying people with health conditions should stay indoors.

All amenities and trails remained opened Tuesday, and park rangers tending the entrances and the visitor center were informing tourists of the poor air quality, park spokesman Scott Gediman said. Information was also posted on the park's social media accounts.

Air quality monitors showed particulate levels in the park at "very unhealthy" levels, meaning everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion or risk serious health effects such as respiratory problems.

Yet tourists plan their visit to Yosemite months or even years in advance. So far, there have been few cancellations, Gediman said.

KFSN - MUST COURTESY/NO ACCESS FRESNO

Mariposa County, California - 17 July 2018

1. Various smoke and flames rise from hillside

2. Smoke cloudes road

3. No Access to Yosemite Park sign

Yosemite, California - 17 July 2018

4. Cars lined up outside Yosemite National Park

5. Various smoke in scenic view area

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Pam Austin, Visiting From Iowa

"We've seen a lot of smoke. The smell of smoke. Our clothes smell like smoke we smell like smoke."

7. Woman looking at smoke

8. UPSOUND woman: "Can't see anything."

9. People in scenic view area

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Barney Farley, Visiting From Missouri

"We've been planning on coming here for years. A little disappointing but like I said we're here."

11. Various smoke visible through trees

12. Man showing boy rock

Upsound: 'And if it was clear we would be able to see all of this."

13. Various family visiting, looking at view

14. Smoke

Mariposa County, California - 17 July 2018

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Therese Williams, Visit Yosemite

"We actually have not seen any cancellations which is great and it's not impacting business. And it's come through 41. Restaurants are still open everything is still open. I think that's important to get the message out that we're open for business."

16. Various traffic, hotels, restaurants in smokey haze

[TAPE 4]

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;00;36;24] To start, just say your name and how to spell it so it's on there for the transcriber.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Anthony Westerling, ANTHONY WESTERLING.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;00;58;19] And um, and your title here.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

I'm an assistant project scientist.

BILL BLAKEMORE

And your specialty?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;01;04;13] Wildfire and climate.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Wildfire and climate?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Yeah.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;01;07;16] OK, well, the basic question I have is, we're doing a series about global warming and its impacts. What can you tell us about the impact of global warming on the wildfire situation?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;01;17;11] Well, you know, California in particular has a very diverse climate and a very diverse ecosystem, so there's a lot of variety here. That means that no one story is going to tell you about the whole state. But there are two common elements that are true for wildfire everywhere, and that's, is there enough fuel to burn? You have continuous fuel, you can get a fire that spreads to a large size. [04:01:40:07] And the other is, is the fuel dry enough to burn? So climate change effects both of those things. And one, one aspect is changes in precipitation and in temperature during the growing season effect the moisture available to grow vegetation that can later burn. [04:01:56:20] And the other thing is, temperature during the, the, uh, fire season itself, so during the summer typically, uh, drives wildfire risks. So the hotter it is the more likely it is to burn in some places, not in others. So, just to give you some examples, uh, if you're out in the desert here east of San Diego, you could see a place where there's very sparse vegetation, and normally it might not be able to carry a fire to a large size in the vegetation because it's not continuous enough. [04:02:28:06] But, um, if you get enough precipitation, for example, you can get a lot of grass that will grow, and cure out, and dry out during the, the summer, and, and then you can get a large fire. [04:02:37:13] You go up to some place like Yosemite and Sequoia, and you have these pine forests, they're really drive, the wildfire risks in places like that are really driven by temperature in particular. [04;02;51;06] Uh, and as you go up in elevation, snow is very important. If you melt the snow earlier in the year, or if you get less snow and more rain in the wintertime you get a much longer dry season during the summer, and that means you get a lot more opportunities for fires to burn, you have a longer time when vegetation can dry out. [04:03:10:21] And so, we're already seeing this to some extent around the west. We've had tremendous increases in forest fire risks, and forest.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:03:25:02] Before you pick up with we're already seeing this around the west, I want to ask a point just to finish completing the dots. If it is true that, that global warming means, is often bringing us a lot more rain early in the growing season and a lot more drying out later. OK, ready? OK, so to complete the dot what is, what is, uh, the dots, what is, what is global warming and climate change doing to early rains and later drying?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;03;50;16] Well, you know, it varies a lot in terms of precipitation. If you look at a broad range of these models, uh, you'll see that they're all broadly in agreement in terms of warmer future for, for the western United States. Now some of them maybe are warmer than others, but they all have, are in the same direction, and it's not that huge a spread in temperature. [04:04:12:16] But, when you look at precipitation it's a very different story, a lot of uncertainty about precipitation. So, some models are much dryer in, in a place like southern California, and others are much wetter in terms of how much precipitation you're going to get. [04;04;28;00] That part's really un-, unpredictable at this point. We can't say what's going to happen with precipitation. And, and so fire regimes, fire risks like we have here in southern California that are driven both by temperature and a lot of antecedent precipitation are very uncertain, we don't know, uh, whether it would increase or decrease under climate change, because we don't know how wet it's going to be. [04;04;50;21] But, if you look at some place like northern California, um, in the Sierra's, the coast ranges, places like that, is really strongly driven by temperature, and dry years tend to be both warmer and less precipitation. And, and so you get a really big impact from climate change in all the models that we've looked at in northern California, for example.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:05:13:21] So, so it's true in some places that, that global warming means that you're getting heavier rains early in the year when it's growing, and much hotter and dryer later in some places-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

You know, I'm not the person to ask.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:05:23:16] OK, OK fine. OK, good. So what have your projections, what are your, give us a sense of quantification of, of how much worse you're seeing-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04:05:34:29] Well what about what, what we're already seeing, and then we'll talk about-

BILL BLAKEMORE

Yeah, yeah, go-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

.projections.

BILL BLAKEMORE

What you're already seeing, In other words it's already, there's-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;05;38;06] Yes. So, looking at the western United States, there's just been a tremendous increase in the frequency of large dangerous forest fires. And it's really been concentrated at sort of mid-elevations, or like around seven thousand feet in elevation, and uh, the worst place in terms of the biggest increase has been the northern Rockies. [04:05:57:13] And then the second after that is, is California in the Sierra Nevadas and the coast ranges of the northern California coast.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;06;13;08] OK, so the worst, uh, the worst that we've seen so far, the biggest increase has been in the northern Rockies, concentrated around seven thousand feet in elevation. And after that comes California, uh, especially the Sierras and the coast ranges along the north coast. [04:06:30:10] Uh, it's been a tremendous increase in both places, and it, and those, those two account for, for most of the changes in the west. There's been a lot of discussion about the effects of, of um, a century of land management on fire risks, because when you suppress fires for a long time in some places you get an increased fuel load, you get more trees growing close together, you get more shrubs and things like that, and it can carry fire to a large size. [04:06:59:08] But, uh, that effect is completely overwhelmed by, by the temperature signal that we're seeing. What's happening is that the snow is melting earlier in the year on a, at very regular intervals now, and uh, we're getting much longer fire seasons, it dries out much more than before, and we just get tremendous increase in, uh, in the number of large wildfires in the mountains of the west.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:07:26:24] And you can, and you can just complete the circle there for us with global warming, about why, why it appears-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;07;32;02] So, if this is, you know, if you ask any climatologist, they're going, they're not going to be able to tell you what, were these temperature increases, these early springs driven by climate change or not, just like they can't say any specific storm was caused by climate change. [04;07;05;22] But, if you think about it as an analog for the future, it tells us that we're going to have much greater fire risks, we're going to have a lot more large forest fires tan we do right now.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;07;58;26] Because the snow melts out sooner?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Because the snow melts out sooner it, you have both a longer dry season, that means that, that the vegetation is not going to be buffered by the moisture in the snows and then in the soils. [04:08:11:28] And then subsequently it also means that, that you have just a longer time when an ignition can cause a fire. So, you get a much longer fire season, and much more intense.

BILL BLAKEMORE

And for the public who's a little bit confused about fires, wildfires, they're good, they're bad, they replenish the earth, they don't replenish the earth. We saw Yosemite come back, etc., etc.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;08;32;08] Well, if you have a, a system that's adapted to, say, burning every fifty years, or burning every hundred years, and you start burning it ever ten years, you're going to completely change the character of that ecosystem, it's not going to be this iconic forest like you have now, it'll be something else.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:08:49:29] And what about the impact on human development?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;08;51;11] Well, the biggest problem in California, the biggest challenge for the state going forward is that some of our fastest growing areas in terms of population and development are in the path of what we see, where we see some of the biggest increases in fire risks in the future. And so places that account for a very small percentage of the state's population now, uh, really are driving the increase in, in property losses in the state from wildfire. [04:09:19:18] And those are the places that are going to have the biggest increases in fire frequency in future, uh, driven by temperature increases from climate change.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[0:11:26:27] I didn't quite follow that. Why are they driving it? I mean they didn't, you said the places that have the least population.?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;09;32;06] OK, so they have, presently they account for a small percentage of the state's population, but they're the fastest growing, and, and they're-

BILL BLAKEMORE

Start that from the beginning. When you say "they" you're talking about what?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;09;42;06] So the Sierra, um, the Sierra, Sierra Nevada foothills, and sort of the expanding ring of wild and urban interface around the core, you know, Bay Area metropolitan area in northern California, very rapidly growing populations, rapidly growing development. And it's dispersed around its edges, so you're sprinkling expensive homes in places that like to burn. [04:10:07:19] And they're going to burn even more when you increase the temperature. And the damages from. The vulnerability to the state's economy from building another apartment building in San Diego is negligible, whereas if you build another house out in the Sierra foothills, you're dramatically increasing the state's economic vulnerability to climate change impacts from, through wildfire. Is that.?

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;10;31;27] Exactly, helping us understand the economic impact of wildfires is a very interesting point.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Right. So, so part of this, this uh, future risk that, that the state is going to have to manage is, how do we control, or do we not control development in these areas? [04;10;46;28] Do we allow the wild and urban interface, that's these homes sprinkled throughout, uh, what are currently, you know, undeveloped areas, to grow? And that's a very difficult issue, because on the one hand you increase the state's vulnerability, but on the other hand that's the use that people want to make on that land, and if they have to forego that, that's also an economic impact for the state. [04:11:10:20] So either way, it's a lose/lose situation. You don't develop in those lands, or you do and you, you have much greater costs and much greater risks.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;11;19;14] So both for the wild environment, the ecosystems, and for the human environment, global warming is causing much greater likelihood of wildfires.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

That's right. And when you combine that with population growth and development in these currently lower density areas, uh, it, it's going to be a tremendous management problem for the state in the future. [04;11;41;09] For one thing, fire managers have very different options when there are homes and people living in an area and when there aren't, in terms of how they can manage wildfire. [04;11;50;13] They can take decisions that are more strategic, thinking about what are, what are the resources, the natural resources that they want to preserve, and what can, um, they do in terms of lighting a back fire, for example, and they'll just let one area burn and focus their resources somewhere else. [04:12:08:24] When you have a lot of homes in, in an area that's, that's prone to large wildfires, they take a very different strategy. They, they try to protect islands around development that has significant value. [04;12;21;10] And, and so you get larger fires because they have to focus their resources on protecting these little islands within the, the wildfire rather than fighting the wildfire itself.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:12:32:15] And how sure are you that it's going to keep warming?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

I just listen to what the climatologists tell me.

BILL BLAKEMORE

And what do they, and what is your assessment of what the climatologists are telling you about that?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;12;41;21] Well, what we see on the ground is that it's already happening, it looks just like what they tell us to expect to see. So, from my own parochial point of view it sure looks like climate change to me.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:12:53:11] And what is your general expectation from your specialty of whether or not you expect it to keep going and accelerating?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

I'm sorry, can you rephrase that question? [LAUGHS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

Is this a problem, is this a problem from what you're being told and from what your general understanding is that's very likely to keep going and getting worse?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;13;09;05] Yeah, I think this will continue to get much worse.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Much worse?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Yes.

BILL BLAKEMORE

I mean.?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04:13:16:24] Well because, think about it, as you move up in elevation, you'll have some place in the west that's just a little bit colder than, than the threshold where the snow would melt. OK? And so that area is very vulnerable right now. [04:13:33:18] And so when we get a warm spring right now, that area melts sooner than it would otherwise. You go uphill a little bit further and the impact is, is not so clear, because, because there's more temperature that you can use up as the temperature increases before you're going to melt the snow. Right? So, you get a very sudden response in places that are vulnerable now, that are close to the threshold where the snow's going to melt. [1:14:00:08] But there are a lot of parts of the mess that are not burning now that might burn in the future as temperatures continue to increase. And so the problems that we have in the northern Rockies around seven thousand feet in elevation, and in parts of California, may become much more common. You know, maybe they will spread to higher elevations. [04;14;17;16] Maybe we'll have a problem in the northwest where we have not had as much of a problem now because it's much wetter than it is here.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;14;22;29] So, you're also an economist?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

I'm also an economist.

BILL BLAKEMORE

You're general sense of the economic impact, therefore, from all the fires that, uh, global warming is bringing?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04:14:31:09] You know, I think that the biggest economic impact is going to be from the sort of synergistic effects, the combined effects of different things. You know, we generally tend to look at things with blinders on, we'll look at just the effects of climate change on wildfire, or just the effects on the water system. [04;14;46;27] Well, if you burn out a water shed, if you burn out, say, the west slope of the Sierra Nevadas, you have the ecological impacts, you have the impacts on, say, people's enjoyment of the, the scenery and fishing and things like that, you have the impact on people's homes, but you also are going to get more run off. It's, you know, the, the problem with climate change for water resources is that, that uh, if you get an earlier spring, you get earlier run off, and you can't manage the reservoirs to captures as much of the water as you can if it runs off later in the year. [04:15:21:24] Well, if you have a lot of fires in the slopes above that reservoir, you're going to get more erosion, you're going to get more sediment run off. That, that creates additional complications for managing these resources. You're going to have flashier run off, you know, because uh, it won't be retained by the roots in the soil because there won't be as many roots in the soil. [04:15:46:16] And, and so all of these problems we really have to get a sense of how they build on one another, and that's an area that has not been sufficiently explored yet.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;15;55;08] And if the temperature and the carbon keep going up and up and up.?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04:15:59:29] We'll keep passing thresholds where we start to see effects that we didn't anticipate, or that, that, you know, occur rather suddenly rather than sort of gradual changes, like the wildfire in the western United States, it really just kicked up in the mid 1980's. There was nothing going on for decades, and then, and then just the next year it was a different system entirely, and it's been like that for almost twenty years now.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;16;43;13] So fire and carbon?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

OK, so I can't remember the exact number off the top of my head, I can give it to you later.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Just your-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Something in the order of twenty to forty percent of the carbon uptake in the United States is potentially occurring in these mountain forest of the western United States. [04:17:03:10] And when people talk about, um, you know, the growth of forests in North America, they usually think of the east coast and, and southern piedmont as places that have, uh, increased forest cover since the last turn of the century, the 1900's. but, and maybe that hasn't occurred to the same degree here in the western United States, I'm not certain about that. [04:17:24:00] But, but what we do know is that the western United States, the mountain ecosystems are an enormous carbon pool, and if we start releasing that carbon because we are increasing temperatures and therefore burning more regularly, we're going to release a lot of carbon that's currently stored in these forests, and that's going to be a positive feedback, it's going to exacerbate the, the whole problem with climate change.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:17:48:01] Right. Did you hear that all right? It's a very important thing he just said.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;18;02;02] The percentage of carbon uptake accounted for by western mountain forests for the United States is something like on the order of twenty to forty percent, and that ecosystem, the western mountain forests in the United States are an enormous carbon pool. They're storing carbon in the trees, in the, in the soils, and as we raise temperatures, uh, a couple of things happen. [04:18:33:22] And a colleague of mine, David Shimmel [PH] has found that it increases the, it decreases the ability of the ecosystems to uptake carbon in the years that it's warmer, when you get a warmer spring. But it's also the case that, that uh, as you warm it up, it burns off, and, and the more frequently that it burns the more, the less carbon it's going to store, and that means a very large positive feedback on climate change where, where climate change gives you warmer temperatures, gives you more frequent fires, which gives you more carbon release from the forests and soils, which is a positive feedback to climate change.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:19:17:18] So it gives you both more carbon back into the atmosphere and less carbon taken out of it because there's less plants to take it out?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

And that would also be something to consider as well. You might want to ask Dave Shimmel before you, before you, you say anything that I said about him.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:19:32:24] This sounds pretty dire in the next, you're talking about something that we're going to see increasing not in a few hundred years, but increasingly in the coming decades.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;19;40;25] Yeah, I mean, this is already something that we're seeing happen, I think.

BILL BLAKEMORE

So this is going to effect the life of today's toddlers by the time they're middle age.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Yeah, my daughter.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Your daughter. You have a daughter?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04:19:54:13] Uh-huh.

BILL BLAKEMORE

How old? A kid?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Uh, she's twenty-one months.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Twenty-one months old.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;19;57;26] Yeah, and I have no idea what kind of, what kind of world she's going to inherit.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Are you worried about it?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Of course, any rational person.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Scared?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;20;14;22] Concerned.

BILL BLAKEMORE

What do you think is, do we have a chance of stopping it in any way, controlling it?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;20;23;04] My own subjective opinion is that we still maybe have a window of opportunity, but it's something that has to be dealt with in this generation. If we put it off to our children, it'll be too late. That's, that's my opinion.

BILL BLAKEMORE

And that means drastically cutting carbon emissions?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;20;46;27] That means drastically cut, cutting carbon emissions, yes.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Oh good, more good news.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

OK?

BILL BLAKEMORE

Anything else?

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;21;43;19] So, so for people who live in the San Bernardino foothills, for example, if they've been listening to all kinds of voices that are still out there, credibly, about climate change, can you just add a sentence or two to tell them, and they said, why should I care that the climate is changing?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04:22:01:04] Well, they probably moved to that place because they liked it the way it is now. If you change the climate you're going to change the ecosystem, the weather, everything about the place that, that might have attracted them in the first place is going to be effected.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:22:15:24] And your not talking about a century from now.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

No, probably not.

MAN

But specifically with the wildfire threat, I mean-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04:22:24:11] Well, you know, wildfire in San Bernardino foothills, for example, San Bernardino, is a very different thing from wildfire in the Sierra Nevadas or northern coast, it's much more driven by, well it depends what kind of ecosystem you're in. You know, the coastal chaparral, for example, the shrub lands in California, uh, are really driven by Santa Anna winds, the wildfire risks there are really driven by Santa Anna winds. [04:23:52:18] And that's more of a, you know, very short term meteorological condition rather than thinking about temperature or the antecedent precipitation, and that's something that's very hard to, to understand how it might change coming out of a climate change simulation.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;23;07;06] You mean because it's possible, for example, that climate change in the San Bernardino foothills for all you know could mean more rain there for a while.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

It could, or it could mean less, I, it's harder to say.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Less rain and more fire. Right, so-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04:23:22:26] I mean, if you warm it up and you get less rain, you get less vegetation over time in a place like that, and you're going to have maybe lower fire risks, especially at lower elevations, then you might have now, because it would become more like a desert and less like it, like it is now.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;23;39;25] But we haven't, here's a question, seen many more of these fires in foothills like that, where there's suburban-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

Yeah, well, part of the problem is that the suburban settlement has expanded into areas that, that burn, and those fires are not at all unusual for, for this place.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;23;58;05] Right, but anything, you're saying generally from seven thousand feet up you're seeing climate change effects?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;24;03;26] That's right, in mid to upper elevations, seeing, and it's really focused, you know, like six to eight thousand feet elevation-

BILL BLAKEMORE

It started in the eighties, mid-eighties?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;24;12;27] Mid-eighties, yeah.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Oh, oh, important thing, was Yosemite part of that pattern? Yeah, the big Yosemite fire was in the mid eighties.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;24;21;16] Yeah, it's all-

BILL BLAKEMORE

Could you just say something about, for example-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;24;25;16] You can't say anything about one specific fire, you know. It's looking at the statistics of all of them together.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:24:30:12] Right, In other words, it's-

ANTHONY WESTERLING

That means I'm not going to say. [LAUGHS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

That's one of the semantic problems we're finding in covering this. It fits the pattern-[BREAK IN AUDIO]

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;24;44;24] Well the answer for-

MAN

Any time, go ahead.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

.for southern California would be that they do not at all fit the, a pattern that you would attribute to climate change.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:24:49:17] And that would be for the fires you're having in southern California?

ANTHONY WESTERLING

That's right, the uh, coastal southern California looks just like it's looked for a long time, it just, it accounts for less than one percent of the change in, in fires that we would attribute to changes in-[BREAK IN AUDIO] ..by Santa Anna wind events.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Right.

ANTHONY WESTERLING

[04;25;11;13] And, and so nothing about this system is particularly vulnerable in the short term to temperature changes, whereas at higher elevations where you get, for example in the northern Rockies you have a big area that's right at an elevation where it's just below freezing for a large part of, you know, late winter, early-[BREAK IN AUDIO]

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

[END ANDY WESTERLING INTERVIEW]

[BEGIN MAT FRATUS INTERVIEW]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:38:17:21] So what do you, what do you remember from, from around here? What was happening?

MAT FRATUS

Well, the day that the fire transitioned up the hill and crested over the top and immediately went down a chimney up over in this area here, and uh, the vegetation was so thick, there was huge stands of trees that had already been impacted by the bark beetle, and really nothing to stop the fire from coming down, to the point that, because this road has no exit, there's only one way in and one way out. [04;38;44;27] And we really, none of our tactics that we were using were really slowing the fire down. Uh, we essentially had to pull out of this area and just resign that these houses would just have to burn.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;39;15;08] So, tell us, tell us more about what we're looking at here, what happens, and, and what the, what the information is.

MAT FRATUS

[04;39;20;16] Well, this particular area is a, kind of an outskirt of Lake Arrowhead, an area known as Cedar Glen, and, and Hook Creek Road area here. Um, a lot of houses, although you can't tell now that this was actually a very densely populated area, um, because of the, the types of vegetation, because of the weather patterns that we were having, uh, the fire came through here at such a rate that everything that we had tried to do to stop it really was, for the most part, ineffective. [04;39;47;20] And you have to keep in mind that even though, uh, we have very good fire protection in this area on a normal day, we had fires burning throughout the state, so the resources we were working with were limited to start with, but the type of fire behavior we were dealing with was really unlike what most of us had seen. [04;40;02;05] I had talked to people who had been in the fire service their entire career, and not only this fire, but fires in proceeding years, because of the drought, because of the fuel conditions, they produced, uh, fire behavior, flame links, intensities that we had never really experienced before, and everything that we had to throw at it we did, and it just seemed to burn right through us. [04:40:21:02] So, we were taking a defensive posture in here, uh, for reasons of safety. We knew that we couldn't make a stand in this area and be effective. So uh, it was very difficult for a lot of us, I was born and raised in this area, and to see this entire area burn in my, in my lifetime, I've never seen a fire come through here of anything of that magnitude. [04;40;39;24] Uh, so the best we could do was try to get over one more ridge, uh, over to the next ridge over is where we finally made a stand, and uh, quite honestly, uh, as, as much as our, I think our tactics were effective ultimately what helped us win this fight was the weather change, uh, we had a low pressure come in, it actually began to rain, actually began to snow within a couple of days after this burning, and I have to wonder if that had not happened how much farther this fire would have gone, how much more devastation we would have seen.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;41;13;02] So first just say your name, your position, your title, how you spell it.

MAT FRATUS

OK. Mat Fratus, MAT, one T, Fratus, FRATUS, and I'm a division chief with the San Bernardino with the San Bernardino City Fire Department.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;41;25;02] And how long have you been, in one way or another, connected with the fire department?

MAT FRATUS

About twenty years.

BILL BLAKEMORE

About twenty years. And you grew up around her?

MAT FRATUS

[04;41;30;27] Yes I did. Um, born and raised up on the mountain here, my kids are the fifth generation of my family that have been living up here, so we have a lot of strong roots in this community.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:41:41:01] So what did it feel like to see your own community burn?

MAT FRATUS

Uh, the best way I can describe it is just surreal. Uh, driving through areas that I've known my entire life that are literally going up in flames. The house I grew up in, uh, houses, every house, uh, probably within an eighth of a mile, uh, of it had burned by the time I came up on the hill. [04;42;02;08] It was just, it was very difficult to see. Areas like this, people's houses that I knew who lived there, who used to live there, uh, now just piles of rubble.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Did you ever think you would see anything like this when you were growing up?

MAT FRATUS

[04:42:14:06] I really didn't. Uh, you kind of learn to live with fire when you live in a mountainous area like this, in an urban interface area, but uh, in all that time it had never really threatened the, the structures to this extent. Never had it come this close. [04;42;26;07] And this time not only did it come close, but it just roared through large sections of housing.

BILL BLAKEMORE

And the old timers, did they tell you when, the last time they had seen a fire like this?

MAT FRATUS

[04:42:35:06] I don't know anybody that had ever seen a fire of this magnitude. We've had some large ones, but uh, over time the mountain has become more and more populated, uh, and the, the level of, of interface has increased, uh, but nobody that I know of had ever really seen it burn to this level, this many houses, do this much devastation and impact.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:42:54:25] So you're a fire chief, you're a professional fire chief, fire fighter?

MAT FRATUS

Yes.

BILL BLAKEMORE

And I, and you're talking about global warming? That's a whole different field. How come you fire, you're not the first one we've run into, how come you fire chiefs are nowadays talking about global warming?

MAT FRATUS

[04:43:09:03] Well, there's a lot of evidence that's indicating that there is, that global warming itself is having a great deal of impact on the intensity and the frequency of the fires that we're having. Uh, clearly we're having more people move into the interface areas, and that's certainly one element of it. [04;43;26;11] But, as we begin to see the fires each year grow in intensity, um, it becomes more and more difficult to suppress them, and then it becomes somewhat of a vicious cycle, because as these fires grow they actually contribute by their products of combustion into the global warming, uh, process again. [04:43:42:02] So it's very difficult to try to find the balance, but uh, we do know that even prior to the 2003 fire season, in the years prior to that, we are experiencing warmer weather, drier fuel conditions, uh, drought, all of which were contributing substantially to the kind of fires that we were having and the intensity that they were coming at.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;44;01;05] What are some of the other things that are related, sometimes, to global warming, that are elements that, coming together, can contribute to making it a worse fire?

MAT FRATUS

[04;44;09;08] Well the, the warming, um, the, the drought that we experienced, and this of course, you know, you start looking into the chain in the ecosystem, and how this happens, uh, we had experienced several years of drought before the 2003 fire season. In the San Bernardino Mountains one of the issues that that brought about was an infestation of the bark beetle. And this particular species of bark beetle has always been present in the San Bernardino Mountains, but the, the tree's natural defense to, to ward off these bark beetles is to create pitch, which pushes them out of the tree. [04:44:41:16] But it takes, uh, enough moisture to create that sap and the pitch to push them out, and because of the drought they were unable to defend themselves, which just made a perfect breeding ground. [04:44:51:10] So, what had happened in this mountain, even before the fire, maybe even as devastating as the fire in some ways, is the fact that we had hundreds and thousands of trees, and we're talking hundred year old trees that were dying in a matter of months. [04;45;05;16] So, you would look across the forest and what you would see is just fields and fields of dead trees. And of course we knew that if we were to have a fire in these conditions, uh, it was going to be devastating. Uh, we weren't even sure how bad it could be. [04:45:19:20] When you take a hundred foot tree that's dead and you put it together with a hundred more hundred foot trees that are dead, and then you light the fuse underneath them, um, it's basically, it's just a powder keg.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:45:30:09] So what was, what would it have been like if we had been standing here in the midst of the worst fire, in this little cauldron of a valley here?

MAT FRATUS

[04;45;34;16] Well, I watched this area burn from a ridge that was farther back over this way, and I watched it right up until probably, there were still houses burning in here around midnight, and it was absolutely intense. Uh, we wandered down some roads trying to get in on the ridges on the other side, and the, just the sound of the fire was deafening. You had to, to yell to the person that was standing five feet away from you, and you couldn't even see the fire yet. [04:46:00:13] This was just the noise from the fire. Uh, so the, the amount of fuel that it had to burn, and the intensity that it had that, when it came over this ridge, uh, was just phenomenal.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Hell on earth.

MAT FRATUS

[04:46:12:04] I would describe it as that, yes.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Noise from a fire?

MAT FRATUS

Yes, I've heard it described before by people, they describe it as a freight train. My best description was, if you've ever stood at the base of a very large waterfall, uh, that was what it sounded like. It was just a constant roar, and again, so loud you couldn't speak to the people next to you without yelling. [04:46:34:21] And yet the fire was still in a place you couldn't even see it, it was that far away. That was how much, uh, intensity it carried with it as it went through here.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:46:41:25] And all basically because things were just too dry, so it brought in the beetles, that made it drier, and it made it even drier, so when it caught fire it was even drier.

MAT FRATUS

[04:46:48:15] Uh, that is a, a big part of it. Uh, there's also a lot of, another element that we think impacted this was the forest management policies. Uh, we have really, as, as a fire service it's been a, a hundred years of suppressing one hundred percent of all the fires, and in this area in particular they're very sensitive to cutting any trees. Even property owners are not allowed to cut trees on their own property. [04;47;12;20] So, the forest has to be allowed to take care of itself. The forest is going to stay healthy one way or the other, and a healthy forest is not too dense with trees. This forest became unhealthy because it was too dense with trees, and if you, you can only, uh, suppress the natural cycle of the forest for so long before it's going to do what it needs to do. [04;47;32;11] The bark beetle was part of that, and ultimately the fire was part of that as well.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;47;36;05] Now can you be sure it's global warming that has caused this recent drought that brought in the bark beetle that brought in the dryness?

MAT FRATUS

[04;47;41;02] Well, uh, in my profession I would not, uh, say that I, I am sure that I could offer scientific evidence, but what I do know is, uh, for myself, I've been in the fire service for a while, I know many others that have spent their entire careers in the fire service, and there is certainly something that is different in the intensity and the frequency of the fires that we're experiencing, and all indicators, and there is some strong evidence that this is a trend that we can expect to continue. [04:48:08:16] Uh, we're looking at our fire season 2006 right now, and we're gearing up for another intense fire season in the, uh, the southern areas. Even as we speak they're having intense fires in the Texas/Oklahoma areas, areas where you don't typically have large conflagrations where they're burning through towns and so forth. But this is something that we're seeing on a much more regular basis than we did before.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;48;29;12] So maybe the land is a little bit more sensitive to drying for fires than people had thought?

MAT FRATUS

Uh, that would certainly be one explanation for the conditions that we're seeing.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:48:39:27] And what are you hearing in general? I mean, I know you're not a climatologist, and we're not going to represent you as one, you're a firefighter. But what are you guys in general hearing about global warming and the likelihood of it just continuing to get worse?

MAT FRATUS

[04:48:52:25] Uh, well it wasn't something originally that we ha really looked at as a, a causal factor for these elements that we're seeing change, and the way that the fires are coming about. But uh, in absence of other things, more and more it really points, uh, to global warming as at least one of the significant elements that's causing this change in the fire-

BILL BLAKEMORE

We're, and we've been talking to climatologists, and they tell us that the carbon in the atmosphere that they've been measuring since '58 is just inexorably going up, and every year it goes up a little bit more. [04;49;19;13] You add to that carbon with a fire, of course, but to get, for all reasons the carbon is continuing to go up, which means more global warming, and they don't see an end in sight yet. And the carbon stays in the atmosphere a hundred years. [04;49;31;29] What is the, how do you, how does that make you feel?

MAT FRATUS

[04;49;35;15] Well, any time there is a change like that in the climate it's going to impact, uh, the fires, the wild land fires. Um, the things that we really look at, I mean, the, the fuels themselves are going to be impacted, that's one of the significant factors that we use to calculate how intense something will burn, or how readily it will burn. Um, the weather patterns are also going to have a huge impact, not only while the fire is burning, but also, you know, what kind of a winter are we having, what kind of a summer are we expecting. [04:50:06:18] This particular winter we were very dry in January and February, so our grass crops came up early. Then it started to rain in March and April, it was almost backwards of what a typical season would be. So now we have the equivalent of two grass crops that are coming up. [04:50:20:12] When they dry out in the spring and summer we're going to have a very intense fire season. So all of those things are certainly going to impact what we can expect to see in the wild land firefighting front.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;50;28;21] And what about snow pack and early snow melt? How, does that effect it further, so that the water runs off before summer's over?

MAT FRATUS

[04:50:37:04] Uh, well, certainly those would be some of the impacts of drought or, or lack of. Um, some of the broader things we have to look at, which occurred after several yeas of drought we had the most devastating fire, the San Bernardino, or San Bernardino National Forest had ever experienced. The following year we had record rainfall. Well, because of the fire the previous year, this caused record floods, uh, we had very devastating floods that impacted not only the mountain areas, but the front country area, the city of San Bernardino, we had several fatalities because of that. [04:51:08:05] So it's never really one single event, there is generally several things that are going to lead up to it and there will be several byproducts of an event like this, and most of them have been very devastating.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:51:19:21] Huh, the worst kind of, the worst kind of season. And when you have a burned off area like this, does this increase run off?

MAT FRATUS

Yes, it does. The natural vegetation, once it grows into the soil, actually holds the soil back, so you can, the ground can withstand a substantial amount of rain and not have the slough of the top soil. [04:51:39:29] Once all that vegetation is burned away, you immediately lose the top soil. And this is an element of the intensity of the fires. When we do controlled burnings to try to regulate the vegetation, we do it at a very low intensity, so you burn off the surface fuels, but it allows for the fuels to grow back at another time, relatively quickly, but it does thin it out. [04:52:01:07] When you let it grow for years and years and years and get thick, and then you have an uncontrolled wild land fire like the one we had in 2003 go through, it burns it right down to the rocks. [04:52:10:05] It essentially destroys the vegetation, takes it many more years to grow back. so, for those years, while it's growing back, you're going to be susceptible to, uh, devastating floods on a fire like this size.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;52;20;06] And if it keeps warming, and the warming accelerates like most of the climatologists are saying it will.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;53;02;07] So if the global warming keeps accelerating as the climatologists are telling it will, it's going to keep going up, because the carbon is going to keep going up, and then it's going to start going up faster and faster, that sounds to me like you are going to be fighting for the rest of your career an ultimately unwinable battle.

MAT FRATUS

[04;53;20;04] Well, if in fact the, uh, the changes in the fire behaviors and the intensity of the fires that we're seeing, at least in the southern region here are attributed to global warming, if that is the case, um, and it appears that global warming is an issue that is not going to subside or go away any time soon, it is absolutely reasonable to assume that we are going to see fires, uh, what we thought was the anomaly will soon become the rule, which will change the way that we have to attack them. [04:53:47:21] Um, it will change the amount of, of fires that we'll just have to let burn, and unfortunately could create greater damage than we've seen in the past.

BILL BLAKEMORE

And add all that much more carbon to the atmosphere.

MAT FRATUS

[04;54;00;09] That is part of the vicious cycle of the global warming and its impact on wild land fire.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Everybody we're interviewing we're asking this: what's the solution?

MAT FRATUS

[04;54;10;10] Well, uh, that I really don't know. I mean, from a firefighter's perspective, uh, I think our biggest thing is that we're hoping that a solution is found. Um, we know that, uh, you know, once a wild land fire starts, as much as it contributes to it, there's not really much more we can do than, than just try and suppress it. But uh, as far as, you know, the clear answers, I'm sure, are going to be social, they're going to be technical, there's going to be a lot with it that's going to have to change if we're going to reverse this trend.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;54;38;24] Everybody we, we're also asking everybody we talk to, in your gut, how bad do you imagine it getting? I mean, I don't know if you have kids, but when today's kids are, you know, in middle age, I mean, you've already experienced hell on earth, and some climatologists are saying a lot of the human race is going to experience hell on earth. You see it in these fires. How, in your gut, how bad do you think it could be in fifty, sixty years?

MAT FRATUS

[04:55:01:00] Well, it, it's very difficult to tell. Um, I, I would like to think that we would be able to reverse some of the trend. However, under the scenario that, that things don't change, and it continues to escalate, um, we probably won't even recognize the way that we address the fire situation in fifty years compared to what we do now. I mean, for right now for us it's a surprising change. Uh, for those that will come after us it will just be the way they have to do business, and uh, there's really, I mean, you can only do so much as a fire service to put a fire out. [04:55:35:15] At some point you just have to stand back and let it go. And as the interface continues to encroach in, into the wild land, and we have more and more houses built in areas that are prone to fires, uh, you, there's nothing much that you can do but stand back, keep your people safe, try to suppress it as best you can, prevent it as best you can, but they're going to burn, and there's going to be damage.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;55;57;01] All right.

MAN

I was hoping you could just give us a quick summary of this fire in terms of lives lost, houses lost, acreage.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:56:04:04] Looking at me, of course.

MAT FRATUS

OK, yeah.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

MAT FRATUS

[04;56;12;17] The old fire was one of several fires that, uh, began to burn in late October of 2003. Um, because of that resources were stretched thin all over the state. This fire ultimately burned into another fire that started a few days sooner, the Grand Prix Fire, and collectively as they grew together it burned about ninety-three thousand acres, which is the largest fire in the history of the San Bernardino National Forest. [04;56;36;11] Uh, we had several structures lost up on the mountain top, we had even more structures lost down in the city of San Bernardino, over a thousand residences were lost just in this fire alone, in addition to multiple outbuildings, commercial buildings, vehicles, and so forth. Uh, we had several thousand people actually displaced, had to find temporary shelter, and some of them permanently displaced as their homes were burned down. Um, it definitely changed the face of, of operations not only up on the mountaintop area here, but in the city itself.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;57;11;25] Did you, uh, anybody ever put a dollar figure on it?

MAT FRATUS

I don't know if they have finished putting the dollar figure on it. The cost of this fire is still growing in some ways. These, now more indirect ways, uh, direct costs of the fire, of course, you know, the suppression cost, the costs to the housing people, and so forth, but the cost of rebuilding, cost of, uh, jobs that were lost, cost of businesses that will never rebuild, those are costs that will really be, uh, it will take a long time to really figure how much that's cost to communities.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Were, were there fatalities in the fire?

MAT FRATUS

[04;57;45;22] There were, um, indirect, and you know, and just for off camera stuff, those slides that I gave you have got all the statistic stats.

BILL BLAKEMORE

That's great.

MAT FRATUS

[04;57;53;11] I don't want to contradict them, I don't have a lot of them off the top of my head, but they'll be there for you to use.

BILL BLAKEMORE

OK, great. OK, great.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:58:04:08] My goodness, this is, what is, what are we looking at here?

MAT FRATUS

Well, what we're standing in now is the foundation of what once was a house. And uh.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

Just tell us all about this.

MAT FRATUS

[04:58:15:09] Well what you're looking at now, uh, is the foundation of what was probably a, uh, a fairly large house. One of the things about a house once it burns down, it's almost kind of an optical illusion, you don't realize how big the house was just based on the, the foundational area, which is all we're looking at here. [04:58:34:20] But, as you see here, uh, up across the ridge, in fact just about everywhere you look up here, you'll find foundations that represent, uh, at one point, what was somebody's home, along with everything that was in it. And as you look through some of the ashes you can see, you know, melted aluminum and so forth, these were everything from windows to personal belongings, to uh, irreplaceable effects. [04;58;55;00] And when you multiply this by the hundreds of homes that were lost in this fire, uh, it's really very sad to see this happen.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:59:01:09] And all this timber, the lumber that's still here, that was what was basically bringing the fire in.

MAT FRATUS

[04:59:06:23] Yes, it was. And while those trees were burning, um, again, you're looking at, uh, hundred foot tall trees, and the flame links were probably one and a half times that much. So, it was an incredible sight to see fires, uh, groves of trees burning like that with huge flame links and a tremendous amount of heat coming through.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04:59:27:23] What's a flame link?

MAT FRATUS

Uh, that would be the, the length of the flame from the base of its origin up to the tip of the flame.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Oh right, extraordinary.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

BILL BLAKEMORE

[04;59;43;23] Keep talking about what we're looking at here.

MAT FRATUS

OK, um, one f the problems that we had in the fire was once we got into heavily populated areas like this, uh, the trees burning was one thing, but as we started burning the houses, the, the synthetics, the chairs, the wall coverings, and so forth, they actually burn with about twice the intensity of the natural vegetation. [05:00:05:12] So these became a fuel model all by themselves, so several hundred homes burning at a, at one single time, uh, represented a tremendous amount of heat that just proliferated the fire.

BILL BLAKEMORE

Wow.

MAN

That's great.

[BREAK IN AUDIO]

MAT FRATUS

[05;00;19;04] [AUDIO PICKS UP MID SENTENCE] .big when we started, and now it's, you know, it's this, this was probably-

BILL BLAKEMORE

Fascinating.

MAT FRATUS

You know, this was a multi-story house, so you could have been looking, um, eighteen hundred to two thousand square feet, and you wouldn't ever think it just by looking at this area here, it doesn't look that big.

BILL BLAKEMORE

[05;00;34;22] Wow. Wow. Did you always know you wanted to be a fireman?

MAT FRATUS

Um, you know, I can't say that I did.

BILL BLAKEMORE

We, we met each other when we were paired on a couple of hurricane stories in 2004, and found a mutual interest in nature stories, but global warming especially, and then Clayton came up with this great idea last spring.

[OFF CAMERA COMMENTS]

[END]

Hot and dry weather on Tuesday hindered efforts to slow the growth of a forest fire near Yosemite National Park that killed a California firefighter last weekend, leading some tourists to cut short their visits although all park trails remained open.

The blaze roaring through dry brush and timber between the town of Mariposa and Yosemite National Park has scorched more than 19 square miles (49 square kilometres) in steep terrain on the park's western edge, the U.S. Forest Service said.

More than 1,400 firefighters were battling the flames threatening more than 100 homes and businesses, the Forest Service said.

It's just 5 percent contained.

An inversion layer trapped smoke in the area, limiting air attacks and leading officials to issue a hazardous air alert, saying people with health conditions should stay indoors.

All amenities and trails remained opened Tuesday, and park rangers tending the entrances and the visitor center were informing tourists of the poor air quality, park spokesman Scott Gediman said.

Information was also posted on the park's social media accounts.

Air quality monitors showed particulate levels in the park at "very unhealthy" levels, meaning everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion or risk serious health effects such as respiratory problems.

Yet tourists plan their visit to Yosemite months or even years in advance. So far, there have been few cancellations, Gediman said.

KFSN - MUST COURTESY/NO ACCESS FRESNO

Mariposa County, California - 17 July 2018

1. Various of smoke and flames rising from hillside

2. Smoke clouding road

3. Electronic sign (English) reading: "No Access to Yosemite Park"

KFSN - MUST COURTESY/NO ACCESS FRESNO

Yosemite, California - 17 July 2018

4. Cars lined up outside Yosemite National Park

5. Various of smoke in scenic view area

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Pam Austin, visitor from Iowa:

"We've seen a lot of smoke. The smell of smoke. When we went back to our hotel last night, our clothes definitely smelled like smoke."

7. Woman looking at smoke

8. People watching, UPSOUND (English): "Can't see anything."

9. People in scenic view area

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Barney Farley, visitor from Missouri:

"We've been planning on coming here for years and finally made it, but - a little disappointed - but like I said we're here."

11. Various of smoke clouding area

12. Man showing boy model of mountain range, UPSOUND (English): 'And if it was clear we would be able to see all of this. Unfortunately the smoke is so much."

13. Various of family visiting, looking at view

14. Smoke

KFSN - MUST COURTESY/NO ACCESS FRESNO

Mariposa County, California - 17 July 2018

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Therese Williams, Visit Yosemite spokeswoman: ++AUDIO CONTINUES ON FOLLOWING SHOTS++

"We actually have not seen any cancellations which is great and it's not impacting business. And it's come through 41. Restaurants are still open everything is still open. I think that's important to get the message out that we're open for business."

16. Various traffic, hotels, restaurants in smoky haze

188396

Greece - Wildfires

APTN

Pilion Mountain region nr Volos, Central Greece, Suburb of Patras, Peloponesus, southern Greece and Ageoianergiri, 150km (100 miles) south of Athens - 13-14 July 2000

July 13 NIGHT SHOTS - Pilion Mountain region nr Volos, Central Greece

1. Various of fires

July 14 Daytime - Suburb of Patras, Peloponnese peninsula, southern Greece

2. Man trying to beat out fires

July 14 Ageoianergiri, 150km (100 miles) south of Athens

3. Various of plane dropping water over fires

4. Various of fires on hill side

522379

US - Firefighters battle wildfires in California and Florida

AP TELEVISION

Various - 11 May 2007

Avalon, Catalina Island, California

1. Aerial shot of huge plumes of smoke rising from mountains

2. Various aerials of fire

Osceola National Forest, Columbia County, Florida

3. Various of forest fire

349148

Russia - Forest Fires Causing Smog That Is Enveloping Moscow

APTN

Moscow/Novaya - 5 Sept 2002

Novaya, 30 kilometres east of Moscow

1. Forest near the village of Novaya, 30 kilometres east of Moscow

2. Burnt trees with the haze in the background

3. Two firefighters

4. Close up fire

5. Firefighter

6. Pan smoke

Moscow

7. Haze in Moscow

8. Red star on the Kremlin

349380

Russia - Smog Blankets Moscow

APTN

Moscow - 8 Sept 2002

1. Kremlin in smog

2. Bridge over river in smog

3. Pedestrians walking along a bridge

4. Woman passing by and covering face with a handkerchief

1208

USA - Los Angeles Smog

APTV

Los Angeles - 2 December 1994

1. GV Los Angeles smog

2. Traffic in Los Angeles

350425

Mexico - Pollution

APTN

Mexico City - 19 September 2002

1. WS Mexico City skyline in heavy smog

2. HS traffic at Angel de la Independencia in Mexico City

3. Zoom out skyline in smog

4. VS traffic and smog

Wildfires in California have caused serious air pollution in areas far beyond where the blazes destroyed forests and neighborhoods, threatening the health of local residents and forcing many schools to close.

Thick smoke is choking an area of up to 100 kilometers from the site of the wildfires. Many local residents are experiencing discomfort, especially in their eyes, noses and throats.

Brigitte Foster, a forest fire control expert at the Butte County fire command center, said that the smoke has cleared a bit in recent days, but it still poses a threat to people's respiratory systems.

"We do have some masks that we've been providing for folks that would like to try and not breath those toxins. Definitely, I would highly recommend in the past wearing a mask just because there were lots of homes and commercial structures burning that have lots of hazardous [chemicals]," said Foster.

The local education department in Butte County, where the wildfires were concentrated, announced shortly after the fires broke out that all public schools were closed until early December due to severe air pollution.

More than 100 kilometers away from the wildfires, schools in Sacramento, California's capital, have also been closed for days because of worsening air quality.

Butte County, California - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)

1. Various of burnt land

2. Brigitte Foster, forest fire control expert at Butte County fire command center, talking to reporter

3. Various of masks on table

4. Various of fire progression map

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Brigitte Foster, forest fire control expert, Butte County fire command center (starting with shot 4):

"We do have some masks that we've been providing for folks that would like to try and not breath those toxins. Definitely, I would highly recommend in the past wearing a mask just because there were lots of homes and commercial structures burning that have lots of hazardous [chemicals]."

6. Various of tents, people

7. Various of closed elementary school

8. Various of burnt trees, mountains

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: MANDATORY COURTESY KGO, NO ACCESS SAN FRANCISCO, USAGE OF THIS VIDEO IS LIMITED TO THE LESSER OF THE PERIOD OF THE DISPLAY RIGHTS IN YOUR CONTRACT WITH AP OR 60 DAYS

SHOTLIST:

++PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE BLACK FRAMES BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

KGO - MANDATORY COURTESY KGO, NO ACCESS SAN FRANCISCO, USAGE OF THIS VIDEO IS LIMITED TO THE LESSER OF THE PERIOD OF THE DISPLAY RIGHTS IN YOUR CONTRACT WITH AP OR 60 DAYS

Chico, California - 13 November 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Kory Honea, Butte County Sheriff and Coroner:

"One of the hardest parts of this particular job is to provide you with an update on where we're at with the recovery of human remains. And so today an additional six human remains were recovered which brings the total to 48. All six of those remains were located in Paradise and they were located within homes."

++BLACK FRAMES++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, CalFire spokesman:

""We're at 130,000 acres, 35 percent contained. Total personnel assigned to the incident is 5,615. Total citizens evacuated still holds at 52-thousand, and the total sheltered still holds at 1,385."

++BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, CalFire spokesman:

"The numbers of our destroyed and damaged structures: single family residence damaged - 75; single family residence destroyed - 7,600 seven thousand six hundred. Multiple residence: damaged - 11; destroyed - 95."

++BLACK FRAMES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Bischof, CalFire Battalion Chief:

"We had a vey successful day in the Big Bend area. For the first time in a couple of days we actually had a good visibility. We were able to fly fixed-wing aircraft and deliver retardant and assist the hand crews that are working in that steep inaccessible terrain, working down towards the river drainage."

++BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Aviva Braun, National Weather Service Meteorologist:

"Now what this means for you in terms of air quality, is that the air quality will be poor, as the light winds allow the smoke to settle every single morning - it'll be worse in the morning, and with a little bit of mixing we'll have some better air quality by the afternoon."

+++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE+++

STORYLINE:

US authorities on Tuesday reported six more fatalities from the Northern California blaze, bringing the total number of dead so far to 48.

There was no update on the total number of still missing people, but earlier in the week that figure stood at over 200.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said a list of the missing would be released soon and that 100 National Guard troops would help teams already looking for remains.

The search for the dead was drawing on portable devices that can identify someone's genetic material in a couple of hours, rather than days or weeks.

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

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RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

Must Courtesy KGO, No Access San Francisco, Time Limit Scripted

SHOTLIST:

KGO: KGO: Mandatory Courtesy KGO, No Access San Francisco, "Usage of this video is limited to the lesser of the period of the display rights in your contract with AP or 60 days."

Chico, California - 13 November 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Kory Honea, Butte County Sheriff and Coroner

"One of the hardest parts of this particular job is to provide you with an update on where we're at with the recovery of human remains. And so today an additional six human remains were recovered which brings the total to 48. All six of those remains were located in Paradise and they were located in homes."

++BLACK FRAMES BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, CalFire Spokesman

""We're at 130,000 acres, 35 percent contained. Total personnel assigned to the incident is 5,615. Total citizens evacuated still holds at 52-thousand, and the total sheltered still holds at 1,385."

++BLACK FRAMES BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve Kaufmann, CalFire Spokesman

"The numbers of our destroyed and damaged structures: single family residence damaged - 75; single family residence destroyed - 7,600 seven thousand six hundred. Multiple residence: damaged - 11; destroyed - 95."

++BLACK FRAMES BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Bischof, CalFire Battalion Chief:

"We had a vey successful day in the Big Bend area. For the first time in a couple of days we actually had a good visibility. We were able to fly fixed-wing aircraft and deliver retardant and assist the hand crews that are working in that steep inaccessible terrain, working down towards the river drainage."

++BLACK FRAMES BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Aviva Braun, National Weather Service Meteorologist:

"Now what this means for you in terms of air quality, is that the air quality will be poor, as the light winds allow the smoke to settle every single morning - it'll be worse in the morning, and with a little bit of mixing we'll have some better air quality by the afternoon."

+++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE+++

STORYLINE:

Authorities on Tuesday reported six more fatalities from the Northern California blaze, bringing the total number of dead so far to 48. They haven't disclosed the total number still missing, but earlier in the week that figure was more than 200.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said a list of the missing would be released soon and that 100 National Guard troops would help teams already looking for remains.

The search for the dead was drawing on portable devices that can identify someone's genetic material in a couple of hours, rather than days or weeks.

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

Most schools in San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland and Folsom will be closed Friday as a deadly wildfire in Northern California sends smoke into the Bay Area.

School districts announced the closures Thursday as the region experienced some of the worst air quality since the fire started a week ago about 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of San Francisco.

An Environmental Protection Agency website says the air quality in Sacramento is "hazardous" Thursday and San Francisco's is "very unhealthy." Many people walking around the cities wore face masks.

Several Northern California universities had announced closures earlier Thursday.

The wildfire that started a week ago has killed dozens of people and charred nearly 220 square miles (570 square kilometers).

Smoke masks. Eye drops. No outdoor exercise. This is how Californians are trying to cope with wildfires choking the state, but experts say an increase in serious health problems may be almost inevitable for vulnerable residents as the disasters become more commonplace.

"It just feels very smoky and full of particulates. I'm definitely worried about my son who's breathing this stuff. We've got air filters at home and we're running them at full speed but I'm not sure it's enough to get rid of all the toxic particulates so I'm definitely worried about the health of my family and the city in general," San Francisco resident Daniel Horn said.

Research suggests children, the elderly and those with existing health problems are most at risk.

Short-term exposure to wildfire smoke can worsen existing asthma and lung disease, leading to emergency room treatment or hospitalization, studies have shown.

Increases in doctor visits or hospital treatment for respiratory infections, bronchitis and pneumonia in otherwise healthy people also have been found during and after wildfires.

Some studies also have found increases in ER visits for heart attacks and strokes in people with existing heart disease on heavy smoke days during previous California wildfires, echoing research on potential risks from urban air pollution.

For most healthy people, exposure to wildfire smoke is just an annoyance, causing burning eyes, scratchy throats or chest discomfort that all disappear when the smoke clears.

But doctors, scientists and public health officials are concerned that the changing face of wildfires will pose a much broader health hazard,

In an overview published earlier this year, Cascio wrote that the increasing frequency of large wildland fires, urban expansion into wooded areas and an aging population are all increasing the number of people at risk for health problems from fires.

Wood smoke contains some of the same toxic chemicals as urban air pollution, along with tiny particles of vapor and soot 30 times thinner than a human hair. These can infiltrate the bloodstream, potentially causing inflammation and blood vessel damage even in healthy people, research on urban air pollution has shown. Studies have linked heart attacks and cancer with long-term exposure to air pollution.

Whether exposure to wildfire smoke carries the same risks is uncertain, and determining harm from smog versus wildfire smoke can be tricky, especially with wind-swept California wildfires spreading thick smoke hundreds of miles away into smoggy big cities.

San Francisco - 15 November 2018

1.Two men sit in foreground, barely visible Golden Gate Bridge in background

2. Dogwalker wears masks while six dogs on leashes follow along the beach

3. View of Golden Gate Bridge from smoky Crissy Field

4. Woman wearing mask holds small dog with bridge in background

5. Walking shot of man with dog on Crissy Field beach

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Chloe Allegret, San Francisco resident:

"It's pretty uncomfortable. It's definitely causing shortness of breath, pressure in the sinuses so we're taking it easy."

7. Food delivery workers loading up van while wearing masks

8. Postal worker delivers mail while wearing mask

9. UPS driver wears mask while making delivery

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniel Horn, San Francisco resident:

"It just feels very smoky and full of particulates. I'm definitely worried about my son who's breathing this stuff. We've got air filters at home and we're running them at full speed but I'm not sure it's enough to get rid of all the toxic particulates so I'm definitely worried about the health of my family and the city in general."

11. Man walks along city's Embarcadero wearing mask

12. Embarcadero cleaning crew rides by on bicycle while wearing mask

13. Two women sit on park bench wearing masks

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Kylie Garcia, San Francisco resident:

"It sucks for people who are allergic to this stuff. Even me, I'm walking out here and my god, now my throat is feeling raspy. I walk here everyday on my work lunch break. It's crazy. I can't believe it. It's really sad and hopefully they'll be able to stop it. We'll see how long it goes."

15. Fire boat floating on Bay in foreground, Bay Bridge in smog in background

Most schools in San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland and Folsom will be closed Friday as a deadly wildfire in Northern California sends smoke into the Bay Area.

School districts announced the closures Thursday as the region experienced some of the worst air quality since the fire started a week ago about 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of San Francisco.

An Environmental Protection Agency website says the air quality in Sacramento is "hazardous" Thursday and San Francisco's is "very unhealthy." Many people walking around the cities wore face masks.

Several Northern California universities had announced closures earlier Thursday.

The wildfire that started a week ago has killed dozens of people and charred nearly 220 square miles (570 square kilometers).

Smoke masks. Eye drops. No outdoor exercise. This is how Californians are trying to cope with wildfires choking the state, but experts say an increase in serious health problems may be almost inevitable for vulnerable residents as the disasters become more commonplace.

"It just feels very smoky and full of particulates. I'm definitely worried about my son who's breathing this stuff. We've got air filters at home and we're running them at full speed but I'm not sure it's enough to get rid of all the toxic particulates so I'm definitely worried about the health of my family and the city in general," San Francisco resident Daniel Horn said.

Research suggests children, the elderly and those with existing health problems are most at risk.

Short-term exposure to wildfire smoke can worsen existing asthma and lung disease, leading to emergency room treatment or hospitalization, studies have shown.

Increases in doctor visits or hospital treatment for respiratory infections, bronchitis and pneumonia in otherwise healthy people also have been found during and after wildfires.

Some studies also have found increases in ER visits for heart attacks and strokes in people with existing heart disease on heavy smoke days during previous California wildfires, echoing research on potential risks from urban air pollution.

For most healthy people, exposure to wildfire smoke is just an annoyance, causing burning eyes, scratchy throats or chest discomfort that all disappear when the smoke clears.

But doctors, scientists and public health officials are concerned that the changing face of wildfires will pose a much broader health hazard,

In an overview published earlier this year, Cascio wrote that the increasing frequency of large wildland fires, urban expansion into wooded areas and an aging population are all increasing the number of people at risk for health problems from fires.

Wood smoke contains some of the same toxic chemicals as urban air pollution, along with tiny particles of vapor and soot 30 times thinner than a human hair. These can infiltrate the bloodstream, potentially causing inflammation and blood vessel damage even in healthy people, research on urban air pollution has shown. Studies have linked heart attacks and cancer with long-term exposure to air pollution.

Whether exposure to wildfire smoke carries the same risks is uncertain, and determining harm from smog versus wildfire smoke can be tricky, especially with wind-swept California wildfires spreading thick smoke hundreds of miles away into smoggy big cities.

San Francisco - 15 November 2018

1. Two men sit in foreground, barely visible Golden Gate Bridge in background

2. Dogwalker wears masks while six dogs on leashes follow along the beach

3. View of Golden Gate Bridge from smoky Crissy Field

4. Woman wearing mask holds small dog with bridge in background

5. Walking shot of man with dog on Crissy Field beach

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Chloe Allegret, San Francisco resident:

"It's pretty uncomfortable. It's definitely causing shortness of breath, pressure in the sinuses so we're taking it easy."

7. Food delivery workers loading up van while wearing masks

8. Postal worker delivers mail while wearing mask

9. UPS driver wears mask while making delivery

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniel Horn, San Francisco resident:

"It just feels very smoky and full of particulates. I'm definitely worried about my son who's breathing this stuff. We've got air filters at home and we're running them at full speed but I'm not sure it's enough to get rid of all the toxic particulates so I'm definitely worried about the health of my family and the city in general."

11. Man walks along city's Embarcadero wearing mask

12. Embarcadero cleaning crew rides by on bicycle while wearing mask

13. Two women sit on park bench wearing masks

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Kylie Garcia, San Francisco resident:

"It sucks for people who are allergic to this stuff. Even me, I'm walking out here and my god, now my throat is feeling raspy. I walk here everyday on my work lunch break. It's crazy. I can't believe it. It's really sad and hopefully they'll be able to stop it. We'll see how long it goes."

15. Fire boat floating on Bay in foreground, Bay Bridge in smog in background

Most schools in San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland and Folsom will be closed Friday as a deadly wildfire in Northern California sends smoke into the Bay Area.

School districts announced the closures Thursday as the region experienced some of the worst air quality since the fire started a week ago about 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of San Francisco.

An Environmental Protection Agency website says the air quality in Sacramento is "hazardous" Thursday and San Francisco's is "very unhealthy." Many people walking around the cities wore face masks.

Several Northern California universities had announced closures earlier Thursday.

The wildfire that started a week ago has killed dozens of people and charred nearly 220 square miles (570 square kilometers).

Smoke masks. Eye drops. No outdoor exercise. This is how Californians are trying to cope with wildfires choking the state, but experts say an increase in serious health problems may be almost inevitable for vulnerable residents as the disasters become more commonplace.

"It just feels very smoky and full of particulates. I'm definitely worried about my son who's breathing this stuff. We've got air filters at home and we're running them at full speed but I'm not sure it's enough to get rid of all the toxic particulates so I'm definitely worried about the health of my family and the city in general," San Francisco resident Daniel Horn said.

Research suggests children, the elderly and those with existing health problems are most at risk.

Short-term exposure to wildfire smoke can worsen existing asthma and lung disease, leading to emergency room treatment or hospitalization, studies have shown.

Increases in doctor visits or hospital treatment for respiratory infections, bronchitis and pneumonia in otherwise healthy people also have been found during and after wildfires.

Some studies also have found increases in ER visits for heart attacks and strokes in people with existing heart disease on heavy smoke days during previous California wildfires, echoing research on potential risks from urban air pollution.

For most healthy people, exposure to wildfire smoke is just an annoyance, causing burning eyes, scratchy throats or chest discomfort that all disappear when the smoke clears.

But doctors, scientists and public health officials are concerned that the changing face of wildfires will pose a much broader health hazard,

In an overview published earlier this year, Cascio wrote that the increasing frequency of large wildland fires, urban expansion into wooded areas and an aging population are all increasing the number of people at risk for health problems from fires.

Wood smoke contains some of the same toxic chemicals as urban air pollution, along with tiny particles of vapor and soot 30 times thinner than a human hair. These can infiltrate the bloodstream, potentially causing inflammation and blood vessel damage even in healthy people, research on urban air pollution has shown. Studies have linked heart attacks and cancer with long-term exposure to air pollution.

Whether exposure to wildfire smoke carries the same risks is uncertain, and determining harm from smog versus wildfire smoke can be tricky, especially with wind-swept California wildfires spreading thick smoke hundreds of miles away into smoggy big cities.

San Francisco - 15 November 2018

1.Two men sit in foreground, barely visible Golden Gate Bridge in background

2. Dogwalker wears masks while six dogs on leashes follow along the beach

3. View of Golden Gate Bridge from smoky Crissy Field

4. Woman wearing mask holds small dog with bridge in background

5. Walking shot of man with dog on Crissy Field beach

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Chloe Allegret, San Francisco resident:

"It's pretty uncomfortable. It's definitely causing shortness of breath, pressure in the sinuses so we're taking it easy."

7. Food delivery workers loading up van while wearing masks

8. Postal worker delivers mail while wearing mask

9. UPS driver wears mask while making delivery

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniel Horn, San Francisco resident:

"It just feels very smoky and full of particulates. I'm definitely worried about my son who's breathing this stuff. We've got air filters at home and we're running them at full speed but I'm not sure it's enough to get rid of all the toxic particulates so I'm definitely worried about the health of my family and the city in general."

11. Man walks along city's Embarcadero wearing mask

12. Embarcadero cleaning crew rides by on bicycle while wearing mask

13. Two women sit on park bench wearing masks

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Kylie Garcia, San Francisco resident:

"It sucks for people who are allergic to this stuff. Even me, I'm walking out here and my god, now my throat is feeling raspy. I walk here everyday on my work lunch break. It's crazy. I can't believe it. It's really sad and hopefully they'll be able to stop it. We'll see how long it goes."

15. Fire boat floating on Bay in foreground, Bay Bridge in smog in background

SHOTLIST:

1. Mid of women with masks on sifting through ashes of debris of burnt home, pull out

2. Wide of people sifting through debris with masks on

3. Close-up of women with masks on

4. Close-up of debris being sifted

5. Mid of two women walking through fire damaged neighbourhood with masks on

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Christina Durvis, San Diego resident:

"This is the first time we have really looked up close, so I can't really process how I feel about the smoke, because of the visual images. But it smells horrible and I can feel it in my lungs even with my mask."

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Laurie Norcross, San Diego resident:

"It's bad, it's bad, but it seems like it's not getting much better at this point. It still feels pretty consistent, it's hard to take a deep breath."

8. Mid of doctor showing how smoke affects your lungs

9. Various shots of hospital

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr Timothy Morris, Service chief for pulmonary medicine at UCSD Medical Centre:

"It can make you a little short of breath. It can make you start to cough or even make you start to wheeze. Now for a normal healthy person, that is usually a minor nuisance. For somebody who has a pre-existing lung condition, it can actually be quite dangerous."

11. Mid of men going through debris with masks on

12. Various of men working with masks on sifting through debris of burnt house

STORYLINE:

As the wildfires in the US state of California die down and residents return home, lingering dust and soot-laden air are making it difficult for many to breathe even a sigh of relief.

Air quality remained poor in the central San Bernardino Mountains and parts of the San Bernardino Valley as well as swaths of Orange and Riverside Counties.

In San Diego County, where only one of four major fires was more than 50 percent contained, the air quality was especially bad on Friday.

"It's bad, it's bad," said Laurie Norcross, who was helping to sift through the debris at a friend's burnt out home. "It seems like it's not getting much better at this point, it feels pretty consistent, it's hard to take a deep breath."

Satellite pictures continued to show a thick haze of smoke hanging over the entire region, affecting schools, events and the health of residents all over Southern California.

Residents staying in areas with bad air were advised to avoid exerting themselves both indoors and outside.

Children and those with heart and respiratory conditions were urged to stay indoors with the windows and doors closed and air conditioners on.

One of the biggest health threats with fires are the fine particles that are not visible to the naked eye.

These particles can get into the lungs and make breathing an even greater struggle for people with asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.

Miles from any of the fires, smoke and dust from surrounding areas continued to hang like a heavy fog over the port city of Long Beach, making the sun appear a deep orange.

In San Diego, where fires still raged, the University of California San Diego Medical Centre saw an increase in patients coming in with breathing troubles they believe were related to air pollution, but they didn't have statistics available, said spokeswoman Jackie Carr.

"It can make you a little short of breath," said Dr Timothy Morris, the service chief for pulmonary medicine at UCSD Medical Centre.

"For a normal healthy person, that is usually a minor nuisance, for someone who has a pre-existing lung condition, it can actually be quite dangerous," he added.