LIVEMORE — A woman was stranded on top of her car in a swift-moving Livermore creek for about 15 hours before being rescued Tuesday morning, the Alameda County Fire Department said.

Just after 10 a.m. Tuesday, a camper near the 7000 block of Del Valle Road called the Alameda County Fire Department about a car submerged in the water.

Fire crews at the scene spotted a woman sitting on top of the car and began planning a rescue, while calling the CHP for help. Thanks to appropriate weather, a CHP helicopter was able to lower a rescue technician and get the woman out of the creek.

“It could have had a whole different outcome. She could have been swept downstream, but she was strong enough to get up on top of the vehicle,” said Battalion Chief Kent Carlin, with Alameda Fire. “Maybe out of her tenacity or luck. I don’t know what it was. The entire cab was submerged, so she was able to swim out of the window and climb herself up on the vehicle.”

Video posted on the CHP Golden Gate Division Air Operations account showed the dramatic rescue.

**Water Rescue–Lake Del Valle**

This morning, CHP H-30 responded with Alameda County Fire, Pleasanton-Livermore Fire, East Bay Regional Parks, San Ramon Fire Department Helicopter Rescue Technician (HRT) and Falck Ambulance to a report of an overturned vehicle at Lake Del Valle. It was further reported that the occupant was sitting on top of the vehicle in the middle of a flowing creek.

As firefighters set up for a rescue with rescue swimmers, H-30 arrived overhead and lowered a San Ramon Valley Fire Department Helicopter Rescue Technician (HRT) to the vehicle. The San Ramon Valley Fire HRT placed the victim in a rescue harness for rescue. H-30 was able to hoist the HRT member and victim from the car to waiting firefighters.

The victim was transported to a local hospital by ambulance with minor injuries. It appears the victim attempted to drive across a creek that was moving fairly swiftly due to recent rains causing her vehicle to overturn in the creek.

Posted by CHP – Golden Gate Division Air Operations on Tuesday, January 23, 2024

According to Alameda Fire, the woman tried to drive through the creek around 7:30 p.m. Monday, but she underestimated how deep it was and was running faster than expected causing her car to overturn.

She was stranded for about 15 hours. Rescue crews said she would be OK, but she was still taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Kelsi Thorud contributed to this report.

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A frost advisory and a freeze warning were issued for a second straight day Monday for parts of the Bay Area and Northern California with subfreezing temperatures again expected overnight.

The National Weather Service issued a frost warning for the North Bay interior valleys where temperatures were expected to be as low as 30 degrees. The advisory will be in effect from 10 p.m. Monday through 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The weather service also issued a freeze warning for the Central Valley and Salinas Valley where the forecast was for temperatures as low as 28 degrees. That advisory was also to be in effect from overnight 10 p.m. through 9 a.m.

KPIX Weather Center: Current conditions, alerts, maps for your area

Residents in those areas were warned to protect pets, outdoor plumbing and sensitive vegetation from the cold. Unprotected plumbing should be wrapped or insulated, or allowed to drip slowly, to prevent possible bursting.

Low temperatures in coastal and interior areas around the Bay Area were expected to stay in the 40s and even the low 50s.

Separately, a coastal flood advisory was in effect Monday along the San Francisco Bay and North Bay shorelines, with minor coastal flooding possible due to high astronomical tide.

Meanwhile, rainy conditions could return to the Bay Area beginning Tuesday night, according to the weather service. Following sunny skies for much of the day Tuesday, clouds were expected to roll in by the evening bringing some light drizzle. Chances for rain are strongest in the North Bay and should last through early Thursday; longer-term models hinted at unsettled weather and wet conditions continuing into next week, the weather service said.

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The last time an overnight train connected Los Angeles and San Francisco was 55 years ago.

A Newport Beach startup wants to turn back the clock with its version of a “hotel train.”

The luxury overnight train could soon offer a new way to travel between San Francisco and LA if Dreamstar Lines Inc. gets its plans approved by California railroads.

The idea for the privately operated overnight train would work almost like a red-eye for the railroad, but with comfortable accommodations so people could get a full night’s sleep before waking up at their destination, said Jake Vollebregt, Dreamstar’s CEO. If the small company’s plan goes ahead, the new trains could be running by the summer of 2024, he said.

“I think it would be a renewal of the track,” said Vollebregt. “For those travelers who are fed up with security checks and waiting and delays [on airlines]we will address them.”

Dreamstar hopes to capture just a small portion of the huge market for travel between two of California’s largest cities.

Travel between LA and San Francisco has become one of the busiest air routes in the country, according to the latest statistics from OAG Aviation. More than 250,000 aircraft seats fly between the two cities monthly, OAG data shows; Dreamstar plans to provide private rooms for about 65 people per trip – far fewer than a commercial flight.

Vollebregt said Dreamstar’s service was “more like a private jet company than a major airline” and focused on the specialized niche of “upscale overnight hotel train service.” The night trains would run in both directions, departing around 10 p.m. and arriving around 8 a.m. the next day, Vollebregt said.

The five or six sleeper cars would offer three types of private rooms: singles, executive class doubles or first class cabins — the latter two with ensuite bathrooms — and a car for drinks, desserts and continental breakfast, he said. The trains would have multiple stops in both LA and San Francisco, startup officials said, and a stop and crew change point in San Luis Obispo.

One-way tickets cost about $300, $600, and $1,000 depending on room type, which Vollebregt says is higher than the typical airfare but below other North American sleeper trains.

A night passenger train — Southern Pacific’s LARK — ran between the two influential California cities for about two decades beginning in the 1940s, but service ended in 1968. Amtrak began operating a night train from Sacramento to LA in the 1980s, the held in Oakland. but it only lasted two years.

Amtrak currently offers a variety of cross-California long-distance daytime travel, but no direct service from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The Coast Starlight connects LA to Oakland and Emeryville, while the San Joaquin route runs from the same Bay Area stops to Bakersfield, but requires a separate bus trip to get to LA

“For day trips, travelers have limited options to arrive in both directions in the morning or fly the evening before,” said Vollebregt. “Why not a night train so travelers can sleep and wake up at their destination?”

He said the “gold standard” for the concept was based on Japan’s well-run rail system, which he described as “very fast and comfortable and very affordable.” He hopes his team can bring this concept to California and eventually expand to other metro areas.

But the next step, Vollebregt said, is to get the approval and support of necessary stakeholders and rail operators, including Union Pacific, which owns most of the shoreline the train plans to use, as well as Metrolink in Southern California and Caltrain closer to San Francisco.

Officials from both Union Pacific and Metrolink confirmed they are in talks with Dreamstar representatives, but neither have reached any type of agreement yet. It was not immediately clear if talks with Caltrain were initiated.

“The biggest challenge is getting support from the agencies and private companies that own the lines and terminals,” said Vollebregt. He hopes to begin services in the summer of 2024, but said, “It depends on how quickly our partners are ready to move.”

Scott Johnson, a Metrolink spokesman, said Dreamstar officials recently “put forward plans at a very high level for the proposed service.”

“More detail and analysis would be required to move the service forward,” Johnson said in a statement.

Vollebregt admits there are still many questions about the company, including scalability and sustainability as a company, as well as determining the physical infrastructure and logistics. But he said Dreamstar has spent years studying feasibility and is confident in its current plans.

“This is one of the largest travel markets in the country with more than 10 million air passengers annually and around 40 million travelers in total,” said Vollebregt. “A night train would be sustainable with a market share of less than a quarter of a percentage point, which would support ridership well beyond that.”

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LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — It’s not quite spring in Louisiana yet, as parts of the state brace for freezing temperatures next Monday.

The National Weather Service is warning of freezing temperatures overnight and into Monday morning, with temperatures reaching 29 degrees in some areas of Louisiana and Texas.

“Freezing temperatures of up to 29 degrees are expected,” the statement warns, adding that you will see these temperatures in “parts of central, south-central, southwest and west-central Louisiana and southeast Texas.” can expect.

The National Weather Service is warning of freezing temperatures overnight and through Monday morning across Texas and southern Louisiana.

Source: National Weather Service

We’re not expecting snow or ice, but temperatures will definitely be cold enough to kill your plants if you’ve already started spring planting. It could also get low enough to freeze your pipes, the NWS warned.

Take measures now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes, they should be wrapped, drained, or slowly drained. Those who have underground sprinkler systems should drain them and cap overhead pipes to protect them from freezing.

The good news is that a sunny Sunday means the roads shouldn’t be too much of a problem during the Monday morning commute – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be vigilant on the roads, particularly in the low-light portions of the mornings .

Temperatures will be warmer over the next few days, hitting the 80s again by Thursday, and expect some showers through the end of the workweek, according to Weather.com.

Weather forecast for the week of March 19-24.

Photo credit: Weather.com

Here’s the full National Weather Service warning for tonight and tomorrow’s frost warning:

URGENT – WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
308 a.m. CDT Sunday March 19, 2023
Vernon Rapides Avoyelles Beauregard Allen Evangeline St. Landry-Lafayette-Upper St Martin-Lower St Martin-Northern Calcasieu-Northern Jefferson Davis-Northern Acadia-Upper Vermilion-Upper Iberia-Upper St Mary-Southern Calcasieu-Southern Jefferson Davis-Southern Acadia-Lower Vermilion-Lower Iberia -Lower St. Mary-Tyler-North Jasper-North Newton-South Jasper-South Newton

Including the cities of Fort Polk, Pickering, Leesville, Slagle,
Alexandria, Pineville, Effie, Marksville, Bunkie, Cottonport,
Simmesport, Mansura, Bundick Lake, De Ridder, Fields, Oretta, Oakdale, Kids, Ville Platte, Beaver, St Landry, Mamou, Reddell, Lawtell, Opelousas, Eunice, Lafayette, Breaux Bridge, Cade, St Martinville, Stephensville, De Quincy, Moss Bluff, Sulfur, Westlake, Vinton, Hathaway, Jennings, Topsy, Fenton, Welsh, Elton, Crowley, Rayne, Branch, Church Point, Iota, Gueydan, Meaux, Kaplan, Maurice, New Iberia, Jeanerette, Morgan City , Centerville, Franklin, Patterson, Berwick, Bayou Vista, Lake Charles, Carlyss, Bell City, Hayes, Iowa, Lake Arthur, Morse, Abbeville, Intracoastal City, Forked Island, Avery Island, Burns Point, Cypremort Point, Town Bluff, Fred , Hillister, Ivanhoe, Spurger, Warren, Woodville, Holly Springs, Jasper, Kirbyville, Magnolia Springs, Mt Union, Roganville, Burkeville, Farrsville, Jamestown, Newton, Wiergate, Bleakwood, Call, Gist, Buna, Evadale and Deweyville
308 a.m. CDT Sunday March 19, 2023

…FROST WARNING EFFECTIVE FROM 1AM TO 9AM CDT MONDAY…

* WHAT… Freezing temperatures as low as 29 expected.

* WHERE…parts of Central, South Central, Southwest and West
Central Louisiana and Southeast Texas.

* WHEN…Monday from 1:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. CDT.

* EFFECTS… Freezing and freezing conditions will kill crops and others
sensitive vegetation and may damage outdoors if left unprotected
Installation.
PRECAUTIONS/PREPARATION…

Take measures now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes, they should be wrapped, drained or slowly drained. Those who have underground sprinkler systems should drain them and cap overhead pipes to protect them from freezing.

Below are some tips you can use to ensure your home is protected from frost.

Here are the tips you need to combat freezing weather

LOOK: What is the coldest city in each state?

The post In a single day Freeze Warning Issued Throughout South Louisiana appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Overnight temperatures in certain San Francisco neighborhoods could dip to near-freezing temperatures, according to ABC 7 Meteorologist Drew Tuma. As such, San Franciscans will want to take certain precautions with their pets, plants, and property.

“Bring your pets inside,” Tuma said in an interview with The Standard. In the coming days, the city’s official National Weather Service outpost in the Lower Haight might just record a low of 38 or 39 degrees Fahrenheit—which would be the chilliest reading in the past 6 years.

Also, anyone with particularly sensitive plants on the porch, balcony, or window sill should consider bringing those indoors, as well. David Stoner, president of Sloat Garden Center, said he is expecting San Francisco to experience frost over the next night or two. While frost is unlikely to deal a death-blow to established plants, it can damage the folliage.

The best course of action for proactive plant parents, according to Stoner, is to bring your plants inside. You can also move them under an overhang, or cover them with a frost blanket.

Stoner also noted that most plants prefer to be well watered when entering a period of extreme cold. The one exception to that rule: succulents and cacti. These, he said, should be as dry as possible heading into cold weather.

The reason the leaves of your burros tail, candelabra aloe, zebra plant and jade tree are so fleshy is that they are filled with water. And when those leaves approach freezing, the ensuing frost can damage the tender cells of those leaves, leaving the same plant that survived weeks without water in direct sunlight with withered, frost-bitten leaves.

Succulents are hearty, but they can be damaged by frost. | Getty Images

As for concerns about bursting pipes, Tuma said it’s always possible that freezing temperatures approaching could deal a final blow to older plumbing, though this issue is more common with sub-freezing temperatures.

San Francisco hasn’t officially recorded a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit since 1990—even as it’s relatively common for areas directly north, south and east of the city to dip below freezing a few times every winter.

That’s due to something called the “urban heat island” effect, Tuma said. Winter temperatures never get far below freezing anywhere in the Bay Area; as such, the remaining heat that San Francisco’s concrete, asphalt, metal and glass surfaces continue to radiate after sunset helps keep the city warmer than its suburban and rural neighbors.

So see

Tuma had two more notes for locals bracing for the cold snap.

First, the good news: It’s possible that the dip in temperatures could pull some of the pollen out of the air, which might bring relief to allergy sufferers.

Second, he said, don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel cold. The first couple of cold days after a warm spell like we just had can be jarring to the body.

“Wear your gloves, wear your hat,” Tuma said. “I know we get the reputation for being weak, but your body’s not used to it.”

Nick Veronin can be reached at [email protected].

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The post Chilly Snap Coming to San Francisco, In a single day Temps May Hit Lowest Level in 6 Years appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — It may have been less than a shot glass, but the 0.01 inches of rain that fell late Monday night in San Francisco broke a 44-day streak of zero precipitation dating back to January 8th.

There was a one-word reaction on the National Weather Service’s twitter page.

yes

YES!#CAwx pic.twitter.com/3O4cZFRWal

— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) February 22, 2022

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Since that time, the total has risen to 0.04 of an inch. The dry winter dry spell was the second longest during the traditional rainy season training only the 60 days from Nov 17, 1876 to Jan 15, 1877.

While showers were light in the Bay Area, the front was pelting the Sierra with a snowstorm that could dump as much as a foot at the higher elevations. Chain controls were in place early Tuesday in the high passes on Highway 50 and I-80.

Chances for even more rainfall will linger over the San Francisco Bay Area throughout the day as the a layer of cold, unstable air floats over the region.

“Isolated to scattered rain showers persist over the region this morning within the cold, unstable air mass aloft,” the weather service said. “These rain showers are likely to continue through today before diminishing from north to south late tonight and into early Wednesday morning.”

The unstable air could trigger brief hail storms and lightning — a fire threat in the hills dried out during the dry spell.

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“There’s going to be a lot of cold air in the upper levels of the atmosphere. That increases how unstable the atmosphere is, which increases the threat of cloud-to-ground lightning,” explained First Alert Chief Meteorologist Paul Heggen. “The unstable environment, coupled with the cold air, will also allow some small hail to fall out of any showers that manage to become thunderstorms.”

The Monterey area will get the most rain, according to the weather service, about half an inch in the Santa Lucia Range.

Once the rain showers wind down Tuesday evening, cold temperatures will take over for the rest of the week. Most of the North Bay is under a Freeze Watch for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. That’s likely to be upgraded to Freeze Warning, as temperatures will drop to the mid to upper 20s in the early mornings.

Other inland parts of the Bay Area will drop to near freezing, which will prompt a Frost Advisory. Bay Area residents are advised to take care to protect sensitive vegetation and outdoor plumbing, and make sure outdoor pets have a warm place to shelter.

“The coldest temperatures will likely occur Thursday morning when lows drop into the mid 20 in the coldest portions of the North Bay Valleys and interior Monterey County,” the weather service warned.

Later in the week, dry conditions will return.

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“High pressure over the eastern Pacific will build back toward the California coast late in the week and into the upcoming weekend,” the weather service said. “This will result in a slight warming trend and return to dry weather conditions. Longer range guidance suggest a return to unsettled conditions early next week, yet rainfall does not look overly impressive.”

The post ‘Sure’ — Climate Service Response To In a single day Showers; 44-Day Dry Spell Ends – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A fast-moving cold front caused showers in the San Francisco Bay Area early Thursday.

While the rain further eased the extreme drought conditions, a stronger atmospheric river shifted its path over the weekend, missing Northern California and heading northwest.

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“The rainfall was pretty decent, with a few hundredths to a few tenths over North Bay,” said the National Weather Service. “The highest amounts are over the coastal mountains like Mt Tam, which approaches three-quarters of an inch.”

“The morning commute will not be a total washout,” said the weather forecasters. “Some wet roads will be possible. The shower activity will be over by Thursday afternoon. “

Originally, forecasters believed that a Category 1 atmospheric river would roll into the Bay Area on Sunday evening, bringing more intense rainfall with it.

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On Thursday morning, forecasters rolled back that forecast when the strong plume of moisture in the Pacific began to track northwards.

“The latest atmospheric river forecasts have scaled back the potential for Monday and Tuesday,” said forecasters. “It now looks like California is still getting a moisture boost, but the stronger boost previously advertised has shifted north. Deterministic models have also withdrawn in the case of precipitation on Monday / Tuesday. “

Meanwhile, federal drought officials released their latest weekly update Thursday morning, showing improvements in arid conditions in the Bay Area.

Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties were all in extreme conditions.

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While Napa, Contra Costa, and Napa counties continue to experience exceptional drought conditions.

The post In a single day Showers Throughout Bay Space; Sunday Evening Atmospheric River Shifts To Northwest – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SONOMA COUNTY (CBS SF) – Santa Rosa police said Wednesday a mountain lion was found and captured after being sedated by wildlife experts outside a home in the Rincon Valley on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Santa Rosa Police Department posted information on their social media accounts, as well as photos of the mountain lion spotted late Tuesday.

Mountain lion sighting and trapping by local non-profit organizations

A mountain lion was found in a Rincon Valley last night. SRPD officials worked with local wildlife experts / nonprofits who sedated him and took him for medical treatment. The mountain lion is recovering in a local game reserve pic.twitter.com/g8Fo9vjGRW

– Santa Rosa Police (@SantaRosaPolice) October 27, 2021

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At around 10 p.m., officials in the St. Francis Road and De Soto Drive area called for reports of a mountain lion sighting. When the officers arrived on site, they found a young mountain lion in the front yard of a residential building.

The mountain lion refused to move or leave the area despite several patrol cars glowing lights and making noise, police said. The mountain eventually began to move slowly but appeared to be injured or sick.

Officers stayed on site for nearly three hours while waiting for wildlife resources, during which time the mountain lion moved into the neighboring yard.

Police worked with local wildlife experts from several nonprofits – Sonoma Wildlife Rescue and True Wild – and an additional veterinarian, all of whom responded to the scene – as well as fish and wildlife officials. A tranquilizer dart was used by veterinarians to calm the mountain lion.

Experts from True Wild and Sonoma Wildlife Rescue took the mountain lion to a local wildlife sanctuary for observation. They said the mountain lion was a very young man, weighing about 45 pounds. It showed no obvious signs of injury or illness.

Wildlife experts planned to watch the mountain lion and conduct medical tests before determining the best course of action for the animal. The mountain lion has been in her care since Wednesday morning, he is doing well and is doing better. No additional information was available about the mountain lion’s potential medical problems.

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Mountain lion sightings in the Bay Area have increased in recent months. Just last week, a wayward mountain lion instigated a lockdown in two Rohnert Park middle schools before being drugged and removed from the area.

Mountain lions have been caught in the shadow of surveillance cameras in Millbrae. A handful of residents in Oakland Hills and Piedmont said they saw mutilated deer carcasses in their neighborhood. One wildcat was even caught in a tree in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood and transported to the Oakland Zoo, while another broke into a San Bruno home full of wildlife trophies.

More than half of the state is Mountain Lion Territory, and it’s not uncommon for them to show up in unexpected places, according to officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The species usually migrates during the dry season in search of plenty of food and water, but it could travel further than usual as drought conditions increase and deer population declines, department spokesman Ken Paglia said.

“Be aware that we share the state with other wildlife, like mountain lions or bears, they are nearby,” said Paglia. “While they can be potentially dangerous, they are usually in the city looking for food resources and not there to harm us.”

Despite recent sightings, it is rare for a mountain lion to be attacked.

“We want to make sure the public is safe, but we also want the animal to live its life in its own habitat. That is probably the best solution, ”said Paglia.

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Installing motion center lights around the property, keeping pets indoors at night, and storing food appropriately are some of the ways residents can avoid encounters with mountain lions. You can find more tips and tricks from the Mountain Lion Foundation online.

The post Mountain Lion Sedated and Captured Close to Santa Rosa In a single day – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

QUINCY, Plumas County (CBS SF) – Blown fuses on a Pacific gas and power line are being investigated for a possible cause of the Dixie Fire in Butte and Plumas counties, which quickly grew to more than 30,000 acres overnight Combination of “fuel, topography and weather”.

Meanwhile, new evacuations were underway in several rural communities as the fire progressed in the rugged terrain near the Bucks Lake Wilderness Area.

During the Cal Fire’s Sunday night briefing, the fire spanned 18,702 acres. By Monday morning, the fire zone had grown to 30,074 acres.

Dixie fire: Cal Fire Incident Report, evacuation information, road closures

PG&E said a utility repairman discovered fuse damage on a power line on July 13 after the company’s outage system indicated that the Cresta Dam on Highway 70 in Feather River Canyon was losing power.

“The responding PG&E troublemaker was remotely observing what he thought was a blown fuse on the PG&E Bucks Creek 1101 12kV Overhead Distribution Circuit uphill from his location,” the utility said in a report of an electrical incident at California Public Utilities Commission.

Dixie fire: PG&E Dixie Fire Incident Report

“Due to the demanding terrain and the road works that led to the bridge being closed, he was only able to reach the mast with the safety device around 1640 o’clock. There he saw two out of three fuses blown and a healthy green tree leaning into the Bucks Creek 1101 12 kV conductor that was still intact and hanging on the mast. “

“He also observed a fire on the ground near the tree trunk. The interferer manually removed the third fuse and reported the fire. His supervisor called 9-1-1 and the 9-1-1 operator replied that they know the fire and are responding. Air support from Cal Fire arrived on site around 5:30 pm and began to drop fire retardants and water. “

In a statement on KPIX 5, PG&E said it had filed a report with state regulators about the incident.

“Yesterday, PG&E filed an Electric Incident Report (EIR) with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding the Dixie Fire in Butte and Plumas Counties. The information provided by PG&E is preliminary and the Company has presented this report with great caution in light of the collection of PG&E facilities from CAL FIRE in connection with its investigation. PG&E is cooperating with the CAL FIRE investigation. “

PG&E equipment has been blamed for a number of major forest fires in the state over the years, and it wasn’t the first time the utility has been investigated as a source of a forest fire in the area. Cal Fire found that the 2018 campfire that killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise was caused by PG&E electrical transmission lines in the Pulga area.

Firefighters use the Union Pacific Fire Train to protect the railroad tracks and prevent the Dixie Fire from spreading in the Plumas National Forest. California Fire says about 14% of the area is contained, but access is limited as it burns in a remote area. pic.twitter.com/ZGydRdBtW6

– CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) July 19, 2021

Speaking at the briefing, Tony Brownell, the commander of the Cal Fire incident, said the firefighters faced a major challenge in fighting the northeastern area of ​​the massive fire.

“Today was a very active day by the fire,” he said. “There are three things that really affect a fire: fuel, topography, and weather. All three came into effect today when the fire became very active on two different sides of the fire. “

Brownell said the crews were trying to create a “catcher’s glove” out of lines of fire to keep the fire from moving north. Cal Fire also focused on not letting the fire advance towards Concow and Magalia, two towns in Butte County that were hit by the deadly 2018 bonfire.

The fire was fueled by winds and embers that were kicked up in a massive pyrocumulus cloud that rose thousands of feet above the fire.

“It got very active here, this is where you saw the column of smoke from the valley,” Brownell said, pointing to the eastern part of the fire on the map. “All the overheated air rises in the atmosphere … So it got over the Feather River down to (over) Tobin.”

The embers lit point fires in the dry scrub and in the trees, which accelerated the spread of the fire. The advancing fire forced officers to close Highway 70.

“It (big column of embers) is very common, especially in recent years, because our fuels are so dry from the drought, they kill insects, everything is absorbent. So if a spark falls into the unburned brush, it will most likely start a fire, ”Brownell said.

#DixieFire Update 7:00 p.m. 07/18/2021 Video https://t.co/MiYcqE3id9

– Vanessa Wilson (@NessaBurdette) July 19, 2021

The fire was contained to 15 percent on Sunday night, 1,918 firefighters fought the fire that threatened 810 buildings.

New evacuation orders were issued on Sunday evening for the Jonesville and Philbrook areas of Butte County and High Lakes, and for homes on the Butte / Plumas County line east of Twain, Meadow Valley and Bucks Lake.

The post PG&E Blown Energy Line Fuses Might Be Linked To Dixie Hearth; Wildfire Almost Doubles In Dimension In a single day – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Outdoor parklets for restaurants and businesses will remain a part of the San Francisco cityscape after the pandemic.

The board of directors approved an amended version of the regulation regulating the Shared Spaces program on Tuesday, which will allow small businesses in particular to continue to use public sidewalks and parking spaces to strengthen their businesses – and to close these spaces at night.

Regulators disagreed on whether companies should close parklets overnight. Proponents of closing the parklets said that opening the parklets places a responsibility on business owners to clean the rooms of overnight clutter or to deal with the noise from people using the rooms after business hours. Proponents of keeping the parklets open overnight said they wanted to preserve the public space for public use.

Supervisor Ahsha Safaí introduced two last-minute changes on Tuesday to allow companies to close parklets overnight and keep the program running within the planning department, which issued parklet permits during the pandemic, rather than operating on public ones Relocate work. Both changes were passed, with night closing times set from midnight to 7 a.m.

“This program is one of the lasting legacies and a positive direction for our city,” Safaí said. “The biggest complaints were when people used these rooms after hours. It is more difficult to defend these spaces when they are only open 24 hours a day. “

Supervisors Safaí, Matt Haney, Rafael Mandelman, Gordon Mar, Myrna Melgar and Catherine Stefani voted for companies to be allowed to close the parklets overnight.

Haney, who represents the downtown neighborhoods hardest hit by outdoor homelessness and drug use, said business owners in his district told him that opening parklets overnight would be “significant challenges”. He feared that companies would be held responsible for problems like selling drugs in a parklet.

“If you asked for these to stay open overnight, they would be unusable for a lot of the small businesses I represent,” Haney said.

Superiors Aaron Peskin, Connie Chan, Dean Preston, Hillary Ronen and Shamann Walton voted for parklets to be open to everyone overnight to save space that is hidden from the public.

“We’re starting this incredible program that has changed the landscape of San Francisco,” said Ronen. “We’re giving up an extraordinary amount of public space to accommodate private companies, as I believe we should, but in return I believe the public should have the greatest possible access to it.”

Legislation requires companies to add a public bank nearby or in the parklet.

In recent months, the Parklet program has been put to the test as elected officials grappled with regulating the hundreds of outdoor areas that became a lifeline for small businesses during the pandemic. In particular, the board members wanted to ensure that parklets are accessible for disabled people and discussed the permanent privatization of public spaces.

At some point, Mayor London Breed threatened to put the Parklet program on the ballot if the board did not pass it.

Mom-and-pop businesses enjoy a two-year program fee waiver to aid in economic recovery. Fees range from $ 1,000 to $ 3,000 for a single parking space, depending on the type of parklet, and are charged for formula chains.

Some business owners were pleased to hear that the program they saw as a lifeline would continue.

“I’m gushing right now,” said Ben Bleiman, founder of the SF Bar Owner Alliance, which represents 475 bar owners in the city. “This is the biggest positive change for small businesses in my 20 years in San Francisco.”

Bleiman put up parklets in his two bars – Soda Popinski’s in Nob Hill and Teeth in the Mission – as soon as he could. The outdoor area at Nob Hill is “life or death,” he said, because without it he would not have been able to reopen the bar.

Bleiman was grateful for the latest change that allowed companies to close their parklets at night, arguing that not even city parks stay open all night.

“I thought this was a recipe for disaster,” he said. “The downsides were very obvious. We just have a street clean and homeless and crime and security epidemic in the city around our trade corridors. Having to keep these open at night would have set off a beacon for this activity that would have put small businesses in direct conflict with our neighbors. “

Bleiman did not understand the argument that parklets privatize public space, especially when they take up parking spaces. He stressed that there would still be enough space on the sidewalk for people, including disabled or elderly people, to pass by.

Shirley To, owner of the Bottoms Up Bar and Lounge on Mission Street near the Excelsior, had mixed feelings about the plan to make parklets permanent. Last year, the parklet she built in August enabled her to keep her business open.

But she had problems, including homeless people using the parklet “like a home” and leaving them to clean the room, she said. And in May a drunk driver rammed the parklet late at night, tore a hole in the wall, and hit a nearby homeless man. With repairs, she ended up paying more than $ 8,000 for the parklet.

The parklet was still open, but didn’t use it very much, she said, because her guests prefer to be indoors near the TV and protected from the wind and cold. She said she would give him another chance when the weather warms up.

“I’m still a little worried,” she said.

JK Dineen and Mallory Moench are contributors to the San Francisco Chronicle. Emails: jdineen@sfchronicle.com mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen @mallorymoench

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