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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2019)
A8 NATION East Oregonian Saturday, October 26, 2019 California utility admits it may have ignited blaze By ROBERT JABLON AND JOCELYN GECKER Associated Press LOS ANGELES — California’s biggest utility admitted its electri- cal equipment may have ignited a destructive wildfi re spreading through the state’s wine country Friday, despite blackouts imposed across the region to prevent blazes. The disclosure came as fi refi ght- ers battled fl ames in both Northern California and Southern California: the fi re amid Sonoma County’s vine- yards, and a wind-whipped blaze that destroyed homes near Los Angeles. The fi re near the Northern Cal- ifornia town of Geyserville burned at least 49 buildings and 34 square miles, and prompted evacuation orders for some 2,000 people. It was driven by the strong winds that had prompted Pacifi c Gas & Electric to impose sweeping black- outs affecting a half-million people in Northern California and Central California. Power was restored to most people by Thursday evening, PG&E said. PG&E resorted to shut-offs after equipment malfunctions and trees blowing into power lines were blamed for sparking several blazes in recent years that killed scores of people, burned thousands of homes and ran up billions of dollars in claims that drove the utility into bankruptcy. However, PG&E said Thurs- day it didn’t turn off a 230,000-volt transmission line near Geyserville that malfunctioned minutes before the fi re erupted. The utility reported fi nding a “broken jumper” wire on a transmission tower on Wednesday night. PG&E CEO Bill Johnson said it was too soon to know if the faulty equipment sparked the fi re. He said the tower had been inspected four times in the past two years and appeared to have been in excellent condition. Investors were leery, though, and PG&E stock fell more than 20% during the day. In shutting off the electricity, PG&E cut power to the distribution lines that supply homes, but not to its long-distance transmission lines. Meanwhile, an estimated AP Photo/David Crane Firefi ghters put out hot spots on a house burned in the Tick Fire in Canyon County, Calif., early Friday. 50,000 people were under evac- uation orders in the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles as hot, dry Santa Ana winds howling at up to 50 mph drove the fl ames into neighborhoods. The cause of the fi re was unknown, but Southern California Edison said it had cut off power to the area fi ve hours before it broke out Thursday afternoon. At least six homes were burned, and offi cials said the number was expected to rise as they took a more thorough look. “I’m literally seeing sticks and fi re of what used to be our home,” Alejandro Corrales said. She said the fi re also took her mother’s ashes, other belongings and possibly a pen full of pet sheep. “Everything in the house is gone,” Corrales said. Firefi ghters on the ground and in the air struggled to protect homes surrounded by trees and brush as the fi re grew to 4,300 acres. Some residents tried to fi ght the blaze with garden hoses. People rushed to rescue dozens of horses, donkeys, goats, a pig and an emu. High winds were expected to taper off by late afternoon. South- ern California Edison, which shut off electricity to more than 31,000 customers on Thursday, said it was considering additional power cuts to more than 386,000. The Los Angeles school district closed all its schools in the San Fer- nando Valley, citing poor air quality and other safety concerns. While the high winds in North- ern California had died down by Friday, they were expected to pick up over the weekend with gusts of 40 to 60 mph in many places, and PG&E warned it may black out an even larger region. PG&E chief meteorologist Scott Strenfel said Northern California could be in for the strongest off- shore winds in years. Most states not giving driver’s license data to Washington By MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. — An effort by the U.S. Census Bureau to col- lect state driver’s license records as part of President Donald Trump’s order to gather citizenship infor- mation has been a bust so far. As of Wednesday, the vast majority of state motor vehicle agencies had not agreed to share their records with the bureau, according to an Associated Press survey of the 50 states. The effort over the past couple of months has alarmed civil rights groups, which see it as part of a backdoor move by the Trump administra- tion to reduce the political power of minorities. In August, the bureau began requesting fi ve years worth of driver’s license records, promis- ing the information would be kept confi dential. The effort began after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Trump administra- tion’s plan to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, and the president instead ordered cit- izenship data compiled through federal and state administrative records. At least 13 states have refused to share the driver’s license data, 17 are still deciding what to do, and 17 haven’t yet received a request, according to the AP sur- vey. Three states didn’t respond to multiple AP queries. Republican and Democratic states alike have said no, citing pri- vacy concerns and prohibitions in state law. “Philosophically, we believe the information in the database doesn’t belong to us. It belongs to the people who it pertains to,” Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said. “It’s not ours to give away.” Two of the biggest states, Cal- ifornia and New York, haven’t received requests yet. Three more of the top fi ve most populous states — Texas, Florida and Penn- sylvania — are deciding how to respond. Census Bureau offi cials had no immediate comment. Many states got calls or emails similar to one from a Census Bureau offi cial asking an Arkan- sas Driver Services offi cial if she had time to discuss the bureau’s “new and exciting project.” Scott Hardin, a spokesman for the Arkansas agency, said: “We are currently working to deter- mine whether the requested infor- mation is eligible for release.” Utah offi cials turned down the request because state law says per- sonal data can be shared only for public safety reasons, said Marissa Cote, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety in the Republican-leaning state. Democratic-leaning Nevada also declined. HOW STATES RESPONDED An eff ort by the U.S. Census Bureau to collect state driver’s license records as part of President Donald Trump’s order to gather citizenship information has been a bust so far. Survey results as of Wednesday: received Michigan, Not received Minnesota, Not re- ceived Mississippi, Didn’t answer AP query Missouri, Undecided Montana, Not received Nebraska, Undecided Nevada, No New Hampshire, Didn’t answer AP query New Jersey, No New Mexico, No New York, Not received North Carolina, Unde- cided North Dakota, Not received Ohio, Not received Oklahoma, Not Alabama, No Alaska, No Arizona, Not received Arkansas, Undecided California, Not received Colorado, Undecided Connecticut, No Delaware, Undecided Florida, Undecided Georgia, Undecided Hawaii, Not received Idaho, No Illinois, No Indiana, No Iowa, Undecided Kansas, Undecided Kentucky, Undecided Louisiana, No Maine, No Maryland, Undecided Massachusetts, Not received Oregon, No Pennsylvania, Unde- cided Rhode Island, Not received South Carolina, Not received South Dakota, Unde- cided Tennessee, Undecided Texas, Undecided Utah, No Vermont, Not received Virginia, Not received Washington, Not received West Virginia, Didn’t answer AP query Wisconsin, Not received Wyoming, Undecided NEW 2019 HIGHLANDERS IN STOCK $ 5000 OFF MSRP Select new 2019 Toyota Highlander gas models in stock. 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