SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages Archives

Bay Area restaurants tally losses from spoiled food, lost sales from power shutoffs

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages / By SeiMi Chu

Pacific Gas and Electric’s late October power shutoffs impacted numerous restaurants in the Bay Area. Restaurants lost food and customers. Picco Restaurant & Pizzeria, a restaurant specialized in California-influenced Neapolitan pizzas in Larkspur, had to close their restaurant Oct. 26 at 2:30 p.m. and reopened on Oct. 29. It estimates its losses at $43,000. The …

Bay Area restaurants tally losses from spoiled food, lost sales from power shutoffs Read More »

University researchers grapple with impacts of power outages

Education, News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages / By Megan Calfas

BAY AREA — Universities across the Bay Area have grappled with the impacts of the Kincade Fire and PG&E’s preventive power outages, that left over 1.5 million Californians without of power throughout October.

Kincade Fire forces adoptable animals to evacuate twice

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages / By sloum

SACRAMENTO — The Kincade Fire in Sonoma County prompted large-scale evacuations on Oct. 26 and forced thousands of residents to flee their homes. But it wasn’t just humans that were displaced by the fire — pets and animals living at shelters also had to evacuate. The Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took in a total of 42 animals from Sonoma County.

Tom Devine and Pat Halgren lead a neighborhood response team

Half Moon Bay neighbors support the medically vulnerable during power shutoffs

Health, News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages / By Matthew Vollrath

HALF MOON BAY — When the power goes out in Canada Cove, a Half Moon Bay neighborhood for seniors, dozens of residents are unable to use vital medical devices. So neighbors are helping spread support and information, including how to get backup batteries.

Hotels, tourism industries in Sonoma and Napa counties see impacts from Kincade Fire

Business, News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages / By Jia Hui Tan, Rachel Oh

SONOMA COUNTY — Hotels in Sonoma County are experiencing a simultaneous increase in bookings and cancellations as the region’s week-long battle as the Kincade Fire burns.

Price of fire insurance will continue to rise in wildfire-prone areas, former state insurance commissioner predicts

Business, News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages / By Qian Chen

CALIFORNIA — For many homeowners in California where headline-making wildfires have burned homes, led to power outages and caused billions of dollars in damages, getting property and casualty insurance becomes a key challenge.

As fires rage, California takes steps to integrate technology into wildfire management

News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages, Technology / By Irena Fischer-Hwang

CALIFORNIA — In September, even before the October wildfires began to ravage parts of northern and southern California, governor Gavin Newsom announced two contracts totaling nearly $2 million for developing technology to facilitate wildfire detection and emergency decision-making.

2017 Tubbs Fire provides playbook for rebuilding After Kincade Fire

Housing + Development, News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages / By Vanessa Ochavillo

SONOMA COUNTY — When the Kincade Fire swept through Sonoma County last week, one thought crossed the minds of homeowners and builders alike: Will we have to rebuild again?

PG&E provides batteries and hotel vouchers for some Californians with disabilities

Health, News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages / By Gina Yu

PALO ALTO – During PG&E’s latest round of power shutoffs to reduce fire risk, the utility worked with local independent living centers to provide back-up power and hotel vouchers for people with disabilities.

A Hot Mess: PG&E fights fires in the wild and creditors in court

Business, News, SPECIAL REPORT: Communities grapple with wildfires, power outages / By Joe Dworetzky

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Autumn brought PG&E unprecedented power outages, wildfires, and massive forced evacuations, problems that would strain any utility. But for PG&E there was an additional challenge: it had to do so while undergoing the largest bankruptcy of a public utility in history.