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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 21 January 2021
Fierce California winds fan fires, topple trees and trucks

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Yosemite National Park
Months-old embers from a closed for the day, citing
deadly California fire were the winds and downed
blown back to life Tues- trees that smashed trucks
day by powerful winds and at least one build-
that raked the state and ing. The park said it could
prompted safety black- remain closed until Fri-
outs to tens of thousands of day morning. In rural Bass
people. Lake, south of the park, a
Firefighters chased wind- 100-foot (30-meter) pine
driven blazes up and down tree smashed through Don
the state, trees and trucks Mandy’s house as he was
were toppled, Yosemite posting a Facebook mes-
National Park was forced sage about the roaring
to close and two corona- winds keeping him awake.
virus vaccination centers “It sounded like an earth-
were shut down. quake,” he told KFSN-TV.
South of San Francisco, the Then a second tree top-
state’s firefighting agency pled and a branch poked
said it responded to 13 veg- another hole through his
etation fires in San Mateo roof. He and his wife fled
and Santa Cruz counties for cover in another area
in 12 hours, and isolated of the house and weren’t
evacuations were ordered In this Aug. 20, 2020, file photo The CZU August Lightning Complex fire consumes trees and a fence harmed.
for a total of 120 homes along Empire Grade Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains community of Bonny Doon near Santa In Southern California, the
Cruz, Calif.
near two of them. Associated Press region’s notorious Santa
The fires were small, with the Ana winds were ramping
largest no more than a few have a thick layer of “duff,” power lines from sparking Gusts began Monday night up, making travel hazard-
dozen acres, and by night- dead vegetation under blazes. and raged into Tuesday. ous for big rigs. Some were
fall were “creeping” rather heavy timber in which Southern California Edison They howled at speeds up blown over. One gust hit 86
than racing, according to deep smoldering embers shut off power to more than to 95 mph (152.8 kph) in the mph (138.4 kph) in north-
state fire website descrip- can be revived by the 78,000 homes and business- Mayacamas Mountains to ern Los Angeles County,
tions. Two were within the wind, said Cecile Juliette, a es in seven counties and the north of San Francis- the National Weather Ser-
area burned by last year’s Cal Fire spokeswoman. was considering blacking co Bay, and winds raised vice said. The winds began
CZU Lightning Complex in- Cal Fire received nonstop out well over a quarter- clouds of ash and dust from easing Tuesday afternoon
ferno. “Fires within the CZU reports of toppled trees million more. Pacific Gas & wildfire burn scars across in the Bay Area and north-
Lightning Complex burn and branches during the Electric cut power to more Monterey County, the re- ward, which would see
area were regenerated by windstorm, Juliette said. than 5,000 customers. gional National Weather “dry and tranquil midweek
high winds,” the local unit Small fires blazed through- That was in addition to Service office said. weather,” according to a
of the California Depart- out the state, though most nearly 300,000 customers High wind warnings were National Weather Service
ment of Forestry and Fire were quickly stopped from in the northern and central posted in the Sierra Nevada forecast. But strong north-
Protection tweeted. spreading and posed no parts of the state that had and adjacent foothills. east winds were expected
The complex started Aug. serious threat to homes. The lost power because of the “People should avoid be- to continue in Southern
16, 2020, during a barrage largest, near Bakersfield weather. About 70,000 re- ing outside in forested California through Wednes-
of lightning strikes. Sepa- in the San Joaquin Valley, mained without power by areas and around trees day. The wind forced clo-
rate fires merged, torching burned about 1 square mile Tuesday evening. and branches,” the Han- sure of a mass COVID-19
1,500 buildings across 135 (2.77 square kilometers) but Most of California is experi- ford weather office wrote. vaccination site at Hansen
square miles (350 square ki- was mostly surrounded. encing drought conditions “If possible, remain in the Dam in the San Fernando
lometers) in San Mateo and In both the north and south, and the remainder is con- lower levels of your home Valley. Another site at a
Santa Cruz counties. One residents were blacked sidered abnormally dry. during the windstorm, and Disneyland parking lot was
person died. out by utilities to prevent Winter snowfall and rain avoid windows. Use cau- closed in advance of the
The Santa Cruz Mountains downed or damaged have largely been woeful. tion if you must drive.” gusts.q

Ex-Arizona official to head to prison for illegal adoptions

By JACQUES BILLEAUD an adoption attorney, was tersen illegally paid women at a federal prison near mitting false applications
Associated Press sentenced to six years after from the Pacific island na- El Paso, Texas. The judge to the state's Medicaid sys-
PHOENIX (AP) — A former pleading guilty in federal tion to give up their babies gave him two years longer tem so the birth mothers
Arizona politician must re- court in Arkansas to con- in at least 70 adoption cas- in prison than sentencing could receive state-funded
port to prison Thursday to spiring to commit human es in Arizona, Utah and Ar- guidelines recommended, health coverage — even
begin serving the first of smuggling. Petersen, who kansas. Marshall Islands citi- describing Petersen's adop- though he knew they didn't
three sentences for running has acknowledged run- zens have been prohibited tion practice as a "criminal live in Arizona — and for
an illegal adoption scheme ning the adoption scheme, from traveling to the U.S. for livelihood" and saying Pe- providing documents to
that paid pregnant women is awaiting sentencing in adoption purposes since tersen knowingly made a juvenile court that con-
from the Marshall Islands to state courts in Arizona for 2003. Petersen's attorney, false statements to immi- tained false information.
come to the U.S. to give up fraud convictions and in Kurt Altman, did not imme- gration officials and state Petersen has said he has
their babies. Utah for human smuggling diately respond to phone courts in carrying out the since paid back to the
Paul Petersen, a Republi- and other convictions. Sen- and email messages seek- scheme. Petersen has ap- state $670,000 of more than
can who served as Marico- tencing dates have not yet ing comment. pealed the punishment. In $800,000 in health care
pa County assessor for six been set for those cases. Petersen will serve his sen- Arizona, he pleaded guilty costs that prosecutors cited
years and also worked as Prosecutors have said Pe- tence in the Arkansas case to fraud charges for sub- in his indictment. q