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U.S. NEWS Saturday 12 OctOber 2019
Continued from Front "The fireman said, 'go, go,
In Northern California , the go!'" Bernard said. "It was
lights were back on Friday a whole curtain of fire," he
for more than half of the said. "There was fire on all
2 million residents who lost sides. We had to leave."
electricity after the Pacific Evacuations were also still
Gas and Electric Co. utility in effect in the inland re-
switched it off on Wednes- gion east of Los Angeles
day to prevent its equip- where a fire erupted Thurs-
ment from sparking wildfires day and raged through a
during dry, windy weather. mobile home park in the
PG&E restored the power Calimesa area of Riverside
after workers inspected County.
power lines to make sure Seventy-four buildings were
it was safe to do so. Offi- destroyed and 16 others
cials had worried the winds were damaged.
might topple transmission Cal Fire spokeswoman
lines and start wildfires. Cathey Mattingly said Fri-
Helicopters made repeat- day that one person was
ed water drops as crews killed and others reported
in Los Angeles attacked injuries, but she did not
flames in and around know the number or sever-
homes. Water- and retar- ity. The dead person was A helicopter drops water while battling the Saddleridge fire in Porter Ranch, Calif., on Friday, Oct.
dant-dropping airplanes not immediately identified. 11, 2019.
joined the battle after day- The missing included Don Associated Press
break. About 1,000 firefight- Turner's 89-year-old mother.
ers were on the lines. Lois Arvickson called her the neighbors saw the ga- ing back tears. Fire danger catching fire.
Edwin Bernard, 73, said he son from her cellphone to rage on fire, but they didn't is high throughout Southern Dry grass quickly ignited
and his wife were forced to say she was evacuating know if she'd managed to California after the typical- and winds gusting to 50
leave their four cats behind shortly after the blaze was escape, he said. ly dry summer and early fall, mph (80 kph) blew the fire
as they fled their Sylmar reported in the small city of Melissa Brown said she and the notorious Santa into the Villa Calimesa Mo-
home. Calimesa, Turner said while moved to the mobile home Ana winds — linked to the bile Home Park about 75
Bernard, standing outside with relatives at an evacu- complex earlier this year spread of many wildfires miles (120 kilometers) east
the evacuation center ation center. from Arizona, in part to help — bring a dangerous mix of downtown Los Angeles.
at the Sylmar Recreation "She said she's getting her take care of her mother of witheringly low humidity The park has 110 home sites
Center on Friday, said they purse and she's getting out, who has since died. Brown levels and powerful gusts. and was built in 1958, ac-
were only able to grab their and the line went dead," said she now also faces The Calimesa fire erupt- cording to its website. Fire
three dogs. During a previ- he said. the loss of her home. "The ed when the driver of a officials were investigat-
ous wildfire, they'd had Arvickson's neighbors saw hardest part is my mom's commercial trash truck ing what caused the trash
time to find their passports her in her garage as flames remains are in there," she dumped a smoldering load in the truck to catch fire in
and photo albums, but not approached, according said Friday morning, chok- to prevent the vehicle from Calimesa.q
Thursday night. to Turner. A short time later

Trump administration

pays NGOs who

helped migrants

CEDAR ATTANASIO agents, often in isolated ru-
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Fed- ral towns . Migrants booked
eral officials are reimburs- their own tickets to reunite
ing organizations that fed, with friends and family in
sheltered and transported the U.S., but sometimes
migrants this year during a need a ride to the airport
spike in crossings along the or a place to stay for a few
U.S.-Mexico border. days.
Members of the House an- The Trump administration
nounced Friday the first has vowed to stop releas-
of $30 million in awards to ing these families into the
charities and municipal U.S., in part by sending
governments. them to Mexico regardless
Charities and local govern- of the merits of their asylum
ments scrambled to help claims. Thousands now live
migrants released into the in camps and shelters in
streets by Border Patrol Mexico.q