California officials voted Thursday to let Southern California Edison to raise electric rates to cover payments it made to victims of the 2017 Thomas wildfire.

As Southern California Edison fights claims that it caused the deadly Eaton fire, the company is lobbying state regulators to have its customers cover more than $7 billion for damages it paid to the victims of two massive wildfires in 2017 and 2018.

Two wildfires still burning in Los Angeles have torched more urban area than any other fire in the state since at least the mid-1980s, an Associated Press analysis shows.

We know the need is going to be long-standing, and it’s going to be immense,” said one Los Angeles-based advisor.

Customers are picking up the $1.7 billion tab after the utility’s equipment was linked to the wildfire and resulting flooding seven years ago.

"Ninety percent of what we do is prevention." Capstone is part of a growing and controversial ecosystem of private firefighting companies that have seen themselves thrust into the spotlight as some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Los Angeles have gone up in flames.

A study by UCLA, published on Jan. 15, showed that 85% of individuals employed as household workers in Los Angeles are Latino. And, among these individuals, 47% are self-employed, making them ineligible for unemployment benefits or formal protections such as paid leave.

Reconstructing fire-ravaged neighborhoods in their former image could make residents sitting ducks for future blazes, experts say.

The Palisades fire wreaked significant havoc on the nearby city of Malibu. In an interview, Mayor Doug Stewart said that the state has taken charge of debris removal efforts, praising its effective management of the cleanup after the 2018 Woolsey fire, but the process of building back is a long one.

CalMatters reports on the alarming issue of home development in highly flammable areas in the state of California.

When disaster strikes, government emergency alert systems offer a simple promise: Residents will get information about nearby dangers and instructions to help them stay safe