A Malibu wildfire prompts evacuation orders and warnings for 20,000, including Dick Van Dyke, Cher

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Weather conditions were forecast to improve this week in Southern California, aiding firefighters in their battle against a wind-driven wildfire that's forced up to 20,000 people — including performers Cher, Dick Van Dyke and his wife — from their homes. ...

Celebrities and coastal residents flee from wind-driven wildfire in Malibu

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Evacuation orders and warnings have gone out to 20,000 Southern California residents Tuesday as firefighters battled a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu that burned near celebrities' seaside mansions, horse farms and Pepperdine University, the sheriff's department said. ...

PHOTO COLLECTION: California-Wildfire

When fire threatened a California university, the school says it knew what to do

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — The wildfire alert came in the middle of the night as some college students in Southern California were cramming for final exams and others were woken up in their dorms. But rather than run away from the impending blaze, some 3,000 students at Pepperdine...

Thousands without power as Santa Ana winds bring increased fire risk for Southern California

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Power to tens of thousands of people had been shut off by Monday night as utilities worked to mitigate the impacts of Southern California's notorious Santa Ana winds, whose strong gusts could damage electrical equipment and spark wildfires. The National Weather...

The Associated Press’ top photos of 2024 from the US

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The right frame can freeze a moment in time, creating meaning for the masses from a fist pump over a bloodied ear, a bridge crumbled by a ship, towns shredded by nature, and a victory sealed with an on-field kiss. In 2024, photographers across the U.S....

Californians pay billions for power companies’ wildfire prevention efforts. Are they cost-effective?

Diane Moss lost her home in the Santa Monica Mountains after power lines ignited the apocalyptic Woolsey Fire in 2018. Since then, she’s pressed for a safer electric grid in California. “It’s so easy to forget the risk that we live in — until it happens to you,” said Moss,...

California lawmakers begin special session to protect state laws from second Trump presidency

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state's progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency. The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect...

Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week

WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, according to forecasts across the U.S., while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages. In California, where two...

Storm dumps record rain and heavy snow on Northern California. Many in Seattle still without power

FORESTVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A major storm moving through Northern California on Thursday dropped heavy snow and record rain, flooding some areas, after killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands in the Pacific Northwest. Forecasters warned the risk of flash...