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Los Angeles Wildfire Recovery

Rebuilding from the Palisades and Eaton fires, insurance market collapse, and political battles over LA's long-term recovery

17 horses killed in early morning barn fire at Saratoga harness track

Illustration accompanying article: 17 horses killed in early morning barn fire at Saratoga harness track
  • A fire at the Saratoga Casino Hotel harness racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, killed 17 horses and destroyed a barn early Tuesday morning, according to Saratoga fire officials.
  • The blaze erupted around 2:30 a.m. local time and consumed a barn housing up to 18 horses; one horse escaped with minor injuries, and no human injuries have been reported.
  • The Saratoga Harness Horseperson's Association described the loss as "a sobering day in our industry, a horseperson's worst nightmare."
  • More than $30,000 had been raised by Tuesday afternoon to support the horsemen whose stables and livelihoods were destroyed.
  • The cause of the fire remains under investigation; a memorial service for the lost horses is planned.
 2026-06-16 · 3 MIN READ

Spencer Pratt concedes LA mayor race, declares 'war' on advancing candidates

Illustration accompanying article: Spencer Pratt concedes LA mayor race, declares 'war' on advancing candidates
  • Spencer Pratt, a Republican reality-TV personality, conceded the Los Angeles mayoral race on Friday in a social-media video, but declared "war" against the two candidates advancing to the general election.
  • Pratt did not contest the election results, despite former President Donald Trump's repeated, unfounded claims that the race was "rigged."
  • City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a progressive, edged out Pratt on Monday to advance alongside incumbent Mayor Karen Bass to November's general election.
  • Pratt claimed to possess recordings that he said could force one of the advancing candidates to "resign in shame," and said he was saving the material for the general election.
 2026-06-13 · 4 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Prosecutors say accused Palisades fire arsonist sought 'revenge on society'

SoCal Edison sues over claims Eaton Fire was made more deadly

2026-01-19

Southern California Edison filed court complaints Friday accusing Los Angeles County and local water agencies of missteps that, in the utility’s view, made the 2025 Eaton Fire more deadly. The company also filed a separate complaint against Southern California Gas, alleging gas leaks and gas-fed fires helped fuel the blaze.

SoCal Edison sues LA County, water agencies and SoCalGas over Eaton Fire missteps

2026-01-18

Southern California Edison filed cross-complaints in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, accusing Los Angeles County, seven water agencies and the Southern California Gas Company of a series of failures the utility says made last year's Eaton Fire more deadly. The filings shift blame to other parties even as investigators continue to examine evidence suggesting that one of Edison's own idled power lines may have ignited the blaze.

Drunk driver sentenced to 24 years to life for killing 4 at Manhattan July 4 barbecue

2026-01-16

A New Jersey man convicted of murder for driving drunk through a holiday barbecue at a Manhattan park, killing four people, was sentenced Friday to 24 years to life in prison. Judge April A. Newbauer imposed the sentence against Daniel Hyden, 46, of Monmouth, New Jersey, in state court in Manhattan. Hyden had been convicted in November at a non-jury trial of murder, aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges in the deaths of four people at Corlears Hook Park on July 4, 2024.

California Community Foundation CEO Miguel Santana on status of LA fire recovery

2026-01-15

California Community Foundation CEO Miguel Santana said the organization’s wildfire recovery fund has raised more than $100 million since the LA-area fires began Jan. 7, 2025, and that survivors still face long-term barriers such as insurance and limited access to capital. In an interview with The Associated Press, Santana described how the fund deployed $30 million in its first month and used survivor surveys to guide its work into the second year of recovery.

Newsom touts California as blueprint for the nation in final State speech

2026-01-08

Gavin Newsom used his final State of the State address Thursday to present California as a national model, saying the state must stand up to Republican President Donald Trump’s “assault on our values.” Speaking to lawmakers in Sacramento, the Democrat also defended his record and highlighted initiatives on homelessness, crime and climate policy as he nears the end of eight years as governor.

Reality TV star Spencer Pratt announces bid for Los Angeles mayor

2026-01-08

Spencer Pratt, a reality television personality who lost his home in the deadly Palisades wildfire, said Wednesday he intends to run for mayor of Los Angeles in 2026, framing the effort as “a mission” to “expose the system.” Pratt, a Republican, made the announcement at a fire-anniversary rally that criticized state and local government’s handling of the Jan. 7 blaze.

Sunflowers mark rebuilding for Altadena wildfire survivor amid slow return

2026-01-03

Altadena, Calif., wildfire survivor Missi Dowd-Figueroa has been planting sunflowers on the lot where her home once stood, gradually turning fire-scarred ground into a garden while she works toward rebuilding. The registered nurse lost an 1898 farm-style house in the Eaton Fire, one of two deadly wildfires that tore through the Los Angeles area last January. A year later, she is among those still grappling with grief and few who have been able to rebuild so far.

California adds fee on products with embedded batteries to fund recycling

2026-01-02

Starting this year, Californians will pay a 1.5 percent surcharge — capped at $15 — every time they buy a product with a non-removable battery, from power tools and gaming consoles to singing greeting cards. The fee, which took effect January 1, expands the state's electronic-waste recycling program to cover the lithium-ion batteries now embedded in thousands of everyday consumer products. The change stems from Senate Bill 1215, authored by former state Sen. Josh Newman, a Democrat who represented parts of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, and signed into law in 2022 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery estimates about 7,300 tons of batteries reach landfills illegally or by accident each year.

Denny Hamlin’s father dies in NC house fire, mother critically injured

2025-12-29

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin died and his mother was critically injured after a weekend house fire heavily damaged the North Carolina home where they lived, officials said Monday. Firefighters found the father and mother with catastrophic injuries after arriving at the two-story house near Stanley, and the father later died at a hospital.