Under punishing temperatures, firefighters have struggled to get a northern California wildfire under control as another heatwave prompted excessive heat warnings throughout the state. A wildfire in southern Oregon is threatening transmission lines that carry imported power to California, prompting the California Independent System Operator to ask for assistance from other states. Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, issued two emergency proclamations to allow for more power capacity and to relieve pressure on the electric grid. Don’t miss this: the push to clear homeless camps from Venice BeachHomeless encampments at Venice Beach Boardwalk in Los Angeles, California. Sign upSign up for the US morning briefingFirst Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday.

Source: The Guardian July 12, 2021 10:18 UTC