Author: KESQ

Kendall Flynn

The National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program gifted three Palm Springs-area veterans with new vehicles Monday afternoon at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa.

The program was established in 2007 and seeks to donate vehicles to individuals and families with unreliable transportation.

Since its inception, the NABC and its program have donated over 3,500 vehicles valued at some $51 million.

Recipients

Marishia Rey Lynn Lopez

Lopez served four years in the U.S. Army, including deployment to Afghanistan. Before receiving the new vehicle, Lopez was borrowing her fathers car to take her young child with special needs to frequent doctor visits. With the new car, she will be able to take car of her family and work. She received a 2019 Honda CRV which was donated by Farmers Insurance and refurbished by Crash Champions Ontario.

“It’s once in a lifetime,” Lopez said. “We always think as veterans, ‘They’re never going to give it to us. We’re 1%, so why are they going to think of us?’ Sometimes we feel like we’ve been left behind and we sacrifice so much. Today is a day, a reminder, it wasn’t all for naught.”

Rafael Sierras

Sierras was in the U.S. Army Reserves for over 17 years. He is the sole providers for his wife and three children, including a newborn. After starting a new job, Sierras’ car broke down, causing him to have to walk long distances to work or try to ride with a coworker. He received a 2020 KIA Sportage which was donated from Allstate and refurbished by Fix Auto Cathedral City.

“It’s an amazing moment. It’s overwhelming,” Sierras said. “It’s God’s good graces, and it’s going to help us out so much to get us back-and-forth to doctors appointments, school, work. It’s overwhelming. It’s a blessing.”

Hassan Degraffenreid

Degraffenreid is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and served for nearly eight years. He was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq and decorated for his service. He has five children and is a civilian worker for the U.S. Marine Corps. Degraffenreid’s car is unreliable as he has to drive hours to his work and cannot afford to repair his family’s vehicle. He has received a 2021 Hyundai Tucson SE which was donated by GEICO and refurbished by Caliber Collision Palm Springs.

“I love serving my country,” Degraffenreid said. “For me it’s really important to serve my country and my community, and to receive a vehicle from my community is really good. The investment and time that I spent [and] to get this back it’s really great.”

Angela Chen

It’s a strange phenomenon when the average Californian can tell you more about the breathtaking beauty of Lake Tahoe or the dizzyingly good times at Lake Havasu than that state’s largest lake. And in cases where they have heard of it, you would likely get complaints about the smell or the dead fish.

The Salton Sea, California’s largest lake, starts at the southern end of the Coachella Valley, and it’s unlike any lake you’ve seen before. This body of water in the Colorado Desert stretches 35 miles long, boasting mesmerizing views, and it’s surface area is nearly big enough to swallow up the entire Coachella Valley. While the sights make for beautiful photos, authorities caution visitors against touching the water.

In late April, the California State Water Resources Control Board announced harmful cyanobacteria blooms had been discovered there – and that a dog had died after swimming in the water.

“Cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms can affect the skin, liver and nervous system of people and of dogs and livestock,” the state water board said.

Officials added that not even boiling or filtering Salton Sea water would make it safe.

This latest bit of news only shores up the long-time reputation of the Salton Sea: that it’s dirty, smelly, and a place of decay. According to Frank Ruiz, the Salton Sea Program Director of Audubon California, the sand is a smorgasbord of dead barnacle, clay, jelly- like substances, bacteria, and chemicals from agricultural runoff, petrochemicals and inflows from the Alamo River and New River, which carries pollution and sewage water from Mexico.

As the lake recedes, dust from the exposed toxic soil below, rich with farm pesticides, increases. Figures from a USC Environmental Health Centers and Aire Study estimate the amount of dust in the air will increase exponentially as the lake dries up, more than doubling from 2020 to 2025.

“It contains levels of heavy metals, arsenic, selenium, copper, DDT. And when these elements will become airborne, it has the potential to go through your lungs and your blood streams and even change your DNA, according to their study,” said Ruiz, citing a preliminary study by UC Riverside.

Years ago, the lake was teeming with life. Herons, pelicans, even flamingoes were part of more than 400 species of birds that could once be spotted grazing along the water. Today, the National Audubon Society says more than 150 of those species are gone, especially the bigger ones that feast on fish.

A more toxic lake means fewer fish which means more birds starving to death. Up to 95 percent of California’s wetlands have been destroyed for human use, according to some regional studies.

Ruiz helps track birds and biodiversity with the National Audubon Society, strapping on boots similar to snowshoes because of slimy the sand can be.

KESQ followed Ruiz on a monthly outing, collecting water samples to see how salinity is changing oxygen levels in the water, affecting whether fish and other creatures can survive in the lake.

“As the lake continues to shrink, it is becoming more salient. Then eventually, the salinity will become so thick that it will trap all the evaporation. So you know, the Salton Sea will not lose as much water, but at that point is going to be so brine, so salty,” Ruiz said.

In the past 16 years, the lake has become almost 66% saltier, according to Bureau of Reclamation numbers. The sea is now more than twice as salty as the Pacific Ocean in some parts.

If we just leave it, it can turn into something devoid of life, like the Dead Sea, but with more bacteria. The Salton Sea is also drying up a record pace.

The water in the Salton Sea is disappearing for two reasons: first, the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) had been streaming enough water in through farm runoff to maintain the lake levels but that stopped in 2017 because of a water transfer agreement that redirected water to San Diego and other cities. So the water to replenish the lake was taken away. Two, Climate change has led to scorching, record-breaking temperatures in the desert, and that in turn, have led to faster evaporation at the lake. The Salton Sea is basically a bowl of water that, with time, gets more concentrated with salt and other questionable things. For decades, the lake’s main refill source has been agricultural runoff.

There is a cautionary tale found in another California lake.

Owens Lake near Death Valley is a dried up lake bed environment, and it’s now the largest manmade source of hazardous dust in the nation, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, emitting the dangerous particle PM10 as the wind blows.

Los Angeles County has spent more than $1 billion trying to suppress the dust, but it’s still a disaster with hazardous dust levels ten times the acceptable standard.

Experts warn that Owens lake is a crystal ball of the Salton Sea’s future if nothing is done, but with larger consequences; Owens Lake is much smaller than the Salton Sea.

“Dust coming off the playa is significantly more toxic than regular desert dust. People are getting sicker over the last couple years because there is more exposed playa,” said Kerry Morrison, founder of The Ecomedia Compass and former mayor of West Shores.

Already we’re seeing the effects of the exposed playa in the surrounding towns.

“Sometimes my throat starts hurting when I start breathing,” said Angel Juarez, a young resident of Mecca, a town located about 11 miles west of the Salton Sea.

Angel, along with his brothers, Josh and Alexis, live in Mecca and have been told their entire lives to go inside when the dust kicks up. Sometimes, the dust swirls can become a blinding storm.

“I used to play soccer a lot, but my parents told me to stop playing too often because that’s when I start breathing heavily,” Josh said.

Josh and Angel have asthma, something families around the Salton Sea are used to seeing. PM10, a minute and dangerous particle, can be found in the exposed lakebed and dust at the lake.

“There’s very fine dust particles, and the surrounding community already has the highest pediatric asthma hospitalization rate in the whole state of California. so, this is terrible for the public’s health,” said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz.

The rate of asthma hospitalizations for kids living at the southern end of the lake is more than double the state’s number, according to the California Environmental Health Tracking Program. A 2019 USC study shows a whopping 35 percent of elementary school children in the area have breathing issues, more evidence the environment is contributing to health problems.

The number of good air days continue to disappear.

“I moved away and my breathing improved, but I have been back here for a few days and already I can feel my throat starting to hurt and breathing issues at night,” said Juan Agredano, a former resident.

Politicians and water officials have historically been reluctant to spend the time and money fixing this, and to be fair, it is a mass undertaking to figure out how to get more water into the Salton Sea. But they’ve had decades and millions of dollars poured into this over the years with, so far, little to show for it at the lake.

And there hasn’t been a lot of accountability.

The cost of doing nothing could be as much as $70 billion lost from health care bills, worsening air quality, property devaluation, and the loss of valuable ecological habitat.

While the birds and fish die, the people living around the lake struggle with what to do. For Alexis, the oldest brother, the answer is escape.

“My plans for when I graduate high school is to find a good job so I can get me and my family out of this place, if we can,” Alexis said.

Make sure you tune in next Wednesday night, May 19, for part 3 of the Salton Sea Project.

Angela Chen investigates why past projects have stalled and why millions of dollars spent on the Salton Sea have not led to visible results.

Watch Troubled Waters: The Salton Sea Project: A Lake Languished, Next Wednesday at 6 on News Channel 3.

Click here to visit our Salton Sea Project section to learn more about the special report

Check out Part 1 – Paradise Lost: Angela looks back at the history of the Salton Sea. Find out its connection to Spanish explorers, and how it went from one of the most popular destination to abandoned and on the verge of disaster

Check Out Part 3: A Lake Languished – Angela look at the millions spent over the years to save the Salton Sea and why there is so little progress to show for it

Click here to follow the original article.

Jesus Reyes

1/20/25

4:45 p.m. – Los Angeles County has announced that “all Altadena communities” affected by the Eaton Fire “are now open for residents to return.” The county posted on X that some areas are still under evacuation order with “soft closures” — meaning they will be open only to residents with valid proof of residence.

10:00 a.m. – Red flag parking restrictions are now in the city of Los Angeles until further notice, according to the fire department. The restrictions are aimed at keeping streets clear in high fire-danger areas to facilitate evacuations and access of firefighting equipment.

8:00 a.m. – Los Angeles County will be under a red flag warning for extreme fire danger from 8 a.m. Monday morning through 2 p.m. Tuesday. Forecasters say a “moderate to strong” Santa Ana wind event is expected, with isolated gusts of 80 to 100 mph expected in most wind-prone mountain locations, such as the San Gabriel, western Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountains according to the National Weather Service.

7:00 a.m. – Fire Updates

Eaton Fire: The fire remains at 14,021 acres and is now 87% contained

Palisades Fire: The fire remains at 23,713 with 59% containment

1/17/25

1:05 p.m. – More residents were allowed to return to their homes in the Palisades Fire area.

6:18 a.m. – More than 80,000 people are still under evacuation orders. Officials said they understand their frustration but ask residents for patience as hazardous materials teams and cadaver dogs comb the sites block-by-block. They said it will be a week or more before people can go back.

6:07 a.m. – The Eaton Fire remained 55% contained, while the Auto Fire was 85% contained Friday morning.

6:05 a.m. – The Palisades Fire, the largest of the blazes that have burned in the L.A. area, was 27% contained Friday morning, according to Cal Fire.

5:45 a.m. – Aided by cooler temperatures and calm winds, firefighters extended containment of the deadly Palisades Fire to 31%

1/16/25

7:00 p.m. – Los Angeles Fire Department lists areas of partial repopulation for the Palisades fire and directs those who are uncertain of the status of their area to enter their address on the Genasys Protect website. Address verification is necessary – Acceptable form is an ID that displays the resident’s name, photo, and physical address.

4:30 p.m. – The combined death toll from the Eaton and Palisades fires is now 27, up two from yesterday, according to the county medical examiner. There are 17 deaths tied to the Eaton Fire, and 10 to the Palisades Fire.

3:30 p.m. – The sheriff’s department has announced the repopulation of more neighborhoods near the Eaton Fire burn area. The affected area is for residents along Canyon Crest Road into The Meadows east of El Prieto Road.

Eaton Fire Update for Thursday, January 16th, 2025: Repopulation and Safety Guidelines – https://t.co/p8UAy5Btxl pic.twitter.com/XoLMZ2GqLp

— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) January 16, 2025

2:20 p.m. – Some residents in the Palisades Fire area were allowed to return home

Palisades Fire Update for Thursday, Jan 16th, 2025: Repopulation and Safety Guidelines

The following zones will be reopened to residents:- Zone TOP-U001: North of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and South of Mulholland Drive- Zone TOP-U002: North of Old Topanga Canyon Road and South… pic.twitter.com/ylyimFJwZQ

— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) January 16, 2025

1:00 p.m. –  The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Temple Station is reporting that the National Guard has been deployed in Duarte to assist the station in restricting unauthorized access to the San Gabriel Riverbed, deemed a high-risk fire area.

9:00 a.m. – Incident updates

PalisadesFire

Pacific Palisades (LA County)

23,713 acres, 22% contained

EatonFire

North Pasadena and Altadena (LA County)

14,117 acres, 55% contained

HurstFire

Sylmar Area (LA County)

799 acres, 98% contained

Forward progress stopped

AutoFire* Ventura (Ventura County)

61 acres, 85% contained

Forward progress stopped

LittleMountainFire (FINAL)

Little Mountain Drive, San Bernardino (San Bernardino County)

34 acres, 100% contained

6:00 a.m. – A hillside home in Pacific Palisades slid from its foundation and split in two in what appears to be a mud slide

5:50 a.m. – Los Angeles city and county officials are giving an update on the wildfire impacts Thursday morning at a press conference, which is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Click here to watch live.

5:10 a.m. – The strongest winds were weakening, giving firefighters a much-needed break. Conditions are forecast to continue to improve this week, but the National Weather Service said dangerous conditions are expected next week.

4:57 a.m. – As some evacuees from the Eaton and Palisades fires began returning home this week after their neighborhoods were decimated by wildfires, health officials warned there was still plenty cause for concern. 

Air quality and safety are top-of-mind for returnees. 

Check Out Our Resources Guide for Ways to Help Those Impacted

Palisades Fire – 23,713 acres, 59% contained

The Palisades Fire was the first major fire to start up on January 7, reported at just before noon. As of now, it has burned nearly 24,000 acres with 39% containment.

At least 10 people have died in the Palisades Fire, although authorities said they anticipate the number of fatalities to continue rising as crews begin sifting through the ash and rubble.

At least 5,000 structures have been destroyed in the blaze that has been burning since last Tuesday. That number is also expected to rise as more assessments are done in the burn area.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Eaton Fire – 14,021 acres, 87% contained

The Eaton Fire was reported about 6:20 p.m. on January 7 in the area of Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the hills above Altadena amid hurricane force Santa Ana winds, according to Cal Fire.

As of Monday morning, the fire’s size was 14,021 acres with 87% containment.

Officials have completed inspections of 98% of the structures in the fire area, and so far 9,416 have been confirmed destroyed, with another 1,064 threatened.

At least 17 deaths have been attributed to the Eaton Fire, according to the LA Medical Examiner. Eight firefighters have been injured battling the blaze.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, however, on January 13, three lawsuits were filed against Southern California Edison over allegations it was started by equipment failure.

Hurst Fire – 799 acres, 100% contained

The Hurst Fire was reported around 10:30 p.m. on January 7 in the 5900 block of Yarnell Street, and within a half-hour, it had burned more than 100 acres, Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said.

Friday morning, officials said the fire was 100% contained.

Woodley Fire – 30 acres, 100% contained

The fire was initially reported at 75 acres just before 4 a.m. January 8, at the park located near the Ventura (101) and San Diego (405) freeways, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

CalFire reports as of 8:07 p.m. on January 8, the Woodley Fire was 100% contained.

Lidia Fire – 395 acres, 100% contained

The Lidia Fire burned 395 acres of terrain in the Acton area, threatening structures. It erupted early afternoon on January 8 in the area of Soledad Canyon Road and Bootleggers Canyon

As of 10 p.m. on January 11, the containment of the Lidia Fire was 100%, according to Governor Gavin Newsom.

Sunset Fire – 43 acres, 100% contained

The Sunset Fire started up at around 5:30 p.m. on January 8 in the Hollywood Hills. It burned approximately 43 acres between Runyon Canyon and Wattles Park.

In the morning of January 9, Los Angeles city officials officials confirmed the fire was fully contained.

Kenneth Fire – 1,052 acres, 100% contained

The fire was reported around 3:30 p.m. on January 9 in an area north of the Ventura (101) Freeway near Valley Circle Boulevard. Initially reported at 20 acres, it quickly expanded to 50 acres, and within three hours, it exploded to more than 1,000 acres, pushed by continuing Santa Ana winds.

By the morning of January 12, the fire was fully contained.

The fire is being investigated as a possible arson, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A person has been detained.

LAPD investigators and deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department interviewed the man and determined there was “not enough probable cause” to arrest him as a possible arson suspect. The man was, however, arrested on suspicion of a felony probation violation.

His name was not released.   

No structures were damaged by the Kenneth Fire.

Archer Fire – 19 acres, 100% contained

The fire was first reported at 10:25 a.m. on January 10 as a 2- to 3-acre blaze in the 17200 block of West Sesnon Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Margaret Stewart.

The fire grew to 31 acres, but it was later mapped at 18.8 acres by FIRIS OES INTEL 24.

The fire was fully contained the same day.

Jesus Reyes

KESQ and all Gulf California Broadcast Company stations are joining forces with FIND Food Bank to launch “Coachella Valley Cares,” a critical fundraising and food drive initiative to provide disaster relief for victims of the recent devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

This one-day event, held in collaboration with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, will take place on Tuesday, January 21, and aims to rally the Coachella Valley community to extend support to neighbors in need.

All funds and food donations collected will be directed to FIND Food Bank, which will channel resources to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, a Feeding America partner, ensuring the aid is specifically designated for wildfire victims.

MONETARY DONATIONS

Your monetary contributions can make an immediate impact. Here’s how you can donate:

Calling FIND on Tuesday between 7:00 AM – 5 PM at 760-775-3663

Scanning the QR code below

Matching Funds: In a generous show of support, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians will match donations up to $50,000, doubling the power of your contribution

FOOD DONATIONS

Non-perishable food donations can be made at the FIND Food Bank warehouse at 83775 Citrus Ave, Indio or at the Gulf California Broadcasting studios at 31276 Dunham Way in Thousand Palms.

FIND will be set up to receive food from 7:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Most Needed Food Items include: 

Peanut and other Nut ButtersCrackersTrail MixFruit SnacksEnergy BarsPop Top TunaPop Top ChickenRaisins and other Dried Fruit16-20 oz water 

The FIND Food Bank will deliver the goods to the LA Regional Food Bank.

Join Us in Making a Difference The “Coachella Valley Cares” drive is an opportunity for our community to come together in the spirit of compassion and support. By donating cash or food items, you can help provide much-needed relief to individuals and families affected by the wildfires.