A bipartisan bill introduced on Jan. 28 by three California lawmakers would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to maintain a program that improves wildfire forecasting and detection.

The mountains and foothills of Los Angeles County are in “extreme drought” conditions, about 36% of the county, explained Pugh. That’s one category shy of hitting the highest level, “exceptional drought,” and three higher than the lowest, “abnormally dry.” The rest of the county is in severe drought.

Weekend rains could bring some relief to Southern California. Here's the forecast and an assessment of how much it will help reduce fire risk.

The Los Angeles region, still reeling from this month’s firestorm, is under a red-flag warning from noon Monday through Tuesday morning.

Smoke and ash could poison plankton and other organisms that form the foundation of the marine food chain, biologists say.

An air quality alert was issued on Wednesday at 4:14 p.m. in effect until Thursday at 6 p.m. The alert is for San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire, Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills and Orange County Inland.

California's insurance crisis risks triggering broader financial instability, an expert in economics and the environment warned.

Windy and dry conditions have returned to Southern California, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking as firefighters continue to battle two major blazes in the Los Angeles area that started in similar weather nearly two weeks ago.

Expert warns of ‘fairly high danger of mud, debris flows’ as crews work to put out final pockets of LA-area blazes.

Because of the recent wildfires, parts of Southern California are vulnerable to mudslides, mudflows, and landslides. Ash and debris are created when trees and other objects are burned in wildfires, and this can cause the ground to become slick.

In less than a week, Southern California’s weather has gone from unseasonably dry and warm – to wet and now bitterly cold. The National Weather Service says

A slow-moving low-pressure system will linger over the Southwest, bringing steady rain through at least Monday.