Fires spread potentially toxic ash over California

Utility companies cut off power to more than 170,000 customers in California Monday as firefighters struggled against blazes throughout the state. Many residents in Los Angeles and the Bay Area saw ash raining from the sky. The falling residue could contain toxic substances like arsenic and lead, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which urged residents to avoid touching the ash directly.

What caused the fires? One of the major blazes, the El Dorado Fire in Southern California’s San Bernardino County, started on Saturday after a couple used a smoke-generating device to reveal their unborn baby’s gender. It set the nearby grass on fire, and surveillance video showed the family calling 911 after failing to get the blaze under control. That fire so far has consumed more than 10,000 acres.

Dig deeper: Read a report on a 2018 wildfire started by a gender-reveal stunt in Arizona.