January 16, 2014, 10:53 a.m.
Arson investigators (click here) were at the scene of a wildfire near Los Angeles that exploded in size Thursday to more than 1,700 acres and destroyed at least two homes, authorities said.
Three people had been arrested in connection with the fast-moving Colby fire, but Glendora police declined to provide further information.
L.A. County fire Inspector Scott Miller said the cause of the fire, reported shortly before 6 a.m., was still under investigation, but said arson investigators were on hand and working with Glendora police....
By Reid Wilson
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) (click here) will use a morning news conference in San Francisco on Friday to declare a drought emergency amid one of the driest winters on record.
The declaration comes a month after Brown appointed a panel to assess the situation and make recommendations. Several members of Congress, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D), had pushed Brown to declare the emergency. During a two-day swing through California to push his budget proposal last week, Brown faced calls from local legislators to speed aid to their constituents.
More than 90 percent of California is experiencing severe drought conditions. Last year, dozens of cities in California set new records for lowest levels of precipitation; Occidential, Big Sur and Crescent, Calif., all recorded rain totals 30 to 40 inches below average, according to National Weather Service statistics....
