New Orleans publishes a nightly feed of records requests "that have been published". Seventy-six rows in it never were
The city’s open-data feed of public records requests carries 10,340 rows. Seventy-six have no publication date, no closure reason and a last-update stamp that has not moved since the week they were filed — four of them still labelled "Due soon" more than 1,340 days on.
Exceptional drought is back in Oregon after 174 straight maps without it
The Drought Monitor released on 6 August puts 2.15% of the state in its worst category, all of it in Grant and Baker counties. The last time was March 2023.
Washington has drawn nine federal fire declarations this year, a record — four of them in Spokane County
FEMA’s record goes back to 1970 and no year had more than eight by this date. Spokane County had never had more than two; it took four in 46 days, three of them in one night.
Black Hills Energy’s 8.8% southern Colorado rate rise lasts 24 months. Its filed tariff sets the increase at 14.7%
The customer notice filed with Colorado regulators puts a typical Pueblo-area residential bill at $142.48 against $124.18 today — up 14.7%. The 8.8% the company advertises is that figure net of a credit that expires.
Spokane fires: an arson arrest over Old Trails, and the engines are moving to Autumn Lane
Spokane County detectives booked a man for first-degree arson over the Old Trails fire. All three fires are still uncontained, and Autumn Lane took most of Monday's reinforcements.
Spokane’s Old Trails fire destroyed a building for every 6.6 acres. No other fire in the country is close
Three fires that started within three and a half hours of each other on Saturday have taken 660 structures — 38% of everything the national fire report records as lost, on 0.31% of its acreage. All three were still at zero containment on Monday morning.
Colorado’s Aspen Acres fire was due to be contained on Wednesday. That morning the federal report moved the date to 15 August
The estimated containment date for the fire southwest of Pueblo had read 29 July in every daily federal situation report since 30 June, when it was 2,476 acres. On the morning of the 29th it changed to 15 August — on a day when the fire itself did not move at all.
Oregon wildfires: 37 large fires, 1.3 million acres and a 10th Conflagration Act invocation
Oregon wildfires span 37 large incidents and 1.32 million acres in Monday’s federal tally, with 68 structures destroyed and the Northwest holding two-thirds of the country’s fire acreage.
Pacific Power’s Oregon rate case: residential bills rise 10.8%, not the 8.6% in the coverage
Pacific Power wants $170.7 million more from Oregon customers. Its own filing puts the residential increase at 10.8% and $15.61 a month — figures the local coverage left out.
Boundary Waters reopens for day use after a closure that voided about 53,000 permit slots
The Boundary Waters reopened select Cook County entry points for day use on Monday after wildfires closed the wilderness on 14 July. Overnight camping stays barred until 29 July.
Minnesota air quality hits worst levels on record as Boundary Waters fires burn
Minnesota recorded the most intense smoke pollution in its history this week, with readings in Ely and Duluth far above anything previously measured. The Twin Cities reached a "hazardous" air rating for the first time on record.