Fourth of July fireworks light up S.F. sky despite Bay Area cancellations
The fireworks were launched from two barges on San Francisco Bay — one near Pier 39 and the other near Aquatic Park. Spectators, many huddled under sweatshirts and blankets during the chilly night, marveled at the simultaneous displays during the 20-minute show.
A deadly explosion at a Yolo County fireworks warehouse Tuesday evening led dozens of Northern California cities to cancel or scale back their Fourth of July celebrations. The blast ignited a wildfire that burned nearly 80 acres and left seven people unaccounted for. The Yolo County Sheriff's Office confirmed Friday that human remains were found at the blast site, though it did not specify how many people have died.
Despite an uncertain forecast for Friday evening, skies were clear over the bay for San Francisco's annual show. The Golden Gate Bridge provided a dramatic background for the Bay Area largest fireworks display.
For those who couldn't make it to the waterfront, fireworks endured well into the night around Bay Area neighborhoods, raising wildfire danger and frightening pets.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Los Angeles Faces 'Hazardous' Air Quality Amid July 4th Pollution, California's Largest Wildfire Of 2025
Los Angeles and much of Southern California were met with a regional air quality alert on Saturday, following July 4th festivities and the state's largest wildfire of the year. With the Madre Fire expanding to nearly 80,000 acres after igniting on Wednesday in San Luis Obispo County, strong winds have pushed the smoke down to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, where lingering smoke from Independence Day fireworks contributes to 'hazardous' particle pollution levels, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). More from Deadline Trump Administration Reverses Decision To Reject California Wildfire Relief Funding – Update Los Angeles Is No. 1 In Bad Air Quality, New Report Claims Trump Administration Sues Los Angeles Over Refusal To Cooperate With Federal Immigration Crackdown The AQMD's advisory is in effect until 11:59pm on Saturday, applying to Los Angeles County, Orange County and the Inland Empire. In addition to sparking wildfires, the particle pollution from fireworks 'can lead to a wide variety of cardiovascular and respiratory health effects such as heart attacks, asthma aggravation, decreased lung function, coughing or difficulty breathing and may lead to premature death in people with heart or lung disease,' according to the AQMD. Residents are encouraged to limit exposure by remaining indoors with doors and windows closed, avoid rigorous physical activity and run an air conditioner or purifier. As of Saturday evening, the Madre Fire was at 79,936 acres and 10% contained. The cause is still under investigation. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Justin Theroux To Jason Ritter Remembering Michael Madsen: A Career In Photos
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Terrain and timing conspired to cause 'horrifying' Texas rainfall
Texas Hill Country is prone to flooding, and climate change is making it more common. Texas Hill Country is no stranger to extreme flooding. In the rugged, rolling terrain it's known for, heavy rains collect quickly in its shallow streams and rivers that can burst into torrents like the deadly flood wave that swept along the Guadalupe River on July 4. The Guadalupe has flooded more than a dozen times since 1978, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, but the Independence Day flood is among the worst in its history. The raging river claimed at least 43 lives, officials said on July 5, and rescuers were still searching for missing children. Several factors came together at once – in one of the worst possible locations – to create the 'horrifying' scenario that dropped up to 16 inches of rainfall in the larger region over July 3-5, said Alan Gerard, a recently retired storm specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hill Country, the region in Central and South Central Texas, also is known colloquially as 'flash flood alley,' for its propensity for fast and furious flooding when extreme rain falls, Gerard, who is now CEO of weather consulting company Balanced Weather said. As bountiful moist air from the Gulf of America, renamed from the Gulf of Mexico, moves over the steep hills, it can dump heavy rains. On July 4, rain was falling at 3-4 inches per hour, with some locations recording a deluge of up to 7 inches of rain in just three hours, the National Weather Service said. Seven inches of rain is nearly 122 million gallons of water per square mile. Over seven square miles that's enough water to fill the AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. The Guadalupe River quickly responded, skyrocketing more than 20 feet in a matter of hours in several locations as it rushed downstream toward Kerrville, a city of 24,000. What caused the huge rainfall? Terrain and timing were the biggest factors in the storms, said Gerard and Victor Murphy, a recently retired National Weather Service meteorologist in Texas. Thunderstorms that began on July 3 and continued through the morning of July 4 dropped as much as 10.33 inches of rain near Ingram, Texas, and widespread amounts between 3 to 7 inches in more than a half-dozen counties across South Central, Texas. Because of the region's proximity to the Gulf, it gets "very high rainfall rates," especially in the summer months, Gerard said. "The Gulf is warmer than normal and disturbances moving through that flow can focus thunderstorm activity on a particularly area," he said. On July 4, it was a case of everything focusing in "exactly the wrong place." An upper level disturbance in the atmosphere tapped into a deep plume of tropical moisture left over from Tropical Storm Barry, which made landfall in Mexico on June 29, Gerard said. It didn't help that the storms that formed on Independence Day moved in the same direction as the Guadalupe River, which only added to the rain flowing off the terrain. Hill Country is a 'semi-arid area with soils that don't soak up much water, so the water sheets off quickly and the shallow creeks can rise fast,' Hatim Sharif, a hydrologist and civil engineer at the University of Texas at San Antonio wrote in a July 5 post on The Conversation. The escarpment is a line of cliffs and steep hills created by a geologic fault, Sharif said. "When warm air from the Gulf rushes up the escarpment, it condenses and can dump a lot of moisture. That water flows down the hills quickly, from many different directions, filling streams and rivers below." A weather balloon remotely launched by the weather service Del Rio in West Texas, showed near-record moisture in the upper atmosphere, Murphy said. With that enormous amount of moisture serving as fuel, the winds hitting the escarpment in West Texas served as a kind of match that started the storms. 'Once the storms get going, they're self-sustaining," Murphy said. That's also why it continued to rain and flood in the region on July 5. What role did climate change play in the Texas flood? Warming temperatures over land and especially in the Gulf are stoking extreme rainfall events more often in an arc across the United States, from Texas up into the Northeast, extreme storm experts tell USA TODAY. The region has always seen occasional extreme rains, but today they occur more often, according to weather service data. Air holds 7% more water for every 1.8 degree Fahrenheit rise in temperature. Waters in the Gulf are often 3, 4, or 5 degrees warmer than normal. At one point this year, sea surface temperatures in the Gulf off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana were more than eight degrees above normal. "As has been shown time and time again, event after event, climate change is leading to wetter, more extreme precipitation events," Kevin Reed, an associate provost for climate and sustainability programming at Stony Brook University, previously told USA TODAY. Out of 140 years of U.S. weather records, more than half of the standing 24-hour rainfall totals have been set in the last 30 years. Hill Country's reputation for flooding A guide to Texas State Parks makes it clear flash floods are common and life-threatening. "In hilly terrain, flash floods can strike with little or no advance warning," the guide advises. "Be aware of changes in the weather and seek higher ground early." "Never camp on low ground next to streams, bottoms of canyons or deep arroyos since a flash flood can catch you while you're asleep," it states. Texas as a whole leads the nation in flood deaths, "and by a wide margin," Sharif said. 'Many of those flood deaths have been in Hill Country."Flooding occurred in the Hill Country on July 4-5, 2002, when six days of rain had dropped between 40-45 inches of rain in the region. The Guadalupe reached a record height at the Canyon Dam. Seven people died in flash flooding and damage was estimated at $250 million Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about climate change, violent weather and other news. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Fans reflect on NASCAR's (possibly) final race in Chicago
As NASCAR fans from across the globe gathered for the 2025 Chicago Street Race on Saturday, some spectators reveled in the moment more than usual, knowing it may be the last time the city hosts the event. This is the third and final year of NASCAR's contract with the city for the Fourth of July weekend event. Racing officials have not released a full schedule for 2026, and Mayor Brandon Johnson has so far not committed to bringing NASCAR back. NASCAR Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese has been tight-lipped about NASCAR's future in the city, as well. A two-year extension for the course to stay in Chicago remains possible, but far from certain. Races in the previous two years have been met with rainy weather, leading to lengthy delays. Some residents have been lukewarm about the event, as it comes with street closures that make 10 commonly used intersections inaccessible. And after days of snarled traffic and rerouted buses, it takes awhile for the Loop to return to normal. Amid the uncertainty, thousands of dedicated racing fans streamed into Chicago's Grant Park early Saturday morning, braving the hot weather but enjoying clear blue skies as drivers completed their initial practice runs. 'I am out here because this will probably be the last year,' said John Drexler, a 66-year-old truck driver from Schaumburg and self-described 'gearhead.' Drexler said it would be a shame to lose a spectacle, which showcases Chicago's skyline for an international audience. 'I've been a racing fan for more than 50 years, so I hope they bring it back,' he said. 'Monaco and Long Beach are the only cities that are even comparable to this.' Many spectators watched the race — and visited Chicago — for the first time. The street course rookies seemed in awe of the atmosphere. 'So far it's been awesome. I'm over the moon,' said Scott Russell, 52, who traveled from Melbourne, Australia. 'I paid a fortune for tickets (because) I thought if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this properly. I would definitely come back to Chicago without a doubt.' Fans filled the grandstands east of the pit stops on Columbus Drive and lined the fences along the rest of the 2.2-mile lakefront course, many wincing as drivers roared past at more than 100 mph. Drivers maneuvered through Grant Park and skirted Lake Michigan, sped past the Museum Campus down to Roosevelt Road, taking several 90-degree turns at about 50 mph, eventually heading north on Michigan Avenue and then east past the Art Institute of Chicago on Jackson Drive. 'I've been to all three of these because I felt like this was maybe not going to be around forever,' said Mike Piotrowski, who grew up watching racing on television. Piotrowski is not like some of the NASCAR fans who have been to races all over the country. David Cox, 52, said he has made trips to Talladega in Lincoln, Alabama, and Bristol, in Tennessee, as well as watched races in Michigan. 'A NASCAR race is like a marriage, everyone should try it at least once,' Cox said. 'If you don't like it, don't go back.' John Tucker, a Lutheran minister from Salisbury, N.C., has been to four races this year. His daughter is married to an engineer from RCR Racing, which is why he became a traveling NASCAR fan eight years ago. He thinks the racing itself is interesting, but he said he became a true fan when he saw the 'camaraderie of the pit crews.' 'They really look after each other,' Tucker said. 'Family care is important to me, and to see that with a team … I didn't expect that.' Before Saturday, Tammy Southern had not been to a NASCAR race since 1997. This weekend was the first time she and her husband, Bradley, were able to take a vacation alone since they had children. They came to Chicago from South Bend, Indiana, to soak up 'the stuff that you don't normally see when you're at home watching it.' 'There's so many different experiences here that we get to see,' Southern said. 'It's sad that this might be the last one here.' The weekend featured one of its first nonrainy days, as fans treated themselves to mock races, a trip down pit lane during qualifying and a look at each racer's RV. Workers repaired cars while others kept the crew hydrated in the high-80s degree weather. Thirty-eight drivers qualified for Saturday's Xfinity Series The Loop 110 race, and many said Chicago's heat wave made the course hotter and slicker than the past two years, making it more difficult to avoid scraping the walls. 'When the track is that hot and slick, there is no margin for error,' said 36-year-old New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, just after completing the fastest time during the Loop 110 qualifying round. Gisbergen, the winner of the inaugural Chicago Street Race in 2023, said he also hopes the Chicago Street Race returns for another year. 'You walk to the track with all the fans and it's really cool,' he said. 'This is a place that is really special to me.' Many fans said they would love to see the race remain in Chicago, as well. They rave about how close spectators are to the track, as well as the 'smell of the tires and asphalt' as racers drove by. 'I'm really happy to be here because it's my first time I've ever been to Chicago and the city has amazed me (because of) how clean it is and the amount of people I've met and how friendly they are,' Russell said. 'If someone said to me, 'You want to go to Chicago (for the race)?', I'll be like 'Yup, let's go.''
