Latest news with #Frazee
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Man's sick game that killed fiancée leaving blood-soaked baby toys
Kelsey Berreth was a devoted mum and a successful pilot, but her life was cut short when her fiance Patrick Frazee brutally murdered her in her own home, faking a 'fun' game to lure her in Kelsey Berreth was a true country girl, raised on a farm where she drove tractors and assisted with the harvest. She later earned her pilot's licence and embarked on a career as a flight instructor. In 2016, Kelsey found an immediate bond with Colorado rancher Patrick Frazee after meeting him online. Frazee resided on a sprawling 35-acre ranch, home to horses, donkeys and cattle dogs. Despite living over 1,000 miles apart in Washington state, Kelsey soon relocated to Colorado, settling in a place roughly 20 miles from Frazee. By October 2017, the couple welcomed a baby girl into their lives and got engaged. Kelsey balanced her role as a mother with her flying teaching duties. However, on Thanksgiving Day, 22 November 2018, her family couldn't reach her, prompting her mother Cheryl Berreth to report her missing. Frazee, then aged 33, informed the police that Kelsey had intended to break off their relationship. He claimed she'd left their baby with him on Thanksgiving Day and they'd agreed to share custody equally going forward. Frazee hinted at Kelsey suffering from depression, but her family vehemently denied this, with Cheryl asserting that her daughter hadn't mentioned any split during their last conversation on Thanksgiving morning. An inquiry was launched and officers discovered that Kelsey had been out purchasing dinner ingredients. She'd messaged Frazee saying, "I bought some sweet potatoes in case you wanted sweet potato casserole." Why would she be buying components for a family dinner if they had broken up? Frazee claimed he hadn't seen Kelsey since 22 November, when he'd taken their daughter to his property without Kelsey, but mobile records revealed that her phone had travelled to Frazee's residence. Records also showed the couple exchanged messages over the following days. In one text, Kelsey informed Frazee she was going for a jog. In another, she was about to "jump in the shower". Then, three days after Thanksgiving, Kelsey's mobile began moving away from Colorado. It was last tracked 800 miles distant in Idaho. So had Kelsey simply vanished from her life? Another woman At Kelsey's residence, officers found certain items were absent, including a bathroom mat. Kitchen equipment appeared to have been cleaned down and Kelsey's blood was discovered in the toilet. It was now a murder scene. Investigators then uncovered that Frazee had been having an affair – with a woman in Idaho. Recently separated mother-of-two Krystal Lee Kenney, then 32, was a nurse and an avid equestrian. The duo met at secondary school and had been romantically involved intermittently. They'd rekindled their relationship and had been secretly meeting for eight months. Initially, Kenney denied any knowledge of Kelsey – but in a shocking twist during a plea deal, she confessed: Frazee had murdered Kelsey, and she had assisted him in concealing the crime. After Frazee impersonated Kelsey by sending texts from her phone, Kenney discarded her keys and phone into an Idaho canyon. But Kenney's involvement didn't stop there. She revealed that Frazee had attempted to enlist her help to murder Kelsey on three separate occasions, alleging that he had painted Kelsey as depressed, addicted and a danger to her daughter, hence his desire for sole custody. Kenney admitted she complied out of fear and manipulation. She disclosed that Frazee had proposed poisoning a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, Kelsey's preferred drink. Leveraging her nursing expertise, Kenney suggested a deadly cocktail of Ambien and Valium. She then embarked on a 12-hour drive from Idaho, procured the coffee and arrived at Kelsey's residence. Posing as a new neighbour, she handed over the beverage, but she hadn't laced it with poison as she couldn't bring herself to do it. A frustrated Frazee then devised another method: he would place a metal pipe near his home for Kenney to bludgeon Kelsey with. Kenney retrieved the pipe, but a barking dog thwarted her at the last moment. The third scheme involved lying in wait outside Kelsey's home armed with a baseball bat, but the sight of a police car sent Kenney fleeing. Having failed yet again, Frazee took matters into his own hands. The clean-up Phone records revealed he texted Kenney at 4.30pm on Thanksgiving Day, writing: "You need to get here now. You've got a mess to clean up." Kenney packed her vehicle with cleaning supplies and, two days afterwards, travelled 800 miles to collect keys from Frazee to access Kelsey's property. She described the horrific scene that greeted her, with blood splattered throughout the house. Kenney confessed to spending four hours scrubbing the premises, bagging up anything too saturated with blood - including curtains and children's toys - to take away in bin liners. She revealed Frazee warned her there might be a tooth somewhere in the house, which she searched for and discovered. During their meeting, Frazee confessed to murdering Kelsey, detailing how he lured his fiancée into a "guessing game" where she was blindfolded with a sweater to identify candle fragrances. He then bludgeoned her to death with a baseball bat whilst their infant was in an adjoining room, before placing her corpse in a black holdall and loading it onto his lorry to conceal in a hay shed. Kenney revealed that following the clean-up operation, she accompanied Frazee to the ranch where he placed the bag and other bloodstained evidence into a large container. He doused everything with petrol and ignited it, ensuring no trace remained for investigators to discover. On 31 December, Frazee was detained and charged with murder, whilst Kenney secured a plea bargain to give evidence against him in exchange for a lighter sentence. During the 2019 trial, defence lawyers argued that Frazee couldn't be linked to the crime, yet Kenney's evidence was devastating. A harrowing video played in court showed Kenney at the murder scene, describing how she cleaned up and indicating where blood had been and where she discovered Kelsey's tooth. Kenney disclosed that Frazee had recounted Kelsey's final plea, "Please stop." He also described the beating as horrific and confessed, "I wouldn't do it like that again. It was inhumane." The jury convicted Frazee. At his sentencing, the judge condemned him, stating, "Your actions were vicious, senseless, without reason nor explanation... After you beat her, you burned her body like a piece of trash. Your crimes deserve the absolute punishment available." Frazee received a life sentence plus 156 years, while Kenney got three years, later reduced to 18 months. Kelsey's family begrudgingly accepted the lenient sentence for Kenney, acknowledging her crucial testimony. The district attorney conceded making a "deal with the devil". Kenney walked free from prison in 2021. Kelsey's child is now with her grandparents, but the saga continues as Frazee has pledged to appeal. This February, he returned to court seeking to overturn his conviction. His appeal hinged on the fact that a caseworker didn't read him his rights during an interview. However, the court determined that she wasn't functioning as a law enforcement officer, thus this didn't apply. His conviction was consequently upheld. The murder of Kelsey still sends shockwaves seven years later. Unbeknownst to her, in the final weeks of her life, she was in grave peril and tragically, on the fourth attempt, she would lose her life.
Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Mum's heartbreaking two-word plea as fiancé beat her to death with baby next door
Country girl Kelsey Berreth was unaware there had been three attempts to kill her, until it was too late - leaving behind her baby girl after the horrific and violent killing Kelsey Berreth grew up on a farm, driving tractors and helping with the harvest. She was a country girl at heart, who went on to get her pilot 's licence and start a career as a flying instructor. When Kelsey met Colorado rancher Patrick Frazee online in 2016, there was an instant connection. Frazee lived on a 35-acre ranch, where he had horses, donkeys and cattle dogs. With Kelsey, 29, living over 1,000 miles away in Washington state, they started a long-distance relationship, but she soon moved to Colorado and got her own place about 20 miles from Frazee. In October 2017, the couple had a baby girl and got engaged. Kelsey continued to teach flying alongside caring for her daughter. But on 22 November 2018, Thanksgiving Day, her family struggled to get hold of her and her mother Cheryl Berreth reported her missing. Frazee, then 33, told the police that Kelsey had wanted to end their relationship. He said she'd left the baby with him on Thanksgiving Day and they'd agreed that, moving forward, they'd equally share custody. Frazee insinuated that Kelsey was depressed, but her family strongly denied it and Cheryl insisted her daughter hadn't mentioned the break-up on Thanksgiving morning when they'd last spoken. An investigation began and the police found that Kelsey had been shopping for dinner. She'd sent Frazee a text saying, 'I bought some sweet potatoes in case you wanted sweet potato casserole.' Why would she be buying ingredients for a family meal if they had split up? Frazee said he hadn't seen Kelsey since 22 November, when he'd driven their daughter to his house without Kelsey, but phone records showed that her phone had travelled to Frazee's home. Records also showed the pair exchanged texts in the following days. In one message, Kelsey told Frazee she was going running. In another, she was about to 'jump in the shower'. Then, three days after Thanksgiving, Kelsey's phone started to move out of Colorado. It was last recorded 800 miles away in Idaho. So had Kelsey walked out of her life? Another woman At Kelsey's home, the police found some items were missing, including a bath mat. Kitchen appliances appeared to have been wiped down and Kelsey's blood was found in the bathroom. It was now a crime scene. Investigators then discovered that Frazee had been having an affair – with a woman in Idaho. Recently divorced mum-of-two Krystal Lee Kenney, then 32, was a nurse and a keen horsewoman. The pair met in high school and had dated on and off. They'd reconnected and secretly been seeing each other for eight months. At first, Kenney denied knowing anything about Kelsey – but then, in a plea deal, she made a shocking confession: Frazee had killed Kelsey, and she had helped him cover it up. After Frazee sent texts from Kelsey's phone, pretending to be her, Kenney took her keys and phone and threw them into a canyon in Idaho. But Kenney also did more than that. She said Frazee tried to get her to help him kill Kelsey three times, claiming he told her Kelsey was depressed, had addictions and was a risk to her daughter, so he wanted full custody. All lies. Kenney said she went along with it because she had been manipulated and was scared for her life. She said Frazee suggested drugging a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, Kelsey's favourite. Kenney, with her nursing knowledge, recommended a lethal dose of Ambien and Valium. She then drove 12 hours from Idaho, got the coffee and went to Kelsey's home. She knocked on the door, pretending to be a new neighbour and gave her the drink, but she hadn't put the poison in it because she couldn't go through with it. An annoyed Frazee then came up with a new way: he'd leave a metal pipe near his home and Kenney would hit Kelsey over the head with it. Kenney collected the pipe, but a barking dog stopped her at the last minute. The third plan was to wait outside Kelsey's home with a baseball bat, but Kenney saw a police car and fled. She had failed again, so Frazee stepped in. The clean-up Phone records showed that he sent a text to Kenney at 4.30pm on Thanksgiving Day. It read, 'You need to get here now. You've got a mess to clean up.' Kenney loaded her car with cleaning products and, two days later, drove 800 miles to get keys from Frazee to enter Kelsey's home. She said the scene was brutal. There was blood everywhere. Kenney admitted spending four hours cleaning and anything that was too drenched in blood, like some curtains and baby toys, were put in her car, in rubbish bags. She said Frazee told her there might be a tooth at the scene. She hunted for it and found it. Kenney then met Frazee, who said he had killed Kelsey. Frazee described inviting his fiancée to a 'guessing game'. He blindfolded her with a jumper, and she had to guess the scent of candles. Then he took a baseball bat and beat her to death while their baby was in the next room. He put her body in a black tote bag and loaded her into his truck before hiding it in a hay barn. Kenney admitted that after cleaning Kelsey's home, she went to the ranch with Frazee. He put the bag and other blood-drenched items in a large trough. He covered it all with gasoline and set it on fire. There was nothing left for the police to find. On 31 December, Frazee was arrested and charged with murder. Kenney, despite her part in the crime, agreed to testify against him for a reduced sentence. At the trial in 2019, the defence barristers said Frazee couldn't be connected to the crime, but Kenney's testimony was damning. The court watched a chilling video of Kenney at the crime scene talking officers through the way she'd cleaned it up, pointing out where the blood had been and where she'd found Kelsey's tooth. Kenney revealed Frazee had told her that Kelsey's last words were, 'Please stop.' He'd also said the beating had been horrific and had admitted, 'I wouldn't do it like that again. It was inhumane.' The jury found Frazee guilty. At the sentencing, the judge said, 'Your actions were vicious, senseless, without reason nor explanation… After you beat her, you burned her body like a piece of trash. Your crimes deserve the absolute punishment available.' Frazee was sentenced to life in prison plus 156 years. Kenney was given three years, which was later reduced to 18 months. Kelsey's family were angry at the short sentence but accepted that without her testimony, Frazee could have got away with murder. The district attorney admitted he'd done a 'deal with the devil'. Kenney was released from prison in 2021. Kelsey's daughter went to live with her parents, but the ordeal wasn't over as Frazee vowed to appeal. In February this year, he was back in court trying to have his conviction overturned. His appeal was based on a caseworker not reading him his rights during an interview. But the court ruled she wasn't acting as a law enforcement officer, and it didn't apply. His conviction was upheld. Kelsey's murder continues to shock seven years on. She had no idea that in the final weeks of her life, she was in terrible danger and that on the fourth attempt, she would be dead.
San Francisco Chronicle
18-07-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
LA fires charred homes into piles of metal and concrete. By recycling them, they're given new life
ALTADENA, Calif. (AP) — Candace Frazee recently walked through the burnt remains of The Bunny Museum, searching for anything that could be salvaged before workers cleared the land. The Eaton Fire in Southern California in January scorched more than 60,000 bunny objects and memorabilia, leaving behind mounds of ash, steel and concrete littered across the landscape. Giant bunny statues that once greeted guests were left just wiry, hollow skeletons. Her home in the back was also gone. Yet amid the debris, there are valuable materials being redeemed: Metal, concrete and some trees are being recycled and given new life. 'It's fantastic. It's absolutely fantastic,' said Frazee of recycling the materials, who co-founded the museum with her husband. 'That's the right thing to do.' After the Palisades and Eaton fires scorched entire neighborhoods, the Army Corps of Engineers set up operations to recycle concrete and metal from mostly fire-damaged homes. Metal is compacted and concrete is crushed, then trucked to recycling facilities before re-entering the supply chain for future uses. And some trees and shrubs are processed and sold. 'A lot of this material can be reused in future construction, and that's just good for the environment,' said Col. Sonny Avichal, an Army Corps commander for the Eaton Fire. 'And so there is definitely this notion of, you know, a lot of the stuff that we're able to recover will actually come back and help rebuild Altadena.' The agency said these operations have sped up recovery efforts, reduced waste going to landfills and helped lower the number of trucks on the road, but they've also sparked some worries. Residents have raised concerns that the work produces or kick up particles into the air. The Army Corps maintains they're ensuring operations are safe by monitoring air quality and continually watering the sites to minimize dust. Steel is an 'infinitely recyclable' material A large dump truck filled with wiry and garbled steel arrived at an Altadena golf course that had been partially burned. The metal pulled from fire-destroyed properties was compacted here before being trucked to a recycling facility where it can be melted, cast and resold. A steel beam can become a steel beam again, or be morphed into a car door or roof panel. Across the globe, the steel industry represents an estimated 8% of planet-warming emissions, and just 1 to 2 % in the U.S. — the fourth largest steel producer. And according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, a trade association, recycled steel doesn't lose its quality. Annually, some 60 to 80 million tons of steel scrap are recycled into new products in North America. Every refrigerator that's recycled reduces 215 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the group's estimates. 'Steel is infinitely recyclable,' said Adina Renee Adler, executive director of the Global Steel Climate Council, an industry group working to reduce carbon emissions. 'It is, in fact, the most recycled material out of everything that we have.' Adler hopes people who lost homes to the fires will feel a glimmer of hope knowing some of those materials will be given new life. That could be for somebody else, somewhere else, or to build their own homes anew. The concrete that arrived to these sites is pulverized into large concrete chunks piled 10 feet (3.05 meters) high into inch-and-a-half and 3 inch pieces before being trucked to local construction materials companies. In its new form, concrete can be used to elevate ground in construction sites, for example, or provide a base layer before pavement is applied, or be used to create concrete again. Making concrete is responsible for roughly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions and 2% in the U.S., most of which come from producing and processing its predecessor, cement. That's because coal and other fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases when burned, are the main energy sources for making cement, and the actual chemical reaction that occurs when producing it also releases planet-warming emissions, said Ben Skinner, a manager on the cement and concrete team with RMI, a group working to accelerate the clean energy transition. But recycling concrete doesn't substantially lower its carbon footprint, he added. It does, however, have 'great environmental impacts' because it reduces the extraction of new raw materials when it's turned into aggregate — stuff like sand or gravel used to make concrete — while still producing high quality material. It also keeps waste from going to landfills. Some trees could also be used in rebuilding Large trees were knocked onto homes and parkways from the same powerful winds that sent fires out of control, and the infernos scorched canopies. Trees that fell into ash get sent to landfills. Others that are still standing and pose a safety risk are cut down. Some logs are sent to local mills to be manufactured into lumber that can be used in the rebuilding process. Others are mulched to become soil amendment, the name for organic matter added to soil to improve its quality, then sold to companies and farmers, said Matthew Long, senior program manager for Environmental Chemical Corporation, the contractor running the operations. Long has done fire recovery work for nearly a decade — including in Hawaii after the Lahaina fires and other California blazes in 2017 and 2018. 'It's really rewarding work,' he said. 'You're interacting with someone who lost everything daily and helping them move to the next step of recovery.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
18-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
LA fires charred homes into piles of metal and concrete. By recycling them, they're given new life
ALTADENA, Calif. (AP) — Candace Frazee recently walked through the burnt remains of The Bunny Museum, searching for anything that could be salvaged before workers cleared the land. The Eaton Fire in Southern California in January scorched more than 60,000 bunny objects and memorabilia, leaving behind mounds of ash, steel and concrete littered across the landscape. Giant bunny statues that once greeted guests were left just wiry, hollow skeletons. Her home in the back was also gone. Yet amid the debris, there are valuable materials being redeemed: Metal, concrete and some trees are being recycled and given new life. 'It's fantastic. It's absolutely fantastic,' said Frazee of recycling the materials, who co-founded the museum with her husband. 'That's the right thing to do.' After the Palisades and Eaton fires scorched entire neighborhoods, the Army Corps of Engineers set up operations to recycle concrete and metal from mostly fire-damaged homes. Metal is compacted and concrete is crushed, then trucked to recycling facilities before re-entering the supply chain for future uses. And some trees and shrubs are processed and sold. 'A lot of this material can be reused in future construction, and that's just good for the environment,' said Col. Sonny Avichal, an Army Corps commander for the Eaton Fire. 'And so there is definitely this notion of, you know, a lot of the stuff that we're able to recover will actually come back and help rebuild Altadena.' The agency said these operations have sped up recovery efforts, reduced waste going to landfills and helped lower the number of trucks on the road, but they've also sparked some worries. Residents have raised concerns that the work produces or kick up particles into the air. The Army Corps maintains they're ensuring operations are safe by monitoring air quality and continually watering the sites to minimize dust. Steel is an 'infinitely recyclable' material A large dump truck filled with wiry and garbled steel arrived at an Altadena golf course that had been partially burned. The metal pulled from fire-destroyed properties was compacted here before being trucked to a recycling facility where it can be melted, cast and resold. A steel beam can become a steel beam again, or be morphed into a car door or roof panel. Across the globe, the steel industry represents an estimated 8% of planet-warming emissions, and just 1 to 2 % in the U.S. — the fourth largest steel producer. And according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, a trade association, recycled steel doesn't lose its quality. Annually, some 60 to 80 million tons of steel scrap are recycled into new products in North America. Every refrigerator that's recycled reduces 215 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the group's estimates. 'Steel is infinitely recyclable,' said Adina Renee Adler, executive director of the Global Steel Climate Council, an industry group working to reduce carbon emissions. 'It is, in fact, the most recycled material out of everything that we have.' Adler hopes people who lost homes to the fires will feel a glimmer of hope knowing some of those materials will be given new life. That could be for somebody else, somewhere else, or to build their own homes anew. Recycling concrete has environmental perks The concrete that arrived to these sites is pulverized into large concrete chunks piled 10 feet (3.05 meters) high into inch-and-a-half and 3 inch pieces before being trucked to local construction materials companies. In its new form, concrete can be used to elevate ground in construction sites, for example, or provide a base layer before pavement is applied, or be used to create concrete again. Making concrete is responsible for roughly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions and 2% in the U.S., most of which come from producing and processing its predecessor, cement. That's because coal and other fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases when burned, are the main energy sources for making cement, and the actual chemical reaction that occurs when producing it also releases planet-warming emissions, said Ben Skinner, a manager on the cement and concrete team with RMI, a group working to accelerate the clean energy transition. But recycling concrete doesn't substantially lower its carbon footprint, he added. It does, however, have 'great environmental impacts' because it reduces the extraction of new raw materials when it's turned into aggregate — stuff like sand or gravel used to make concrete — while still producing high quality material. It also keeps waste from going to landfills. Some trees could also be used in rebuilding Large trees were knocked onto homes and parkways from the same powerful winds that sent fires out of control, and the infernos scorched canopies. Trees that fell into ash get sent to landfills. Others that are still standing and pose a safety risk are cut down. Some logs are sent to local mills to be manufactured into lumber that can be used in the rebuilding process. Others are mulched to become soil amendment, the name for organic matter added to soil to improve its quality, then sold to companies and farmers, said Matthew Long, senior program manager for Environmental Chemical Corporation, the contractor running the operations. Long has done fire recovery work for nearly a decade — including in Hawaii after the Lahaina fires and other California blazes in 2017 and 2018. 'It's really rewarding work,' he said. 'You're interacting with someone who lost everything daily and helping them move to the next step of recovery.' ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit
Hamilton Spectator
18-07-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
LA fires charred homes into piles of metal and concrete. By recycling them, they're given new life
ALTADENA, Calif. (AP) — Candace Frazee recently walked through the burnt remains of The Bunny Museum, searching for anything that could be salvaged before workers cleared the land. The Eaton Fire in Southern California in January scorched more than 60,000 bunny objects and memorabilia, leaving behind mounds of ash, steel and concrete littered across the landscape. Giant bunny statues that once greeted guests were left just wiry, hollow skeletons. Her home in the back was also gone. Yet amid the debris, there are valuable materials being redeemed: Metal, concrete and some trees are being recycled and given new life. 'It's fantastic. It's absolutely fantastic,' said Frazee of recycling the materials, who co-founded the museum with her husband. 'That's the right thing to do.' After the Palisades and Eaton fires scorched entire neighborhoods, the Army Corps of Engineers set up operations to recycle concrete and metal from mostly fire-damaged homes. Metal is compacted and concrete is crushed, then trucked to recycling facilities before re-entering the supply chain for future uses. And some trees and shrubs are processed and sold. 'A lot of this material can be reused in future construction, and that's just good for the environment,' said Col. Sonny Avichal, an Army Corps commander for the Eaton Fire. 'And so there is definitely this notion of, you know, a lot of the stuff that we're able to recover will actually come back and help rebuild Altadena.' The agency said these operations have sped up recovery efforts, reduced waste going to landfills and helped lower the number of trucks on the road, but they've also sparked some worries. Residents have raised concerns that the work produces or kick up particles into the air. The Army Corps maintains they're ensuring operations are safe by monitoring air quality and continually watering the sites to minimize dust. Steel is an 'infinitely recyclable' material A large dump truck filled with wiry and garbled steel arrived at an Altadena golf course that had been partially burned. The metal pulled from fire-destroyed properties was compacted here before being trucked to a recycling facility where it can be melted, cast and resold. A steel beam can become a steel beam again, or be morphed into a car door or roof panel. Across the globe, the steel industry represents an estimated 8% of planet-warming emissions, and just 1 to 2 % in the U.S. — the fourth largest steel producer. And according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, a trade association, recycled steel doesn't lose its quality. Annually, some 60 to 80 million tons of steel scrap are recycled into new products in North America. Every refrigerator that's recycled reduces 215 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the group's estimates. 'Steel is infinitely recyclable,' said Adina Renee Adler, executive director of the Global Steel Climate Council, an industry group working to reduce carbon emissions. 'It is, in fact, the most recycled material out of everything that we have.' Adler hopes people who lost homes to the fires will feel a glimmer of hope knowing some of those materials will be given new life. That could be for somebody else, somewhere else, or to build their own homes anew. Recycling concrete has environmental perks The concrete that arrived to these sites is pulverized into large concrete chunks piled 10 feet (3.05 meters) high into inch-and-a-half and 3 inch pieces before being trucked to local construction materials companies. In its new form, concrete can be used to elevate ground in construction sites, for example, or provide a base layer before pavement is applied, or be used to create concrete again. Making concrete is responsible for roughly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions and 2% in the U.S., most of which come from producing and processing its predecessor, cement . That's because coal and other fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases when burned, are the main energy sources for making cement , and the actual chemical reaction that occurs when producing it also releases planet-warming emissions, said Ben Skinner, a manager on the cement and concrete team with RMI, a group working to accelerate the clean energy transition. But recycling concrete doesn't substantially lower its carbon footprint, he added. It does, however, have 'great environmental impacts' because it reduces the extraction of new raw materials when it's turned into aggregate — stuff like sand or gravel used to make concrete — while still producing high quality material. It also keeps waste from going to landfills. Some trees could also be used in rebuilding Large trees were knocked onto homes and parkways from the same powerful winds that sent fires out of control, and the infernos scorched canopies. Trees that fell into ash get sent to landfills. Others that are still standing and pose a safety risk are cut down. Some logs are sent to local mills to be manufactured into lumber that can be used in the rebuilding process. Others are mulched to become soil amendment, the name for organic matter added to soil to improve its quality, then sold to companies and farmers, said Matthew Long, senior program manager for Environmental Chemical Corporation, the contractor running the operations. Long has done fire recovery work for nearly a decade — including in Hawaii after the Lahaina fires and other California blazes in 2017 and 2018. 'It's really rewarding work,' he said. 'You're interacting with someone who lost everything daily and helping them move to the next step of recovery.' ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit .
