There were two things 9-year-old me was sad about giving up when my family made the leap into Orthodox Judaism: 8-piece chicken McNuggets, and the holy ark my dad had built to hold the Torah scroll for our Reform synagogue.

A haze visible in parts of the Sacramento Valley on Thursday is from multiple fires in Northern California. The Woodland Fire Department said it received several calls on Thursday about smoke in the air and reassured in a Facebook post that the haze is not from any local fires, but rather it's from fires burning up north.

A new wildfire was reported today at 11:47 p.m. in Fresno County, California. N De Wolf Ave Fresno Fire has been burning on private land. At this time, the containment status is unknown and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

Kern County fire crews reportedly battled a 2-alarm fire in Lamont, California, for hours late Saturday night, July 12.

The Eaton and Palisades fires in January caused an unprecedented level of destruction, killing at least 30 people, destroying more than 16,000 homes in L.A. County and leaving a burn zone 2½ times the size of New York’s Manhattan. Two weeks into peak fire season, wildfires are spreading in California. Officials say it’s just the beginning.

A new wildfire was reported today at 11:20 p.m. in Sonoma County, California. River Fire has been burning on private land. At this time, the containment status is unknown and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of setting off fireworks that sparked a wildfire this week in coastal Southern California, forcing the evacuations of about a hundred canyon homes.

Laguna Beach police said they identified the suspect as a 13-year-old boy, who was arrested on suspicion of felony reckless burning of forest land.

Wildfires are now a consistent threat. Learn how to rebuild stronger, smarter, and safer to better withstand the next devastating fire.

The fire has prompted evacuation orders, warnings and highway closures in San Luis Obispo County about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.

The day after the Wolf Fire started, on June 30, the Juniper Fire burned 756 acres southeast of Lake Matthews, also in Riverside County. The Mandalay Fire burned just over 83 acres near residential developments in Jurupa Valley, and the Lake Fire burned 489 acres near popular Silverwood Lake in San Bernardino County.