Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

KPCC Archive

A heat wave so bad, it burned leaves off SoCal trees

The Los Angeles skyline is seen through burned trees on Dec. 14, 2017, after a brush fire erupted in the hills in Elysian Park in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles skyline is seen through burned trees on Dec. 14, 2017, after a brush fire erupted in the hills in Elysian Park in Los Angeles. This summer, it's extreme heat, not fire, that's scorching trees around Southern California.
(
Damian Dovarganes/AP
)

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today . 

Last month's record-breaking heat wave left a wave of destruction in inland Southern California. Marijuana plants wilted. Avocado trees turned brown and their leaves died. And flowers were sunburned. This is what extreme heat does can do to plants, and it's likely to happen more often.

Read more LAist: This Heat Wave in LA Was So Bad, It Burned Leaves Off The Trees

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist