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Protests ousted Sri Lanka's last president. Ahead of new election, many are still waiting for change

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Protests ousted Sri Lanka's last president. Ahead of new election, many are still waiting for change
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Protests ousted Sri Lanka's last president. Ahead of new election, many are still waiting for change

2024-09-20 12:17 Last Updated At:12:20

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Two years ago, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans rose up against their president and forced him to flee the country. As the country prepares for its first election since then, many say they’re still waiting for change.

As Sri Lanka sank into economic collapse in 2022, people from various walks of life rallied to change a long-entrenched government they saw as responsible. The unprecedented island-wide public uprising they led was a moment of hope for the country long been fatigued by war and economic instability.

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Presidential candidate and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawgaya or United People's Power party waves to supporters as he arrives for the final election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Presidential candidate and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawgaya or United People's Power party waves to supporters as he arrives for the final election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks during a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks during a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests talks to the Associated Press in in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests talks to the Associated Press in in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People walk past a graffiti near the 2022 protest site that reads "Go Home Gota," a slogan under which Sri Lankans where mobilized during the public uprising that led to the ousting of the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People walk past a graffiti near the 2022 protest site that reads "Go Home Gota," a slogan under which Sri Lankans where mobilized during the public uprising that led to the ousting of the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, right, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, talks to Nuwan Bopage, a presidential candidate from People's Struggle Alliance during an election campaign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, right, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, talks to Nuwan Bopage, a presidential candidate from People's Struggle Alliance during an election campaign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

FILE - Police fire tear gas as protesters stormed the compound of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe demanding he resign after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid an economic crisis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE - Police fire tear gas as protesters stormed the compound of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe demanding he resign after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid an economic crisis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE - People wait in a queue with empty cylinders to buy domestic gas at a distribution center, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - People wait in a queue with empty cylinders to buy domestic gas at a distribution center, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Protesters shouts slogans demanding acting president and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe resign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Protesters shouts slogans demanding acting president and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe resign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Sri Lanka army soldiers patrol near the official residence of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa three days after it was stormed by anti government protesters in Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Sri Lanka army soldiers patrol near the official residence of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa three days after it was stormed by anti government protesters in Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - A protester holds a portrait of former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa upside down after storming the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office demanding he resign after president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE - A protester holds a portrait of former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa upside down after storming the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office demanding he resign after president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" walks at a 2022 protest side, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" walks at a 2022 protest side, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota", talks to Associated Press at the 2022 protest site, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota", talks to Associated Press at the 2022 protest site, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" poses for a photograph in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" poses for a photograph in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Days ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, many still complain of corrupt leaders, economic mismanagement, and the entrenched power of the political old guard, but former protesters are having a hard time coming together behind a candidate.

They agree on one thing: Sri Lanka needs a new political system that can take it out of economic and political turbulence.

Days after Rajapaksa fled the country, Sri Lanka’s parliament replaced him with then-prime minister Ranil Wickremensignhe in a vote that many protesters saw as a victory for the status quo.

Many Sri Lankans say the current government is largely made up of the same politicians who have ruled the island nation for decades through a devastating civil war that ended in 2009 to the economic crisis that began during the coronavirus pandemic.

Even though he was later jailed for seven days on charges of violence that saw Sri Lankan dissidents ransacking the presidential palace, 42-year-old physician Pathum Kerner said the protests achieved one goal: bringing in a new leader who could address the country’s economic woes.

The worst of the economic crisis is over, he says, but there’s still a long road ahead. “We wanted to create a new party, a new political culture, and emerging leaders, but we could not do that,” said Kerner, who joined the protests in their first days and helped to start the “Go Home, Gota” slogan that became a rallying cry for Rajapaksa’s foes.

Wickremensignhe has made progress steadying Sri Lanka’s economy, but discontent remains strong as he’s introduced economic policies that have raised the cost of living, like tax cuts and a debt restructuring program.

Meanwhile, many of the protest movement’s political demands remain unmet, from accountability from his predecessors for the economic crisis, to curtailment of president’s powers and a democratic replacement.

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests, said she hoped at first that Wickremeisnghe would work with the protesters to find solutions to the crisis.

Instead, she said, the new president went after civil society leaders who were instrumental in the citizens’ movement, delayed local elections citing lack of funds, and protected the powerful Rajapaksa clan that had ruled Sri Lanka for more than 12 years.

“All of a sudden he turned into something totally different. He was trying to please the Rajapaksas who left,” Perera said.

Like many former protesters, she wants Sri Lanka to strip its presidency of most of its powers, moving them to a more powerful parliament and prime minister.

“Executive presidency is a white elephant for Sri Lanka,” she said, saying that any new president could use it to tighten their grip over the country. “We can’t afford it. We don’t need it.”

The former protesters are finding that they don’t always agree the course their country should take, spurring divisions between one-time allies.

Wickremensignhe’s main challengers — opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and parliamentarian Anura Dissanayake, a surprise top contender who heads a new leftist coalition — have promised major political changes, including renegotiating a deal with the International Monetary Fund to win more favorable terms.

Dissanayake has even promised to nationalize the country’s resources to spur growth.

Those promises worry Kerner, who says he’s eager to hold the government to its promises but doesn’t trust leftists with the economy.

“Bringing in a leftist to this crisis,” Kerner said, “is like leaving laxatives to a patient who’s dying from dehydration.”

Human rights lawyer Swasthika Arulingam says that the emerging political splits among former protesters are a sign of healthier democracy.

Arulingam, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, says Sri Lankans have become “politically conscious” after decades of voting on ethnic lines.

“This was the moment when the political status quo broke and people came out to the streets and demanded for systemic change. So definitely there’s a shift in politics in terms of the younger generation,” Arulingam said. “Political parties and candidates can no longer come and say whatever they want. People are asking questions now.”

The 37-year-old, a member of the minority Tamil community that bore the brunt of the civil war — is helping run a campaign for a candidate from the newly minted People’s Struggle Alliance. It’s another leftist political movement that is vying for a place in Sri Lanka’s political landscape.

On a recent afternoon in Homagama, a town which is about 24 kilometers (15 miles) south-east of Colombo, Arulingam spoke in front a small crowd of supporters and urged them to vote for change.

Arulingam admits her party won’t win this election, but she says it won’t hesitate to hit the streets again if the country’s politicians don’t meet demands for change.

“We are gearing up for a political fight, and we are preparing the ground,” she said.

——

Associated Press writers Krishan Francis and Bharatha Mallawarachi contributed to this report.

Presidential candidate and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawgaya or United People's Power party waves to supporters as he arrives for the final election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Presidential candidate and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawgaya or United People's Power party waves to supporters as he arrives for the final election rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks during a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks during a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests talks to the Associated Press in in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Ajantha Perera, an academic and scientist who was part of the protests talks to the Associated Press in in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People walk past a graffiti near the 2022 protest site that reads "Go Home Gota," a slogan under which Sri Lankans where mobilized during the public uprising that led to the ousting of the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People walk past a graffiti near the 2022 protest site that reads "Go Home Gota," a slogan under which Sri Lankans where mobilized during the public uprising that led to the ousting of the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, right, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, talks to Nuwan Bopage, a presidential candidate from People's Struggle Alliance during an election campaign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, right, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, talks to Nuwan Bopage, a presidential candidate from People's Struggle Alliance during an election campaign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Swasthika Arulingam, 37, a human rights lawyer and a minority Tamil, who offered legal aid to protesters during the uprising, poses for a photo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

FILE - Police fire tear gas as protesters stormed the compound of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe demanding he resign after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid an economic crisis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE - Police fire tear gas as protesters stormed the compound of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe demanding he resign after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid an economic crisis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE - People wait in a queue with empty cylinders to buy domestic gas at a distribution center, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - People wait in a queue with empty cylinders to buy domestic gas at a distribution center, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Protesters shouts slogans demanding acting president and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe resign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Protesters shouts slogans demanding acting president and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe resign in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Sri Lanka army soldiers patrol near the official residence of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa three days after it was stormed by anti government protesters in Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - Sri Lanka army soldiers patrol near the official residence of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa three days after it was stormed by anti government protesters in Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - A protester holds a portrait of former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa upside down after storming the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office demanding he resign after president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

FILE - A protester holds a portrait of former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa upside down after storming the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office demanding he resign after president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" walks at a 2022 protest side, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" walks at a 2022 protest side, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota", talks to Associated Press at the 2022 protest site, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota", talks to Associated Press at the 2022 protest site, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" poses for a photograph in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician who was among the first Sri Lankans to join the public uprising that ended President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's regime and a key figure in starting the "Go home, Gota" poses for a photograph in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Next Article

Strongest winds in a decade to hit Southern California, bringing extreme fire risk

2025-01-08 00:19 Last Updated At:00:30

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Winds began gaining strength across Southern California on Tuesday, as forecasters warned of powerful, dry gusts that could bring down trees, damage homes and bring extreme fire risk to areas that haven't seen substantial rain in months.

The National Weather Service said what could be the strongest windstorm in more than a decade would begin in the afternoon across Los Angeles and Ventura counties and peak in the early hours of Wednesday, when gusts could reach 80 mph (129 kph). Isolated gusts could top 100 mph (160 kph) in mountains and foothills.

The weather service warned of possible downed power lines and knocked-over big rigs, trailers, and motorhomes. Strong offshore gusts will also bring dangerous conditions off the coasts of Orange and Los Angeles counties, including Catalina Island, and potential delays and turbulence could arise at local airports.

Southern California Edison said it was considering preemptively cutting power starting Tuesday to more than 415,000 utility customers across seven counties. San Diego Gas & Electric said it could shut service to more than 64,000 customers. In recent years, California utilities have routinely de-energized electrical lines as a precaution against weather conditions that might damage equipment and spark a fire.

The upcoming winds will act as an “atmospheric blow-dryer” for vegetation, bringing a long period of fire risk that could extend into the more populated lower hills and valleys, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

“We really haven't seen a season as dry as this one follow a season as wet as the previous one,” Swain said during a Monday livestream. “All of that extra abundant growth of grass and vegetation followed immediately by a wind event of this magnitude while it's still so incredibly dry," elevates the risk.

Recent dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, where there’s been very little rain so far this season.

Southern California hasn’t seen more than 0.1 inches (0.25 centimeters) of rain since early May. Much of the region has fallen into moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Meanwhile, up north, there have been multiple drenching storms.

Areas where gusts could create extreme fire conditions include the charred footprint of last month’s wind-driven Franklin Fire, which damaged or destroyed 48 structures, mostly homes, in and around Malibu.

The blaze was one of nearly 8,000 wildfires that added up to scorch more than 1,560 square miles (more than 4,040 square kilometers) in the Golden State last year.

The last wind event of this magnitude occurred in November 2011, during which more than 400,000 customers lost power across LA County, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“The grid is built to withstand strong winds,” said Jeff Monford, a spokesperson for the utility. “The issue here is the possibility of debris becoming airborne and hitting wires ... or a tree coming down.”

FILE - Marvin Meador walks on the remains of his fire-ravaged property after the Mountain Fire swept through, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)

FILE - Marvin Meador walks on the remains of his fire-ravaged property after the Mountain Fire swept through, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)

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