The state's fire agency said Friday that sparking power lines ignited the largest of the wildfires that ravaged Southern California last month. The Witch fire, which blew into the heart of north San Diego from chaparral-covered canyons to the east, killed two people, burned nearly 200,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. Along the way, it merged with the smaller Guejito fire, which also was caused by power line sparks, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. State authorities previously blamed the Rice Canyon fire on downed power lines. It burned through 9,500 acres in a rural area near the San Diego County community of Fallbrook, destroying 206 homes and damaging avocado groves.

Television viewers who were enjoying Sunday Night Football on NBC last Sunday may have noticed that a major effort is underway at the network to ‘go-green.’ The commentary booth was under a state of ‘lights-out’ to demonstrate their commitment to green behavior, and replete with flashlights and glow sticks. This follows Sydney, Australia’s, San Francisco’s and Los Angeles’ “lights out” events to show the power of turning off lights for energy conservation, and to "help" get everybody used to the power being off.