California's 'new normal' stirs backlash

While firefighters battle the flames, the blame game heats up in US state

Utility company Pacific Gas &Electric, or PG&E, regularly shuts down household and commercial power. Cities ban firecrackers on a celebrated ethnic holiday. Schools and workplaces close due to blackouts and hazardous air quality, and residents are forced to evacuate to shelters for weeks or even months.

Sounds surreal?