Fire

The mother and daughter newspaper carriers injured when police mistakenly fired on them during the February manhunt for ex-cop Christopher Dorner would receive $4.2 million under a settlement announced by city officials. The settlement was remarkably speedy compared with other LAPD civil lawsuits, which have taken years to be resolved. City Atty. Carmen Trutanich was blunt Tuesday in saying the city wanted to get the case, which has been a sore spot for the Police Department, behind it as quickly as possible.

Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Wendy Greuel stepped up attacks on rival Eric Garcetti on Tuesday, repeating ethical accusations brought up at Monday night's televised debate and adding a new one - that Garcetti accepted thousands in donations at a fundraiser hosted by an ex-felon. Greuel, the city's controller, called the media to her Boyle Heights campaign office to reiterate recent attacks against Garcetti that she says call into question his ability to lead a city as large and complex as Los Angeles.

Residents fighting a proposed ban on beach fire rings could find the Orange County Board of Supervisors in their corner. A staff report for Tuesday's meeting recommends that the supervisors vote to formally oppose the ban, which, if approved, could snuff out fire pits throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties. Instead, the report advises the supervisors to support "an option that provides greater flexibility" for cities to determine whether or not wood smoke generated by the fires poses enough of a health risk to justify removing the rings, which many argue have provided generations of beach visitors summer fun. "The county supports a municipality's right to decide the future of its fire rings as this is a local control issue," the report says.

A brush fire forced the evacuation of about 200 homes in Monrovia on Saturday as firefighters worked to keep flames from spreading into the San Gabriel Mountains. The wildfire had charred 170 acres of brush and grass on the edge of residential areas in northwest Monrovia, sending up clouds of smoke visible across a wide area of the Southland. By Saturday night its growth had slowed, although fire officials were on the watch for downwinds that can develop in the area. The blaze was 10% contained.

Suspected killer Christopher Dorner spent his final hours barricaded inside a mountain cabin splattered with blood, presumably his own, and no chance for escape before a single gunshot echoed from inside the vacation home near Big Bear. The blood-splattered walls inside the cabin were revealed during the Feb. 12 standoff when a robotic police tractor started tearing down the cabin walls to give officers a clean view inside and were seen more than half an hour before the cabin caught fire after police fired seven "pyrotechnic" tear gas canisters into the cabin.

It hasn't been a good day for NBA coaches. First, Cleveland fired Byron Scott. Then, Doug Collins stepped down as coach of Philadelphia. Now comes word that the Detroit Pistons have fired Lawrence Frank. “We thank Lawrence for his hard work and dedication, but we feel it is in the best interest of the franchise to make a change at this time,” team President Joe Dumars said. “Decisions like this are never easy and we wish Lawrence well in the future.” Frank went 54-94 in two seasons with Detroit, including 29-53 last season.

A brush fire caused by live-fire training at Camp Pendleton has burned more than 80 acres, the Marine Corps said Thursday afternoon. The fire is being fought by three trucks and a water tender. There are no reports of injuries or damage to structures and no threat exists to surrounding communities, the Marines said. tony.perry@latimes.com   ALSO: Exotic snakes on the loose at Torrance park Alleged O.C. drug dealer charged with murder in overdose death Coastal commissioner resigns after Vietnam 'carpet bombing' remark

This post has been corrected. See the note below for details. Occidental College has hired two former sex crimes prosecutors to complete an extensive review of the university's handling of sex abuse cases amid allegations that officials don't take such cases seriously. The university announced the review Thursday, when a group of Occidental College students, faculty and alumni filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education alleging that the school failed to protect women from sexual assaults.

In the old days, worlds collided. Artists slammed incompatible realities together, pitting high against low, painting against screen printing, and functionalism against art for art's sake. Today, that's impossible because the borders between art and design, as well as craft, entertainment, recreation, activism, and leisure have blurred beyond recognition. Worlds do not collide so much as they overlap, intermingle, cross-pollinate. At Various Small Fires, Anna Sew Hoy lets contemporary art and boutique couture segue into each other, often creating intriguing hybrids that are both approachable and alien, their nothing-specialness abuzz with a subtle charge of strangeness.

JERUSALEM -- At least two rockets landed in the Israeli town of Eilat on Wednesday morning, police said, and residents of the Red Sea resort community reported a number of explosions as well as an air raid siren. No injuries were reported. A battery of the Iron Dome missile defense system was recently deployed in the area following intelligence pointing to possible rocket attacks by jihad activists in Sinai. The system did not intercept the rockets that landed in a construction site and an open space shortly after 9 a.m. local time.