Background: With multiple fires, weather forecasts increased a sense of foreboding: Predictions indicated some of the strongest winds in a decade.

Go deeper: Our maps show the extent of the power outages, the evacuation areas and the fires across California.

Lower interest rates won’t lift the housing market

The Federal Reserve is hoping that cutting interest rates — which it did yesterday for the third time this year — will help the U.S. economy stay safely at cruising altitude. But few economists expect the housing market to take off.

When the central bank cuts interest rates, houses are meant to become more attractive to buy (because mortgages are cheaper) and to build (because those cheaper mortgages increase demand).

But interest rates don’t matter if no one will give you a loan. And even those who can get a mortgage often have trouble finding a house they can afford.

Related: The continuing strength of the labor market has been a remarkable economic achievement. But many workers say they cannot find jobs that provide a steady middle-class income.