California fires – News Stories About California fires - Page 2

The Lucky Find Homes, but No Water, Power

Oct 27, 2007 6:24 AM CDT

The Lucky Find Homes, but No Water, Power

Returning SoCal residents face weeks of hardships

(Newser) - Thousands of Southern California residents have returned to their homes—those fortunate enough to find them standing—to find no electricity and no drinking water, with town reservoirs drained to fight fires, and air choked with smoke and ash. The threat of changing weather also looms: the hot winds that...

Red Tape Grounded Copters in California Fires

Oct 26, 2007 1:26 PM CDT

Red Tape Grounded Copters in California Fires

Residents pick up the pieces after blaze

(Newser) - Firefighting helicopters sat idle as wildfires broke out across California, an AP investigation concludes, thanks to a web of bureaucracy. By the time Navy, Marine, and National Guard aircraft got clearance, up to a day after blazes started, it was already too dangerous to fly. Others were missing crucial equipment...

California Fire Death Toll Hits 12

Oct 26, 2007 2:54 AM CDT

California Fire Death Toll Hits 12

Six more found dead; 60 injured

(Newser) - Four charred bodies found in the mountains near the Mexican border and two others discovered in a house in San Diego County boosted the death toll of the California wildfires to 12, with 60 others injured. Authorities confirmed yesterday that the 25,000-acre Santiago Fire in Orange County was arson,...

Bush, in California, Promises Aid

Oct 25, 2007 3:23 PM CDT

Bush, in California, Promises Aid

President tours affected areas by helicopter

(Newser) - “There will be help for the people of California,” said President Bush today, promising federal aid while on a tour of areas devastated by days of wildfires. Bush, accompanied by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other politicians, had already declared seven counties in Southern California to be disaster areas,...

2 Bodies Found as Planes Begin to Fight Fires

Oct 25, 2007 11:27 AM CDT

2 Bodies Found as Planes Begin to Fight Fires

Dying winds aid fight from air as evacuees start to head back

(Newser) - Firefighters found two bodies in a burned-out San Diego County home even as dying winds today allowed airplanes to take up the fight against California wildfires, and some evacuees began trickling back. A fire captain called the drone of the aircraft "the sound of joy," reports CNN. "...

California Dreaming at Fire Refugee Shelter

Oct 25, 2007 5:42 AM CDT

California Dreaming at Fire Refugee Shelter

A cot at Qualcomm comes with massage

(Newser) - As California burns, 9,000 residents have evacuated to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. But for those who remember the horror of the New Orleans Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, this refuge is stunningly well-appointed, and very California. Benefits include Starbucks coffee, free massages and acupuncture, and a constant stream of...

Firefighters Taming Blazes

Oct 24, 2007 6:45 PM CDT

Firefighters Taming Blazes

Abating winds aided progress; one arson suspect killed, another arrested

(Newser) - Diminishing winds today allowed firefighters to make broad progress against the California wildfires that have chased a million people from their homes, while police shot to death one arson suspect and detained another. Major fires still burned, mainly in Orange and San Diego counties, but firefighters' optimism was growing, the...