wildfires

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Realizing Death Was Certain, 26 People Embraced

Deadly fires reportedly kill 60 people near Athens

(Newser) - "They had tried to find an escape route but unfortunately these people and their kids didn't make it in time. Instinctively, seeing the end nearing, they embraced." That's the head of Greece's Red Cross commenting on a devastating scene: A group of 26 people who...

Their Home Destroyed, He 'Put a Smile' on His Wife's Face

After finding Laura Rao's wedding ring in ashes, Ishu Rao proposed to her all over again

(Newser) - Out of the ashes, a … proposal will rise. That's the bittersweet story out of Goleta, Calif., where an out-of-control fire scorched about 100 acres and destroyed more than a dozen homes after it started Friday night, local fire officials tell the San Luis Obispo Tribune . Ishu and Laura...

Danish Man Arrested as Colorado Wildfire Destroys 100 Homes

Authorities say he was in the country illegally

(Newser) - More than 100 homes have been destroyed by a Colorado wildfire that investigators say was started by an illegal campfire. San Luis Valley Emergency tweeted Monday night that 104 homes have been destroyed so far by the wildfire east of Fort Garland. The blaze has burned 89 square miles and...

'Controlled Burn' in Florida Torches 36 Homes

A fire that was supposed to clear 480 acres spread across 800

(Newser) - Dozens of homes in Florida’s panhandle went up in flames when a controlled burn that was supposed to clear 480 acres spread across 800 acres, reports CBS News . Controlled burns are a forest management tool where a fire is deliberately set to prevent destructive wildfires. The fire—which was...

Thousands Flee Fires in Dry Rural California

'Wildfire season is upon us'

(Newser) - Wind-driven wildfires destroyed buildings and threatened hundreds of others as they raced across dry brush in rural northern California over the weekend. The Pawnee Fire, which broke out Saturday near Clearlake Oaks, has destroyed 12 buildings and threatened an additional 600. As of Sunday, there was no containment and it...

New Mexico Wildfire Doubles in Size, Threatens Village

Meanwhile, California wildfire is officially extinguished

(Newser) - A wildfire threatening a village in northern New Mexico has doubled in size to over 42 square miles as firefighters try to protect nearly 300 homes and a Boy Scouts camp, the AP reports. Fire management team spokeswoman Sandra Lopez said the fire on Saturday was about 3 miles west...

Army Training Exercise Sparked Fire That Destroyed Homes

Colorado fire started on Fort Carson

(Newser) - A wildfire that destroyed at least two homes in southern Colorado was sparked by an Army aviation training exercise that used live ammunition, the military said Monday. The fire started on Fort Carson amid dry, windy weather on March 16 and spread to private land, charring 5 square miles before...

Trump Declares Major Disaster in California

Move means feds will cover costs of devastating wildfire

(Newser) - President Trump has declared a major disaster in California over a wildfire that destroyed more than 1,000 buildings as fierce winds whipped it through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties last month, the AP reports. The declaration makes federal funding available to state and local governments and some nonprofit organizations...

Wildfire Is Now Second Biggest in Calif. History

Thomas fire is still only 55% contained

(Newser) - A wildfire that has burned hundreds of homes in coastal mountains northwest of Los Angeles is now the second-largest blaze in California history. State fire officials say the 425-square-mile Thomas fire burning in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties is slightly larger than the 2012 Rush fire in Lassen County, the...

Firefighter Dies Battling Massive California Blaze

Cal Fire 'shaken to the core'

(Newser) - Cal Fire San Diego Chief Tony Meacham says he took "the call that no fire chief ever wants to receive" Thursday when he was told a local firefighter had died battling the massive Thomas fire. Cory Iverson, a 32-year-old engineer with a state fire engine strike team, is survived...

California Fire Now Bigger Than NYC
California Fire Now
Bigger Than NYC
Dec 11, 2017 6:46 AM CST

California Fire Now Bigger Than NYC

'Squirrely' winds are making firefighting difficult

(Newser) - One of several wildfires burning in southern California is now the fifth-biggest fire on record in the state and firefighters are losing ground: Containment of the Thomas fire slipped from 15% to 10% as wind speeds picked up Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reports. The fire, which has now spread...

Internet's Rabbit-Rescuing Hero Facing Backlash

'Let the animals take care of themselves'

(Newser) - A man caught on video rescuing a small rabbit from a blazing wildfire in California was hailed as a hero Thursday—but not by everybody, including experts who say it's debatable whether the rabbit even needed saving in the first place. Torie Bosch at Slate says risking the flames...

New Calif. Wildfire's Victims: Elite Horses

Lilac Fire adds to region's misery

(Newser) - California's newest wildfire tore through retirement communities built on golf courses and killed elite thoroughbred horses in its first destructive day. The new blaze in San Diego County means a huge swath of Southern California is now in flames after December's shockingly dry, hot, and windy conditions brought...

Against an Inferno, Man Rescues the Smallest Creature

Wild rabbit saved

(Newser) - Whether you consider it brave or foolish, it's tough not to consider it incredible. NBC News has video of a driver who pulled over on California's Highway 1 near La Conchita to save a wild rabbit from the blazing wildfire that's painting the backdrop orange. As the...

California: 'The Forecast for Tomorrow Is Purple'

Wind, fire dangers hit unprecedented level

(Newser) - Southern California has felt yellow wind, orange wind, and red wind. But never purple wind. Until now. The color-coded system showing the expected strength of the winds driving the region's fierce wildfires has reached uncharted territory, pushing past red, which means "high," into the color that means...

Southern California Wildfire Reaches Pacific

Ring of fire surrounds former Johnny Cash home

(Newser) - Terrifying wildfires are continuing to rage in southern California, where the Thomas fire in Ventura County reached the Pacific Ocean Tuesday after spreading to at least 50,000 acres, crossing oil fields and freeways. The fire, which caused Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency, has caused mass...

Southern Calif. Wildfire Growing 'Exponentially'

Thousands have fled homes in Ventura County

(Newser) - Ferocious winds in Southern California whipped up an explosive wildfire that forced thousands of homes to evacuate and could soon threaten a city of more than 100,000, authorities say. The blaze broke out Monday and grew wildly to more than 15 square miles in the hours that followed, consuming...

Parents Still Don't Know Calif. Wildfire Killed Both Kids

Kai died while trying to flee; Kressa lost her life 3 weeks later

(Newser) - As California's wine country begins the slow process of rebuilding in the wake of the wildfires that devastated the region in early October, for one family, picking up the pieces will be unthinkably difficult. The Los Angeles Times revisits the Shepherds, a family of four who experienced tragedy in...

Calif.'s Other Big Problem Amid Blazes: 'Fire Devils'

Fire tornadoes fueled by powerful winds were strong enough to flip cars, damage homes

(Newser) - Like earthquakes can unleash tsunamis, strong winds and the California wildfires apparently set loose another type of natural disaster: fire tornadoes. And the San Francisco Chronicle says the fire-filled tornadoes that hit Santa Rosa last week, driven by nearly 80mph winds, wreaked major havoc, tossing cars, pulling trees out of...

Burned by California Wildfires: Local Marijuana Industry

At least 31 pot farms have been destroyed, with many more damaged—and no crop insurance

(Newser) - The same fires that have destroyed Northern California's wineries have also taken a toll on the region's marijuana farms, which were about to begin an important harvest less than three months before the nation's largest recreational pot market opens for business in January. At least 31 marijuana...

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