wildfires

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Hotshots' Doom Sealed by Fire's Sudden Shift

'Burn over' in Yarnell Hill fire overtook 19 firefighters

(Newser) - The 19 firefighters killed in Arizona's Yarnell Hill Fire were among "the best of the best" in their field, say peers—but that wasn't enough to protect members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew when the fire took a quick, unexpected turn. "Only Mother Nature...

3 Fallen Firefighters Were Expectant Dads

14 of the men were in their 20s

(Newser) - More than a thousand people gathered in Prescott, Ariz., yesterday to mourn 19 firefighters who died battling an out-of-control wildfire . Speakers including Rep. Trent Franks praised the men for their heroism and sacrifice, the AP reports. Authorities have now released the names of the 19 victims, 14 of whom were...

19 Firefighters Dead in Arizona

 19 Elite Firefighters 
 Dead in Arizona 
UPDATED
Jul 1, 2013 7:52 AM CDT

19 Elite Firefighters Dead in Arizona

They were trapped by wildfire in Yarnell

(Newser) - Tragedy in central Arizona, where 19 elite firefighters are dead after getting trapped by a fast-moving wildfire in the town of Yarnell. Eighteen of the men were part of the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew from Prescott, reports the Arizona Republic . An additional crew member wasn't with his team and...

Colorado Fire May Wipe Out Tourist Town

South Fork evacuated, was used in 'Vacation' movie

(Newser) - The mountain resort of South Fork, Colorado, is a ghost town today as a massive wildfire approaches. (If you've seen the Chevy Chase movie Vacation, you've seen the place: The Griswolds picnicked there, notes AP .) The town has 400 full-time residents, all of whom had evacuated by...

Colorado Wildfire Now a 'Crime Scene'

483 structures destroyed

(Newser) - Colorado's Black Forest fire is now 65% contained, but authorities are still puzzling over the cause of the blaze that's destroyed at least 483 structures. Now, the El Paso County sheriff is calling the 16,000-acre fire a "crime scene" until there's proof to the contrary,...

Colorado Fire Sets Destruction Record

Death toll now at 2

(Newser) - The Black Forest Fire, near Colorado Springs, has claimed 360 homes, a record for the state, the Denver Post notes in its live blog. Meanwhile, 15,700 acres have burned and the fire is just 5% contained—and the death toll now stands at two. Some 38,000 have evacuated,...

Colo. Fire Forces Evacuation of 900 Prisoners

4 blazes have destroyed dozens of homes

(Newser) - Wildfires are raging in Colorado, and one of them caused more than 900 prisoners to be evacuated from a state prison early today. The medium- and low-risk prisoners were taken by bus to other prisons, a spokesperson tells the AP . The fire hasn't actually reached the Colorado Territorial Correctional...

Big Threat to Amazon: Unseen Forest Fires

They cause more damage than deforestation with their slow burns

(Newser) - Someone flying above the Amazon in a plane would see nothing amiss, but scores of small, slow-moving fires beneath the canopy of trees are destroying more land than deforestation, reports LiveScience . New satellite imaging from NASA has revealed these so-called "understory fires." Flames are only a few feet...

Brush That Last Burned in 1929 Is Fueling Calif. Fire

3K evacuated in Powerhouse blaze

(Newser) - A California wildfire has burned some 35 square miles north of Los Angeles and prompted evacuation orders for almost 3,000 people. Part of its fuel: "extremely old and dry" brush that last burned in 1929, a US Forest Service official explained yesterday, per the AP . Some 2,100...

1K Evacuated as Wildfires Threaten NM, Calif.

Season off to an early start in West

(Newser) - Firefighting teams in California and New Mexico are battling early season wildfires that have blackened thousands of acres and threatened homes and buildings, spurring numerous evacuations. Residents of more than 1,000 homes were ordered to leave as erratic winds pushed a wildfire closer to two foothill communities, where officials...

North Wisconsin Fire Biggest in 33 Years

It's burned through 8.7K acres

(Newser) - Firefighters have contained 90% of a wildfire in northwest Wisconsin, which has burned through 8,700 acres and 47 structures, including 17 houses. It's the biggest wildfire in northern Wisconsin in 33 years, WEAU reports. At least 60 people evacuated their homes last night, with 22 staying overnight in...

Break in Weather May Tame Wildfire in California

Firefighters welcome lower temperatures, higher humidity

(Newser) - A wildfire tearing through a coastal region in Southern California nearly tripled in size as high temperatures fueled the flames, but a fire official said a favorable shift in the weather will likely help crews make progress against the flames today. The fire 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles mushroomed...

California Wildfire Burns Path to the Sea

Winds poised to worsen flames that have scorched 8K acres

(Newser) - Authorities are warning of "extreme fire danger" as Southern California wildfires continue to rage , having already cut a 10-mile path to the Pacific. The Springs Fire already scorched 8,000 acres of land, and it's putting 2,000 homes at risk, CNN reports. Winds today of some 35mph...

Calif. Wildfire Burns 3K Acres; 'Volatile' Season Looms

Fire activity up 60% as blazes light up across state

(Newser) - More than 400 firefighters worked to significantly contain a wildfire in Southern California yesterday, but warn that things may get worse before they get better. The blaze burned across 4 1/2 square miles in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, claiming one house and forcing hundreds to evacuate, NBC...

Huge Dust Storm Rains Down Lightning

...as Australia battles wildfires, high winds, and a cyclone

(Newser) - Australia's heat-and-wildfire devastation produced one set of iconic photos yesterday; here's another. A tug boat worker snapped shots of a massive thunderstorm laden with red dust as it moved out toward the Indian Ocean, The West Australian reports. "We were steaming along in the boat just before...

Iconic Photo Emerges as Aussie Fires Rage

Flames approach military bomb range

(Newser) - As wildfires tear through southeastern Australia, one family survived a near-death experience—and snapped photos in the process. Tim and Tammy Holmes were babysitting five grandkids when flames conquered their Tasmanian town, forcing them to take refuge under a jetty. Tim caught a stunning image of Tammy holding two grandchildren,...

No End in Sight to Wildfire Season

8.1 million acres scorched so far

(Newser) - The Western wildfire season that began during an unusually warm and dry March has stretched into September, and the weather is not expected to end it any time soon, AP reports. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes as fires rage in Washington, Montana, and Wyoming, and the...

Lightning Sparks 70+ Wildfires in Wash. State

Officials call on 180 homes to evacuate

(Newser) - Lightning strikes sparked dozens of fires in central Washington state, with officials near Wenatchee calling for the evacuation of scores of homes. Residents of about 180 homes in foothills just west of the city have been urged to evacuate, police said late last night. A spokesman said the 500-acre blaze...

Cali Wildfire Grows, Thousands Evacuate

Campers flee as fire expands by 500 acres

(Newser) - A wildfire in the Angeles National Forest that forced the evacuation of thousands of visitors has grown another 500 acres and additional firefighting resources have been requested. The fire, which broke out near a campground yesterday, grew overnight to about 4,100 acres, or roughly 6 square miles, said US...

Sentence for Starting Record Arizona Fire: 2 Days in Jail

Cousins Caleb and David Malboeuf thought they put out campfire

(Newser) - Two cousins who admitted starting the largest wildfire in Arizona history were sentenced yesterday to spend a weekend in jail and perform 200 hours of community service. Caleb and David Malboeuf also will each be on supervised probation for five years. The Malboeufs were camping in Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves National...

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