wildfires

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Wildfires Tamed in Calif., Rage in NM

2K people still evacuated in Santa Cruz County

(Newser) - Firefighters almost completely contained a Northern California blaze today as fires in New Mexico threatened to spread, buoyed by lightning and high winds, the AP reports. The California fire, in Santa Cruz County, has leveled up to 15 homes and led to the continued evacuation of 2,000 people. Officials...

Everglades Wildfire Claims 33,000 Acres

Blaze threatens endangered sparrow, homes

(Newser) - Nearly 33,000 acres of Florida's Everglades National Park were burning yesterday with only 20% of the blaze contained, CNN reports. A dense smoke warning was in effect in parts of southern Florida as flames threatened an endangered sparrow species and private property. The fire is the latest in a...

Suspect Nabbed in Fla. Fires
Suspect Nabbed in Fla. Fires
May 14, 2008 4:22 PM CDT

Suspect Nabbed in Fla. Fires

31-year-old captured after twice attempting to run from police

(Newser) - A suspect has been arrested in connection with the wildfires scorching Florida, CNN reports. Brian Crowder, 31, was captured after being seen lighting a small fire in a field and running twice from police. "I am not saying that he is the individual connected to this arson … but...

Arsonist May Have Set Fla. Fires

Gov declares state of emergency, promises harsh consequences

(Newser) - Fires that have raged across Florida over the last 2 days may have been deliberately set, Gov. Charlie Crist said today. Investigators have pointed to the fact that many of the blazes in different places sprang up at once as evidence of arson, CNN reports. Almost 100 homes have been...

Stubborn NM Fire Burns 50 More Homes

After jumping lines, blaze is 35% contained

(Newser) - Firefighters nearly contained a New Mexico wildfire this week before it leaped containment lines and razed another 50 homes on Wednesday, the AP reports. Nine had already gone up in flames. Firefighters are working today to cut new lines around the blaze, which is 35% contained near Albuquerque. Officials say...

Sierra Madre Blaze Rages On
 Sierra Madre
 Blaze Rages On 
Apr 28, 2008 6:49 PM CDT

Sierra Madre Blaze Rages On

Firefighters losing containment on difficult terrain

(Newser) - A California wildfire that has sparked mass evacuations kept burning up Sierra Madre today, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officials said the blaze was 23% contained, compared to 30% last night, and four of 580 firefighters have suffered minor injuries—but there are no fatalities so far. The fire now...

1,000 Flee Raging SoCal Wildfire
 1,000 Flee Raging SoCal Wildfire 
updated
Apr 27, 2008 4:21 PM CDT

1,000 Flee Raging SoCal Wildfire

Record temperatures signal worrisome fire season

(Newser) - Roughly 1,000 people abandoned 400 California homes today as firefighters battled a blaze in the Sierra Madre foothills, the Los Angeles Times reports. The fire spread through some 400 acres, and containment is not expected for days. Record-setting temperatures are to blame for the blaze marking an early start...

3 Die in Colo. Wildfires; Storm May Aid Firefighters

Blazes have killed 3 people

(Newser) - Firefighters hoped rain and snow would help them stop three Colorado wildfires blazing through thousands of acres of grass, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate and leaving three people dead, the AP reports. Authorities told all 1,200 residents of Ordway to leave yesterday, as wind gusted up to 50...

Scorching '07 Sets New Global Record

Hottest ever for global lands

(Newser) - Last year was the hottest on record for global land masses, with temperatures almost 2 degrees warmer than usual, according to  the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scorching heat waves socked Asia, Europe and the USA, where 2,000 daily temperature peaks were busted. It's an undeniable trend with seven...

LA Cops to Arrest 5 in Malibu Wildfire

Blaze last month destroyed 53 homes; police cite illegal campfire

(Newser) - Arson investigators in LA plan to arrest five young men who they say accidentally set the Malibu wildfire that destroyed scores of ritzy homes over Thanksgiving weekend, the LA Times reports. The men, ages 18 to 27, were having an illegal campfire in a restricted area when they triggered the...

Windy, Dry Forecast Worries CA
Windy, Dry Forecast Worries CA
Nov 1, 2007 1:29 PM CDT

Windy, Dry Forecast Worries CA

Golden State braces for dangerous weekend with emergency crews on alert

(Newser) - California weathermen are sparking new wildfire fears with predictions for a hot, dry weekend in which the dreaded Santa Ana winds are expected to pick up from 45 mph tomorrow across the state's southern end. Compounding matters, humidity is expected to drop as low as 10% while temperatures rise into...

Boy Playing With Matches Started Calif. Fire

Buckweed fire burned more than 38,000 acres

(Newser) - Playing with matches went horribly wrong for a Southern California boy who has admitted to inadvertently starting one of last week's sprawling fires. The Buckweed fire, which forced more than 15,000 to evacuate and burned 63 structures, started October 21; the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had identified the...

Fires Largely Under Control, SoCal Moves On, Cautiously

Winds could still flare up, officials warn

(Newser) - Firefighters have contained most of Southern California's ferocious wildfires, and shelters emptied rapidly as evacuation orders were lifted and residents began pondering the next step. The fires had destroyed 2,813 structures and more than a half-million acres as of last night, reports the LA Times, and will go down...

OC Fire Dept. Was Ill-Equipped
OC Fire Dept. Was Ill-Equipped
Oct 28, 2007 2:11 PM CDT

OC Fire Dept. Was Ill-Equipped

Lack of equipment, manpower allowed Santiago fire to grow into monster

(Newser) - Orange County firefighters might have contained the fire that ripped through Irvine, the county fire chief says, if only there were more of them. Orange County was short on manpower and fire engines even before it sent crews to help contain Malibu’s fires. With state reinforcements busy elsewhere, and...

Air Pollution High in Fire's Wake
Air Pollution High in Fire's Wake
Oct 27, 2007 2:16 PM CDT

Air Pollution High in Fire's Wake

Breathing carefully, residents return to face gas, water shortages, power outages

(Newser) - Evacuees trickling home in fire-ravaged Southern California find themselves largely without power, natural gas or potable water. Perhaps worse, the barely breathable air is laden with soot and dust, raising health concerns, the AP reports. Satellite pictures show thick smoke throughout the region. “We're all at risk of the...

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...

Look for More, and Bigger, Wildfires as West Warms

Get used to more frequent, more damaging blazes

(Newser) - After 16 uncontrolled wildfires this week prompted the largest evacuation in California history, the San Francisco Chronicle asks climate experts whether we'll be seeing more of them, thanks to global warming. The answer: Yes. Hotter, drier conditions in the future will lead to more fires in more places. This was...

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
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,...

CA Fires Won't Harm Economy in Long Term

Rebuilding will give a boost to sagging home building sector

(Newser) - California’s runaway wildfires are not likely to do longterm damage to the state’s economy, the Los Angeles Times reports—in fact the disaster could be a boon to some sectors. One of those is construction: In the first nine months of the year, construction jobs were down 3%...

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