wildfires

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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%...

Wildfire Winds to Drop Tonight
Wildfire Winds to Drop Tonight
Oct 24, 2007 9:48 AM CDT

Wildfire Winds to Drop Tonight

(Newser) - The latest forecasts show the gale-force winds whipping flames across Southern California for the fourth day slackening by early evening, giving aircraft an opening to fight fires that have forced almost a million to evacuate, the AP reports. The news prompted one emergency official to declare: "The worst is...

Million Flee Fires; Feds Mobilize
Million Flee Fires; Feds Mobilize
Oct 24, 2007 4:59 AM CDT

Million Flee Fires; Feds Mobilize

Bush steps up to avoid Katrina repeat

(Newser) - Firefighters look for the wind to change late this afternoon, as more than 15 rampaging wildfires continue to turn swaths of Southern California into writhing walls of flames. In a bid to avoid a repeat of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, President Bush yesterday declared a federal emergency for seven counties...

Fires Delay SDSU-BYU Game
Fires Delay SDSU-BYU Game
Oct 24, 2007 12:24 AM CDT

Fires Delay SDSU-BYU Game

Moved from Saturday to Dec.1 amidst concerns for displaced residents and public health

(Newser) - With refugees from the wild fires sweeping through the San Diego area taking shelter in Qualcomm Stadium, officials have postponed this weekend's college football matchup of Brigham Young and San Diego State universities. The decision was also motivated by concern for air quality and fan safety, leading to the postponement...

Bush Declares Calif. Emergency
Bush Declares Calif. Emergency
Oct 23, 2007 12:16 PM CDT

Bush Declares Calif. Emergency

(Newser) - Federal aid will soon be pouring into Southern California: President Bush today declared a state of emergency for the fire-scorched region. Wildfires ripping across seven counties have forced half a million people to evacuate. “We extend our prayers and our thoughts” to them, Bush said. Homeland Security chief Michael...

500,000 Flee So Cal Firestorm
500,000 Flee So Cal Firestorm
Oct 23, 2007 4:58 AM CDT

500,000 Flee So Cal Firestorm

Powerful Santa Ana gusts drive wildfires; more than 800 buildings destroyed

(Newser) - High winds and hotter temperatures are forecast for Southern California today, frustrating firefighters struggling to contain the runaway blazes that have forced more than half a million people from their homes and consumed almost 900 buildings in the last two days. At least a dozen fires are still torching tinder-dry...

Wildfires Impact LT, Chargers
Wildfires Impact LT, Chargers
Oct 22, 2007 9:43 PM CDT

Wildfires Impact LT, Chargers

Tomlinson, others forced to evacuate homes

(Newser) - The wildfires blazing through San Diego County forced 40 Chargers to evacuate their homes, including star running back LaDainian Tomlinson. The team cancelled practice today due to poor air quality, and will move their operations to Arizona for the rest of the week. It is not yet clear whether the...

Fire Rescues Tax Resources
Fire Rescues Tax Resources
Oct 22, 2007 12:16 PM CDT

Fire Rescues Tax Resources

(Newser) - As wildfires rage across the region, Southern California officials are begging residents to evacuate when ordered and to avoid making phone calls, CNN reports. “We've been unable to do any suppression effort because the fire resources are being used to do rescues,” one fire chief railed. Rescuers complain...

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