wildfires

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Thousands Flee as Wildfires Sprint Across California

State of emergency declared

(Newser) - An explosive wildfire raced across several rural communities in Northern California, charring more than 60 square miles over a matter of hours, chasing thousands of people from their homes and sending four firefighters to the hospital with second-degree burns. The fire erupted in Lake County, about 100 miles north of...

This Striking Photo Emerges From West's Wildfires

Idaho man says dogs were protecting body of fawn

(Newser) - An Idaho man has captured an indelible image in the midst of that state's wildfires: It shows a sheepdog and her two pups appearing to guard a dead fawn. "They were definitely trying to protect it," Louis Armstrong of Kamiah tells KBOI2 . "I thought it was...

3 Firefighters Dead in Washington State

More are injured battling wildfire

(Newser) - Tragedy in Washington state today as three firefighters were killed fighting a wildfire in the north-central part of the state, reports KING5 . At least three more were injured, one of them critically. It's not clear what happened, but firefighters earlier were battling what KOMO describes as "strong, erratic...

Feds: We Have a Way to Fix Land After Disasters

Authorities say it will make damaged land more resilient

(Newser) - Federal authorities announced a plan today to produce massive quantities of seeds from native plants that can be quickly planted to help land recover from natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes. The program will make landscapes more resilient and healthier, especially Western rangelands where massive wildfires have been an...

That Huge Calif. Wildfire Just Jumped a Barrier

It's 'moving at an extremely high rate of speed,' says fire chief

(Newser) - As firefighters battled a massive Northern California Northern California wildfire threatening numerous homes, some of the 13,000 people urged to flee were spending what may be just one of many nights in evacuation shelters. The blaze, which has charred nearly 97 square miles of brush and timber, jumped a...

$75K Reward Offered to Find Drone Pilots at Wildfires

California county is fed up with interference of firefighters

(Newser) - Firefighters battling California wildfires keep running into the same problem over and over —drones. Specifically, hobbyist drones being flown by someone presumably looking to take great images of the fire. The problem is that the drones prevent airdrops, and now authorities are banking on an old-fashioned solution: fat rewards....

A Cyclist Stops to Poop, Ends Up Starting Wildfire

Bureau of Land Management has advice for those heeding nature's call

(Newser) - Pooping in the wilderness is something Smokey Bear probably wouldn't have that big a problem with—but burning your toilet paper afterward is a different story. The Bureau of Land Management says a mountain biker in Idaho started a 73-acre blaze in the Boise foothills on Wednesday afternoon after...

Crazy Scene on Freeway: Wildfire Burns Cars

20 vehicles were destroyed

(Newser) - By now, we're used to seeing images of California wildfires destroying homes. But cars on the freeway? That was the case in San Bernardino County today as fast-moving fire swept across Freeway 15, reports KTLA . The fire destroyed 20 cars that had been abandoned on the road and damaged...

Arizona, Families of 19 Dead 'Hotshots' Reach Deal

State also promises more training after tragic 2013 deaths of elite firefighters

(Newser) - Today marks the two-year anniversary of the deaths of 19 elite firefighters in an out-of-control Arizona wildfire, and it also brings a measure of closure as the state of Arizona announced today it has settled two lawsuits against the state's Forestry Division for more than $600,000 to the...

'Mind Blowing' Fire Burns Entire Neighborhood

Severe drought fuels Washington state wildfire

(Newser) - From just across the Wenatchee River, Dominick Bonny watched a whole neighborhood in his central Washington town burn as a wildfire destroyed two dozen homes and forced hundreds to flee. "With the wind blowing away from us, it was like we were watching a natural disaster within arm's...

Hobbyist's Drone Interferes With Air Drops on Wildfire

Forest Service says 3 planes had to scrap mission in California

(Newser) - Somebody flying a drone over a raging California wildfire this week probably got some awesome photos. The problem for everyone else is that the 4-foot drone forced three planes that planned to drop retardant to scrap their missions, reports the Los Angeles Times . One was a DC-10 with about 11,...

Fire Strikes Heart of Sled Dog Country

500 dogs rescued from Sockeye fire

(Newser) - A huge Alaska wildfire has prompted help from people offering their homes to scores of displaced residents—and their animals. The "Sockeye Fire" north of Anchorage has led to the voluntary evacuation of up to 1,700 structures and has struck the heart of sled dog country, including 15...

Expect More Lightning in Coming Years
Expect More Lightning in Coming Years
STUDY SAYS
Nov 14, 2014 4:55 PM CST

Expect More Lightning in Coming Years

Study: Climate change could spur up to 50% more strikes over next century

(Newser) - The US and China are working together to temper greenhouse-gas emissions, which could come in handy now that scientists are saying climate change might cause something else down the road: more lightning strikes. A study in Science says lightning frequency in the continental US could spike by more than 12%...

Plane Fighting Yosemite Fire Crashes, Killing Pilot

Officials don't know yet what caused the air tanker to go down

(Newser) - An air tanker fighting a wildfire at Yosemite National Park mysteriously crashed yesterday, killing the pilot, the Los Angeles Times reports. A spokesman for the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says it's believed the pilot was alone in the plane and that he worked for DynCorp...

Man Accused of Arson in California's Raging Wildfire

37-year-old allegedly set fast-growing King Fire

(Newser) - A 37-year-old man is being held on $10 million bail and accused of deliberately setting a California wildfire that is now rapidly growing in size. Authorities aren't saying what led them to Wayne Huntsman or how he allegedly started the fire, only that an investigator followed up on several...

Anti-Wildfire Project Tabled Over Rare Frogs

Forest Service project may hurt endangered species

(Newser) - US officials are balancing forest-fire risk against the need to preserve an endangered species near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevadas, the Tahoe Daily Tribune reports. Per a stipulation signed by a judge last week, the US Forest Service will delay its tree-thinning project there until it consults with the...

Power Company Pays $470M Over Fire That Killed 119

Black Saturday payout is biggest in Aussie history

(Newser) - Australian power company SP AusNet hasn't officially accepted responsibility for a wildfire that killed 119 people near Melbourne in early 2009—but it has agreed to pay $470 million to survivors in the biggest class-action settlement in the country's history. Some 10,000 plaintiffs accused the firm of...

Alaska Wildfire Is Bigger Than Chicago

Area with 1K structures evacuated as blaze spreads

(Newser) - A huge fire burning in Alaska's Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has exploded in size and now covers 243 square miles—an area bigger than the city of Chicago. The Funny River fire in the heavily forested reserve south of Anchorage is just 30% contained and authorities have ordered the...

Okla. Wildfire Kills Man Who Refused to Leave Home

Controlled burn sparked the blaze

(Newser) - A controlled burn that got out of control sparked a wildfire that has burned through 4,000 acres in Oklahoma, and one man is dead after refusing to evacuate his Guthrie home yesterday. The man, 56, has not been identified. A thousand other Logan County residents have evacuated, KOCO reports,...

Forest Fire Rages Through Chilean Port City, Kills 4
16 Dead as Chile's Historic Valparaiso Burns
UPDATED
Apr 13, 2014 11:44 AM CDT

16 Dead as Chile's Historic Valparaiso Burns

500 homes destroyed so far in Valparaiso

(Newser) - Chile has been rocked by earthquakes lately , and now a fire raging in the colorful port city of Valparaiso has killed at least 16 people and destroyed 500 homes, President Michelle Bachelet said today. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated, including more than 200 female inmates at a...

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