Fire Rescues Tax Resources

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 hillsides from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border, reports the Los Angeles Times. The worst damage is around San Diego and Lake Arrowhead. More»

(NEWSER) - A wildfire bearing down on San Diego this morning, moving faster than expected, is forcing 10,000 to evacuate their homes, after one person was killed and 17 more injured in a series of fires across Southern California yesterday. Near hurricane-level winds have fanned a dozen outbreaks from Santa Barbara to San Diego, claiming 39 buildings. More»

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 fine particulate matter we can inhale,” said a Breathe LA spokeswoman, urging people to stay indoors. More»

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 that had been promised for 4 years. More»

(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 behind us," as criticism mounts that lack of sufficient resources allowed the blazes to get out of control. More»