500,000 Flee So Cal Firestorm

(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 Chertoff and FEMA officials will head to California today, the LA Times reports. More»

(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 about clogged cellphone lines and frivolous calls to 911. More»

But season for conflagration-fueling winds has just begun

(NEWSER) - Firefighters made progress early today in containing two Los Angeles-area fires, as calm winds prevented the flames from blazing a path to the Pacific Ocean, the Los Angeles Times reports. The older of the two fires, the Marek blaze, was 80% contained, and firefighters have begun to cut containment lines for the second fire, which now covers 13,200 acres. 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»