LA Wildfire Threatens Getty

(NEWSER) - The so-called Station Fire is closing in on Los Angeles residents who refused to evacuate with their neighbors over the weekend and are now trapped and in danger, KTLA reports. Five people are stranded in a canyon, according to the AP. "Those people were told to get out two days ago, and now we are putting our people in danger to get them out," says a LA County sheriff's department rep. More»

Pair drives off road as flames consume national forest

(NEWSER) - Two California firefighters drove off a treacherous road to their death as they helped battle a 43,000-acre inferno in the Angeles National Forest, reports the Los Angeles Times. More than 2,800 firefighters, 12 helicopters and eight air tankers have converged on the area where the blaze now threatens some 13,000 homes in Los Angeles County. The blaze is only 5% contained, and has already destroyed 18 homes. More»

2 killed, dozens of homes destroyed as flames roar into northern LA

(NEWSER) - California's governor has declared a state of emergency as twin wind-driven wildfires tear through north Los Angeles. Unpredictable 60 mph Santa Ana winds are shooting roaring flames up canyons, and firefighters fear that one blaze—which has already jumped an eight-lane freeway—could burn all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of people have been evacuated, reports the Los Angeles Times. More»

Skies still blue over park despite huge blaze

(NEWSER) - After five days of hard work, firefighters are making good progress against a wildfire raging near Yosemite National Park. The fire—started when a propane tank on a motor home traveling on one the main roads into the park exploded—has burned more than 5,000 acres and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . More than a thousand firefighters are battling the blaze along steep canyon slopes. More»

At least not without major help from Uncle Sam

(NEWSER) - California’s wildfires haven’t just destroyed property and forestland, they’ve also scorched the state’s beleaguered budget, Time reports. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't lay a finger on the state's forestry budget of $518 million, and more than doubled the state’s emergency fund for fighting wildfires this year to $182 million, but $108 million of that has already been spent. “We have literally burned through more than half of the emergency fire fund,” said a Finance Department spokesman. More»