Lab Tests Substance in LA Wildfire Probe

With blaze having killed 2 firefighters, sheriff begins homicide investigation

(NEWSER) - The wildfire that has burned 144,000 acres north of Los Angeles was set by arsonists, the US Forest Service said this afternoon. With the blaze having killed two firefighters, authorities are now treating the matter as homicide, KTLA-TV reports, and the LA County Sheriff’s Department has begun an investigation. The fire, now 38% contained, has cost $27 million to fight, and has destroyed 116 buildings, including 64 homes. More»

(NEWSER) - The fight to contain the deadly Los Angeles-area Station fire has so far cost more than $37 million, the LA Times reports, and that’s not counting property damage or the cost to the environment. The blaze is still burning through the San Gabriel Wilderness, but it’s 42% contained, and no longer threatens any homes. Officials are clearing debris basins, worried that rains will bring heavy erosion. More»

(NEWSER) - The Station fire raging near Los Angeles is 22% contained tonight, authorities tell the Times—though they caution that if the weather turns uncooperative again the blaze could worsen. Some evacuation orders were lifted. The Mount Wilson observatory and a nest of communication towers nearby were still threatened, however, and firefighters said the overnight hours could be crucial in saving them. More»

Six firefighters receive minor injuries

(NEWSER) - Firefighters have contained 25% of the Malibu fire that scorched 4,700 acres yesterday, burned 49 homes, and forced thousands to evacuate, the Los Angeles Times reports. "The effort will be to try to pick it up, catch it and nail it before it continues to move westward," said Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman. Six firemen also suffered minor injuries. More»

(AP) - Federal authorities failed to follow through on plans earlier this year to burn away highly flammable brush in a forest on the edge of Los Angeles to avoid the very kind of wildfire now raging there. Months before the blaze erupted, the US Forest Service obtained permits to burn away the undergrowth and brush on more than 1,700 acres of the Angeles National Forest. But just 193 had been cleared by the time the fire broke out. More»