fires

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In Texas' Biggest Wildfire, Utility Issues a Mea Culpa

Xcel Energy says its facilities 'appear to have been involved' in starting the Smokehouse Creek Fire

(Newser) - The utility provider Xcel Energy said Thursday that its facilities appeared to have played a role in igniting a massive wildfire in the Texas Panhandle that grew to the largest blaze in state history. Texas officials have said they're still investigating the cause of the fire that has burned...

The Force of the Texas Wildfire, in 5 Stats

Blaze, now the largest in Texas history, remains 3% contained

(Newser) - It took just four days for a spark to become the largest wildfire ever seen in Texas. The Smokehouse Creek Fire that erupted Monday had spread to roughly 1.1 million acres on Thursday, topping the 2006 East Amarillo Complex Fire, which burned 907,245 acres, per the Houston Chronicle...

17 Injured in Fire at Courthouse Holding Trump Trial

Injuries minor, but NYC building was evacuated; fire caused by papers set on fire, per FDNY

(Newser) - The Manhattan courthouse where testimony wrapped up Wednesday in the civil fraud trial of former President Trump was evacuated hours later, leaving more than a dozen people hurt in an incident not believed to be tied to that case. The New York City Fire Department reports that 17 people suffered...

After Years of Research, Expert Advice: Burn California's Forests

Burning, thinning, or a combination of both found to make trees more resilient to wildfire, drought

(Newser) - The findings of a 20-year study on the health of California forests will come as no surprise to Native Americans, whose ancestors traditionally managed land through controlled fires . The study out of the University of California-Berkeley confirms that prescribed burning, the use of controlled fire to clear debris; restoration thinning,...

LA, Get Ready for a Gnarly Commute
LA's Gnarly Commute
Just Got Worse

LA's Gnarly Commute Just Got Worse

Fire causes damage to Los Angeles interstate, drivers are urged to take mass transit on Monday

(Newser) - Los Angeles motorists should expect traffic snarls during the Monday commute as crews assess how much damage was caused by a raging fire over the weekend that closed a major elevated interstate near downtown, officials said. Hazardous materials teams were clearing burned material from underneath Interstate 10 to make way...

Town Decimated by Fire Has New Obstacle to Rebuild

Homeowners in California town of Paradise find home insurance premiums have skyrocketed

(Newser) - The soaring cost of home insurance has consumed the California town of Paradise, residents and officials say, just after the five-year anniversary of the Nov. 8, 2018, Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history. Residents have received annual premiums that are near or exceed $10,000—leaving many to...

Workers at This Company's Sites Keep Dying

At least 21 dead in coal mine fire in Kazakhstan, the latest in tragedies striking ArcelorMittal Temirtau

(Newser) - A coal mine fire in central Kazakhstan killed at least 21 workers, while another 25 remained unaccounted for on Saturday, operating company ArcelorMittal Temirtau said in a statement. Some 252 people were working at the Kostenko coal mine at the time of the blaze, believed to have been caused by...

Woman Who Ran Through Burning Maui Field Dies

Laurie Allen, who escaped Lahaina's wildfire 7 weeks ago, succumbed to her injuries Friday

(Newser) - A woman who escaped Hawaii's Lahaina wildfire by running through a flaming field has died after spending more than seven weeks in a hospital burn unit. Laurie Allen died Friday at Straub Medical Center in Honolulu, according to a GoFundMe page set up for her and her husband, Perry...

Another Massive Recall for Hyundai and Kia

3.4M vehicles recalled over fire risk; owners warned to park outside, away from structures

(Newser) - Hyundai and Kia are recalling nearly 3.4 million vehicles in the US and again telling owners to park them outside due to the risk of engine compartment fires. As the AP reports, the recalls cover multiple car and SUV models from the 2010 through 2019 model years, including Hyundai'...

Oprah, the Rock: 'This Is What You Can Do' to Help Maui

Stars announce fund to help displaced residents

(Newser) - Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson have committed $10 million to make direct payments to people on Maui who are unable to return to their homes because of the wildfires, through a new fund they announced this week. The People's Fund of Maui will give $1,200...

NWS Issues 'Red Flag Warning' for All of Hawaii

Weather agency says wind gusts, low humidity have upped risk of rapid-spreading fires on islands

(Newser) - The National Weather Service on Wednesday warned that gusty winds and low humidity have increased the risk that fires could spread rapidly in the western parts of each Hawaiian island, three weeks after a deadly blaze tore through a coastal Maui town during a similar alert. But the agency said...

Report: Maui Officials Didn't Use Sirens to Alert Lahaina

Communications efforts are now under scrutiny after wildfire that has left at least 80 dead

(Newser) - In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social-media posts that reached a much smaller audience. Power and cellular...

Amid Maui Destruction, the 'Heartbeat of Lahaina' Endures

Historic 150-year-old banyan tree is scorched but still standing—for now

(Newser) - The wildfire that's been tearing across the island of Maui has proven devastating, with people forced to leap into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames and a growing death toll of more than 50 . The city of Lahaina, once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was especially...

At Least 9 Dead After 'Violent Flames' Destroy Vacation Home

2 more missing, feared dead after fire overtakes French facility for people with learning disabilities

(Newser) - At least 17 people were evacuated from a French vacation home for people with learning disabilities after a fire broke out early Wednesday, with one person hospitalized, but another nine were killed and two remain missing and feared dead, local authorities tell CNN affiliate BFMTV . The cause of the fire...

Tugs Tow Burning Cargo Ship
Tugs Tow Burning Cargo Ship

Tugs Tow Burning Cargo Ship

Salvage crews ready to board 'as soon as possible' to assess the situation in North Sea

(Newser) - A cargo ship carrying thousands of cars that has been burning on the North Sea for nearly a week was towed Monday to a new location further from the Dutch coast to wait for salvage crews to decide their next steps, the government said. The Fremantle Highway arrived earlier than...

Blazing Cargo Ship Carries 3K Cars, Could Be Devastating

One crew member is dead as officials work to save the ship from going down in a bird habitat

(Newser) - A fire on a freight ship carrying nearly 3,000 cars was burning out of control Wednesday in the North Sea, and the Dutch coast guard said one crew member had died, others were hurt, and it was working to save the vessel from sinking close to an important habitat...

6 Killed, One Injured in Suspected Arson

Ryan Lenard Manigo charged with attempted murder; more charges are pending

(Newser) - A South Carolina man stands charged after six people were found dead in a house fire Sunday in Green Pond, with the lone survivor airlifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Ryan Lenard Manigo, 33, is charged with the attempted murder of the survivor, and CNN reports that further...

100-Plus Homes Were Destroyed. Now, an Arrest

Edward Wackerman, 71, is suspected of setting devastating blaze in Mariposa County, California

(Newser) - An elderly man who lives near Yosemite National Park has been arrested after a forest fire there last year destroyed more than 125 homes. The AP reports that Edward Wackerman of Mariposa was taken into custody Friday, suspected of setting last summer's Oak Fire that burned nearly 20,000...

Want to Stop Wildfires? Dump Smokey Bear
We Need to Stop 'Fire
Foolishness' in America
OPINION

We Need to Stop 'Fire Foolishness' in America

Ex-fire chief pens 'NYT' essay on getting more aggressive on fires caused by human carelessness

(Newser) - Canadian wildfires are wreaking havoc not only in Canada, but in cities across the northeastern United States , leading to hazardous levels of air pollution that the eastern part of the US isn't accustomed to seeing. There may be an opportunity at hand in this unusual event, however, at least...

Wildfire Smoke Made NYC's Air Worst in the World

Canadian wildfires have brought unhealthy air to much of the eastern US

(Newser) - In New York City, officials have asked vulnerable people to stay indoors or wear masks when they go outside—and it's nothing to do with COVID. Smoke from Canadian wildfires has made the city's air quality "very unhealthy," Mayor Eric Adams said late Tuesday, urging all...

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