wildfires

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Cops: Man Trying to Burn Spider Started Wildfire

'What led him to stop and notice a spider and decide to try to burn it, we don’t know'

(Newser) - A Utah man has been arrested on accusations he started a wildfire while trying to burn a spider with his lighter. Cory Allan Martin, 26, told deputies that he spotted the spider Monday while he was in a hiking area in the foothills south of Salt Lake City near the...

New Mexico City: After Fires, We Have 50 Days of Water Left

Mayor declares a state of emergency

(Newser) - A New Mexico city is down to less than 50 days' worth of water, after debris from wildfires contaminated the Gallinas River. Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo declared a water emergency after the river, which supplies all the city's water, became tainted by ash and other debris, ABC News...

Amid Unprecedented Heat Wave, London Homes Burn

At least 40 residences were destroyed by blazes that swept UK's capital, injuring 16 firefighters

(Newser) - Britain saw its hottest day yet on record Tuesday, soaring past 104 degrees during a heat wave that's taken hold across other parts of Europe as well, but the country's capital was forced to deal with more than just sweating citizens. The London Fire Brigade described a "...

Man Trying to Save Town From Wildfire Narrowly Escapes

Spanish man was overtaken by flames while digging trench

(Newser) - A Spanish man who had been digging a trench to protect his town from a wildfire was hospitalized with serious burns Monday—but video shows that Angel Martin Arjona is very lucky to be alive. Arjona, who owns a construction warehouse, was overtaken by flames in a field near Tabara,...

Winds, Heat Worsen Fires in Europe
Winds, Heat
Worsen Fires
in Europe
Jul 16, 2022 12:15 PM CDT

Winds, Heat Worsen Fires in Europe

Fire season arrives early after a hot, dry spring

(Newser) - Strong winds and hot, dry weather frustrated French firefighters' efforts Saturday to contain a huge wildfire that raced across pine forests in the Bordeaux region for a fifth straight day, one of several wildfires scorching Europe. Some of the worst fires have been in Portugal, where the pilot of a...

Wildfire Threatens Yosemite's Iconic Giant Sequoias

Out-of-control blaze burns near Mariposa Grove in national park

(Newser) - The largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park is under threat by a growing wildfire. More than 500 of the iconic trees were threatened in the Mariposa Grove, though as of Saturday there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly...

Across US, Giant 'Lite-Brite' in Sky to Replace July 4 Fireworks

Drones increasingly being used in lieu of traditional July 4 pyrotechnics due to fire, noise concerns

(Newser) - Goodbye, fireworks finales; hello ... drone formations? That's what multiple cities across the US may be seeing this July Fourth weekend, with traditional pyrotechnics shows replaced with drone light extravaganzas—especially in the Southwest, where just one spark on the drought-affected landscape can set off an inferno. Axios reports this...

Report Describes Mistakes That Caused New Mexico Fire

The report may help prevent future disasters, but NM is still burning

(Newser) - It started as two prescribed fires that merged, and now the Calf Canyon/Hermit Peak fire is the largest in New Mexico’s recorded history. In late May, officials with the US Forest Service admitted that the fire was their fault, and on Tuesday, "the agency quietly posted" a report...

Spain, Germany Fight Wildfires, Heat

Winds complicate the job for crews in Western Europe

(Newser) - Firefighters in Spain and Germany struggled to contain wildfires on Sunday during an unusual heat wave in Western Europe for this time of year. The worst damage in Spain has been in the northwest province of Zamora, where over 61,000 acres has been consumed, regional authorities said. German officials...

Guy Arrested in Connection to Arizona Wildfire Burned His Toilet Paper: Cops

His lawyer says there's no evidence he started the Pipeline Fire

(Newser) - A man arrested in connection with a wildfire burning north of Flagstaff, Arizona, admitted to authorities he had burned toilet paper he used while camping. Police spotted Matthew Riser, 57, driving "rapidly" away from the Pipeline Fire Sunday and pulled him over; he said he'd burned the TP...

Culprit in NM's Biggest-Ever Fire: US Forest Service

Planned burns combined into massive forest fire

(Newser) - A massive New Mexico wildfire that has stampeded through more than 330 homes and nearly 500 square miles wasn't the result of a carelessly tossed cigarette ( or firework ), but rather the deliberate machinations of the United States Forest Service in an effort to, well, to avoid massive...

Newborn Elk Calf Rescued From Ashes of Wildfire

Firefighter deployed to New Mexico spotted Cinder in a burned forest

(Newser) - Firefighters have rescued an abandoned newborn elk calf found amid the ashes of the nation's largest wildfire as calving season approaches its peak in New Mexico and fires rage across the American West. Missoula, Montana-based firefighter Nate Sink said Tuesday that he happened upon the motionless elk calf on...

Man Who Started Fire That Killed Condors Gets 24 Years

2020 California fire nearly killed 14 firefighters

(Newser) - A man who started a 2020 wildfire that killed 12 endangered California condors and seriously injured a firefighter has been sentenced to 24 years in state prison. Ivan Gomez, 31, was sentenced Wednesday by a Monterey County judge for setting the Big Sur Dolan fire while illegally growing marijuana in...

New Mexico Tells Biden It Needs More Help

Prescribed burn in national forest is part of the problem, governor says

(Newser) - New Mexico's governor is asking for additional federal assistance to respond to wildfires burning across the state's north, including one that is the second-largest in state history and that officials estimate has destroyed hundreds of homes. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Friday in a letter to President Biden...

As 'Heartbreaking' Blaze Burns, Thousands Just Won't Leave

Residents in Mora County, NM, refuse to evacuate amid largest US wildfire

(Newser) - In the mountains north of Santa Fe, NM, residents are known for being able to tough things out. Which helps explain why thousands are now refusing to flee in Mora and San Miguel counties, where the nation's largest current wildfire is still raging, reports Reuters . It has scorched more...

Deputy 'Engulfed' in Blaze Raging Across Texas

Deputy Sgt. Barbara Fenley died while reportedly trying to check on an elderly resident

(Newser) - Fire crews in Texas hope to make progress Saturday against a massive complex of wildfires that have killed one person and burned at least 50 homes, officials said. Winds were expected to diminish on Saturday, raising hopes for the attack on the flames, said a spokesman for the task force...

Ominous UN Report: We Must 'Learn to Live With Fire'

Number of catastrophic fires could increase by 50% by century's end

(Newser) - A warming planet and changes to land use patterns mean more wildfires will scorch large parts of the globe in coming decades, causing spikes in unhealthy smoke pollution and other problems that governments are ill prepared to confront, according to a UN report being released Wednesday. The western US, northern...

Wildfire Shuts PCH at Big Sur
Big Sur Fire Shuts Highway 1
photos
Jan 22, 2022 2:30 PM CST

Big Sur Fire Shuts Highway 1

Winds up to 70mph are expected in Southern California, as well

(Newser) - A wind-driven wildfire broke out late Friday in the rugged mountains above Big Sur, forcing residents to evacuate their homes and authorities to shut down a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway. The fire started in a canyon and was pushed by 35mph winds to the sea, jumping the highway and...

Officials Now Count 2 People Missing After Fire

Family says 91-year-old woman couldn't escape her burning home

(Newser) - After wildfires races through two Colorado towns on Thursday, local officials said no one was killed, which the sheriff said would be "our very own New Year’s miracle." Now they're worried that the announcement was premature, the Denver Post reports. Local officials had been working through...

Coloradoans Return to Where Homes Stood
Coloradoans
Assess Fire Loss
photos
Dec 31, 2021 4:40 PM CST

Coloradoans Assess Fire Loss

One woman finds just the mailbox still standing

(Newser) - Forrest Smith fled his home in Louisville, Colorado, with only a coffee cup, a water cup, and his cellphone. In the rush, as hot ashes burned him while he started his car, he'd even left behind his wallet, USA Today reports. "For some reason, I'm thinking in...

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