Tag Archives: wildfires

The Los Angeles Times reports: A major wildfire in northern Los Angeles County continued burning Monday evening southeast toward Pyramid Lake, scorching more than 15,000 acres to become the state’s largest blaze of the year. The Post fire was 15,611 acres as of 7:34 p.m. Monday and 20% contained. It was burning in steep, hard-to-reach areas and threatening homes as …

The Texas Tribune reports: Xcel Energy on Thursday acknowledged its involvement in the Smokehouse Creek fire, which started last week and quickly became the largest wildfire in state history, burning more than 1 million acres. “Based on currently available information, Xcel Energy acknowledges that its facilities appear to have been involved in an ignition of the Smokehouse Creek fire,” the …

The Guardian reports: Ferocious winds continue to thwart firefighters across a broad swathe of Texas on Sunday where the second largest wildfire in US history is only 15% contained after six days. As of Sunday morning the Smokehouse Creek Fire has so far scorched almost 1.1m acres – 1,700 sq miles – across the Texas Panhandle in the north of …

ABC News reports: Several large wildfires continue to tear through the Texas Panhandle, including one that has grown into the largest blaze in state history. At least two people have died in the blazes so far, as the fire threat is expected to continue into the weekend. The largest of the blazes — the Smokehouse Creek Fire — covers an …

USA Today reports: The second-largest wildfire in Texas history continued to rip across the Texas Panhandle along with other major blazes on Wednesday, prompting evacuations, school closures and a temporary shut down of the nation’s primary nuclear weapons facility. The blazes began on Monday but spread quickly the following day as strong winds, dry conditions and unseasonably high temperatures, which …

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: A couple whose botched gender reveal sparked the deadly El Dorado Fire in 2020 has agreed to a plea deal that includes jail time, community service and nearly $1.8 million in restitution, officials announced Friday. The El Dorado Fire burned through nearly 23,000 acres in the Inland Empire in the fall of 2020, destroying some …

The CBC reports: A Quebec man who posted conspiracy theories online that forest fires were being deliberately set by the government has pleaded guilty to starting a series of fires himself that forced hundreds of people from their homes. Brian Paré, 38, pleaded guilty Monday to 13 counts of arson and one count of arson with disregard for human life …

The New York Times reports: For the first time, Maui County officials publicly blamed Hawaii’s largest electric utility for the wildfires that killed at least 115 people this month, claiming in a lawsuit filed that “intentional and malicious” mismanagement of power lines had allowed flames to spark. The lawsuit accused the utility, Hawaiian Electric, of failing to respond to ominous …

Hawaii News Now reports: President Biden and the first lady will travel to fire-ravaged areas of Maui on Monday to meet with wildfire victims, first responders and government officials. Maui is preparing for the presidential visit as the grim and difficult work of searching for remains in historic Lahaina continues. Teams armed with cadaver dogs have searched about 78% of …

Hawaii News Now reports: The Lahaina wildfire death toll increased by five on Wednesday — to 111 — more than a week after flames ripped through the historic town. Meanwhile, Maui continued to slowly release the names of those who have perished. Three more victims, all elderly, were identified on Wednesday and authorities said positive IDs were made on others. …

The Independent reports: Hawaii Governor Josh Green gave a stark warning to the world in the aftermath of the “fire hurricane” that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui. The state’s drought conditions from climate change and difficulties with water management had combined with 60mph winds from Hurricane Dora which had just passed the island, Mr …

Hawaii News Now reports: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez announced they’ll donate $100 million to Maui wildfire relief efforts. “Jeff and I are heartbroken by what’s happening in Maui. We are thinking of the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated,” Sanchez wrote. The couple says the money will …

The Associated Press reports: As the death toll from a wildfire that razed a historic Maui town reached 93, authorities warned Saturday that the effort to find and identify the dead was still in its early stages. It’s already the deadliest U.S. wildfire for over a century. Crews with cadaver dogs have covered just 3% of the search area, Maui …

Reuters reports: Maui’s wildfires have killed at least 55 people, a toll expected to rise, and unleashed destruction on the resort town of Lahaina that will take many years and billions of dollars to rebuild, Hawaiian officials said on Thursday. Governor Josh Green said the inferno that reduced much of Lahaina to smoldering ruins was the worst natural disaster in …

Via press release from the White House: Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Hawaii and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires beginning on August 8, 2023, and continuing. The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in Maui …

Hawaii News Now reports: Maui County says 36 people are now confirmed dead in the devastating wildfires that have decimated entire towns, including historic Lahaina. The heartbreaking news, which some feared could rise even higher, makes the wildfires among the deadliest disasters in Hawaii history. Meanwhile, at least three large fires on Maui — including the blaze in Lahaina — …

Hawaii News Now reports: Eyewitnesses described an apocalyptic scene Tuesday in Lahaina town, where residents were forced to jump into the harbor waters to avoid fast-moving flames from a massive brush fire that’s destroyed much of the historic area — and continues to burn. Residents say an overwhelmed fire force — fighting flames all day amid powerful winds — could …

CNN reports: For a second day in a row, the US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ground stop for flights bound for New York’s LaGuardia airport as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to spread across the northeastern United States. The FAA’s operations plan for Thursday shows smoke potentially impacting travel from New York to Charlotte. It lists New York’s …

The New York Daily News reports: Canadian wildfires have created dangerous air quality conditions in New York City, prompting city officials to call late Wednesday for the cancelation of all organized outdoor activities and advising New Yorkers to stay indoors as much as possible. With conditions deteriorating quickly Wednesday afternoon as an orange-grey haze shrouded the city, New York jumped …

Reuters reports: Forest fires continued to burn across Canada on Thursday as the country endured its worst-ever start to wildfire season, forcing thousands of people from their homes and sending a smoky haze billowing across U.S. cities. About 3.8 million hectares (9.4 million acres) have already burned, roughly 15 times the 10-year average, according to federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness …