Tag: Wildfires
$166M in fines recommended for PG&E over power outages
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California regulators are being asked to fine Pacific Gas & Electric nearly $166 million for failing to properly inform customers...
Report: Utility equipment sparked fatal 2018 California fire
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 2018 wildfire that killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes was sparked by Southern California Edison equipment, according to...
Australia wildfires probe recommends climate risk forecasts
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An investigation into Australia’s catastrophic wildfire season on Friday recommended greater efforts to forecast the impacts of climate change on...
Evacuation orders lifted in 2 California wind-driven blazes
IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Evacuation orders were lifted Thursday for the last of some 130,000 Californians forced from their homes by two wind-driven wildfires.
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Evacuation orders lifted for many Californians who fled fire
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thousands of Californians were allowed to return to their homes Wednesday as calmer winds helped firefighters beat back two wind-driven...
AP Explains: Power shutoffs to prevent California wildfires
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California's largest utilities have staged power shutoffs this year to prevent their equipment from sparking wildfires during the worst fire...
Utility: Winds too weak to cut power before California fire
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Facing extreme wildfire conditions this week that included hurricane-level winds, the main utility in Northern California cut power to nearly...
AP PHOTOS: Wind-whipped wildfires clobber California again
IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires roared through hills in Southern California, pushed by the region's whipping Santa Ana winds that often fuel flames in...
Utility says its equipment may have sparked California blaze
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California Edison said its equipment may have sparked a fast-moving wildfire that forced evacuation orders for some 100,000 people...
Californians see power shutoffs as winds, fire danger rise
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Californians lost power as utilities sought to prevent the chance of their equipment sparking wildfires and...
California girds for most dangerous fire weather of year
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California, which has endured its worst wildfire season in history, is bracing for the most dangerous winds of the year,...
PG&E may cut power to over 1 million people in California
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric may cut power to over 1 million people on Sunday to prevent the chance of sparking...
2 California wildfires last year blamed on electrical lines
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Investigations found that damaged electrical equipment ignited two Southern California wildfires last year, including one that threatened the Ronald Reagan...
Colorado wildfires drag on later than normal, break records
DENVER (AP) — Orange skies, winds gusting up to 70 mph, smoke tornadoes and hazardous air. While it could be an apocalyptic scene out...
Northern California to see more dry, windy conditions
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Northern California entered a new round of fire danger Wednesday as forecasters predicted the ongoing dry conditions will be punctuated...
More fire-prevention power shutoffs possible in California
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Electricity may be shut off to about 54,000 Northern California utility customers this week to try to prevent power lines...
AP Exclusive: Utility lacked basic training before blackouts
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — When Pacific Gas & Electric cut power to large swaths of wildfire-prone Northern California last fall, few of the emergency...
Police: Teen boys sparked fire on San Francisco area hill
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco Bay Area police say two teens have admitted to starting a grass fire that scarred an iconic hillside...
Trump changes course, approves California relief for 6 fires
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration abruptly reversed course and approved California's application for disaster relief funds to clean up damage from...
Power cut to thousands in California to prevent wildfires
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of people in wine country were without power Thursday amid a fall heat wave that brought another round of...
Mitt Romney calls for US commission to deal with wildfires
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah announced legislation Thursday to establish a national commission focused on diminishing future wildfire...
Tanzania asks for aircraft to battle fire on Mt. Kilimanjaro
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tanzania's government is hoping helicopters and planes will help put out a fire raging on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest mountain...
Wildfire smoke in US exposes millions to hazardous pollution
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires churning out dense plumes of smoke as they scorch huge swaths of the U.S. West Coast have exposed...
Facing new fire threat, PG&E cuts power to tens of thousands
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric began turning off power to more than 50,000 Northern California customers Wednesday evening as dry, windy...
Fierce winds fan Rockies wildfires, new evacuations ordered
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Strong winds fanned two Rocky Mountain wildfires Wednesday, prompting new evacuation orders as one spread toward communities outside Rocky Mountain...
Fall heat wave bringing California more fire danger
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s siege of wildfires has significantly quieted but forecasters warned Tuesday that a fall heat wave will bring back high...
UN: Climate change means more weather disasters every year
GENEVA (AP) — In the wake of heat waves, global warming, forest fires, storms, droughts and a rising number of hurricanes, the U.N. weather...
Assad makes rare visit to areas hit by fires in west Syria
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has made a rare public visit to the coastal province of Latakia where he toured areas that...
Southern California Edison focus of wildfire probe
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Investigators are looking into the possibility that tree branches hitting Southern California Edison electrical equipment may have sparked a fire...
Team investigating deadly Calif. fire seizes PG&E equipment
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Fire investigators looking into what caused a wildfire that killed four people in far Northern California have taken possession...
Warming trend means California’s lethal fire season not over
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Cool weather and light drizzle in some places provided relief for firefighters working to increase containment of numerous wildfires across...
California fire investigators seize utility equipment
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fire investigators looking into what caused a wildfire that killed four people in far Northern California have taken possession of...
California authorities identify 2 more fire victims
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A woman and a child have been identified as two of four people killed in a blaze in Northern California,...
California eradicates 1.1 million illegal marijuana plants
LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s annual campaign against illegal marijuana cultivation eradicated more than 1.1 million plants and 20.5 tons (18,597 kilograms) of processed...
Chance of rain fades in fire-scarred Northern California
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hope for rain late this week over wildfire-scarred Northern California was fading Wednesday.
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California wildfires are larger than ever, but not deadlier
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — With months still to go in California’s fire season, the state has already shattered records for the amount of land...
Epic scale of California wildfires continues to grow
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The staggering scale of California's wildfires reached another milestone Monday: A single fire surpassed 1 million acres.
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Evacuations remain as progress made against Nevada fire
RENO, Nev. (AP) — An evacuation order remained in place but fire officials said they were making progress Monday against a wildfire north of...
Record-breaking California wildfires surpass 4 million acres
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — In a year that has already brought apocalyptic skies and smothering smoke to the West Coast, California set a grim...
California wildfires on the brink of burning 4 million acres
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Red flag warnings of extreme fire danger subsided, but warm and dry weather continued to challenge firefighters battling more than...
Orphaned, burned mountain lion rescued from California fire
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — An orphaned mountain lion cub who was badly burned in a Northern California wildfire is being treated at the Oakland...
California nears milestone: 4 million acres burned in fires
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California is poised to hit a fearsome milestone: 4 million acres (1.6 million hectares) burned this year by wildfires that...
Winds intensifying as firefighters battle fire in California
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Winds grew stronger Thursday in California's wine country, threatening to escalate a massive wildfire that has burned for days and...
Pacific Power utility sued over devastating Oregon wildfires
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Three Pacific Northwest law firms have filed a class action lawsuit against the Pacific Power utility and its parent company,...
California wildfire evacuees return home to find devastation
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — Nikki and Kevin Conant returned to their home in Northern California wine country Wednesday to find only the charred...
Getting warmer: Trump concedes human role in climate change
President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged that humans bear some blame for climate change, but scientists say the president still isn't dealing with the reality...
4th person killed in devastating California wildfire
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Flames devoured swaths of brush and trees in Northern California on Wednesday amid unseasonably hot and dry weather. Officials said...
California’s wine country residents facing fire fatigue
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Will Abrams and his family packed their pickup truck with laptops, clothes, sleeping bags and a tent and quickly left...
Dying winds give crews hope in Northern California fires
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Easing winds gave California firefighters a break Tuesday as they battled a destructive wildfire that was driven by strong winds...
3 killed in Northern California wildfire; thousands flee
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Northern California's wine country was on fire again Monday as strong winds fanned flames in the already scorched region, destroying...
Northern California sheriff says three people have died in a fast-moving wildfire west of...
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Northern California sheriff says three people have died in a fast-moving wildfire west of Redding.
Power shut off set for 65,000 California electric customers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Power will be shut off for 65,000 Northern California electric customers in 16 counties to prevent the spread of wildfires...
Power company plans series of shutoffs to prevent wildfires
LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of California's largest power companies announced Saturday it plans to temporarily shut off power to residents of 16 counties...
California braces for power shutoffs and warm, windy weekend
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Firefighters and officials at California's largest utility company braced for hot, dry and windy weather in northern and central areas...
Scorched California faces more hot, dry and windy weather
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rain showers fell Thursday on the northwestern edges of fire-ravaged California, but forecasters warned residents to not be fooled: A...
Wildfires taint West Coast vineyards with taste of smoke
TURNER, Ore. (AP) — Smoke from the West Coast wildfires has tainted grapes in some of the nation's most celebrated wine regions with an...
Clarification: Western Wildfires-Special Places story
DETROIT LAKE, Ore. (AP) — In a story published September 22, 2020, The Associated Press reported that George Atiyeh, a storied logger-turned-conservationist who was...
Kings Canyon, Yosemite parks reopen as air quality improves
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Kings Canyon National Park reopened to visitors on Wednesday and Yosemite National Park will welcome back visitors on...
Utility equipment eyed as possible source of fire near LA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal investigators are looking into whether a huge wildfire near Los Angeles was sparked by Southern California Edison utility equipment,...
Few resources, old-growth forest allowed for fire’s growth
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A lack of firefighting resources in the hours after it was sparked allowed a fast-moving wildfire to make an unprecedented...
Firefighter who died in blaze was on elite Hotshot crew
A California firefighter killed while battling a blaze in the mountains east of Los Angeles was identified Tuesday as a member of an elite...
Enormous California wildfire threatens desert homes near LA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An enormous wildfire that churned through mountains northeast of Los Angeles and into the Mojave Desert was still threatening homes...
California wildfire likely to grow from wind, low humidity
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The destruction wrought by a wind-driven wildfire in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles approached 156 square miles (404 square...
Wildfires and hurricanes disrupt final weeks of 2020 census
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Already burdened by the coronavirus pandemic and a tightened deadline, the Census Bureau must now contend with several natural disasters...
Desert communities told to evacuate as winds stoke flames
JUNIPER HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Strong winds stoked a wildfire burning for nearly two weeks in mountains northeast of Los Angeles, prompting authorities to...
Homes burned as winds push California fire into desert floor
JUNIPER HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Strong afternoon winds intensified a wildfire burning for nearly two weeks in mountains northeast of Los Angeles, prompting authorities...
Homes burned as winds push California fire into desert floor
JUNIPER HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Strong winds pushed a wildfire burning for nearly two weeks in mountains northeast of Los Angeles onto the desert...
Underwater and on fire: US climate change magnifies extremes
America's worsening climate change problem is as polarized as its politics. Some parts of the country have been burning this month while others were...
After wildfire smoke clears, protests resume in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Protesters returned to the streets of Portland, Oregon, following a dayslong pause largely due to poor air quality from wildfires...
Parts of now smoky rural Nevada lack government air monitors
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada has been largely spared from the blazes roaring through the West; the state is currently experiencing no active...
Firefighters battle exhaustion along with wildfire flames
BEAVERCREEK, Ore. (AP) — They work 50 hours at a stretch and sleep on gymnasium floors. Exploding trees shower them with embers. They lose...
Latest: Southern California forest fire burns near homes
The Latest on wildfires in the U.S. West (all times local):
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Sequoia National Park closed due to California wildfire
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — California’s Sequoia National Park has been fully closed due to a nearby wildfire in the Sierra Nevada wilderness.
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Man shelters from wildfire flames in Oregon river
LYONS, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man says he used a green plastic chair as a shield from a huge, deadly wildfire as he...
Fish in Oregon hatcheries die, released early as fires rage
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — As wildfires raged through Oregon, staff at fish hatcheries around the state raced to try to save – or prematurely...
‘Nothing left in the bucket’: Wildfire resources run thin
Justin Silvera came off the fire lines in Northern California after a grueling 36 straight days battling wildfires and evacuating residents ahead of the...
Western wildfire smoke causes East Coast haze, vivid sunsets
The smoke from dozens of wildfires in the western United States is stretching clear across the country — and even pushing into Mexico, Canada...
Victims of deadly California wildfire found in cars, roadway
OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A 72-year-old man found dead in a vehicle and two other people discovered on a roadway were among the latest...
Wildfire smoke brings haze, vivid sunsets to East Coast
The smoke from dozens of wildfires in the western United States is stretching clear across the country — and even pushing into Mexico, Canada...
Wildfire kept away from historic California observatory
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters have prevented a California wildfire from damaging the historic Mount Wilson Observatory, which played a pivotal role in confirming...
The Latest: Downed power lines sparked 13 Oregon fires
The Latest on wildfires in the U.S. West (all times local):
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Seeping under doors, bad air from West’s fires won’t ease up
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Dangerously dirty air spewing from the West Coast wildfires is seeping into homes and businesses, sneaking into cars through air...
LEADING OFF: M’s-Giants shift because of fires, Hamels debut
A look at what's happening around the majors today:
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Harris, home in California, gets a look at wildfire damage
AUBERRY, Calif. (AP) — Touring wildfire damage Tuesday in her home state, California Sen. Kamala Harris said “ideology should not kick in" when responding...
LEADING OFF: M’s-Giants shift because of fires, Hamels debut
A look at what's happening around the majors on Wednesday:
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Oregon reduces number of confirmed wildfire fatalities
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Authorities in Oregon have reduced the confirmed number of fatalities from recent wildfires in the state from 10 to eight.
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2 Giants-Seattle games off due to smoky skies, moved to SF
SEATTLE (AP) — The two-game series between the San Francisco Giants and Mariners in Seattle that was scheduled to start Tuesday night was postponed...
Winds kick up century old volcanic ash in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — While western U.S. states were suffering from hazy red skies from wildfires, Alaska was dealing with an air quality problem...
California firefighters work to protect historic observatory
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters burned off vegetation in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles on Tuesday to protect historic Mount Wilson...
Trump spurns science on climate: ‘Don’t think science knows’
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — With the smell of California wildfires in the air, President Donald Trump on Monday ignored the scientific consensus that climate...
Latest: Oregon seeks presidential disaster declaration
The Latest on wildfires in the U.S. West (all times local):
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California governor gently confronts Trump on climate
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom had President Donald Trump one-on-one on live TV Monday, a perfect opportunity to spar with Democrats'...
The Latest: Biden vows to ‘restore dignity for everyone’
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. presidential campaign (all times local):
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Wildfires during pandemic intensify economic pain in West
The fires consuming the forests of California and Oregon and darkening the skies over San Francisco and Portland are also damaging a regional economy...
Santa Anita postpones fall opener 1 week due to wildfire
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Opening day of Santa Anita’s fall season will be pushed back a week until Sept. 25 because of poor air...
Latest: Sheriff: 2 more dead from California wildfires
The Latest on wildfires in the U.S. West (all times local):
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Winds a worry as death toll reaches 35 from West Coast fires
BEAVERCREEK, Ore. (AP) — Nearly all the dozens of people reported missing after a devastating blaze in southern Oregon have been accounted for, authorities...
Battle on to save Brazil’s tropical wetlands from flames
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — A vast swath of a vital wetlands is burning in Brazil, sweeping across several national parks and obscuring the sun...
Desperately fleeing the burning hills in Northern California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As the flames closed in on tiny Berry Creek in the Sierra Nevada foothills early Wednesday, Misty Spires and her...
Groups turn to hotels to shelter fire evacuees amid virus
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Fearing one disaster will feed another, relief groups are putting some people who fled their homes during West Coast wildfires...
