wildfires

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SC Wildfire Blamed on Burning of Yard Debris

(Newser) - Investigators say the wildfire tearing through South Carolina was set off by someone burning yard debris, the AP reports. The fire apparently rekindled days later, then burned through dry scrub and trees into North Myrtle Beach. The fire was about 50% contained this afternoon, and the tourist area of Myrtle...

Fires Fuel Climate Change, More Fires

Scientists warn that fires must be included in climate models

(Newser) - Climate change calculations have missed the blazingly obvious, according to a new report from a global group of scientists. They warn that forest fires—generally considered to be a part of natural cycles—are a key driver of climate change, releasing vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and creating...

Wildfires Destroy Dozens of SC Homes

2,500 evacuated in North Myrtle Beach area

(Newser) - Fires have forced the evacuation of around 2,500 people in the North Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina, the Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports. At least 40 homes have been destroyed and 100 damaged by fire in Horry County, a tourist hotspot; no injuries have been reported. "...

2 Dead in Texas Wildfires; Flames Recede

But blazes seem to be dying down: firefighters

(Newser) - Two people have died after wildfires in Texas engulfed their property, CNN reports. Matt and Cathy Quinn are so far the only fatalities reported from fires that burned parts of Texas and Oklahoma yesterday. Matt Quinn was a former reporter for WFAA-TV, a local news station. The wildfires are petering...

Wildfires Sear Texas, Oklahoma

Blazes fanned by hurricane-force winds destroy dozens of homes

(Newser) - Firefighters are struggling to contain several raging blazes fanned by hurricane-force winds in Texas and Oklahoma, CNN reports. Dozens of homes have been destroyed and the winds—up to 76 mph—are making it hard for firefighting aircraft to get off the ground. At least 13 people have been injured,...

Battered Australia a Preview of Climate Devastation

Country grapples with drought, wildfires, and heat

(Newser) - Pummeled by drought, wildfires, and heat, Australia may be offering the world a preview of what’s to come as the planet warms, experts say. “Australia is the harbinger of change,” says a paleontologist. Many say climate change has already taken a human toll in the 173 killed...

Aussies Mourn Fire Victims
 Aussies Mourn Fire Victims 
Feb 22, 2009 7:45 AM CST

Aussies Mourn Fire Victims

Fires bared worst of nature, best of humanity, says prime minister

(Newser) - As bells tolled, mourners throughout Australia prayed at services today for the 209 people killed in wildfires and those still missing, CNN reports. “House is gone, friends are gone. This is total destruction,” said one resident. Rescue teams continue to search through the devastation as firefighters still battled...

Aussie Arson Suspect Was Volunteer Firefighter

He's accused of lighting a fire that killed 21 people

(Newser) - The first suspect to be charged in one of the Australian blazes that killed as many as 300 people has been identified as a 39-year-old volunteer firefighter, reports the Times of London. He's accused of igniting a fire that killed 21 people 100 miles east of Melbourne. The suspect's identity...

Aussie Police Question 2 Men About Wildfires

(Newser) - Police in Australia said they have questioned two people in connection to the raging wildfires that have killed more than 180 people in the state of Victoria. Police declined to say whether the two had been arrested or even detained, and released a statement that described them as "assisting...

Healing Koalas Steal Hearts
 Healing Koalas Steal Hearts 
Feb 11, 2009 5:25 PM CST

Healing Koalas Steal Hearts

She holds hands with her rescuer in moving video

(Newser) - The survival of two burned koalas is giving Aussies a lift amid the catastrophic wildfires that have killed 180 people and possibly millions of animals, MSNBC reports. The more famous of the two is Sam, who became a YouTube sensation when she took water and offered a singed paw to...

Koala Rescued After Aussie Wildfire

(Newser) - When firefighter David Tree noticed the koala, it was moving gingerly over the blackened landscape, its scorched paws clearly causing pain. "I could see she had sore feet and was in trouble, so I pulled over the fire truck," Tree told the Herald Sun. “It was amazing,...

300 Feared Dead in Australia Fires

Task Force begins investigation

(Newser) - More than 300 people may have died in the devastating bushfires that have torched 850 square miles of southeast Australia, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. While the official death toll stands at 173, an official warned that number would rise “steeply” as rescuers discover more bodies. Several people are...

Aussie Toll Hits 171; PM Cites 'Mass Murder'

Small town declared crime scene as devastation continues

(Newser) - The death toll from angry bushfires in Australia jumped to 171 today, reports Reuters, as the country's prime minister, fighting back tears, accused suspected arsonists of "mass murder." Up to 5,000 people have been left homeless; at one relief center, boards covered with Post-It notes beg for...

108 Dead in Aussie Fires
 108 Dead in Aussie Fires 
Feb 8, 2009 7:50 PM CST

108 Dead in Aussie Fires

Blazes destroy entire towns, continue to burn

(Newser) - More than 100 people are confirmed dead in the wildfires that have savaged southeast Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Entire towns have been wiped out, leaving gutted buildings and scorched cars. "There might only be 15 or 20 houses left in Marysville," a resident said. "There's...

Wildfires Kill 14 in Southeast Australia

Melbourne sees hottest day on record

(Newser) - Australian wildfires have killed 14 people in the southeast, and police fear dozens more could be dead, the Age reports. Some 100 homes have been destroyed in dozens of fires, the worst in the history of the state of Victoria. Police suspect arson is behind some of the fires, which...

Scorched SoCal Hills Ripe for Mudslides

(Newser) - A Southern California recently ravaged by wildfires will now have to contend with its heaviest rainfall in 9 months—and the possibility of destructive mudslides, the Los Angeles Times reports. The denuded hills of Yorba Linda and Montecito are prime spots for mud flows, having lost vegetation that stabilizes the...

Wind Dies Down in SoCal
 Wind Dies Down in SoCal 
Nov 16, 2008 11:54 AM CST

Wind Dies Down in SoCal

As gusts slow, firefighters get reprieve, take preventative measures

(Newser) - The winds have let up in Southern California,  giving some relief to firefighters battling wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of residents to flee. Gusts in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles were down to 39mph, much lower than the roughly 80mph winds that fanned...

Twin Wildfires Ravage LA Area

Over 100 homes ruined in Montecito; 1,500 still at risk

(Newser) - The wildfire in California’s wealthy Montecito area calmed down yesterday, but not before destroying 111 homes, the Los Angeles Times reports; and a new blaze roared overnight in Sylmar, where 5,000 were evacuated, CNN notes. Firefighters warned that 1,500 homes were still endangered by the as-yet-uncontained Montecito...

80 Homes Burn in Hills Over Santa Barbara

Blaze overwhelms firefighters in enclave of the rich and famous

(Newser) - A wildfire ripped through the wealthy enclave of Montecito in Santa Barbara County last night, destroying some 80 homes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Firefighters were overwhelmed as the wind-driven brushfire spread out of control. Much of the area, home to dozens of celebrities, was evacuated as the blazes spread...

LA Wildfire Threatens Getty
 LA Wildfire Threatens Getty 
Oct 23, 2008 9:27 AM CDT

LA Wildfire Threatens Getty

Winds could move blaze unpredictably: officials

(Newser) - A wildfire raging in Los Angeles this morning threatens the Getty Center’s priceless paintings and sculptures, and homes in swanky Brentwood's hills, the Times reports. Firefighters temporarily closed an interstate as more than 500 of them deployed an air assault to battle the early-morning blaze. Officials worry winds picking...

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