wildfires

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Australia Grieves for Sam the Koala

Rescued animal was symbol of strength after devastating wildfires

(Newser) - The koala bear that became a symbol of hope after Australia's devastating wildfires earlier this year died before surgery today, the Melbourne Herald-Sun reports. Sam was saved by a firefighter who found her moving through the scorched landscape on badly burnt paws, and her image was broadcast around the world....

Smokey Bear's Fire Still Burning at 65

But some criticize his simple message

(Newser) - He turns 65 this year, but Smokey Bear’s nowhere near extinguished, the Los Angeles Times reports. The mascot remains as fiercely beloved by baby boomers as he is fiercely protected by the government: Federal law keeps his image from unauthorized use, which can result in a $150,000 fine....

11,000 Flee Raging Wildfires in British Columbia

(Newser) - "Hellish" wildfires have forced some 11,000 from their homes in Kelowna, British Columbia, reports the Vancouver Sun. Strong winds over the weekend quickly turned two small fires into separate infernos just six miles apart, engulfing more than 1,000 acres of a scenic area 150 miles east of...

Oprah's House Evacuated as Wildfires Rage

Calif. fires come within a few miles of host's $50m home

(Newser) - Oprah Winfrey's mansion in Montecito has been evacuated as wildfires rage a few miles away in Santa Barbara, a source tells Us Weekly. Movers have been seen shifting the talk show host's belongings from the $50 million home. The fires have forced more than 30,500 people from their homes...

Morning Winds Stoke Raging Calif. Wildfires

Firefighters unable to get blaze under control as 30,000 evacuate

(Newser) - Early-morning winds kicked up the uncontrolled Jesusita fire in the hills of Santa Barbara, causing the evacuation of thousands more residents, reports the Los Angeles Times. The fire has now burned more than 2,800 acres, destroyed dozens of homes, and forced 30,000 people to evacuate. Gov. Schwarzenegger has...

13K Flee as Calif. Fire Rages
 13K Flee as Calif. Fire Rages 
May 7, 2009 3:05 PM CDT

13K Flee as Calif. Fire Rages

(Newser) - 13,575 people have fled their homes as a wildfire that has consumed 1,300 acres rages in Santa Barbara, Calif., the Los Angeles Times reports. Another 13,000 are on alert, Bloomberg adds. Officials are unsure how many homes have been destroyed, but it’s in the “dozens....

Calif. Fires Destroy Dozens of Homes

Santa Barbara under state of emergency as wildfires scorch hillsides

(Newser) - Raging wildfires in the hills above Santa Barbara have destroyed at least 20 homes and are threatening many more, reports the Los Angeles Times. Some 900 firefighters are battling the wind-driven fires, but are hampered by poor access to the area. Three were hospitalized with burns after flames engulfed their...

SC Man: Don't Blame Me, Blame Fire Dept.

Says firefighters checked his home twice

(Newser) - A South Carolina man accused of setting off the state's still-burning wildfires says the fire department should be taking the blame, not him. Marc Torchi says he's gotten death threats since fire officials named him, alleging that Torchi's backyard fire to burn debris started the larger blaze. Torchi said they...

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...

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