Tag: California wildfires

California firefighters use AI to battle wildfires

By Romain FONSEGRIVES When a wildfire erupted in the middle of a recent California night, it could have been a disaster. But thanks to a new monitoring system that uses artificial intelligence to scan for danger, firefighters were able to quell the blaze long before it got out of hand. “It was less than a quarter acre,” Captain Kris Yeary of Cal Fire told AFP. “Had the AI not alerted us to it, it could […]

Thousands evacuated as California wildfire grows

by David McNew with Michael Mathes in Washington Agence France-Presse MIDPINES, United States (AFP) — A fierce California wildfire expanded Sunday, burning several thousand acres and forcing evacuations as tens of millions of Americans sweltered through scorching heat. More than 2,000 firefighters backed by 17 helicopters have been deployed against the Oak Fire, which broke out Friday near Yosemite National Park, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) said in a report. […]

California wildfires turn beloved Napa wine spots to ash

by Glenn CHAPMAN Agence France-Presse CALISTOGA, California (AFP) — The Silverado Trail has long been a place of dreams for Napa Valley wine lovers as it winds gently through vineyards and on to Calistoga. California’s Glass Fire turned much of that dream to ash, destroying a 3-star restaurant at Meadowood resort, torching wineries such as Chateau Boswell, and tainting precious grapes with smoke. The United States’s west coast is experiencing a record-breaking fire season, with […]

California battles largest-ever fire as eight killed in western US

by Javier TOVAR Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — California firefighters battled the state’s largest ever inferno Thursday, as tens of thousands of people fled blazes up and down the US West Coast and officials warned the death toll could shoot up in coming days. At least eight people have been confirmed dead in the past 24 hours across California, Oregon and Washington, but officials say some areas are still impossible to reach, […]

Tens of thousands evacuated as California wildfires rage

by Jocelyne ZABLIT Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, California (AFP) — Wind-driven wildfires forced the evacuation of about 100,000 people in southern California Friday and destroyed dozens of structures and homes as authorities warned it could take days to extinguish the flames. By Friday evening, the strongest blaze, dubbed the Saddleridge Fire, had consumed 7,542 acres (3,052 hectares) in areas of the San Fernando Valley, about 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of downtown Los Angeles, fire […]

California authorities take DNA samples to identify fire victims

By Javier Tovar Agence France-Presse PARADISE, CA (AFP) — California authorities were taking DNA samples from relatives on Thursday to help identify victims of the western US state’s deadly wildfires and seeking to track down some 300 missing persons. At least 59 deaths have been reported so far from the sprawling blazes in northern and southern California and the toll is expected to rise as body recovery teams with sniffer dogs conduct house-to-house searches. Fifty-six […]

Death toll from California wildfires rises as 130 still missing

by Javier TOVAR Agence France-Presse PARADISE, United States (AFP) — The toll in the deadliest wildfires in recent California history climbed to 59 on Wednesday as authorities released a list of 130 people still missing. Most of those unaccounted for are from the Butte County town of Paradise, in northern California, which was virtually erased from the map by the so-called “Camp Fire” blaze that erupted last week. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told journalists […]

California’s raging wildfires cause another death

CLEARLAKE, Oakland (AFP) — California’s deadly Carr wildfire — now the state’s sixth most destructive — has claimed another life with a power linesman killed on the job its seventh fatality, officials said Sunday. The Carr Fire, located some 200 miles (322 kilometers) north of San Francisco, is still growing, CalFire said Sunday. Its intensity was so great at one point, that it generated a tornado-like whirl of fire — as well as its own […]

23 dead in ‘catastrophic’ California wildfires

by Julie Charpentrat with Glenn Chapman in San Francisco Agence France-Presse SANTA ROSA, United States (AFP) — More than 200 fire engines and firefighting crews from around the country were being rushed to California on Wednesday to help battle infernos which have left at least 23 people dead and thousands homeless. “This is a serious, critical, catastrophic event,” California fire chief Ken Pimlott told reporters. “We’re not going to be out of the woods for […]

Thousands evacuate as California wildfires kill 10

by Josh Edelson Agence France-Presse NAPA, United States (AFP) — Raging wildfires in California’s wine country have claimed at least 10 lives and forced thousands to flee, authorities said Monday. Fanned by winds surpassing 50 miles (80 kilometers) an hour, the blazes have forced more than 20,000 people to evacuate in the country’s heaviest populated state since they began Sunday night. California’s fire service said about 73,000 acres (30,000 hectares) have been ravaged by the […]