Tag: fire

‘Erratic’ winds, dry conditions fuel deadly California fires

by Gianrigo Marletta Agence France-Presse REDDING, United States (AFP) – Around 12,000 firefighters battled Sunday to contain wildfires in California that have killed six people — but authorities warned “erratic” winds and dry conditions have caused the flames to grow and spread. “Very hot and dry conditions will continue over the West coast states through Sunday,” the National Weather Service said early Sunday. “Conditions around the Carr wildfire near Redding, California will continue to be […]

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Thousands flee new California blaze, governor asks for aid

  LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Thousands of people in Southern California had fled a deliberately set blaze southeast of Los Angeles by Saturday morning, after the state’s governor requested federal aid to help battle a deadly fire elsewhere. A blaze known as the Cranston Fire, and the Northern California Carr Fire in which two firefighters have lost their lives, are among the most serious of several blazes burning in the most populous US […]

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Rescuers search fire-devastated Greek areas as toll hits 81

by Helene Colliopoulou and Patrick Galey Agence France-Presse ATHENS, Greece (AFP) – At least 81 people died in huge wildfires around Athens, Greek authorities have said, as rescuers scoured scorched homes and burned-out cars for victims of one of the world’s deadliest fire outbreaks. Scores of locals and holidaymakers fled to the sea to try to escape the flames as they tore through towns and villages near the capital stoked by 100-kilometre-per-hour wind gusts, devouring […]

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Some 30,000 families lose homes in Jolo, Sulu fire

Eagle News) — Some 30,000 families lost their homes to a huge fire that hit Jolo, Sulu on Tuesday, razing more than 2,600 homes in three barangays, namely Labayong, Busbis and Walled City. Fire investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire that broke out shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 24. Narrow roads prevented fire trucks from reaching some of the areas affected by the blaze. It was the biggest fire that […]

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Greek wildfires toll rises to 79 amid search for survivors

by Hélène COLLIOPOULOU Agence France-Presse ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — At least 79 people died in huge wildfires around Athens, Greek authorities said Wednesday, as rescuers scoured scorched homes and burned-out cars for survivors of one of the deadliest fire outbreaks in Europe’s modern history. Scores of locals and holidaymakers fled to the sea to try to escape the flames as they tore through towns near Athens stoked by 100-kilometre-per-hour wind gusts, devouring woodland and hundreds […]

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Greece in mourning as horrifying wildfires kill 74

by Hélène Colliopoulou Agence France Presse ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — Greece was in mourning Tuesday following some of the worst wildfires this century, with fears the toll — at least 74 dead and 187 injured so far — could rise, as rescuers search for people trapped in their homes or burned-out cars. The fires, which broke out on Monday afternoon, devoured homes and forests, forcing terrified residents to flea into the sea for safety, while […]

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At least 20 dead in Greek wildfires

ATHENS, Greece (AFP) – At least 20 people have died and more than 100 injured after wildfires tore through woodland and villages around Athens, as Greek authorities rushed to evacuate residents and tourists stranded on beaches in coastal areas early Tuesday. The majority of victims were found in their homes or cars in the seaside resort of Mati, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of the capital, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said. Eleven people were seriously […]

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California wildfire grows near Yosemite National Park

LOS ANGELES, California (AFP) -The fire threatening Yosemite National Park in California raged through the weekend, growing in size to nearly 34,000 acres, authorities said Monday. “Weather forecasts are calling for hotter and drier air throughout the week as conditions align for critical and extreme fire weather in the coming days,” InciWeb, an inter-agency incident reporting site, said. InciWeb said the so-called Ferguson fire was 13 percent contained, an improvement over Friday when it was […]

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Forest fires destroy 800 hectares in Latvia

RIGA, Latvia (AFP)–Fires raging for five days have destroyed more than 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of western Latvia, authorities said Sunday, with continuing extreme temperatures hampering firefighters’ efforts. Satellite images showed the fires have wiped out 170 acres of forest, 257 hectares of scrubland and nearly 400 hectares of peatland. A peat fire in the Courland region broke out last Tuesday and spread eastwards, with the smoke noticeable in the resort town of Jurmala, more […]

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Forest fire threatens California’s fabled Yosemite

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — A vast fire in northern California has destroyed 50 km2 (more than 12,000 acres), left one person dead and is threatening Yosemite National Park, authorities said Tuesday. The Ferguson fire has been raging in the Sierra Nevada forest since last Friday and was only five percent contained as of Tuesday, according to the California firefighting agency, Calfire, which also reported that one firefighter died in the operations. Some 1,500 […]

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Massive fire rips through Bali port

BENOA, Indonesia (AFP) — A massive fire laid waste to dozens of boats at a Bali port on Monday as firefighters battled to bring the dramatic blaze under control. The fire started around after midnight on the Indonesian holiday island and quickly engulfed nearly 40 local vessels but no injuries were reported, police said. “So far there are no casualties,” Bali police spokesman Hengky Widjaja told AFP. Images from Benoa port, which sits next to […]

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Wildfires spark evacuations in northern California

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) – Californian authorities have issued red flag weather warnings and mandatory evacuation orders after a series of wildfires fanned by high winds and hot temperatures ripped through thousands of acres. The latest blaze, the County Fire sparked in Yolo County on Saturday, had by Sunday afternoon spread across 22,000 acres (9,000 hectares) with zero percent containment, according to Cal Fire. More than 100 fire trucks and a dozen helicopters are […]

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