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by Gianrigo MARLETTA Agence France Presse REDDING, United States (AFP) — A young boy pleaded for rescue before he died along with two others in a California wildfire, an anguished relative recounted Monday, while other shaken survivors told of their flight from a “tornado” of fire. Thousands of firefighters in California made some progress against several large-scale blazes that have turned close to 200,000 acres (80,940 hectares) into an ashen wasteland, destroyed expensive homes, and […]
ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — Greek fire services on Sunday said three more people were confirmed killed by the wildfires that have devastated seaside resorts near Athens, bringing the death toll in the disaster to 91. Another 25 remain missing, said spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri, giving a precise figure for the first time after mounting criticism over the issue. But some or all of the missing may be among 28 victims whose bodies are currently being […]
by Catherine Boitard and Patrick Galey Agence France Presse ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — Grief and shock over Greece’s deadliest wildfires were clouded Friday by a bitter debate over who was to blame, as the opposition rejected the government’s suggestion that the blazes were started deliberately. Deputy Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Toskas on Thursday suggested there were “serious” signs that the worst of the fires, which killed scores this week east of Athens, was the result […]
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 […]
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 […]
LOS ANGELES, California (AFP) — A firefighter was killed in one of the largest blazes in California’s history, officials said Thursday, as emergency services spent another day struggling to contain infernos across the tinder-dry state. San Diego-based Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson died fighting the Thomas Fire in Ventura County, according to Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott, who gave no further details on the incident. “I am very saddened to report that a firefighter fatality […]
by Veronique Dupont Agence France Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Replica Tuscan castles, minimalist mansions and country cottages in the rarefied Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles could soon be reduced to ashes, their owners’ fame and wealth providing little immunity against California’s latest raging wildfires. “We’re evacuating the street you must leave!” a police officer barked into a bullhorn, amid the din of helicopters and airplanes dropping fire retardants. “The fire is at […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Senate on Tuesday approved a $36.5-billion disaster relief package for hurricane-affected communities like Puerto Rico and for areas devastated by wildfires, sending the bill to President Donald Trump for his signature. The measure outlining “supplemental” disaster spending passed 82 to 17, nearly two weeks after the emergency package cleared the House of Representatives. The aid includes $18.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund, $16 […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – A sharp increase in forest fires stoked record losses in global forest cover equivalent to the area of New Zealand in 2016, a Global Forest Watch report said Monday. The alarming pace of destruction — 51 percent higher than the prior year with a loss of 73.4 million acres (29.7 million hectares), according to data from the University of Maryland — was partially due to climate change that has increased […]
by Bruno Cravo Agence France Presse VOUZELA, Portugal (AFP) — At least 36 people have died in fires ravaging forests in northern and central Portugal over the past 24 hours, rescuers said Monday, after three people were killed in Spain in blazes sparked by arsonists and fanned by Hurricane Ophelia. The 36 deaths, which were confirmed by Portugal’s national civil protection agency and included a one-month-old baby, come four months after 64 people were killed […]
by Frankie Taggart Agence France Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The death toll from California’s raging wildfires rose to 38 on Saturday, with more than 10,000 firefighters battling 16 large blazes and 100,000 people evacuated, the state’s fire service said. Around 335 square miles (864 square kilometers) of residential neighborhoods, forests and other property have been burned since Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). “These […]
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — The death toll from California’s wildfires rose to 33 on Friday as firefighters made some progress in containing the infernos but said intensifying winds were a concern. “We’re not out of this emergency, not even close,” said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. “But we are seeing some progress in areas the fires have impacted,” Ghilarducci told a news conference. “We’ll get ahead of […]
