California Fires

San Diego Gas & Electric and Cox Communications have agreed to pay $17 million to settle claims by state investigators that poor maintenance led to three huge Southern California wildfires in 2007. The settlement, announced Friday, comes more than a year after investigators with California's Public Utilities Commission concluded that power lines caused the Witch Creek, Guejito and Rice Canyon fires, which destroyed 1,300 homes and killed two people. Officials found the Guejito Fire was caused by a Cox Communications lashing wire touching an SDG&E conductor. Cox has agreed to pay $2 million to the general fund, without admitting it caused the fire. The ... Read Full Story

A Southern California wildfire that destroyed eight homes has been fully contained. Riverside County fire Captain Fernando Herrera says the blaze that consumed 340 acres east of Temecula near Vail Lake was surrounded Sunday night. He says residents have been allowed to return to the approximately 30 homes near Highway 79 that were evacuated Saturday afternoon when the fire broke out. The fire also destroyed three outbuildings, eight vehicles, two boats and a motor home. Meanwhile, air crews continued to drop retardant on the massive wildfire burning in the forest north of Los Angeles in anticipation of hot, dry winds moving into the area ... Read Full Story

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A raging wildfire burned toward the outskirts of a community north of Los Angeles on Tuesday, injuring two firefighters and forcing more than 400 people to flee their homes. The fire erupted in the morning and had blackened about 6,000 acres of scrubland by early evening. Authorities said the blaze was advancing on the outskirts of Moorpark, a community of 40,000 people about 30 miles north of Los Angeles. "It's burning in light, flashy fuels and it's burning very quickly in the heat and low humidity. The fire is moving very fast," Ventura County Fire spokesman Tom Krushchke said. Two ... Read Full Story

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A raging wildfire fanned by hot winds approached the outskirts of a community north of Los Angeles on Tuesday, prompting officials to order the evacuation of several neighborhoods. The fire had charred only about 300 acres as of Tuesday afternoon, but authorities said it was moving quickly toward a number of structures as well as power lines and farmland. Several neighborhoods were ordered evacuated and livestock was moved out of the path of the flames, which were burning toward Moorpark, a community of about 40,000 people in Ventura County, north of Los Angeles. It was one of several wildfires that ... Read Full Story

A monster blaze raging above Los Angeles grew in size Tuesday as weary firefighters voiced hope that a break in searing temperatures would allow them to make inroads against the inferno. The runaway wildfire, which has claimed the lives of two firefighters, gutted 53 homes and is threatening 12,000 more properties, has now churned through more than 121,762 acres (49,275 hectares) in just six days. An estimated 10,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and the flames are threatening a critical telecommunications facility as well as a historic hilltop observatory. But a cooler weather front which brought increased humidity raised hopes that firefighters ... Read Full Story

Raging wildfires claimed their first fatalities as they gained ground around Los Angeles where California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger oversaw the battle against the blazes. Two firefighters were killed by the fires raging north of here, authorities announced. Three other people were injured earlier. One of the fires, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) long, was burning largely out of control along a ridge in a mostly populated area north of Los Angeles. It was under five percent contained, firefighters said. The US Forest Service said the blaze by midday had destroyed 14,000 hectares (35,200 acres). And by late Sunday the fire in Angeles National Forest ... Read Full Story

A monster blaze raging above Los Angeles grew in size Tuesday as weary firefighters voiced hope that a break in searing temperatures would allow them to make inroads against the inferno. The runaway wildfire, which has claimed the lives of two firefighters, gutted 53 homes and is threatening 12,000 more properties, has now churned through more than 121,762 acres (49,275 hectares ) in just six days. An estimated 10,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and the flames are threatening a critical telecommunications facility as well as a historic hilltop observatory. But a cooler weather front which brought increased humidity raised hopes that ... Read Full Story

Raging wildfires gained ground around Los Angeles where California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger oversaw the battle against blazes that have injured three and threaten more than 10,000 homes. The fire, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) long, was burning largely out of control along a ridge in a mostly populated area north of Los Angeles. It was under five percent contained, firefighters said. The US Forest Service said the blaze by midday had destroyed 14,000 hectares (35,200 acres). And by late Sunday the fire in Angeles National Forest was approaching a historic solar observatory and television transmission towers on Mt. Wilson, The Los Angeles Times reported ... Read Full Story

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger headed Sunday close to where wildfires were ravaging a vast area north of Los Angeles, where three people have been hurt and authorities evacuated 4,000 homes. The fire, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) long, was burning largely out of control along a ridge in a mostly populated area north of Los Angeles. It was under five percent contained, firefighters said. The US Forest Service said the blaze by midday had destroyed 14,000 hectares (35,200 acres). The governor visited the Station fire in Los Angeles County for a briefing on the status of firefighting efforts across California and to encourage the thousands ... Read Full Story

Wildfires have killed two firefighters and turned hills around Los Angeles into fiery orange infernos, threatening thousands of homes. The two died south of the town of Acton when their vehicle went off the road and rolled down a mountain slope, said Mike Bryant, a fire department spokesman. "Our hearts are heavy as we are tragically reminded of the sacrifices our firefighters and their families make daily to keep us safe," California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. One fire, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) long, was burning out of control along a ridge in a populated area north of Los Angeles. The ... Read Full Story