California fires are a major concern for homeowners and firefighters in California. Large California wildfires often do hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
A giant white cloud engulfed Los Angeles on Tuesday as a deadly massive wildfire spread above the city, and authorities warned it could take two weeks to bring under control. The huge blaze has already killed two firefighters and emergency services fought scorching heat to rescue five people trapped by flames. About 10,000 people have already been evacuated from their homes. Flames have ripped through 105,296 acres (42,612 hectares) of tinder-dry forest north of Los Angeles and were still... Read Full Story
Firefighters made steady progress against a deadly wildfire raging in Los Angeles but officials warned that the monster blaze could spiral out of control once more. The inferno, which officials have said is the largest in Los Angeles County's history, has left two firefighters dead, destroyed 64 homes and ripped through 140,150 acres (56,716 hectares), according to latest figures. However another day of higher humidity allowed firefighters to increase containment of the mammoth wildfire to... Read Full Story
Greek authorities evacuated houses, children's hospitals and a retirement home Sunday as firefighters backed by water-bombing aircraft battled a raging wildfire threatening Athens' eastern suburbs. Hundreds were evacuated as the flames, fanned by strong winds, threatened the suburbs of Pallini, Penteli, Dionysos and Stamata, part of a wooded residential area with around 60,000 residents, firefighters said. "The winds that constantly change direction have rekindled embers in various parts of... Read Full Story
Wildfires are continuing to rage in California, where efforts to control the week-old blazes are being hampered by high winds and difficult terrain, state fire prevention agency Calfire said Saturday. One blaze in Santa Cruz county, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) south-east of San Francisco, has forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 people, destroyed two buildings and is threatening 250 homes in the communities of Swanton and Bonny Doon. Calfire said the blaze, which began Wednesday, has... Read Full Story
The investigation into a deadly Los Angeles wildfire has become a homicide probe as authorities revealed that the mammoth blaze burning near the city was caused by arson. As weary crews tightened their grip on the monster inferno, which has been blamed for the deaths of two firefighters since it erupted on August 26, officials confirmed the blaze was set deliberately. "Arson investigators have concluded that the fire was the result of an act of arson," said US Forest Service official Rita... Read Full Story
Residents of more than 500 homes have been ordered to evacuate a densely populated area just outside Los Angeles as four large wildfires swept across southern California, officials said. By late Thursday, the blaze in La Canada Flintridge -- some 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Los Angeles -- had almost doubled in size to over 500 acres (202 hectares) and was only five percent contained, the US Forest Service said. It had ordered a mandatory evacuation order for more than 500 homes north... Read Full Story
Firefighters tackling wildfires across the state of California are gradually bringing blazes under control, the state's fire prevention service Calfire said Sunday. A blaze in Santa Cruz county, 560 kilometers (about 350 miles) northwest of Los Angeles, that forced the evacuation of 2,000 people was 50 percent under control by Sunday morning, Calfire said on its website. Despite the progress, the fire continued to threaten more than 250 homes in the communities of Swanton and Bonny Doon, and... 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... Read Full Story
As firefighters on Sunday took on the still-flaring eastern flank of a giant, arson-sparked wildfire north of Los Angeles, those examining the damage in calmer areas discovered two more destroyed homes, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman said. The fire, which started Aug. 26, has killed two firefighters, blackened nearly 246 square miles of the Angeles National Forest and destroyed at least 78 homes and a pair of commercial buildings, fire spokesman Ian MacDonald said. Details were not... Read Full Story
Cool weather allowed firefighters to make progress against a deadly wildfire raging in Los Angeles but officials warned they were a long way from declaring victory. After days of sweltering temperatures and single-digit humidity, Mother Nature came to the aid of firefighters tackling the blaze which has claimed two lives, gutted 63 homes and ripped through 127,000 acres (51,400 hectares). A rise in humidity and a drop in temperatures saw firefighters increase containment lines from five... Read Full Story
