Month: November 2018

Officials say large swaths of northeast Australia are enduring unprecedented fire danger, with 138 wildfires across Queensland state forcing schools to be closed and thousands of homes to be evacuated. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the fire danger on Wednesday was rated catastrophic in areas of central Queensland, the first time the highest danger rating has been applied to the state. She says 34 schools have been closed in the most threatened regions. Queensland Fire…

Curtis McElhinney stopped 48 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Canadiens 2-1 on Tuesday night in Shea Weber’s return from injury for Montreal. Victor Rask and Trevor van Riemsdyk scored for the Hurricanes, who have won four of five. McElhinney, who’s emerging as the top goaltender in Carolina, made 21 saves in the third period alone for his fourth straight victory. Phillip Danault scored for the Canadiens, who extended their losing streak to five…

By Gilbert Baez, WRAL reporter Lumberton, N.C. — Lumberton homeowner Susan Hayes would have set up her Christmas tree beside her fireplace this year. But her home was destroyed by Hurricanes Florence and Matthew, so her tree will be set up two hours away in Rocky Mount. Two years ago, Hurricane Matthew brought 8 inches of water into her home on Tartan Road and chased Hayes to higher ground. Two months ago, Hurricane Florence dumped…

OAK PARK, Calif. — An Oak Park homeowner watched helplessly through her security camera as flames from the Woolsey Fire began to envelop her house – until a heroic firefighter jumped into action. Courtney McClain kept an eye on her home by watching footage from her Ring camera through her phone. VIDEO: Woman drives through flames to flee wildfire in MalibuAs flames surrounded her house, she spotted a firefighter, braving his way through the inferno…

An increasingly fierce debate about how to prevent deadly wildfires in California is threatening to endanger crucial crop insurance for farmers in Kansas and Missouri. In the wake of wildfires that killed at least 88 people this month, President Donald Trump’s administration is pressuring Congress to include provisions in the farm policy bill that would roll back regulations on forest-thinning projects — a move the administration says would save lives and property. “We cannot waste…

Dennis Dickey found out that he is expecting a boy, but the way he decided to get that information is going to cost him. The U.S. Forest Service released video Tuesday of the explosive stunt that ignited the deadly Sawmill wildfire in Arizona last year. Dickey has admitted in court that his gender reveal party was not just the spark, but the booming explosion that caused the fire to erupt in April 2017, according to…

TUCSON, Ariz. — A wildfire in southern Arizona started when an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent shot at a target to reveal a baby’s gender. The 2017 fire near Green Valley burned 73 square miles (190 square kilometers) of state and federal land. The damage and firefighting costs topped $8 million. A video released Monday by the U.S. Forest Service shows the target explode after being hit with gunfire, sending a blue substance into the…

Florida authorities have linked more deaths to Hurricane Michael, raising the state’s death toll to 43.

Authorities say a wildfire has destroyed at least four homes, forced the evacuation of hundreds of others and razed 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) of farmland and woodland in heatwave conditions in northeast Australia. Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett said Tuesday that police have been knocking on doors of homes in the small rural communities of Baffle Creek, Deepwater, Oyster Creek and Rules Beach in Queensland state to advise residents to evacuate but some are refusing….