firefighters News

Fire Destroys Montana’s Historic M&M Cigar Store Building

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) — A fire gutted the historic M&M Cigar Store in Butte early Friday, taking with it 131 years of the Mining City’s history. “It’s a total loss. No question,” said Jim Merrifield, a battalion chief with the …

A Dozen Homes Damaged in Wind-Whipped Baltimore Fire

BALTIMORE (AP) — Fire officials said a dozen homes on several streets caught fire in Southwest Baltimore, fueled by wind-whipped flames from the burning roof of a vacant house. One firefighter was injured during the blaze Friday and was taken …

Fire at Ethanol Plant West of Portland Prompts Evacuations

CORNELIUS, Ore. (AP) — Fire crews are battling a fire at an ethanol fuel facility west of Portland in Cornelius that has prompted evacuations, authorities said. The Cornelius Fire Department on Twitter at about 1:42 p.m. Tuesday called the fire …

59 Homes Lost, More Threatened in Australian Wildfire

PERTH, Australia (AP) — An out-of-control wildfire burning northeast of the Australian west coast city of Perth has destroyed at least 59 homes and was threatening more Tuesday, with many residents across the region told it is too late to …

Lands Chief Again Proposes Dedicated Funds to Fight Wildfire

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — After yet another year of catastrophic wildfires in Washington state, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz is once again proposing that the state create a dedicated fund to prevent and fight the fires. A similar attempt …

Nevada Wildfire Victims Share Varied Stories

RENO, Nev. — With a wind-whipped wildfire roaring through a Reno neighborhood, David Howton sprang into action with a garden hose and was lucky to save his home. About a mile away, Scott and Mimi O’Brien weren’t so lucky. The …

As Zeta Raged, Mississippi Family Watched Their Home Burn

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. — Whenever Bobby Turgeau talks about the night Hurricane Zeta swept across the Coast, there’s one line he can’t stop repeating: “I did everything wrong.” That night, Zeta brought 100-mile-per-hour winds and several feet of flood …

Snow, Cold Weather Puts Damper on Colorado Wildfire

DENVER — Snow and cold weather on Sunday put a damper on a wildfire that has forced thousands of people to evacuate in northern Colorado and burned part of Rocky Mountain National Park, but fire officials warned it would not …

Strong Winds Fan Colorado’s Largest Recorded Wildfire

CreplaceENNE, Wyo. — The largest wildfire in Colorado history grew overnight as high winds pushed the blaze through rural communities and the forecast predicts more “extreme fire behavior” on Saturday. Gusts of up to 70 mph (112 kph) overnight created …

California Heat Wave Prompts Power Shutdowns, Fire Danger

SAN FRANCISCO — More than 50,000 California utility customers were without power and others around the state were urged to conserve electricity Thursday amid a fall heat wave that brought another round of extreme wildfire danger. The National Weather Service …