SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A helicopter crashed during an operation to extinguish a fire in southeastern South Korea on Sunday, killing its pilot, the local fire agency said. A local fire office said that the fire at the hill in the city of Daegu had been put out about...
Large SC Wildfires Contained as Teens Charged With Starting Fire With Cigarettes
PICKENS, S.C. (AP) — Two wildfires that started lose to each other in the South Carolina mountains and burned an area over half the size of Hilton Head Island are nearly contained, authorities said. Four teens who did not fully extinguish their cigarettes while hiking...
Firefighters have high levels of PFAS in aftermath of Maui (HI) fires
Nina Wu - The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Maui firefighters who responded to the August 2023 Maui wildfires had the highest levels of “forever chemicals ” known as PFAS in their bloodstream when compared with other first responders a month later. PFAS, or per-fluoroalkyl...
On the Heels of a Dry Winter, Firefighters Around the US Brace for Wildfire Risks
By TY ONEIL and SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — From the southwestern U.S. to Minnesota, Iowa and even parts of New Jersey, it seemed that winter never materialized. Many communities marked their driest winters on record, snowpack was...
Evacuations Ordered as Winds Pose Challenges for Firefighters Battling CA Fire
BISHOP, Calif. (AP) — Strong winds on Monday drove an out-of-control wildfire through a remote area of eastern California, prompting evacuations for hundreds of homes. The Silver Fire erupted Sunday afternoon along Route 6 in Inyo County, about 5 miles (8 km)...
Rain and Cooler Weather Help South Korean Fire Crews Battle Devastating Wildfires
By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated ress SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Rain and cooler temperatures are helping South Korean fire crews as they battle the country’s worst-ever wildfires on Friday, as the governor of the hardest-hit region called for overhauling...
South Korea Struggles to Contain Wildfires; Helicopter Crash is Latest Setback
By YONG JUN CHANG, HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press CHEONGSONG, South Korea (AP) — Helicopters dumped water over a burning forest in South Korea on Thursday as fire crews struggled to contain the country's worst-ever wildfires, which have killed 26...
Firefighters Make Progress on Containing Some Carolina Wildfires, but Others Grow
By The Associated Press Firefighters announced progress Wednesday night on containing two of the largest wildfires burning in the North Carolina mountains, but they warned that fire danger remained from dry and windy conditions. The news was worse in South Carolina,...
Wildfires Ravage Southern South Korea, Killing 24 People and Forcing 27,000 to Evacuate
By KIM TONG-HYUNG and HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Wind-driven wildfires that were among South Korea’s worst ever were ravaging the country’s southern regions, killing 24 people, destroying more than 200 structures and forcing 27,000 people...
Southern CA Fire Danger Zones Increase 76% in New Maps
Jeff Collins - Los Angeles Daily News The number of acres in the top two fire zones that must comply with stiffer, fire-safe building codes increased 76% in Southern California areas protected by local firefighters, new state hazard maps released Monday, March 24,...
Firefighters in the Carolinas Battle Multiple Wildfires as NJ Crews Contain a Forest Blaze
By The Associated Press Firefighters in North and South Carolina were battling multiple wind-driven wildfires Monday in rugged terrain that complicated containment efforts, officials said. Hundreds of miles north, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service was battling a...
Wildfires in Western Japan Damage Homes, Force Residents to Evacuate in at Least 2 Areas
By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Wildfires have hit several regions in western Japan, injuring at least two people, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate and damaging a number of homes as hundreds of firefighters battled the widening blazes in the...