Escape from killer New Mexico wildfire was 'absolute sheer terror,’ says woman who fled the flames

Belinda Bukovitz was jolted into action by the sound of police outside her home shouting through a loudspeaker: “Go now, go now, go now!” Realizing this was not like other wildfires that had threatened her mountain village before, she, her husband, son and two cats bundled into three separate...

FEMA is ready for an extreme hurricane and wildfire season, but money is a concern, Mayorkas says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Homeland Security Department said Friday that the agency tasked with responding to disasters across the country is prepared as it goes into what is expected to be an intense hurricane and wildfire season but he's concerned about looming budget shortfalls. ...

A fire that spread through settlements in Turkey killed 11. Greece evacuates villages for safety

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A fire that apparently started in crop stubble spread through settlements in southeast Turkey overnight, killing 11 people and leaving dozens of others requiring medical treatment, officials and news reports said Friday. In neighboring Greece, authorities...

Rain helps 1,000 firefighters slow big New Mexico blazes as Biden approves disaster relief

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — More than 1,000 firefighters in New Mexico took advantage of a break in the weather on Thursday to get the upper hand — for now — on a pair of wildfires that have killed two people, destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands to flee. President Joe...

California firefighters gain on blazes but brace for troublesome hot weather

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California firefighters continued to gain ground Thursday against large wildfires that erupted statewide during a late-spring bout of very dry winds. The red flag fire weather conditions that spawned the blazes have abated, but forecasters warned large areas of...

Floodwaters inundate Minnesota towns while another storm transformed New Mexico village into a lake

COOK, Minn. (AP) — Several small-town tourist meccas in northern Minnesota have been inundated by floodwaters after a deluge of rain earlier this week, while another powerful storm turned a New Mexico village into a lake. In St. Louis County, Minnesota — the home of Duluth —...

Community foundation takes stock with millions in Maui Strong funds still to spend

Almost a year after the Maui wildfires, half of the money from Hawaii’s largest recovery fund has been spent, with the major portion going to interim housing projects. As of June 14, $103 million from Hawaii Community Foundation’s $194 million Maui Strong Fund had been awarded. ...

New Mexico wildfire claims second life, while rain offers hope of relief

ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — Heavy rain and hail fell Wednesday around an evacuated village in New Mexico threatened by wildfires that have killed at least two people and damaged more than 1,400 structures, offering the hope of some assistance for firefighters but adding the threat of high winds and...

A New Mexico State Police spokesperson confirms a second person has been killed in wildfire near Ruidoso

Scorching temperatures, humidity making life miserable for millions from Midwest to Maine

BOSTON (AP) — A blistering heat wave Wednesday extended from the Midwest to New England, leaving millions of people sweltering through the Juneteenth holiday, including in places like northern Maine where they rarely experience such conditions this early in the year. The city of...