Latest Wildfires News

Massachusetts firefighters continue to battle stubborn brush fires across state

Nov. 03, 2024 13:41 PM EST

BOSTON (AP) — Firefighters in Massachusetts are continuing to battle stubborn brush fires across the state with officials urging residents to take precautions to help avoid sparking new blazes. Hundreds of acres (hectares) in the greater Boston area have already burned in the past...

Hawaii attorney general investigation into deadly Lahaina wildfire won't lead to criminal charges

Oct. 31, 2024 17:20 PM EDT

HONOLULU (AP) — An investigation by the Hawaii attorney general's office into the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, which destroyed most of the historic town of Lahaina, won’t lead to any criminal charges. Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez launched an investigation...

As summers get hotter, Greece's seasonal firefighters protest for permanent jobs

Oct. 31, 2024 17:16 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Seasonal firefighters clashed with police in Greece’s Civil Protection Ministry during a protest Thursday to demand permanent positions after their contracts expire following a grueling wildfire season. Riot police used tear gas to force a group of...

Citing brush fire smoke, Massachusetts officials cancel high school classes, trick-or-treat event

Oct. 29, 2024 19:21 PM EDT

BOSTON. (AP) — A high school in Salem, Massachusetts, shut down classes early Tuesday and an annual Downtown Trick or Treat event in a second town was canceled because of smoky conditions as firefighters continued to battle stubborn brush fires in eastern parts of the state. School...

Where has all the rain gone? Bone-dry October strikes much of US

Oct. 29, 2024 14:08 PM EDT

A bone-dry October is pushing nearly half of the United States into a flash drought, leading to fires in the Midwest and hindering shipping on the Mississippi River. More than 100 different long-term weather stations in 26 states, including Alaska, are having their driest October on...

Several brush fires create smoky conditions in parts of eastern Massachusetts

Oct. 28, 2024 17:52 PM EDT

BOSTON (AP) — Residents in parts of eastern Massachusetts woke to the acrid smell of smoke Monday as firefighters worked to extinguish several brush fires. The National Weather Service said on the social platform X that smoke was trapped near the ground during the morning due to a...

Connecticut firefighter killed in accident at brush fire remembered as friend, family man

Oct. 28, 2024 16:20 PM EDT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut firefighter killed in a vehicle accident while battling a brush fire was remembered Monday as a beloved family man and friend who made other's lives better. The funeral for Robert Sharkevich Sr., 66, was held at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in...

Crews fight a large brush fire in Massachusetts; 1 person found dead in a separate outdoor fire

Oct. 27, 2024 15:26 PM EDT

SALEM, Mass. (AP) — A woman died in an outdoor fire at an encampment in Millbury on Saturday night and crews on Sunday were still fighting a large overnight brush fire in Salem as dry and windy conditions have raised the risk of wildfires in southern New England. When state police...

AI is being used to send some households impacted by Helene and Milton $1,000 cash relief payments

Oct. 25, 2024 16:58 PM EDT

Nearly 1,000 hurricane-impacted households in North Carolina and Florida will benefit this week from a new disaster aid program that employs a model not commonly used by philanthropy in the United States: Giving people rapid, direct cash payments. The nonprofit GiveDirectly plans to...

Criminals may be leveraging climate change as record acreage burns in Brazil's Amazon

Oct. 25, 2024 10:11 AM EDT

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Wildfires in Brazil have swept through an area the size of Switzerland, a level of destruction that will take decades to recover, if it ever does, according to a new satellite assessment. The breadth of forest that has been lost or degraded was revealed as...