Sydney choked by hazardous haze from Australia bush fires

SYDNEY (AP) — Wildfires engulfed the Australian city of Sydney on Tuesday in haze so thick in some places it was 11 times worse than the level considered “hazardous," and was apt to trigger fire alarms. The city canceled ferries and some offices in the downtown area were evacuated. Local health...

PG&E's stock surges 16% on tentative wildfire settlement

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — PG&E's stock surged Monday after the utility reached a tentative $13.5 billion settlement resolving all major claims related to the Northern California wildfires of 2017 and 2018. The fires were blamed on Pacific Gas and Electric's outdated equipment and negligence. The utility...

Cost of fighting Alaska summer wildfires more than $300M

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The cost for state and federal officials to fight Alaska's summer wildfires this year is estimated to have surpassed $300 million. The final tally of damage may not be known for years because the estimate does not include costs incurred by private land and home owners, The...

Report: Firefighter overtime surges 65% in California

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Following an unprecedented series of wildfires across California, overtime costs for firefighters surged by 65% over the past decade, pushing annual wages to nearly $5 billion, according to a newspaper analysis published Sunday. With overtime, firefighters are among the best-paid...

PG&E says it has reached $13.5 billion wildfire settlement

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pacific Gas and Electric announced Friday it has reached a tentative $13.5 billion settlement resolving all major claims related to the deadly, devastating Northern California wildfires of 2017-2018 that were blamed on its outdated equipment and negligence. The utility says the deal,...

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. announces $13.5 billion settlement with individual Northern California wildfire victims.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric Co. announces $13.5 billion settlement with individual Northern California wildfire victims.

Montana man pays $1K in fines for starting fire near Helena

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana resident has paid more than $1,000 to the Bureau of Land Management for starting a fire triggering the evacuation of about 500 homes near Helena this summer. The Independent Record reported Thursday that Joshua Kiilsgaard paid the agency Oct. 12 for two citations issued after...

California to protect insurance policies in wildfire areas

Sacramento, Calif (AP) — California on Thursday temporarily banned insurance companies from dropping customers in areas affected by more than a dozen recent blazes, invoking a new law for the first time as homeowners in the wildfire-plagued state say they are being pushed out of the commercial insurance...

PG&E urges judge to approve key settlement, faces resistance

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric on Wednesday urged a federal bankruptcy judge to approve a key insurance settlement as it struggles to regain its financial footing and cover at least $20 billion in losses stemming from catastrophic wildfires in California tied to its equipment. The nation's...

Public Lands commissioner proposes fund to fight wildfires

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The state’s commissioner of Public Lands released a proposal Monday to raise some $63 million each year to fight wildfires and take steps to prevent them in the first place. Money for the fund will come from a surcharge of $5 per year on each policy sold by property and...