Latest Wildfires News

Firefighters make progress against California wildfire, but heat and fire risks grow in the West

Jul. 05, 2024 15:08 PM EDT

OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters made progress Friday against a California wildfire that triggered extensive evacuation orders, but damage assessments raised the number of destroyed structures to 25, and forecasters said heat and fire risk were expanding on the West Coast. ...

Fireworks light up the skies across the US as Americans endure searing heat to celebrate July Fourth

Jul. 05, 2024 06:26 AM EDT

Millions of people in the U.S. celebrated and suffered under heat warnings Thursday as they flocked to beaches and traveled in droves to toast their nation’s birth with July Fourth parades, cookouts and the always anticipated fiery splashes of color in the evening sky. In...

It's a fine line as the summer rainy season brings relief, and flooding, to the southwestern US

Jul. 05, 2024 01:13 AM EDT

MONUMENT VALLEY, Ariz. (AP) — It's as if the sky opened up and dropped everything it had in a matter of minutes. Giant raindrops combined with hail to transform an otherwise toasty summer day into a white wintry scene, at least for a few minutes. Then it all turned to red mud. ...

Most evacuation orders lifted as crews continue battling Northern California wildfire

Jul. 04, 2024 21:00 PM EDT

OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Thousands of people evacuated during a Northern California wildfire were allowed to return home Thursday afternoon as crews continued battling flames amid scorching heat, officials said. Containment of the Thompson Fire near the city of Oroville in Butte...

Millions swelter under dangerous Fourth of July heat wave

Jul. 04, 2024 12:38 PM EDT

Around 134 million people in the U.S. are under alerts as an “extremely dangerous and record-breaking” heat wave broils much of the country, according to the National Weather Service. Regions that may see temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) or much...

California city cancels July Fourth fireworks as firefighters battle flames amid hot weather

Jul. 03, 2024 23:23 PM EDT

OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Officials in a Northern California community cancelled an annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration as an estimated 26,000 residents remained displaced by a growing wildfire, while hundreds of firefighters toiled under extreme heat to keep flames from reaching more...

Lightning strike blamed for wildfire that killed 2 people in New Mexico, damaged 1,400 structures

Jul. 03, 2024 22:28 PM EDT

RUIDOSO, N.M. (AP) — A lightning strike caused the larger of two wildfires that has killed at least two people and destroyed or damaged more than 1,400 structures in New Mexico, authorities said Wednesday. The South Fork Fire was first reported June 17 on the Mescalero Apache...

Dangerously high heat builds in California and the south-central United States

Jul. 03, 2024 01:36 AM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Swaths of California sweltered Tuesday and things were only expected to get worse during the Fourth of July holiday week for parts of the United States, with nearly 90 million people under heat alerts. The torrid conditions were being caused by a ridge of...

Greece deploys foreign firefighters for the third year running to help tackle wildfires

Jul. 02, 2024 12:11 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece is reinforcing its firefighting teams this summer with 240 firefighters from Bulgaria, Malta, Moldova and Romania, who will be deployed in the country from early July until mid-September, during the height of the wildfire season, officials said Tuesday. ...

Firefighters battle wildfires on 2 Greek islands as premier warns of a dangerous summer

Jul. 01, 2024 23:53 PM EDT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters battled wildfires that broke out on the eastern Aegean islands of Chios and Kos Monday and injured five people, as Greece’s prime minister warned of a dangerous summer ahead and said the public’s help was essential in limiting the impact of wildfires. ...