Latest Wildfires News
Martian skies over Athens? Greece's capital turns an orange hue with dust clouds from North Africa
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Skies over southern Greece turned an orange hue on Tuesday as dust clouds blown across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa engulfed the Acropolis and other Athens landmarks. Strong southerly winds carried the dust from the Sahara Desert, giving the...
California reject bill to crackdown on how utilities spend customers' money
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers on Monday rejected a proposal aimed at cracking down on how some of the nation's largest utilities spend customers' money. California's investor-owned utilities can't use money from customers to pay for things like advertising their...
California announces first new state park in a decade and sets climate goals for natural lands
MODESTO, Calif. (AP) — California will open its first new state park in a decade this summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state officials announced Monday, as the state sets targets for cutting planet-warming emissions on natural lands. The 1,600-acre (648-hectare) Dos Rios tract in the...
Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson pledged $10M for Maui wildfire survivors. They gave much more.
Lana Vierra misses the swing set at her Lahaina home, which was reduced to ashes in the wildfires that swept through her community last summer. “Multiple generations went through there playing in my front yard," she said. "Just with the animals and the turtles and the deer and...
Maui officials push back on some details in Hawaii attorney general report on deadly wildfire
HONOLULU (AP) — Days after the Hawaii attorney general’s office released an outside report that flagged communications issues in the response to the deadly August wildfire, Maui County officials pushed back and offered “clarifications” on some of the report’s details. ...
UN labor agency report warns of rising threat of excess heat, climate change on world's workers
GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. labor organization warned Monday that over 70% of the world's workforce is likely to be exposed to excessive heat during their careers, citing increased concern about exposure to sunlight. It also warned of air pollution, pesticides and other hazards that could lead to...
Europe is the fastest-warming continent, at nearly twice the average global rate, report says
NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Europe is the fastest-warming continent and its temperatures are rising at roughly twice the global average, two top climate monitoring organizations reported Monday, warning of the consequences for human health, glacier melt and economic activity. The U.N.'s...
Hawaii lawmakers take aim at vacation rentals after Lahaina wildfire amplifies Maui housing crisis
HONOLULU (AP) — Amy Chadwick spent years scrimping and saving as a single mother of two to buy a house in the town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. But after a devastating fire leveled Lahaina in August and reduced Chadwick's home to white dust, the cheapest rental she and her...
Hawaii Supreme Court chides state's legal moves on water after deadly Maui wildfire
HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii attorney general's office must pay attorney fees for using last year's Maui wildfire tragedy to file a petition in “bad faith” that blamed a state court judge for a lack of water for firefighting, Hawaii's Supreme Court ruled. It seems the state...
Communications breakdown left authorities in the dark and residents without alerts amid Maui fire
HONOLULU (AP) — As unpredictable wildfires roared across Maui last August, the head of the emergency management agency dragged his heels about returning to the island amid the unfolding crisis, while a broad communications breakdown left authorities in the dark and residents without emergency...
