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Thread: 2017 Wildfires

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    MisterVeritis's Avatar Senior Member
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    Is it too soon to ask for Environmentalist control? Have environmentalists caused these man-made or man-enhanced disasters? Have environmentalists made it harder to clean out underbrush and tend the forests?

    Can we put any environmentalists in jail for this?
    Call your state legislators and insist they approve the Article V convention of States to propose amendments.


    I pledge allegiance to the Constitution as written and understood by this nation's founders, and to the Republic it created, an indivisible union of sovereign States, with liberty and justice for all.

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    Quote Originally Posted by waltky View Post
    Dozens of people lose their lives with many being incinerated to death...

    Deadliest ever forest fire blazes through central Portugal, dozens burnt to death as firefighters battle fiery flames
    Sunday 18th June, 2017 -- A forest fire, that is being described as the deadliest ever single forest to rage through Portugal, led to dozens of people losing their lives and many being incinerated to death.
    Wildfires in general are very dangerous; more so for California given the traditionally dry climate they have there in addition to loads of pine trees and scrub brush; all perfect conditions for fire to spread and increase in intensity, hence the huge volume of fire you see on television. The fact that droughts are common there only add to the issue at hand. The true hero's there are the firefighters who battle the fires without much notice that they could get trapped and burned to death. I pray for a good soaking rain to assist them in getting it under control.
    God Bless America, God Bless our Military and God Bless the Police who defended the country against the insurgents on January 6, 2021

    Think 3rd party for 2024 folks. Clean up America.

    Once I tell you that we agree to disagree there will be no more discussion between us in the thread so please don't waste your time continuing to argue your points because I will not respond.

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    waltky (10-13-2017)

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    Fiery conflagrations in California...

    California wildfires: Death toll climbs to 31
    Fri, 13 Oct 2017 - The fires raging across northern wine counties are now the state's deadliest in 84 years.
    The number of people confirmed dead in wildfires sweeping northern California has climbed to 31, as officials warned that conditions would worsen. Hundreds of people remain missing as at least 22 fires rampaged across the state's famous wine country. More than 8,000 firefighters are now battling the flames. The wildfires have destroyed more than 3,500 buildings and homes over 170,000 acres (68,800 hectares) and displaced about 25,000 people. Seventeen people are now confirmed killed in Sonoma County, with another eight in Mendocino County, four in Yuba County and two in Napa County, officials said. The updated casualty figures mean the wildfires are the deadliest in California since 1933, when 29 people died in fires at Griffith Park in Los Angeles.



    Strong winds that have fanned the flames eased in recent days, but forecasters warned they were set to pick up again on Friday night. "We are not even close to being out of this emergency," Mark Ghilarducci, state director of emergency services, told reporters. State fire chief Ken Pimlott warned of "erratic, shifting winds all weekend". Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano said recovery teams with cadaver dogs were searching the smouldering ruins of homes. "We have found bodies that were completely intact, and we have found bodies that were no more than ash and bone," he said.


    Only chimneys remain standing in fire-ravaged districts of Santa Rosa

    It is not yet clear what started the fires on Sunday night, but officials say power lines blown over by strong winds could be the cause. One of the greatest threats to life is believed to be around the town of Calistoga, Napa County, where the entire population of 5,000 has been ordered to evacuate. Geyserville, a town of around 800 people, and the community of Boyes Hot Springs, both in Sonoma, were also evacuated. The huge fires have sent smoke and ash over San Francisco, about 50 miles away, and over some towns and cities even further south. At least 13 Napa Valley wineries have been destroyed, a vintners' trade group says.


    Map showing active wildfires in California

    Cannabis plantations in fire-scorched Mendocino County could lose millions as many are uninsured, according to Nikki Lastreto of the local industry association. Marijuana farmers cannot insure their businesses since federal law bans the drug. Though recreational cannabis was legalised in the state in 2016, California's retail market does not open until next January.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41604743
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    Death toll from California wildfire rises, search begins
    - The death toll in the disastrous California wildfire great to 31 late on Thursday, even as weary fire crews began making progress against a firestorm.
    The fire has been spreading dramatically over the last few days and rescuers are now conducting a grim search for bodies amid the ashes of burned communities. In a press conference late on Thursday, Sonoma County Sheriff Robert Giordano told reporters that a 15th person was found dead in his county. He said that search crews and cadaver dogs began sifting through debris for the first time on the day. Later in the day, officials confirmed the discovery of four more bodies. According to Sonoma County, Cal Fire and Yuba County officials, overall a total of 31 deaths have been reported, 15 in Sonoma County, eight in Mendocino County, four in Yuba County and two in Napa County.

    At the briefing Giordano said that the searches could take hours, and identification will be difficult. He said, “So far, in the recoveries, we have found bodies that were almost completely intact and bodies that were nothing more than ash and bone.” He added that in the latter cases, sometimes the only way to identify someone is through a medical device, like an ID number with a metal hip replacement. Giordano said, “We will do everything in our power to locate all the missing persons, and I promise you we will handle the remains with care and get them returned to their loved ones. It could be weeks or even months before all the bodies are identified.”


    Meanwhile, state and local officials expressed optimism that milder-than-expected winds and additional firefighting crews from across California were allowing them to make progress against the fires. Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tom Gossner said that hundreds of firefighters were battling the devastating Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa and added, “We need to hit this thing hard and get it done. It’s time to finish this thing.” According to Santa Rosa Mayor Chris Coursey, as of Thursday, staff estimated 2,834 homes were destroyed in the city of Santa Rosa alone. Coursey said that about 400,000 square feet of commercial space was burnt too. Officials also added that the flames had destroyed the city’s newest fire station, on Fountaingrove Parkway.

    Cal Fire spokeswoman Heather Williams has said that there is still concern for Calistoga and elsewhere. Officials are expecting winds between 10 mph and 20 mph on Thursday night, and stronger seasonal winds over the weekend. Meanwhile, the fire around Mt. St. Helena hopped Highway 29, which runs adjacent to the mountain north of evacuated Calistoga. Amy Head, a Cal Fire spokeswoman said, "It's so thick [with vegetation], it's so steep. The fire is unpredictable. We don't want to get trapped on this mountain." Further, crews have managed to start a containment line for the 43,000-acre Atlas fire. Residents have been warned that they might have to evacuate eastern sections of town closest to the fire.

    http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/2...-search-begins
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    Horrifying Drone Footage Shows Wildfire Devastation In Santa Rosa
    October 11, 2017 - Wildfires have turned entire neighborhoods in Santa Rosa, California, to ash, according to drone footage The Association Press posted Tuesday.
    The video shows still-smoldering homes burned to their foundations, blackened trees, and cars that look like they were destroyed in warfare. Standing out in the rubble are the charred skeletons of refrigerators, patio furniture and barbeque pits.


    Firefighters continue to battle at least 22 large wildfires across multiple counties, and are preparing for winds to make conditions even worse. The blazes have already burned some 117,000 acres, destroyed about 3,500 structures and triggered mass evacuations. At least 21 people have been killed.

    The Tubbs Fire in particular ripped through residential areas of Santa Rosa late Sunday and early Monday. As of Wednesday, it alone had burned 28,000 acres and killed at least 11 people, making it the sixth-deadliest fire in California’s history, according to officials. Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has declared a state of emergency for Napa, Sonoma, Yuba Butte, Lake and Mendocino counties.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/horrifyin...183935269.html
    Last edited by waltky; 10-13-2017 at 01:15 AM.

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    I feel for those people, but at the same time, it is not like these things are not foreseeable especially when you can reach out your window and high-five your neighbor sitting in the house next door they are packed in so tight.

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    Unhappy

    WWII vet and wife lost in California wildfire...

    100-yr-old WWII Vet, 98-yr-old Wife Killed in California Wildfire
    11 Oct 2017 | Charles and Sara Rippey met in grade school and had been married for 75 years.
    Mike Rippey stood among pieces of metal, porcelain and other remnants of the California home where his 100-year-old father and 98-year-old mother had died in the raging wine country wildfires. Rippey said Tuesday his brother had discovered their bodies after driving to the home and managing to get past security. He said his father Charles appeared to be heading to the room of his mother, Sara, when he was overcome by the smoke and flames. "My father certainly wouldn't have left her," Mike Rippey said. The couple had met in grade school in Wisconsin and been together ever since, celebrating their 75th anniversary last year. Rippey, 71, said he and his siblings couldn't imagine how either parent would have navigated life if just one had survived the flames. "We knew there's no way they would ever be happy, whoever was the last one. So they went together, and that's the way it worked," he said stoically.


    Charles and Sara Rippey. Charles, 100, and Sara, 98, were unable to leave their Napa, Calif., home, and died when the Tubbs fire swept through.

    In the charred remains of the home, only metal and porcelain survived to testify to the couple's long life together. There were coffee cups along a low sill; two metal chairs, side-by-side by a patio table; and a porcelain tea set of white and soft washes of blue, some pieces still intact. Charles Rippey — nicknamed "Peach" as a toddler for his chubby cheeks — and his wife were among the 17 victims who have died in the fierce, fast-moving fires that started on Sunday and raged through neighborhoods. None of the other victims had been identified. Authorities are expecting other older people to be among the dead, who like the Rippeys might not have been able to move fast enough to beat the flames. Mike Rippey said his mother had previously suffered a stroke. Seventeen wildfires raging across parts of seven counties have destroyed more than 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures.


    Chuck Rippey looks over a cup found in the burned out remains of his parent's home at the Silverado Resort, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, in Napa, Calif. Charles Rippey, 100 and his wife Sara, 98, died when wind whipped flames swept their home.

    The wildfires rank among the five deadliest in California history, and officials expect the death toll to rise as the scope of destruction becomes clear. At least 185 people were injured, and nearly 200 have been reported missing in Sonoma County alone, though many may be safe but unable to use damaged communication systems. Mike Rippey was in London and boarding a flight to California when his brother called and told him their parents had died. The couple attended the University of Wisconsin and married in 1942 before Charles Rippey served as a U.S. Army engineer in World War II. He became an executive with the Firestone tire company. Rippey said he had no plans to rebuild the home. "Without them, it doesn't mean a thing," he said. "It's gone. They're gone."

    http://www.military.com/off-duty/off...-wildfire.html
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    Group Seeks to Name Navy Ship for Iwo Jima Photographer
    9 Oct 2017 | Veterans have launched a longshot petition to the U.S. Navy asking that a warship be named for AP photographer Joe Rosenthal.
    The iconic image of six Marines raising an American flag over Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945, is recognized around the world, credited with boosting morale at a critical moment of World War II, and generating record fundraising for war relief at home. It's also the first photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize in the same year it was taken. After 72 years, though, some worry that the man who made it, Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, may fade from American memory. A group of veterans and photographers want to avoid that with their longshot petition to the U.S. Navy asking that a warship be named for him. Rosenthal had requested the dangerous wartime assignment after he was rejected for service because of poor eyesight.

    After photographing the fighting on Guam, Peleliu and Angaur, he nearly drowned en route to Iwo Jima as he transferred from the command ship El Dorado to an amphibious landing craft the day he took the photograph. All accounts paint Rosenthal as a hands-on practitioner of his craft, not content to sit on a ship and take photos from afar. "He was a 33-year-old man basically volunteering for combat and not carrying a weapon, but carrying his camera," said Tom Graves, chapter historian of the USMC Combat Correspondents Association in the San Francisco Bay Area. "He was exposed to great danger and in fact, was nearly killed several times."


    FILE - In this Feb 23, 1945 file photo, U.S. Marines of the 28th Regiment, 5th Division, raise the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Japan.

    After coming ashore in Iwo Jima, Rosenthal and others learned an American flag had made it to Mount Suribachi, a volcanic cone at the southwestern tip of the island and a key objective of the Marines. Unfortunately, another photographer had already captured that image. "I wanted a flag going up on Iwo, and I want it badly," Rosenthal later recalled. When he learned that a second, much larger flag was on its way to the site, he began mentally composing what would become his iconic photo: Where would the men be? Where would the flag be? How tall would it be?

    He built a platform of stones and sandbags to stand on, adjusted his shutter timing and tuned his aperture. It was about noon, with the sun directly overhead and a strong wind. "I see what had to be gone through before those Marines, with that flag, or with any flag, got up to the top of that mountain and secured the highest point, the most important point, perhaps, in the entire battle, the most important ground to be taken by those Marines," Rosenthal said in a 1997 interview. AP photo editor Jack Bodkin was the first to see Rosenthal's picture of six Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. "Here's one for all time," he declared as he sent the image by Navy radio to San Francisco. The image moved on Feb. 24 and appeared in newspapers on Sunday morning, 17½ hours after it was taken. The accolades poured in.

    MORE

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    Death toll hits 40 in California wildfires...

    Death toll hits 40 in California wildfires; thousands find homes destroyed
    Oct. 15, 2017 -- The death toll in the Northern California wildfires hit 40 as firefighters entered the second week of attempting to douse multiple blazes and residents returned to find nothing left to salvage from their homes.
    Cal Fire reported Sunday nearly 11,000 firefighters "made good progress" in containing the 15 wildfires, which is one less than the day before. Because winds across Northern California were fairly light, the red flag warnings were lifted at 8 a.m. On Saturday night, Sonoma County announced that its coroner had confirmed two more deaths, bringing the death toll there to 22. Nearly 75,000 people -- down from 100,000 on Saturday -- have been evacuated from the fires that have scorched 217,566 acres and destroyed about 5,700 structures, Cal Fire said Sunday.


    A new development lies in ruins in Santa Rosa, Calif.

    That includes several thousand homes, including in the wine country of Napa. "You realize, you don't put your boots on and your gloves on and go sift through stuff. There's nothing to sift through," Janice Mathis told KOVR-TV. "The first thing we think of is we're fortunate." She owned a three-bedroom home with her husband Bill. More than 100 homes across this neighborhood near Silverado Resort in Napa burned down in the Atlas fire that killed two people. The Silverado Resort escaped major damage. Michaella Flores, who was uninjured in Las Vegas when a gunman opened fire on the crowd at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, returned to Santa Rosa days later to find her home destroyed by fire. "It's just a very helpless feeling," she said to CNN. "I just thought, well, I've been in these situations before. It shouldn't be a big deal. But when it's happening to you, it's a whole different realm."


    Firefighters battle the Nuns fire along Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, Calif.

    Flores, a former firefighter and paramedic, said: "I don't sleep. I haven't had any time to process any of this." The Federal Emergency Management Agency is assessing damage, providing aid to local agencies and offering federal funding to residents affected by the fire. The National Guard is helping the California Highway Patrol block the roads, as Caltrans crews in the hills work to remove debris and downed power lines, CHP Capt. Chris Childs said. "We're going to be here for weeks," said Robert Vicham said to the Los Angeles Times as he controlled the traffic flow on a two-lane highway. "I'm 51 and been in California my whole life, and I've never seen a fire this bad."


    A firefighter battles the Nuns fire along Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, Calif.

    Three fires have consumed more than 133,000 acres, according to Cal Fire. The Atlas fire in Napa and Solano counties had reached 51,057 acres and was 56 percent contained followed by the Nuns fire in Sonoma County that scorched 47,106 acres and was 25 percent contained, and the Tubbs fire in Sonoma and Napa counties at 35,470 acres and 60 percent contained. Although red flag warnings were across Northern California, they remain in South California where there are small fires. And though the winds had died down and temperatures were hovering in the mid-80s Sunday, dry air will continue to ignite grass and vegetation into fuel. National Weather Service forecaster Steve Anderson said to the Los Angeles Time: "It's been drying out the mountains."

    https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017...p&utm_medium=4
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    Wildfires Now Up To 100 Miles Wide as Death Toll Reaches 40
    15 Oct 2017 | At least 5,700 homes have been destroyed as the wildfires continued to burn for a sixth day.
    They fled in fear nearly a week ago. Now they're ready to go back. While wildfires are still burning powerfully in parts of Northern California, some of the tens of thousands of evacuees are getting antsy to return to homes that aren't under immediate threat. Others want to see if they still have homes to return to. But authorities are staying cautious in the face of blazes that have now killed at least 40 people and destroyed at least 5,700 homes. "We're on pins and needles," Travis Oglesby, who evacuated from his home in Santa Rosa, said to Sonoma County Sheriff Robert Giordano on Saturday. "We're hearing about looting."

    Although some evacuees were returning home in Mendocino County, the latest estimates were that about 100,000 people were under evacuation orders as the fires burned for a sixth day. Plans were in the works to reopen communities, but they were not ready to be put into effect, said Dave Teter, a deputy director with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Douglas and Marian Taylor stood outside their apartment complex Saturday in Santa Rosa with their two dogs and a sign that said "End evacuation now." Their building was unharmed at the edge of the evacuation zone with a police barricade set up across the street. The couple said they are spending about $300 per day to rent a motel and eat out, and they want to return home because the fire does not appear to threaten their home.


    Fresno firefighter Peter Lopez holds a water hose as he monitors a backburn while fighting a wildfire in Glen Ellen, Calif.

    At an evacuation center at the fairgrounds in the Sonoma County city of Petaluma, volunteers sorted through mounds of donated baby wipes, diapers, pillows, shoes and clothing. Randy Chiado and his wife, Barbara, evacuated Monday from the Oakmont section of Santa Rosa. They stayed for several days with a friend in Santa Rosa but left Saturday when flames approached again and sought refuge at the fairgrounds. "After so many times of 'It's coming, get ready. It's coming, get ready,' it just gets nerve-wracking," Barbara Chiado said. Life away from home has been difficult and dangerous. Randy Chiado said a man who may have suspected he was a looter tried to punch him through his car window and yelled for a friend to get a gun when the Chiados turned onto a residential street. He said he was able to push the man off and drive away.

    The couple planned to spend the night with other evacuees in a room set up with cots. "It's like jail," he said. Hundreds of people remain unaccounted for, though officials think they'll locate most of them alive. Most of the deceased are believed to have died late on Oct. 8 or early Oct. 9, when the fires exploded and took people by surprise in the dead of night. Most of the victims were elderly, though they ranged in age from 14 to 100. "It's a horror that no one could have imagined," Gov. Jerry Brown said, after driving past hundreds of "totally destroyed" homes with Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris.

    From the sky, large subdivisions that burned to the ground looked like black and white photos. Each neatly outlined lot is full of ashen rubble. Cars are burned a darker gray. Trees still standing are charred black. Only streets look unscathed. Brown, 79, and Feinstein, 84, said the fires were the worst of their lifetimes. The two veteran politicians reminded people that the blazes remain a threat and that people need to leave their homes when told to go. No causes have been determined for the fires, though power lines downed by winds are seen as a possibility. In all, 17 large fires still burned across the northern part of the state, with more than 10,000 firefighters attacking the flames using air tankers, helicopters and more than 1,000 fire engines. Signs posted in Sonoma thanked the firefighters. One declared them "heroes among us."

    Source
    Related:

    California Making Progress Containing Wildfires
    October 15, 2017 - Evacuees from a number of counties in California have been allowed to return home as fire fighters say they've turned a corner in containing blazes that have devastated the state. "Conditions have drastically changed from just 24 hours ago, and that is definitely a very good sign. And it's probably a sign we've turned a corner on these fires,'' said Daniel Berlant, spokesman for California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
    "We're starting to see fires with containment numbers in the 50 and 60 percent, so we're definitely getting the upper hand on these fires," he added. Belia Ramos of the Napa County Board of Supervisors spoke to reporters Sunday morning for what she said would be the last time as Napa County, best known for producing wine, moved into recovery mode. “This is our last planned press conference and the reason for that is that we are now switching over towards recovery mode. It’s a day I have looked forward to for a week. A week ago this started as a nightmare and the day we’ve dreamed of has arrived," Ramos said Sunday.


    A wildfire burns behind a winery, Oct. 14, 2017, in Santa Rosa, California.

    But fire fighters across the state are still battling flames. The death toll rose to at least 40 on Saturday, with at least 16 fires burning. One side of the fire zone stretched for 160 square kilometers, destroying some 5,700 homes and businesses. Some 100,000 people have evacuated their homes. But some have stayed behind. "It was wind driven. Wind driven is basically powerful winds started pushing and intensifies the fire," said Captain Jimmy Bernal of the Rancho Fire District. The flames have crept into the town of Sonoma, a name synonymous with the California wine industry, forcing 400 households in the city of 11,000 to evacuate.


    Homes burned by a wildfire are seen, Oct. 11, 2017, in Santa Rosa, California.

    The strong, dry Santa Ana winds that blow down from the mountains every late summer and early fall are creating conditions that make the fires spread easily. Some gust to 64 kilometers per hour, pushing the flames over fire breaks dug by firefighters. More than 9,000 people — many of them exhausted — are fighting the California wildfires, both local fire personnel and thousands of volunteers, who have poured into the area over the last few days. The firefighters have come from other parts of California, and as far away as Australia.

    https://www.voanews.com/a/california...g/4071045.html
    Last edited by waltky; 10-15-2017 at 06:21 PM.

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    Wildfires strike Portugal & Spain...

    Portugal and Spain wildfires: Dozens dead and injured
    Mon, 16 Oct 2017 - At least 31 people are dead in Portugal and three in Spain as dozens of wildfires spread.
    A spate of wildfires in central and north Portugal which started at the weekend has killed at least 31 people, civil defence authorities say. Dozens of the 145 fires still raging are considered serious, a spokeswoman said. To the north, fires which broke out across the border in Spain's Galicia region claimed at least three lives. Thousands of firefighters are battling the flames, which erupted after a hot dry summer. Conditions were worsened by Hurricane Ophelia, as it approached Europe's western coast, bringing strong winds to fan and spread the flames. More than 50 people have also been injured in Portugal; 15 are reported to be in a serious condition. Local media say several people are still missing there, including a month-old baby.


    The latest fires in Portugal come just four months after the deadliest wildfire in its history

    In Spain, two of the victims were found in a burned-out car by the side of the road. Rain is forecast for the affected regions late on Monday. A state of emergency has been declared in Portugal north of the Tagus river - about half of the country's land area. More than 6,000 firefighters in 1,800 vehicles were deployed by early Monday morning. As a result of the fires, at least a dozen roads were closed, as well as schools in some places. The Portuguese deaths were in the Coimbra, Guarda, Castelo Branca and Viseu areas. "We went through absolute hell. It was horrible. There was fire everywhere," a resident of Penacova, near Coimbra, was quoted as telling Portuguese RTP radio and TV.


    Map of fires in portugal and spain

    Fabio Ventura, who lives in Marinha Grande, in Leria district, told the BBC that some of his friends in villages in the nearby forest had lost their homes. "Currently, we don't have water in our homes because the pipes were damaged by the fire. We are avoiding taking showers to save water. The mobile network is going down several times and there is a huge cloud of smoke and ashes above my city. "Schools were closed, public services are closed, some roads are also closed. I have friends that lost their homes, but everyone is OK in my area."Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy travelled to the Pontevedra area of Galicia and met emergency workers on Monday afternoon. "What we are dealing with here is something that is not caused by accident. It has been provoked," Mr Rajoy said. "We are here in Pazos de Borden where there has been a big fire which began at 01:30 (22:00 GMT) in the morning at five different points. So as you can see it's impossible for this to be triggered under natural circumstances."


    Some 30 "major" fires were reported to still be raging in Portugal on Monday

    Galician leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo has claimed the fires were deliberately set by arsonists, in what he called "terrorist acts". Earlier, Spain's Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said several people had already been identified in connection with the fires, and appealed for anyone with further information to share it with the national protection service. The wildfires follow a massive forest blaze in Portugal in June which killed 64 people and injured more than 130. Firefighters tackling that blaze also alleged it had been started by a "criminal hand". But in the aftermath, questions were raised about the speed of the response and the readiness to tackle such a fire. It also emerged that the country's rescue network, a public-private partnership, failed to connect several emergency calls to firefighters.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41634125
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    aging wildfires - in pictures
    Mon, 16 Oct 2017 - Images of wildfires raging in Portugal and Spain that have left more than 30 people dead.

    Wildfires sprang up in central and northern Portugal over the weekend, killing and injuring dozens of people.


    Parts of northern Spain were also affected by the fires.


    Residents did what they could to try and protect their property as the flames drew nearer.


    While inside others attacked by the fires, nothing was left to be salvaged.

    MORE
    Last edited by waltky; 10-16-2017 at 07:03 PM.

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    Those seems to be arson.
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    Gonna take a long time for California to recover from wildfires...

    N. California Wildfire Recovery May Take Years, Officials Say
    28 Oct.`17 - Sonoma County officials said Saturday that it would take at least months and most likely years to fully recover from devastating wildfires that ripped through Northern California this month, destroying at least 8,900 structures and killing 42 people.
    'We don't control these things, and it makes you realize how small you are in the world when something like this happens,' Sheriff Rob Giordano said during a memorial ceremony honoring those who died. 'I don't think we understand the level at which it is going to impact lives, and the community will be different.' The memorial service came nearly three weeks after the fires erupted October 8. Overall, they forced about 100,000 people to evacuate. U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and five members of Congress attended the service in Santa Rosa, one of the hardest-hit cities, as part of a day of touring the devastated areas and meeting with elected officials.


    'I can't think of anything that surpasses the opportunity to be with all of you today,' Pelosi said before presenting a flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol to commemorate the fire victims. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left, gestures while speaking beside Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., and Naomi Fuchs, right, CEO of Santa Rosa Community Health, during a tour of the wildfire-affected Vista campus in Santa Rosa, Calif., Oct. 28, 2017. Pelosi was joined by U.S. Representative Mike Thompson, who represents the city of Santa Rosa, and Representatives Jared Huffman, Anna Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren and Mark DeSaulnier.

    Red tape

    The group toured a destroyed health center and met with county and federal officials to ask how Congress could help. Local officials urged them to cut red tape that makes it harder to get temporary housing and other needed resources for people who lost their homes. Officials have estimated that losses will top $1 billion, but they haven't provided a hard number. Cleanup could last into early 2018, preventing many homeowners from rebuilding until then, state officials said this week.

    The wildfires rank as the deadliest series of fires in California history. President Donald Trump approved Governor Jerry Brown's requests for federal disaster relief. California's Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris are backing legislation to get federal money out the door quicker to help with firefighting. Harris, Feinstein and Brown visited the fire zone two weeks ago.

    http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/2...-officials-say

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    27,000 are being forced to evacuate their homes...

    1 dead as 27,000 evacuate wildfires in Southern California
    Dec. 5, 2017 -- One person has been killed and 27,000 are being forced to evacuate their homes as fast-moving wildfires torch Southern California.
    The Thomas fire in Ventura County -- the first fire -- started last night and quickly grew. The second blaze, the Creek fire, started at 4 a.m. near Sylmar. Authorities say the fires have burned through more than 45,000 acres of land in the city of Ventura by Tuesday and has destroyed 150 structures.


    The Thomas Fire burns in Ventura County, Calif, on Monday, where officials said more than 26,000 acres have been burned and one person has died.

    Officials said at least one death in Ventura County has been reported, from an automobile crash that occurred as the victim tried to evacuate. One firefighter was hit by a car while protecting a home. He is being held at a hospital for evaluation.


    The Thomas Fire burns in Ventura County, Calif, on Monday, where officials said more than 26,000 acres have been burned and one person has died.

    Firefighters are confronted by 50 mph winds that, accompanied with the intensity of the blaze, could make it difficult to contain. "The prospects for containment are not good," Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said. "Really, mother nature is going to decide." "We urge you, you must abide by these evacuation notices," Ventura County Sheriff Jeff Dean said on Monday. "We saw the disasters and the losses that happened up north in Sonoma and this is a fast, very dangerous moving fire." "As far as getting ahead of the fire, that's exactly what we're doing right now, but it's in defense of structure and property right now, not actually trying to put the fire out," Lorenzen said.

    More than 1000 firefighters are fighting the blaze with zero containment so far.

    https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017...p&utm_medium=5
    Last edited by waltky; 12-05-2017 at 06:27 PM.

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