Massive central California wildfire threatens more than 800 structures and leaves 3 injured
The Gifford Fire scorched more than 113 square miles (293 square kilometers) of coastal Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with 3% containment, according to a U.S. Forest Service update on Monday evening.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Residents in Alaska's capital city prepare for possible glacial flooding
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Residents and officials in Alaska's capital city prepared Friday for the possibility of glacial flooding that in past years has swept away houses, swamped several hundred homes and eroded the river fed by the popular Mendenhall Glacier. The state, federal, city and tribal officials who would run an incident command center during any flooding held a briefing to outline steps and to issue pleas to the public to be prepared. The threat of so-called glacier outburst flooding has become an annual concern in parts of Juneau since 2011. The Mendenhall Glacier — a thinning, retreating glacier that is a major tourist attraction in southeast Alaska — acts as a dam for a basin that fills each spring and summer with rainwater and snowmelt. The basin itself was left behind when a smaller, nearby glacier retreated. When the water in the basin creates enough pressure, it forces its way under or around the ice dam created by the Mendenhall Glacier, entering Mendenhall Lake and eventually the Mendenhall River. The water level in the basin as of Friday stood at 1,353 feet (412 meters) and continues to rise, said Nicole Ferrin with the National Weather Service. It's just 15 feet (1.5 meters) from topping the ice dam. The basin has been rising at an unpredictable rate, so there is no way to pinpoint when water would go over the top, she said. 'Some days when there's no rain, it only rises by a foot (0.30 meters),' she said. 'Other days when there is heavy rain or a lot of sunshine, it rises by 4 feet (1.22 meters), so it's a variable.' In some years, there has been limited flooding of streets or properties near the lake or river. But 2023 and 2024 marked successive years of record flooding, with the river last August cresting at 15.99 feet (4.9 meters), about 1 foot (0.3 meters) over the prior record set a year earlier, and flooding extending farther into the Mendenhall Valley. Last year, nearly 300 residences were damaged in the flooding. Capital City Fire/Rescue Chief Rich Etheridge warned people to stay away during flood stages because logs and other debris in the river can put would-be rescuers 'at extreme peril.' Once the water tops the dam, the city will set up a hotline where people can get information. A large flood event can release up to 15 billion gallons of water, according to the University of Alaska Southeast and Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center. That's the equivalent of nearly 23,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. During last year's flood, the flow rate in the rushing Mendenhall River was about half that of Niagara Falls, the researchers say. City officials responded to concerns from property owners this year by working with state, federal and tribal entities to install a temporary levee along roughly 2.5 miles of riverbank in an attempt to guard against widespread flooding. The installation of about 10,000, four-foot (1.2-meter) tall barriers is intended to protect more than 460 properties from flood levels similar to last year, said Nate Rumsey, deputy director with the city's engineering and public works department. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is at the start of what's expected to be a yearslong process of studying conditions in the region and examining options for a more permanent solution. The timeline has angered some residents, who say it's unreasonable. Outburst floods are expected to continue as long as the Mendenhall Glacier acts as an ice dam to seal off the basin, which could span another 25 to 60 years, according to the university and science center researchers.
Toronto Star
11 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Firefighters make progress against blaze that forced thousands to flee north of Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles made good progress overnight in their battle against a brush fire that has forced thousands of people to evacuate, an official said Friday. The Canyon Fire ignited Thursday afternoon and spread rapidly in the dry, steep terrain in Ventura and Los Angeles counties to more than 7.6 square miles (19.7 square kilometers) with no containment by 11 p.m., according to the Ventura County Fire Department. At least 400 personnel battled the blaze along with several planes and helicopters. No further growth was reported Friday morning, though the fire remained uncontained, county fire department public information officer Andrew Dowd said by telephone.
Toronto Star
11 hours ago
- Toronto Star
High heat threatens to reignite blaze in Aude region after France's largest wildfire in decades
VILLEROUGE LA CREMADE, France (AP) — Firefighters who helped contain France's largest wildfire in decades were on high alert Friday with high temperatures forecast that could reignite the blaze in the country's south. Fires prompted evacuations elsewhere in the Mediterranean region. The fire in France's Aude wine country claimed one life and quickly spread over more than 160 square kilometers (62 square miles) over three days in hot and dry weather, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes.
