Wildfires that forced Grand Canyon evacuations spread unabated
The bigger of the two, the White Sage Fire, originated Wednesday about 15 miles southeast of Fredonia, Arizona, after a thunderstorm moved through the area, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. As of late Saturday, it had burned more than 19,000 acres near the unincorporated community of Jacob Lake, and firefighting efforts had not achieved containment.
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Unhealthy smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets the Upper Midwest when people want to be outside
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Much of the Upper Midwest on Saturday was dealing with swaths of unhealthy air because of drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires, covering the northern region of the U.S. at a time when people want to be enjoying lakes, trails and the great outdoors. Most of Minnesota and parts of Montana, North Dakota and Wisconsin were ranked 'unhealthy' for air quality on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency map. Part of North Dakota that is home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and other tourist attractions was ranked 'very unhealthy,' some of the worst air quality in the nation. In Minnesota, 'If you have a nice pork loin you can hang from a tree, it'll turn into ham,' quipped Al Chirpich, owner of the Hideaway Resort near Detroit Lakes, where people come to enjoy tree-lined Island Lake for fishing and other water activities. Normally there would be boats and jet skis all over, but on Saturday he couldn't see a boat on the lake, where the smoke impaired visibility and curtailed his camper business. None of his 18 RV sites was occupied. His seven rental cabins drew a handful of customers. 'I suspect when the weather clears, we'll be swamped again. Fourth of July, I had probably 20 boats here lined up at my docks, and today my boat is the only one,' Chirpich said. The conditions started Friday, dragging smoke from the Canadian wildfires down to the surface, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Jennifer Ritterling, in Grand Forks. Periods of bad air quality are expected to last through the weekend in the region, she said. Limiting time outdoors, keeping windows closed and running air purifiers are good ideas for people with lung conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even healthy people, Ritterling said. 'Our summers up here are fairly short and so everyone wants to get out and enjoy them, and it's a little frustrating when there's this smoke in the air,' she said. Fires in Canada prompt state of emergency for some All of Manitoba is under a state of emergency because of the wildfires, which have led to 12,600 people evacuating their homes in the province. The fires in the central Canadian province have burned over 3,861 square miles (10,000 square kilometers), the most land burned in 30 years of electronic record-keeping. Under 1,000 people have evacuated their homes in Saskatchewan, where wildfires also continue to burn. North Rim in Grand Canyon still closed In Arizona, the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park is still closed because of a 2.3 square-mile (6.1 square-kilometer) wildfire and another fire nearby on Bureau of Land Management land that has burned nearly 17 square miles (44 square kilometers). More than 200 firefighters and support personnel worked to halt the uncontained fire Saturday as it burned across a high-altitude plateau between the communities of Lonesome, White Sage and Jacob Lake. In Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park remains closed because of a 4.4-square-mile (11.3-square-kilometer) wildfire burning on the South Rim of the park, known for its dramatic, steep cliffs. A few miles from the fire, an evacuation was ordered for the community of Bostwick Park, and a nearby highway also was shut. The fires in and near both national parks led to evacuations of hundreds of people. Chirpich, the Minnesota resort owner, said he has plans to go to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on Thursday and is 'a bit pensive about how that's going to be there.' 'I'm going to leave one smokehouse for another, I guess,' he said.
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"Geyser of fire" rips through church after lightning strike hits gas pipe
From restoring smoke-damaged pews, to replacing grand pianos and fixing structural beam damage, the First Presbyterian Church of Howard County has a long way to go before it's back up and running. The church caught fire when a series of severe storms blew through the area on Tuesday, July 1, but it almost went unnoticed. See more:
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Crews enter fourth day of battling Western Pines fire northeast of Davenport
Jul. 13—The Western Pines fire continues to burn in Lincoln County as it nears almost 6,000 acres. The fire started early Wednesday afternoon approximately 10 miles Northeast of Davenport, Washington, and is believed to be human caused. It remained 0% contained as of Saturday morning. Friday, the fire had a short advancement along its western edge according to a press release shared on the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Facebook. "Today, the primary focus will be for ground crews on connecting fire lines around the southern perimeter of the fire and aided by aerial resources as necessary," the release read. "Structure protection teams will continue to evaluate at risk structures and provide protection." Increased fire activity was expected into the afternoon. All previous evacuation areas remain in place, including the latest Level 3 evacuations for Green Canyon, Mill Canyon, Harker Canyon, Farr Road and Angel Springs Road. As of Sunday, the Western Pines fire dropped 55 acres as 441 personnel continue working to suppress the flames. A news release on Sunday said that crews will continue to mop-up the perimeter of the fire, patrol for spot fires and provide protection for nearby structures. Level 2 evacuations also downgraded leaving level 1 and level 3 evacuations still in place. Bonny Matejowsky and Corbin Vanderby's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
