Syrian wildfires spread due to heavy winds and war remnants
The fires, which started last week, have proven difficult to bring under control despite reinforcements from Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon that came to the war-torn country to help Syrian teams fight the blaze.
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White Sage Fire grows to 19,000 acres near North Rim of Grand Canyon, prompts evacuations
The White Sage Fire near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has grown to 19,000 acres, prompting evacuations for nearby residents, according to the Bureau of Land Management. As of the morning of July 12, BLM reported the fire had spread to 19,153 acres, with no containment achieved by firefighters. The BLM reported that both ground crews and aircraft were being used to fight the fire, with approximately 230 personnel assigned to the incident. "The fire continues to exhibit extreme behavior," read a BLM news release. Crews were working to establish a secure perimeter around the fire and were set to come under the direction of a Complex Incident Management Team beginning July 13. Evacuation orders were issued on July 11, affecting multiple communities in the area, according to a news release from the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. The evacuation zone covers a large area north of the Grand Canyon, bordered by the Utah state line to the north, Grand Canyon National Park to the south, House Rock Valley Road/Buffalo Ranch Road to the east, and Kaibab National Forest to the west. The entire area is under "GO" status, meaning all residents and visitors must evacuate immediately. Firefighters have urged the public to stay clear of the area. Nearby Highway 89A has been closed at both Fredonia and Bitter Springs. CCSO had already evacuated residents near Jacob Lake and anyone in the Kaibab National Forest. According to InciWeb, the fire was sparked by lightning and intensified by strong winds and low relative humidity. It has been burning through grass, shrubs, and native pinyon-juniper trees, the BLM reported. The blaze is expected to burn within the scar of the 2020 Magnum Fire, which charred 71,000 acres of the same forest. Republic reporter Austin Corona contributed to this article. Contact reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@ Follow him on Instagram, X, Threads and Bluesky: @ReyCJrAZ. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wildfire near Grand Canyon grows more than 19,000 acres
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sand, dust storms affect about 330 million people due to climate change: UN
A new report by the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has found that sand and dust storms are leading to 'premature deaths' due to climate change, with more than 330 million people in 150 countries affected. On Saturday, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) marked the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms and its designation of 2025 – 2034 as the UN Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms. The storms 'are fast becoming one of the most overlooked yet far-reaching global challenges of our time', said Assembly President Philemon Yang. 'They are driven by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable practices.' The secretary-general of WMO, Celeste Saulo, said on Thursday that sand and dust storms do not just mean 'dirty windows and hazy skies. They harm the health and quality of life of millions of people and cost many millions of dollars through disruption to air and ground transport, on agriculture and on solar energy production.' Airborne particles from these storms contribute to 7 million premature deaths annually, said Yang, adding that they trigger respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and reduce crop yields by up to 25%, causing hunger and migration. 'About 2 billion tonnes of dust are emitted yearly, equivalent to 300 Great Pyramids of Giza' in Egypt, Laura Paterson, the WMO's UN representative, told the UNGA. More than 80% of the world's dust comes from the deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, added Paterson, but it has a global effect because the particles can travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometres across continents and oceans. Undersecretary-General Rola Dashti, head of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, told the assembly the storms' economic costs are 'staggering'. In the Middle East and North Africa, it costs $150bn, roughly 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), annually to deal with dust and sand storms, she said. 'This spring alone, the Arab region experienced acute disruption,' Dashti said, citing severe storms in Iraq that overwhelmed hospitals with respiratory cases and storms in Kuwait and Iran that forced school and office closures. Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa has travelled as far as the Caribbean and Florida, she said. For the United States, dust and wind erosion caused $154bn in damage in 2017, a quadrupling of the amount since 1995, according to a study in the scientific journal Nature. The WMO and World Health Organization also warned that the health burden is rising sharply, with 3.8 billion people – nearly half the global population – exposed to dust levels exceeding WHO safety thresholds between 2018 and 2022, up from 2.9 billion people affected between 2003 and 2007.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wildfire smoke causing air quality concerns
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) – With wildfires burning around the Western Slope, air quality concerns have grown in Mesa County. Mesa County Public Health is urging residents to be cautious while spending time outdoors. There has been an air quality alert issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for parts of the Western Slope. If the smoke gets too thick where you are, stay indoors. It is vital to stay inside especially if you are very young, elderly or have respiratory or heart conditions. Try to keep outdoor activity and the usage of evaporative coolers low. Also use air filters to lower indoor particulates. Keep in mind, there is still an active No Burn Advisory in Mesa County which prohibits burning of any kind including agricultural burning. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
