Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island continues to grow
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CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Western N.L. fire chief calls 'intentionally set' fire heart sickening
Firefighters on the west coast of Newfoundland responded to a fire they say was deliberately set on Wednesday, and one fire chief is worried the area wouldn't be able to handle a situation where a blaze could quickly spread. St. George's Fire Department fire Chief Nikkia O'Brien said her team was called to a fire by residents who spotted high flames and smoke down a small lane in the community. "It was definitely intentionally set," she told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning. "In the area that it was, it was not possible to set accidentally the way it was burnt." O'Brien can't say why the fire might have been set, but speculates it could have been bored children who didn't realize the danger or someone who thought they were cleaning up the brush. She said the fire was down a small side lane where people have been dumping various wooden items that should have been brought to the dump. "One of our firefighters used to walk the trail every week and they'd seen it growing," said O'Brien, "'You watch,' he said, 'Somebody's going to set that afire.'" O'Brien said it's not only the fire they have to deal with when on a scene, but also the smoke. Weather conditions were in their favour because the wind wasn't blowing strong. Firefighters were able to get three hoses blasting water on the flames, said O'Brien. Given the dry conditions, she said the fire could have easily spread and reached nearby homes. "It could have been a really bad situation," she said. 'Hits you right in the gut' O'Brien said seeing fires still being set, despite a provincewide fire ban, is "heart sickening" and scary because people don't realize how quickly fire can travel. "We've responded quite a bit since the fire ban was on to people having fires and that. And thank God, everybody's been good to get along with," she said. "But it hits you right in the gut." She said there are currently several fires burning across Newfoundland, with three of them burning out of control. She said their resources are focused on eastern and central Newfoundland. "I'd be scared to death for a while for fire to break [out] on the west coast, because I don't think we have the resources right now," said O'Brien. The fire ban is in place because the province doesn't want to strain its available resources with more fires, she said. St. John's Regional Fire Department Platoon Chief Ed Sears said most people seem to be following the fire ban. "This is very serious and people have to take it seriously. And I do think it's starting to get through to people," he told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show. Sears said fines for violating the fire ban help act as a deterrence. could reach $50,000.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
N.L. government updating status of three wildfires
Premier John Hogan is delivering the latest information on three Newfoundland wildfires that have forced hundreds of people to flee their communities.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Fast-growing brush fire forces thousands to evacuate north of Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES — A fast-growing brush fire has forced thousands of people to evacuate in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles. The Canyon Fire ignited Thursday afternoon and grew to more than 7.6 square miles (19.7 square kilometres) by 11 p.m., according to the Ventura County Fire Department. At least 400 personnel were battling the blaze along with several planes and helicopters. It remained uncontained late Thursday and was spreading east into Los Angeles County, officials said. The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It's close by Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. That fire burned about 15 square miles (39 square kilometres) in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings. Sunny, hot and dry conditions were expected in the area where the Canyon Fire was burning on Friday, with the daytime high near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) and minimum humidity in the mid-teens, according to the National Weather Service. Winds were expected to be light in the morning and grow from the south to southwest in the afternoon. In LA County, around 2,700 residents evacuated with 700 structures under an evacuation order, officials said late Thursday. Another 14,000 residents and 5,000 structures were covered by an evacuation warning. Areas within the Val Verde zone had been reduced from an order to a warning. The evacuation zones in nearby Ventura County were relatively unpopulated, Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Dowd said Thursday. Fifty-six people were evacuated from the Lake Piru recreation area. Dowd called the blaze a 'very dynamic situation' caused by hot, dry weather, steep and rugged terrain and dry fuel. LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the district, urged residents to evacuate. 'Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed,' Barger said in a statement. 'If first responders tell you to leave, go—without hesitation.' The new blaze comes as a massive wildfire in Central California became the state's largest blaze of the year, threatening hundreds of homes and burning out of control in the Los Padres National Forest. The Gifford Fire had spread to 155 square miles (402 square kilometres) by Thursday night with 15% containment. It grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted Aug. 1 along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people. It has injured at least four people. The causes of the fires are under investigation. Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as a heat wave gripping the area intensifies. August and September are typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in the state. Jaimie Ding, The Associated Press
