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BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Climate
- BreakingNews.ie
Fast-growing brush fire forces thousands to evacuate area north of Los Angeles
A fast-growing brush fire has forced thousands of people to evacuate a mountainous area north of Los Angeles. The Canyon Fire ignited on Thursday afternoon and grew to more than 7.6 square miles by 11pm, according to Ventura County Fire Department. Advertisement At least 400 personnel were battling the blaze along with several planes and helicopters. It remained uncontained late on Thursday and was spreading east into Los Angeles County, officials said. A firefighter battles the Canyon Fire in Hasley Canyon (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir in the Los Padres National Forest. It is close by Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. That fire burned about 15 square miles in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings. Sunny, hot and dry conditions are expected in the area where the Canyon Fire is burning on Friday, with the daytime high near 38C and minimum humidity in the mid-teens, according to the National Weather Service. Advertisement Winds are expected to be light in the morning and grow from the south to south west in the afternoon. In LA County, around 2,700 residents left the area with 700 structures under an evacuation order, officials said late on Thursday. Another 14,000 residents and 5,000 structures were covered by an evacuation warning. Areas in the Val Verde zone had been reduced from an order to a warning. A California Department of Corrections fire crew battles the Canyon Fire (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) The evacuation zones in nearby Ventura County were relatively unpopulated, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Andrew Dowd said on Thursday. Fifty-six people were evacuated from the Lake Piru recreation area. Advertisement Mr 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 leave. 'Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed,' she said in a statement. 'If first responders tell you to leave, go — without hesitation.' Flames from the Gifford Fire race up a hillside in Los Padres National Forest (Noah Berger/AP) The new blaze came after 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. Advertisement The Gifford Fire had spread to 155 square miles by Thursday night with 15% containment. It grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted on August 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 heatwave gripping the area intensifies. August and September are typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in the state.
CTV News
14-07-2025
- CTV News
Judge orders LA prosecutors to explain why Menendez brothers' conviction shouldn't be re-examined
This combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez, left, and Lyle Menendez. (California Department of Corrections via AP, File) LOS ANGELES — A judge has ordered Los Angeles prosecutors to explain why Erik and Lyle Menendez's murder convictions should not be re-examined in light of new evidence supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father. The July 7 order by LA County Superior Court Judge William Ryan was in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by the Menendez brothers in May 2023 seeking a review of their 1996 convictions for the killings of their parents based on new evidence. The brothers were convicted of murdering their father, Jose Menendez — a powerful record executive — and their mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance. Their first trials resulted in hung juries. At the second trial for both brothers, the judge excluded a substantial amount of evidence, including testimony from several family members who witnessed or heard about the abuse. The brothers were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. In May, a judge reduced their sentences to 50 years to life in response to a resentencing petition, making them eligible for parole. They will appear before the state parole board in August. The new evidence included a newly discovered letter from Erik Menendez to his cousin Andy Cano in which he describes being abused by his father, and a declaration from Menudo boy band member Roy Rossello that he was raped by Jose Menendez in the 1980s. While prosecutors argued that the evidence was untimely and inadmissible, Ryan sided with the Menendez brothers, saying they had provided sufficient proof of why the evidence could have changed the outcome of their convictions. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office now has 30 days to explain why the brothers should not be granted habeas corpus relief. There are several possible outcomes if the judge grants relief, including reduced sentences, a new trial, or even release from prison. Jaimie Ding, The Associated Press
