Latest news with #firerisk
CTV News
a day ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Temiskaming Shores under fire ban
Northern Ontario Watch Fire ban in effect in Temiskaming Shores and Harris Township due to extreme fire risk. All open-air fires are now prohibited in the area -- including cooking fires. Authorities say to use propane stoves or charcoal burners instead.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Heat wave coming to Southern California: Here's when temperatures will spike
The Brief Southern California is preparing for its hottest weather of the summer, with temperatures expected to rise significantly starting on Wednesday. The heat is caused by a high-pressure system, which will push inland temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above normal and create a heightened fire risk. The peak of the heat wave is forecast for Thursday, with a cooldown expected to begin by Saturday. LOS ANGELES - Southern California this week is bracing for what appears to be the hottest weather so far this summer. According to the National Weather Service, warmer-than-normal temperatures will begin on Wednesday and peak on Thursday across Southern California. Temperatures will rise sharply, as much as 10 degrees above normal, especially inland. "This warming will push many interior areas to 4 to 6 degrees over normal, with 90s in the valleys and 100-103 degree readings in the western San Fernando Valley," the agency said. The agency warns that potentially hazardous heat is possible on Friday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 10. "Most areas will end up 5 to 10 degrees above normal. Two exceptions will be the San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Calabasas area where max temps will be 10 to 12 degrees above normal." Max temps in the valleys will range from 95 to 106 degrees, with the deserts sizzling with max temps from 105 to 107 degrees. The hot temperatures are the result of a high-pressure system expanding over the region. Accompanying the heat will be widespread strong winds, elevating fire weather danger. The NWS has issued an elevated fire weather warning for Santa Barbara County from Wednesday, Aug. 6 to Saturday, Aug. 9 due to this increased heat. Officials said heat advisories are likely for most of the Los Angeles area but will be issued towards the end of the week when temperatures will be hottest. A cooldown is expected by Saturday, Aug. 9. According to the NWS, the only triple-digit heat will be found in the Antelope Valley, with the warmest valley locations reaching the mid-90s. The Source This weather report is based on information provided by the National Weather Service, including their official forecasts and statements. The details on temperature increases, fire weather warnings, and the cause of the heat wave are all directly attributed to the agency. Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
31-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Faulty gadget sold at Asda urgently recalled over fire risk fears
A faulty vacuum cleaner is being urgently recalled and removed from supermarket shelves after it was found to be a fire risk. The popular gadget, which is sold at Asda, is called a Goblin cordless vacuum. The supermarket explained that in some of the Goblin handheld vacuum cleaners, the battery may overheat and could pose a fire safety risk if left on charge and unattended. Shoppers are being asked to check the model of their cordless vacuum and return it to the store if it's the model affected by the recall. A government spokesperson said: 'It has been identified that in some units of the Goblin handheld vacuum; the battery may overheat. 'This could pose a fire safety risk if left on charge and unattended. 'The product does not meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016.' The GHV102W-20 model is the product which is affected by the battery overheating. Asda said on its website: 'Stop using the unit and return it to your nearest ASDA store for a full refund or exchange. 'We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused. 'If you would like any further information, please contact Asda Customer Relations on 0800 952 0101.' Only products with the with site codes 5A.08.20.115; 15A.10.21.181 or 15A.09.22.168 can be returned. The codes can be found on the body of the vacuum cleaner.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pub can use field as car park despite fire concern
A pub can use a field as an overflow car park despite concerns from some villagers that it poses a fire risk. The Dabbling Duck in Great Massingham, Norfolk, has used the field as a temporary measure and sought permission to use it permanently - with more than 60 people objecting to the idea. A meeting at the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk heard complaints that hot car engines or cigarettes could spark a blaze, while others said it would ease congestion and keep cars off the village green. The council's development committee granted permission on the condition that a hedgerow was planted along the boundary to serve as a firebreak. The pub, between King's Lynn and Fakenham, has won industry awards and the Prince and Princess of Wales have been known to visit for Sunday lunch, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Formerly the Rose and Crown, it had been derelict in the early 2000s and was due to be turned into housing before a successful community-led campaign to save it. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Related internet links West Norfolk Council
Washington Post
28-07-2025
- Washington Post
As Dubai cracks down on crowded jerry-rigged apartments, migrant workers have nowhere else to go
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Lights flicker, doors hang off their hinges and holes in the walls expose pipes in the apartment building where Hesham, an Egyptian migrant worker, lives in Dubai, an emirate better known for its flashy skyscrapers and penthouses . His two-bedroom rental unit is carved up to house nine other men, and what he calls home is a modified closet just big enough for a mattress. But now the government has ordered the 44-year-old salesman out of even that cramped space, which costs him $270 a month. He's one of the many low-paid foreign laborers caught up in a widespread crackdown by authorities in Dubai over illegal subletting. That includes rooms lined with bunk beds that offer no privacy but are as cheap as a few dollars a night, as well as partitioned apartments like Hesham's, where plywood boards, drywall and plastic shower curtains can turn a flat into a makeshift dormitory for 10 or 20 people. After a blaze at a high-rise in June, Dubai officials launched the campaign over concerns that partitioned apartments represent a major fire risk . Some of those evicted have been left scrambling to stay off the streets, where begging is illegal. Others fear they could be next, uncertain when or where inspectors might show up. 'Now we don't know what we'll do,' said Hesham, who's staying put until his landlord evicts him. Like others living in Dubai's cheapest and most crowded spaces, he spoke to The Associated Press on condition only his first name be used for fear of coming into the crosshairs of authorities enforcing the ban on illegal housing. 'We don't have any other choice,' he said. Dubai Municipality, which oversees the city-state, declined an AP request for an interview. In a statement, it said authorities have conducted inspections across the emirate to curb fire and safety hazards — an effort it said would 'ensure the highest standards of public safety' and lead to 'enhanced quality of life' for tenants. It didn't address where those unable to afford legal housing would live in a city-state that's synonymous with luxury yet outlaws labor unions and guarantees no minimum wage. Dubai has seen a boom since the pandemic that shows no signs of stopping. Its population of 3.9 million is projected to grow to 5.8 million by 2040 as more people move into the commercial hub from abroad. Much of Dubai's real estate market caters to wealthy foreign professionals living there long-term. That leaves few affordable options for the majority of workers — migrants on temporary, low-wage contracts, often earning just several hundred dollars a month. Nearly a fifth of homes in Dubai were worth more than $1 million as of last year, property firm Knight Frank said. Developers are racing to build more high-end housing. That continued growth has meant rising rents across the board. Short-term rentals are expected to cost 18% more by the end of this year compared to 2024, according to online rental company Colife. Most migrant workers the AP spoke to said they make just $300 to $550 a month. In lower-income areas, they said, a partitioned apartment space generally rents for $220 to $270 a month, while a single bunk in an undivided room costs half as much. Both can cost less if shared, or more depending on size and location. At any rate, they are far cheaper than the average one-bedroom rental, which real estate firm Engel & Völkers said runs about $1,400 a month. The United Arab Emirates, like other Gulf Arab nations, relies on low-paid workers from Africa and Asia to build, clean, babysit and drive taxi cabs. Only Emirati nationals, who are outnumbered nearly 9 to 1 by residents from foreign countries, are eligible for an array of government benefits, including financial assistance for housing. Large employers, from construction firms and factories to hotels and resorts, are required by law to house workers if they are paid less than $400 a month, much of which they send home to families overseas. However, many migrants are employed informally, making their living arrangements hard to regulate, said Steffen Hertog, an expert on Gulf labor markets at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The crackdown will push up their housing costs, creating 'a lot of stress for people whose life situation is already precarious,' he said. Hassan, a 24-year-old security guard from Uganda, shares a bed in a partitioned apartment with a friend. So far, the government hasn't discovered it, but he has reason to be nervous, he said. 'They can tell you to leave without an option, without anywhere to go.' Dubai has targeted overcrowded apartments in the past amid a spate of high-rise fires fueled by flammable siding material . The latest round of inspections came after a blaze in June at a 67-story tower in the Dubai Marina neighborhood, where some apartments had been partitioned. More than 3,800 residents were forced to evacuate from the building, which had 532 occupied apartments, according to a police report. That means seven people on average lived in each of these units in the tower of one-, two- and three-bedroom flats. Dozens of homes were left uninhabitable. There were no major injuries in that fire. However, another in 2023 in Dubai's historic Deira neighborhood killed at least 16 people and injured another nine in a unit believed to have been partitioned. Ebony, a 28-year-old odd-job worker from Ghana, was recently forced to leave a partitioned apartment after the authorities found out about it. She lived in a narrow space with a roommate who slept above her on a jerry-built plywood loft bed. 'Sometimes to even stand up,' she said, 'your head is going to hit the plywood.' She's in a new apartment now, a single room that holds 14 others — and sometimes more than 20 as people come and go, sharing beds. With her income of about $400 a month, she said she didn't have another option, and she's afraid of being forced out again. 'I don't know what they want us to do. Maybe they don't want the majority of people that are here in Dubai,' Ebony said.
