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Border Patrol Nabs Firefighters Amid Active Fire

2 arrested Wednesday on front lines of Washington state's Bear Gulch blaze

(Newser) - Two contract firefighters on the front lines of Washington state's largest active wildfire found themselves in handcuffs on Wednesday after a surprise visit from federal agents. The exact reasons for the arrests remain murky, with officials tight-lipped and no explanation provided by Border Patrol, ICE, or Homeland Security,...

Ex-Officials Guilty in 2017 Fire That Killed 41 at Girls Home

'Let them burn,' police officer with a key to burning room said

(Newser) - A Guatemalan judge on Tuesday convicted six former officials in connection with the deaths of 41 girls in a 2017 fire at a facility for at-risk youth that had a history of abuse. All six had all pleaded not guilty. Judge Ingrid Cifuentes handed down cumulative sentences of six years...

One of Colorado's Largest-Ever Wildfires Forces Evacuations

Lee Fire has burned more than 167 square miles

(Newser) - A Colorado prison was evacuated as one of the largest wildfires in state history continued to grow, and officials warned residents of remote areas to be ready to leave Sunday as gusty winds and low humidity fed the flames, the AP reports. Evacuation orders were already in place for mountain...

Targeted Councilman Faces 'Months—if Not Years' of Rehab

Lee Vogler has burns to 60% of his body

(Newser) - The Virginia city councilman who was attacked and set on fire last week has begun "his road to recovery," according to a family statement. Danville City Council member Lee Vogler—who also works as marketing director at the offices of Showcase Magazine, where the attack occurred Wednesday—was...

Grand Canyon Megafire Spawns Own Weather

Dragon Bravo Fire has destroyed Grand Canyon Lodge, created 'fire clouds'

(Newser) - A wildfire burning along the Grand Canyon's North Rim escalated dramatically this week, crossing the 100,000-acre mark and earning the designation of a "megafire"—a status held by only about 3% of US wildfires but responsible for most of the acreage burned each year, per...

2 Girls Waiting for Adult Killed in Nebraska Plant Explosion

That employee died as well

(Newser) - Two girls and an adult missing since a huge explosion tore through a Nebraska biofuels plant are confirmed dead, officials said Wednesday, after firefighters had battled smoke and flames smoldering in the wreckage for nearly a day. "My heart hurts," Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg said at a news...

Wildfires Are Raging Bigger, but the Backup Is Shrinking

Firefighting crews in the Pacific Northwest are missing nearly 40% of their personnel

(Newser) - Wildfire season is heating up in the US, and crews are getting thin. The Guardian reports the US is facing a firefighter shortage, with more than a quarter of Forest Service positions currently unfilled. That's more than 5,100 missing roles—roughly 15% of its workforce, per Reuters —...

Smoking May Have Caused Fire That Killed 10 Seniors

Medical oxygen helped Massachusetts fire spread rapidly, authorities say

(Newser) - A fire that killed 10 people at a Massachusetts assisted-living facility was unintentionally caused by someone smoking or an electrical issue with an oxygen machine, investigators said Tuesday. The state's deadliest blaze in more than four decades has highlighted the lack of regulations governing assisted-living facilities that often care...

Several Dead in Fire at Senior Living Facility
9 Dead in Fire
at Senior Living Facility
UPDATED
Jul 14, 2025 6:51 AM CDT

9 Dead in Fire at Senior Living Facility

Another in critical condition in Fall River, Massachusetts

(Newser) - The fire chief calls it an "unfathomable tragedy:" A blaze at a senior living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, on Sunday night has left nine people dead, reports NBC Boston . Another person is in critical condition, and more than 30 were taken to the hospital for treatment. Firefighters...

Arizona Clinic Owner Killed Inside Hyperbaric Chamber

Fire at Lake Havasu clinic under investigation by authorities

(Newser) - A physical therapist in Arizona died Wednesday night after a flash fire erupted inside the hyperbaric oxygen chamber he was using at his own clinic. Authorities say Dr. Walter Foxcroft, 43, was found dead in the chamber at Havasu Health and Hyperbarics, a medical facility he opened last year...

1M Power Banks Recalled Over Battery Fires, Explosions

Anker PowerCore 10000's lithium-ion battery can overheat

(Newser) - More than 1.15 million power banks are under recall across the US after some fires and explosions were reported by consumers. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says in a statement that electronics maker Anker Innovations is recalling certain "PowerCore 10000" power banks because the lithium-ion battery inside...

Burning Cargo Ship Off India Spurs Race to Avoid Disaster

Weather, hazardous cargo on MV Wan Hai 503 stymie rescue and cleanup efforts

(Newser) - A possible environmental crisis is brewing off the coast of Kerala, India, where a Singapore-flagged cargo ship is burning. The MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire Monday in the Arabian Sea after an explosion in a container, is carrying more than 2,300 tons of fuel and hundreds...

Hospital Fire in Germany Kills 3, Injures More Than 50
3 Patients Die in Hospital Fire
Jun 1, 2025 3:31 PM CDT

3 Patients Die in Hospital Fire

Police detain 72-year-old in Hamburg

(Newser) - A fire at a large hospital in Hamburg that began in a unit for the elderly killed at least three patients and injured more than 50 people, German authorities said Sunday. The fire department said at least two of the people hurt at Marien Hospital were in critical condition, the...

Friday Could Be a Smoky One for the Midwest

Wildfires in Canada are pushing smoke down into Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan

(Newser) - Wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan have led to a state of emergency and the evacuation of around 17,000 residents in Manitoba, in what that province's premier is calling its largest evacuation in recent memory. What that means for the United States: Friday and Saturday are going to...

Canadian Province Declares Wildfire Emergency

Manitoba blazes force 17K evacuations

(Newser) - With wildfires raging across western Canada, Manitoba has declared a province-wide state of emergency and ordered the biggest evacuation in decades. "I can tell you everybody has to be out by midnight, and that includes me," the mayor of Flin Flon, population 5,000, told the CBC on...

The Goats of Sacramento Are Back
The Goats of
Sacramento
Are Back
May 28, 2025 6:15 PM CDT

The Goats of Sacramento Are Back

Calif. county to spend $400K to let herds graze on dry vegetation that could serve as wildfire fuel

(Newser) - Goats are back on the job in Sacramento, California, called in once again to help head off potential wildfires as the region's temperatures rise. Under a program led by Sacramento County Regional Parks, thousands of goats and sheep are grazing their way through open areas to eat down...

They Partied at Prom, Stopped for Heroics on Way Home

Teens in upstate New York are lauded for quick thinking after passing by family's garage on fire

(Newser) - There's a lot that parents dread about prom: the drunken escapades, the after-party hanky-panky, the final tab after the dresses, tuxes, limos, and tickets have all been purchased. The parents of one group of teens in upstate New York, however, should have only pride after their kids helped save...

Co-Pilot's Left-Right Confusion Ended Takeoff

Pilot stepped in to force emergency stop on runway last summer in the UK

(Newser) - A British Airways flight leaving Gatwick Airport in London for Vancouver aborted takeoff after the co-pilot confused his left for his right, leading to a brake fire, according to a report from government investigators. The plane with nearly 350 people aboard was able to stop "some distance before...

Man, 19, Faces Arson Charges Over New Jersey Wildfire

Blaze has burned more than 23 square miles, impacted air quality in surrounding area

(Newser) - A spark from burning pallets in New Jersey's Pine Barrens has unleashed a wildfire, with smoke drifting as far as New York City and Long Island, prompting evacuations and raising air quality alarms. The blaze was sparked when a 19-year-old man from Waretown set fire to wooden pallets...

Destructive Fire Began With Sex Toys Arson: Officials

Staten Island man faces arson charges

(Newser) - What began relatively innocently, if oddly, by setting two rubber sex toys ablaze in a backyard turned into a destructive fire on Staten Island that spread to neighboring houses. The resulting three-alarm blaze engulfed at least two homes and two vehicles on Monday, WNBC reports. No injuries were reported. Court...

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