fires News

At Least 36 Killed, Hundreds of Properties Destroyed in Hawaii Fires

Thousands of Hawaii residents raced to escape homes on Maui as blazes swept across the island, destroying parts of a centuries-old town and killing at least 36 people. The fire left behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking …

Setting Controlled Fires Underused in US West Despite Goals

The practice of setting controlled blazes to lessen the impact of wildfires is not used in the American West as frequently as officials would like. A study this year in the journal Fire found prescribed fires on federal lands in …

Officials Say 4 Wildfires in North-Central Nevada Were All Human Caused

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management says four separate wildfires that broke out in north-central Nevada this week all were caused by humans. The fires that began on Tuesday near Interstate 80 between Lovelock and Winnemucca are all now either …

California Spent $1.8B Fighting 2017 Wildfires

California state agencies spent nearly $1.8 billion fighting fierce wildfires that killed dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses last year, legislative budget experts reported Thursday. The federal government will reimburse most of the costs, but the …

Fire Chiefs in California Want Money to Prepare for Wildfires

California fire chiefs said that reinforcements were too slow to arrive in last year’s ferocious firestorms and asked lawmakers for $100 million to call in extra firefighters when weather conditions are ripe for a conflagration. The fire chiefs said drought …

New Phase in California Wildfire Cleanup: Clearing Ruins

Rumbling bulldozers and front-loaders have started scraping up the ash, charred wood and crumbled bricks and concrete left from thousands of homes and buildings destroyed by blazes in California wine country, launching a new phase in the largest wildfire cleanup …

5 Boys Charged with Arson in Connecticut Fires

Authorities say five boys have been arrested in connection with two fires in Norwich last month. Police say four 13-year-olds and a 12-year-old face charges that include second-degree arson and first-degree criminal mischief. Police say the most recent blaze happened …

5 Principles for Navigating Complex Property/Casualty Claims

Property/casualty losses arising from construction defects, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, industrial accidents, tornadoes or any number of other perils can strike at almost any time. When they do, the impacts to a business can be crippling, and managing the operational, …

Fire-Damaged Oregon Forests Vulnerable to Landslides: Scientists

Scientists say the fire-damaged forests are more susceptible to landslides, and another week of rain and snow could heighten that risk for eastern Oregon. The East Oregonian reported that wildfires have stripped away water-soaking vegetation in areas like Canyon Creek, …

Southern California Fires Burn Structures, Stop Oil Field Operations

Crews working through the night stopped the spread of two Los Angeles County fires in Southern California that burned several structures, charred hundreds of acres of dry brush and led to the arson arrest of one person. A brush fire …