building fire – Latest News and Analysis – Page 2 | Straight Arrow News

Straight Arrow News

Unbiased. Straight Facts.^TM

Wildfires rage through LA prompting mass evacuations, impacting thousands

January 8, 2025
Thousands of residents are being forced to flee as multiple wildfires burn across Los Angeles County. Firefighters continue to battle the fires, which have intensified due to strong winds and drier conditions.

So far, more than 28,000 homes and businesses are in the direct path of the fires, with evacuation orders affecting over 70,000 people. Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marrone stated the Santa Ana winds are pushing the flames across the region.

“The fire is growing, we have no percentage of containment,” the chief said in an update on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

At least three separate fires are currently burning across the county, stretching several miles from the Pacific coastline to Pasadena.

The most significant is the Palisades Fire, located to the west of the city. The fire has already scorched more than 5,000 acres.

“We have an estimated 1,000 structures destroyed,” Marrone said.

In addition to the Palisades Fire, crews are working to control the Hurst Fire in the northwestern part of the county. The Eaton Fire to the northeast is also spreading rapidly, driven by winds reaching up to 100 mph.

Amid the thick smoke, authorities discovered the bodies of two individuals, though it is not yet confirmed if their deaths were directly linked to the fires. Officials are continuing to investigate the circumstances.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is urging residents to prioritize safety. The department has seen a high number of injuries from individuals who ignored evacuation orders.

The fire chief also said emergency workers have also sustained injuries while battling the wildfires on the frontlines.

“The National Weather Service has predicted a continued red flag weather event with strong winds and low humidity placing all residents of Los Angeles County in danger,” Marrone added.

Due to the extreme weather conditions, more than 300,000 people across California have been without power. While the exact cause of the wildfires remains under investigation, officials are working tirelessly to contain the spread of the flames and prevent further destruction.
Related Stories
Thousands return home after Malibu fire, Dick Van Dyke shares his escape

December 13, 2024
As thousands of Malibu residents who fled the Franklin Fire return home, legendary actor Dick Van Dyke is sharing his narrow escape from the wildfire with NBC News. The actor, who turns 99 on Friday, Dec. 13, had to crawl to escape the fire.

“I forgot how old I am, and I realized I was crawling to get out,” Van Dyke told NBC News.

Van Dyke says after attempting to put out the flames in his guest house with a water hose, he became too exhausted to stand.

“I was trying to crawl to the car,” Van Dyke said. “I couldn’t get up. Three neighbors came and carried me out and came back and put out a little fire in the guest house, and saved me. Thank God for them.”

As Van Dyke escaped, so too did thousands of other Malibu residents.

The wildfire grew to more than 4,000 acres on Wednesday, Dec. 11, and at one point, thousands of structures were threatened by the fire.

The cause of the fire, which sparked on Monday, Dec. 9, is still under investigation. Officials say lighter winds on Thursday, Dec. 12 and more moisture helped them make progress in the battle against the fire.

Around 3,700 who previously evacuated were able to return home on Thursday as further progress in containing the fire was made.
Related Stories
French president tours Notre Dame as cathedral prepares to reopen after fire

November 29, 2024
The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is reopening to the public. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Friday, Nov. 29 to workers and donors who helped restore the nearly 1,000-year-old cathedral over the last five-and-a-half years, calling their efforts “the project of the century.”

“Don’t forget that you repaired, that you contributed to reinvent, that you loved this place and that you rebuilt it,” Macron said. “Don’t forget that during these five years of your life, you shared together, without a doubt, the most beautiful project of the century.”

Macron also toured the cathedral, where he had a chance to look at the new oak roof and the restored windows. He said that it felt like they were “rediscovering” it.

Notre Dame caught fire in April 2019. The blaze severely damaged the building and nearly took down its main bell towers.

In the years since, the cathedral has been closed to the public. But after firefighters contained the blaze, construction and restoration workers have worked on rebuilding the Paris landmark.

The effort focused on using construction methods that would align with the way the cathedral was first built in the 12th century.

French authorities still don’t know the cause of the fire, but think either an electrical issue or a burning cigarette may have started it.

The cathedral will reopen to the public after a ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 7. It will host a series of special masses in the first few days afterward.
Related Stories
- Bells of Notre Dame sound in Paris for the first time since 2019 fire
- Seine River contamination forces Olympic triathlon training cancellations
How unmanned helicopters are aiming to save pilots’ lives in US

November 19, 2024
An unmanned helicopter, which its creator claims will revolutionize everything from spraying crops to fighting fires all while saving lives, is taking flight. As revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 19, the so-called Sprayhawk needs no pilot. Developed by the U.S. startup Rotor, the helicopter relies on AI, sensors and communications systems, allowing a user to operate remotely from the ground.

“The most urgent need for our helicopters are places where there are lots of fatalities already, and that’s agriculture, that’s aerial firefighting, that’s offshore transport,” Hector Xu, Rotor Technologies founder and CEO, said. “What we’re able to do is to offer the same payload and capabilities that people are getting from manned aircraft with an unmanned solution, and that’s never happened before.”

Crop dusting and firefighting operations are reportedly some of the most dangerous flights for pilots. The U.S. National Transportation Board reports that 13 pilots were killed in agricultural operations from April to September 2024.

Xu says the 2,500-pound drone can “carry more than 1,000 pounds of payload.”

“We think this is going to change the world and we’re proud to be building it right here in Nashua, New Hampshire,” he said.

Rotor hopes to have as many as 20 choppers ready for the market in 2025. The company is currently working through the Federal Aviation Administration process to launch its helicopter to a larger market. The firm says it has already received federal approval to begin agricultural operations in the Midwest.

According to Rotor, technology still needs to be perfected, noting that the semi-autonomous aircraft could potentially pose a danger to pilots in areas with heavy air traffic, but the company said the initial plan is to stay in rural areas, minimizing that danger.

The company also has safeguards, including a button that shuts off the helicopter’s engine and initiates a controlled landing in case of an emergency.

On Wednesday, Nov. 20, Rotor reportedly plans to perform its first public flight tests with the Sprayhawk at an aviation trade show in Texas.
Related Stories
Bells of Notre Dame sound in Paris for the first time since 2019 fire

November 8, 2024
April 2019 saw the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burn, with the iconic spire collapsing as the metal roof fell. Now, a little over five years later, the cathedral is about to reopen to the public.

French President Emmanuel Macron set an ambitious goal to have the building reopened in five years back in 2019. Now, just a little over five years later, the renovated cathedral’s bells rang for the first time on Friday, Nov. 8.

Notre Dame’s eight bells did not fall during the original disaster, which could have caused much further structural collapse. Experts say the bells could have acted like wrecking balls, destroying both towers, and the entire cathedral with them.

Old bells were replaced in 2013, due to some older bronze bells becoming discordant with time. One new bell joined older survivors of the fire for use during the Paris Olympics in July 2024.

Reuters

Onlookers and residents of Paris heard the bells on Friday ring one at a time, until they all chimed in harmony for around five minutes. The cathedral will be fully reopened to the public on Dec. 8. Macron will speak to mark the occasion on Dec. 7.

The bells of Notre Dame in Paris rang out together on Friday for the first time since a 2019 fire that devastated the historic cathedral, AFP reporters said.https://t.co/P7BQwDtrLZ pic.twitter.com/zvjTbnlvsP
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) November 8, 2024

Now that the bells are back, the next thing to be finished is the famous organ, which did not sustain fire damage. The organ did have water damage due to firefighters putting out the flames, but it was saved and restored. Every piece was dismantled and cleaned or decontaminated. The organ will be played at the reopening ceremony later this year.
Related Stories
Malibu, Ventura County fires grow amid strong winds and dry conditions

November 6, 2024
Homes were threatened in California’s Malibu area on Wednesday, Nov. 6, as wildfires moved quickly, fueled by strong winds and dry conditions. The so-called Broad Fire has spread to at least 50 acres at the time of the publishing of this article, and firefighters were warning residents in mountain and foothill communities to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.

Meanwhile, authorities closed the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu as firefighters fought to contain the fire.

The National Weather Service of Los Angeles reported winds of more than 50 miles per hour and said drought conditions are contributing to the fire’s growth.

The service cautioned high winds could persist into Thursday, Nov. 7, making the area prone to “extreme and life-threatening” fire behavior.

Northwest of Los Angeles, the rapidly spreading Mountain Fire grew to 250 acres Wednesday, forcing multiple communities to evacuate in Ventura County.

So far, there are no reports of any deaths or injuries.
Related Stories
Massive fire at US base in South Korea extinguished after 19 hours

October 25, 2024
Firefighters fully extinguished a fire at the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) warehouse in the South Korean port city of Busan on Friday, Oct. 25. The fire burned for nearly 19 hours, according to local officials, and no injuries were reported.

The blaze broke out around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, at the USFK facility, located about 320 kilometers (199 miles) southeast of Seoul.

Firefighters managed to bring the major flames under control by early Friday morning and lifted the emergency fire response system at 7:34 a.m. The fire was fully extinguished by 1:34 p.m., the Busan Metropolitan City Fire Disaster Headquarters stated.

Over 160 personnel and 51 pieces of fire equipment were mobilized to the site. Officials reported that the fire started in a cold storage area inside the warehouse, which was under construction.

An official from U.S. Army Garrison Daegu told Yonhap News Agency that the warehouse was empty due to ongoing renovations.

The U.S. Army received no reports of hazardous material leaks resulting from the fire. The official also confirmed that no South Korean workers were present when the fire began, and the Army had no plans to investigate local employees.

According to the Status of Forces Agreement between South Korea and the United States, the U.S. Army maintains jurisdiction over investigations at its military facilities.

The USFK and local firefighting authorities said they would jointly investigate the cause of the fire, though they would not release the investigation’s results to the public under a relevant treaty.

Firefighters reported that the building’s sandwich panel structures and significant stock of construction and combustible materials posed difficulties in extinguishing the flames.

The warehouse manages distribution of USFK equipment brought through Busan’s port to units stationed across South Korea.
Related Stories
- North Korea blows up key roads, rail lines on border with South Korea
- Kim Jong Un: South Korea flying drones to drop propaganda leaflets in the North
Officials raising awareness after dog starts house fire by biting phone charger

August 7, 2024

Oklahoma fire officials have released footage of a house fire that occurred in May, revealing an unusual cause: a dog chewing through a phone charger. Fortunately, all residents and pets escaped the home safely and without injury.

The Tulsa Fire Department is using the accident to highlight the potential dangers associated with lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly found in many everyday devices. According to the department, these batteries can pose significant risks when an uncontrolled release of energy occurs, which can produce flammable and toxic gases, and, in some cases, lead to explosions.

“Be careful, you may have items in your home that can lead to a disaster if not properly handled,” the department said. “We want the public to learn about usage, safe storage and proper disposal of these potentially dangerous batteries.”

This incident is part of a broader pattern, as fire departments across the country have increasingly encountered issues related to lithium-ion batteries. The Tulsa Fire Department is urging the public to be aware of the potential hazards and to take precautions to ensure the safe handling of these batteries.
New probe alleges staff kept migrants locked up during deadly Juarez fire

March 21, 2024
On March 26, 2023, a fire engulfed a migrant detention center in Juarez, Mexico, claiming the lives of 40 individuals and leaving 27 others injured. Nearly a year later, a new report suggests that staff may have knowingly kept detainees locked inside a holding cell as the fire burned.

Immediately following the fire, officials asserted that the keys to the cell couldn’t be found to release the trapped migrants. However, an investigation by Lighthouse Reports, in collaboration with La Verdad and El Paso Matters, found that the key to the detainees’ cell remained inside the facility until moments before the blaze.

Surveillance footage allegedly captures a staff member refusing to unlock the cell. The report indicates that a security guard passed the key to a colleague, who pocketed it.

Audio recordings purportedly capture a uniformed National Migration Institute member stating, “We are not going to open [the cell] for them, I already told those guys.”

Despite mounting evidence, the National Migration Institute has yet to issue a statement regarding the report.

Nine individuals, including federal and state agents, are facing charges in connection to the incident. The commissioner at the time remains in his position despite the criminal charges against him.
Related Stories
Industrial fire causes massive, deadly explosions in Michigan

March 5, 2024

One person is dead after an industrial fire and hundreds of explosions north of Detroit sent “fireballs” and “shrapnel” into neighborhoods as far as a mile away. The fire burned for hours Monday night, March 4, launching nitrous-oxide and butane canisters into the air.

During a news conference Tuesday morning, the Clinton Township fire chief said that a 19-year-old was fatally struck by a projectile from the explosion while he was a quarter mile down the road.

https://twitter.com/JRNMaki/status/1764844023527694604

“Just a tremendous amount of fire,” Clinton Fire Chief Tim Duncan said. “In my 25 years, I’ve been on a few big fires – This by far was the biggest one I’ve ever seen.”

Police reported that the fire occurred at a building shared by Goo and Select Distributors — these businesses list smoke shop products such as nitrous oxide, CBD and electronic vapes.

https://twitter.com/AhmadBajjeyWx/status/1764851633945509932

“We did find out that it was this company called ‘Goo,’” Duncan said. “They are a distributor to the vaping community in the area. They received a truckload of butane within the past week and they still had over half of that left. This is what you’re seeing strewn throughout the area. You had nitrous, you had butane and they had some other products in there.”

Due to the storage of combustible materials, authorities are asking for assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the investigation.

Four people were inside the building when the fire started, but they managed to escape without injuries. Emergency management has sent hazmat units to test air quality. It’s still not clear what caused the fire.