Wildfires

An aerial view of fire trucks, utility, and other vehicles parked along Pacific Coast Highway near homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire as wildfires cause damage and loss through the LA region on January 13, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

January 14, 2025 10:05 AM

Fire-ravaged Los Angeles in path of dangerous winds

Los Angeles firefighters braced for high winds overnight into Tuesday, gusts that could fuel two monstrous wildfires that have already leveled entire neighborhoods, killed at least two dozen people, and burned an area the size of Washington, D.C. Dry, dangerous Santa Ana wind gusts reached 30 to 50 mph (48 to 80 kph) later on Monday, but the red flag warning was not due to start until 10 p.m. PST (0600 GMT) with the peak winds that could hit 75 mph (120 kph) starting around 4 a.m. Tuesday (120...

January 12, 2025 2:55 PM

California wildfires claim 16 lives; Donald Trump calls it “one of the worst catastrophes” in US history

US President-elect Donald Trump has voiced his frustration as the southern California wildfires continue to rage. Describing the disaster as "one of the worst catastrophes" in the country's history, he criticized the authorities for their inability to extinguish the fires. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the fires in Los Angeles are still raging and lamented the lack of effective action. He expressed concern over the destruction of thousands of homes and the loss of lives, calling ...

January 10, 2025 1:39 PM

Los Angeles wildfires devour thousands of homes, death toll rises to 10

Wildfires menacing Los Angeles have killed at least 10 people and devoured nearly 10,000 structures, with five fires burning into a third night on Thursday as dry desert winds fanning the flames again gathered strength. The Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming more than 34,000 acres (13,750 hectares) - or some 53 square miles - turning entire...

January 9, 2025 4:34 PM

Hollywood Hills burn as LA engulfed by ‘the big one’

The Hollywood Hills blazed uncontrollably on Thursday morning as the worst wildfires in the history of Los Angeles raged across the city and deep into the storied heartland of the American film industry. A crescent of flame squeezed Los Angeles in a huge pincer visible from space. More than 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate as dry, hurricane-force winds hindered firefighting operations and spread the flames. At least five people have been killed since the fires erupted on Tuesday. The h...

November 28, 2024 12:40 PM

Global study links 1.5 million deaths every year to air pollution from wildfires

An Australian-led international research has found that over 1.5 million deaths globally every year were linked to the health impacts of air pollution caused by landscape fires. According to the research published on Thursday by Monash University in Melbourne, 1.53 million deaths per year between 2000 and 2019 were attributable to wildfire-sourced air pollution, Xinhua news agency reported. The study found that over 90 per cent of all deaths attributable to landscape fire-sourced air pollution...

August 15, 2024 4:21 PM

Extreme weather drives travelers to cooler destinations this summer

Florida resident Kathy Pafunda is reading books and perusing maps to plan a Norway getaway next summer, following visits over the last two years to cool-weather destinations Alaska, Utah, Minnesota and Iceland. "We like to escape during the summer months, especially when going outside feels like taking an unpleasant bath," said the retired 69-year-old audiologist, who lives in Tampa. "Florida is hideous right now." Wildfires and heat waves this summer have pushed more travelers to take "coolca...