Tag: evacuation

California’s largest wildfire doubles in size and destroys scores of buildings

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The Park fire in Butte County — the largest blaze in California this year — exploded to more than 164,000 acres by Friday morning, with its rapid spread destroying scores of buildings and forcing more evacuations.

The growth of the fire over two days amid steady winds and hot temperatures has been dramatic, with its remote location making it difficult to fight. It was listed at 164,286 acres Friday morning and what little containment crews had on the fire Thursday — listed at 3% — had been lost and containment was reduced to 0%, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection website.

Conditions on the ground are going to continue to be a challenge, forecasters say.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the northern Sacramento Valley through late Friday, including the region where the fire is spreading. Forecasters warned there could be wind gusts up to 30 mph pushing the blaze north combined with low humidity, which “can cause new fire starts and ongoing wildfires to … grow rapidly and dangerously in size and intensity.”

At least 134 buildings have been confirmed destroyed, and another 4,000 are threatened, according to Cal Fire.

“This fire is moving very rapidly and very quickly,” said Garrett Sjolund, the fire chief for Cal Fire’s Butte County unit.

Firefighters remained focused on protecting the communities around the fire Friday, including Cohasset and Forest Ranch, where about 4,000 people were evacuated. Some neighborhoods in northeast Chico were also evacuated, affecting about 400 people, along with several areas of Tehama County, authorities said.

The fire is burning north into the Ishi Wilderness and Lassen foothills, which experts say hasn’t seen fire activity in decades, if not a century.

“Once it got into that area, it had a lot of fuel to consume,” said Dan Collins, a Cal Fire spokesperson for the Butte Unit.

Zeke Lunder, a fire specialist and geographer based in Chico, agreed with Collins and said the lack of recent fires has made the area a jackpot for flames.

Ronnie Dean Stout II, a 42-year-old Chico man, was arrested on suspicion of starting the Park fire.

(Butte County District Attorney’s Office)

“A lot of us who work in fire have kind of been waiting for this fire to happen for the last 25 years,” he said.

On Thursday, authorities announced they had arrested 42-year-old Ronnie Dean Stout II, a Chico resident, on suspicion or arson. Prosecutors said the man pushed a burning car into a gully, starting the fast-moving fire.

“It is maddening that we’re here again, and it is particularly maddening that this particular fire was caused by an individual,” said Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea. “During this particular time of year, we are under a very high threat for fire.”

The Park fire was one of several burning in California:

Sjolund, the fire chief in Butte County, said he’s hopeful an expected drop in temperatures this weekend could assist in fighting the Park fire and others across the region.

“It’s kind of a moving target with the way the weather patterns are coming in,” he said.

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Grace Toohey, Hayley Smith, Joseph Serna

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July 26, 2024
Fast-moving Park fire in Butte County forces evacuations in mountain areas

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A fast-moving fire in Butte County was burning rapidly near some mountain communities Wednesday night, forcing evacuations.

The fire started Wednesday afternoon just north of Chico at Bidwell Park. Wind fanned it north, where it has burned more than 6,000 acres, according to Butte County.

Some small mountain areas — including the hamlet of Cohasset — are under threat, and people are attempting to evacuate.

There are no reports of burned structures, Butte County said.

Rick Carhart, public information officer for Cal Fire, told the Chico Enterprise-Record late Wednesday that “a lot of crews” would be battling the fire through the night, with three night-capable helicopters helping battle flames. Carthart said crews “from all over Northern California” were helping in the firefight.

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Times staff

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July 24, 2024
16,000-acre wildfire in Santa Barbara County prompts evacuations near vineyards, Neverland Ranch

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A wildfire in the mountains above Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley has exploded to more than 16,000 acres, prompting evacuations near vineyards and Neverland Ranch.

The Lake fire was sparked near Zaca Lake on Friday afternoon just before 4 p.m. and quickly spread through dry grass, brush and timber, officials said. The fire was zero percent contained on Sunday.

The Sheriff’s Department expanded the evacuation area Saturday night along Figueroa Mountain Road near Neverland Ranch, once owned by the pop star Michael Jackson. More ground crews were dispatched to the area.

“Our goal is to keep [the fire] away from all those structures,” said Kenichi Haskett, the public information officer assigned to the firefighting operation. “It’s going to continue to grow.”

The fire was burning in the mountains above Foxen Canyon Road, where there are more than a dozen vineyards. Several wineries north of Los Olivos were closed Sunday after fire officials cut off access to the road.

But there was no need to evacuate, said Ashley Parker, co-owner of Fess Parker Winery.

Though she could see the glow at night north of the winery, the wind appeared to be taking the fire farther north, away from populated areas, Parker said.

The threat level was low enough that the youngsters were simply entertained by the fire helicopters sucking water from the vineyard reservoir, she said.

“My nieces and their husbands live on the ranch,” Parker said. “All the kids were getting a real thrill out of it. Those helicopter pilots are really amazing. So lucky to have great fire crews.”

The fire was fueled by low humidity and hot inland temperatures. When the fire started, a red flag warning was in place because of gusty winds. The wind has now calmed down, but temperatures remain high.

“With less wind, they can get aircraft in there to drop retardant,” said Joe Sirard, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “But it’s life threatening heat for these firefighters.”

He said the humidity was still in single digits in some areas of the fire, especially in the highest elevations. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Amid scorching temperatures, crews continued to battle several wildfires in inland areas across California. The largest is the Basin fire in Fresno County, which started June 26. The fire, which has burned 14,027 acres, was 60% contained on Sunday.

Crews also gained the upper hand on the French fire, which began on the Fourth of July and briefly threatened the town of Mariposa outside Yosemite National Park. The 908-acre fire, which temporarily triggered mandatory evacuations and closed State Route 140 leading into the park, stands at 60% containment.

The weather service has issued an excessive-heat warning until 9 p.m. on Wednesday for inland valleys from Cuyama in San Luis Obispo County down to the Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County. Forecasters say the highs along this stretch of inland California are expected to range from 106 to 116 degrees.

The relentless heat shattered records in some parts of the state on Saturday. Palmdale tied its all-time record of 115 degrees. Death Valley set a new record for July 6 with a high of 128 degrees.

On Saturday, a cooling trend prompted the weather service to call off excessive-heat advisories and warnings in many of the coastal areas.

In Los Olivos, vineyard managers said they were optimistic the fire would soon be contained. Parker said she expected her winery to reopen Monday.

“I really do believe the firefighters knocked it back and that area is going to be up to speed in a day,” she said. “The last thing I want to do is encourage people not to come. The town of Los Olivos is in good shape. Businesses are open. People are having a good time.”

Adrian De La Cruz, who works at Petros Winery closer to town, said customers were being seated indoors because of the air quality.

“The smoke is getting really bad today,” he said. “Yesterday it was raining ash.”

He said one fire patrol officer stopped by, but he did not have time to talk to him.

“We were busy,” he said.

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Melody Petersen, Doug Smith

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July 7, 2024
‘The hotel is shutting down:’ Port Lavaca evacuating ahead of Beryl
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PORT LAVACA, Texas – As Tropical Storm Beryl eyes up its final track along the Texas Gulf Coast, entire communities are fleeing for higher and drier ground.

On Saturday night, hotel staff at the Holiday Inn Express in Port Lavaca hand-delivered notices to every guest in the hotel alerting them that they had to leave in the morning as everyone is evacuating.

SEE ALSO: Hurricane and Tropical Storm Warnings issued ahead of Beryl’s expected landfall

“The hotel is shutting down for the Hurricane Beryl. Everyone must check out in the morning,” reads the notice. “Media crew is excluded.”

The hotel is positioned right alongside the Lavaca Bay, which could see storm surge as high as six feet above ground level.
KPRC2′s Gage Goulding and Photojournalist Oscar Chavez are both positioned at this hotel to intercept Beryl.

Beryl is forecast to strengthen to a hurricane once again before making its third and final landfall.

Winds from then Hurricane Beryl could reach as high as 110 mph, according to forecasts.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

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Gage Goulding, Oscar Chavez

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July 7, 2024
Serrano fire in Corona threatens homes, prompting road closures and evacuations

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A brush fire erupted Monday afternoon in the city of Corona, threatening dozens of homes, closing streets and prompting some evacuations, according to the Corona Fire Department.

The brush fire, dubbed the Serrano fire, broke out around 2:42 p.m. in the 600 block of Corona Avenue, not far from Serrano Drive, according to Corona fire spokesman Daniel Yonan.

Late afternoon sunlight seeps through the brush as firefighters fight the Serrano fire from the ground and air in Corona on Monday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

He said the fire started to move toward dozens of homes up on Mandevilla Way, prompting fire officials to call for two water helicopters and other reinforcements. Later in the afternoon, officials reported that the fire’s spread had been stopped and the blaze contained to less than 12 acres, although crews from 18 engines were on the scene and continuing to put out hot spots.

No official evacuation orders were issued, but law enforcement officers asked residents living along Mandevilla Way, Via Blairo and Tampico Circle to evacuate out of precaution. Those orders were to remain in place until 8 p.m. Monday.

Police also closed several major roads into the area, including Parkridge Avenue at Tesoro Way, Hidden Valley Parkway at Via Blairo and Corona Avenue at Gilmore Drive.

No homes had been lost and no injuries reported as of 5 p.m. Monday. The cause of the fire remains unknown and under investigation.

Fire officials plan to send more updates for residents on social media.

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Ruben Vives

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June 24, 2024
Wildfires across California spread as hot, gusty winds hit Monday

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Firefighters are battling a series of wildfires that broke out across California over the weekend amid early summer heat and dry, gusty winds.

The National Weather Service warned that winds that carry “the potential for rapid fire spread” were forecast across large swaths of the state Monday morning, including the Antelope Valley and foothills, Santa Barbara County and Northern California’s wine country and Sacramento Valley.

The largest fire in the state Monday morning was the Post fire in Los Angeles County, which has burned 14,625 acres and was 8% contained, Cal Fire said. More than 1,100 firefighters and half a dozen helicopters are battling the flames.

The fire, along the 5 Freeway near Gorman, triggered evacuations for 1,200 people in the Hungry Valley Park and Pyramid Lake areas.

The fire burned an auto repair shop, damaged another building and threatened other structures to the south and west of the I-5, authorities said. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews rapidly responded, making aerial assaults with air tankers and water-dropping helicopters.

The Ventura County Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service were aiding in the effort. At one point Sunday, about 400 firefighters and 70 engines were at the scene, according to Cal Fire.

At least 13 fires have started since Saturday in California and burned more than 20,000 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection website.

At the same time, areas from Redding down to Modesto are under a Red Flag warning until Tuesday morning due to a combination of summer heat, gusty winds, low humidity and unusually warm overnight temperatures.

In the North Bay hills, areas hit by some of the state’s worst wildfires in recent memory, including Mt. St. Helena and Lake Berryessa, are under red flag warnings until Monday night.

In Sonoma County, the Point fire has burned more than 1,000 acres and several structures south of Lake Sonoma. It was 15% contained Monday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire started Sunday afternoon.

A smaller fire in Lancaster, meanwhile, burned 300 acres and several outbuildings after starting before 4 p.m. Sunday.

In Hesperia, more than 1,100 acres burned, prompting area road closures and an evacuation warning for the nearby Arrowhead Equestrian Estates. The fire began Saturday before 7 p.m.

On Monday morning, a vegetation fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills just south of Runyon Canyon, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Not far from homes and hidden in a difficult-to-access area, it took firefighters and a water-dropping helicopter more than an hour to put out the flames, despite it burning an only about 400 square feet, the department said in an alert.

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Joseph Serna

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June 17, 2024
Photos: The first major wildfire of 2024 in Los Angeles County

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A wind-driven wildfire along Interstate 5 near the Grapevine exploded to more than 12,000 acres by early Sunday and had charted a path south toward the town of Castaic, prompting evacuations throughout the area, officials said. The Post fire, which originated Saturday in Gorman in northwestern Los Angeles County, was only 2% contained Sunday afternoon as high winds, low humidity and steep terrain hampered firefighting efforts.

Meanwhile, firefighters were battling another brush fire in the San Bernardino County community of Hesperia that broke out after 6 p.m. Saturday in the 18000 block of North Highway 173. That fire has burned more than 1,300 acres and was 20% contained.

The Post Fire

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Fire crews battle a hot spot on Orwin road.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Fire crews battle a hot spot.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Crews conduct a burn-out operation Sunday near Hungry Valley Road.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Firefighters at work in Gorman.

(Eric Thayer / Associated Press)

Members of the Little Tujunga Hot Shots at work.

(Eric Thayer / Associated Press)

The Post fire advances on structures in Gorman.

As the fire spreads, experts are gauging the severity of this year’s fire season. A wet winter has nurtured a potentially heavy fuel load of thick grasses, which are drying as temperatures rise.

(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)

As the fire spreads, experts are gauging the severity of this year’s fire season. A wet winter has nurtured a potentially heavy fuel load of thick grasses, which are drying as temperatures rise.

(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)

A smoldering hillside is left behind by the Post fire.

The Lisa Fire

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

CalFire drops water from a helicopter to battle the wind driven Lisa fire from the air in a canyon east of Moreno Valley on Sunday in Beaumont. As of 6:45pm the fire had burned 867 acres.

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Robert Gauthier, Jason Armond, Gina Ferazzi, Times Photography Wire Services

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June 16, 2024
Asylum seekers scrambling to find local housing

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ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – It’s been one year since asylum seekers from New York City were sent to the Capital District by busloads. We told you about the evacuation at the Rotterdam Super 8, where many of them were living, now the New York City mayor’s office is asking the Rotterdam community for help housing them.

Following their removal from the Rotterdam Super 8 – due to no working sprinkler or fire alarm system – asylum seekers tell NEWS10 they have been told by DocGo that they will be removed from the current hotel they’re staying in.

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One person told me, “They only gave us 8 days to vacate the hotel where we are, in reality we don’t have anything to rent and we don’t want to go to New York.”

Many of the children attend school in the Mohonasen Central School District. Superintendent Shannon Shine said the situation is dynamic.

Rotterdam Super 8 evacuated at midnight

“They were informed they could stay for six weeks, which would take them to the end of the school year and apparently the hotel mid-last week said it would be sold and everyone had to be out by June 1,” said Shine.

Shine said DocGo has offered to buy asylum seekers tickets, on any mode of transportation, to anywhere they have family or other living arrangements. However, an asylum seeker tells me he’s concerned because he does not have a place to go.

“They will transport them free of charge, plane, train or automobile. The guy said actually anywhere in the world and I guess that would deal with, can you get into another country or not? Passports, customs laws. But certainly anywhere in the United States they want to go if they have family or if they have friends. A job, a place to go,” said Shine.

Shine said things are changing rapidly, but he’s been following the situation closely because they have a legal obligation to educate all students in the district.

“We want them to finish if at all possible, we know it’s good for them, but some of these things may ultimately turn out to be beyond our control,” said Shine.

He and his staff have heard harrowing stories about what the students and their families have been through.

“It’s pretty affronting when you listen to the sheer number of miles traveled. People taking advantage in, different countries. It runs the gamut from murder, extortion, rape, bribery, charging excessive amounts, taking advantage of people financially. Sex trafficking. All of that isn’t like ‘Oh yeah we think that this could happen’. No, it did happen, it is happening which makes it pretty brutal,” said Shine. “And then you have kids who were there throughout the whole thing, depending on the age of the kids they may have been involved in some of these things.”

Shine said the district has resources and helping asylum seekers does not take away from other students. He said the students and their families have been through some heart wrenching challenges.

“People may have political opinions about this, but that’s outside of my purview. What is inside of my purview is students in our district, residing here, are our responsibility and we will do the best we can for them,” said Shine.

Shine said there’s a slim chance asylum seekers could stay in the area and if they stay he will do what he can to transport students to school.

The New York City Mayor’s office released a statement saying, “We are pursuing all available options to keep these families in Rotterdam, where they have lived for months, so that school-aged children can finish their school year there. We welcome any businesses, faith institutions, or community organizations in the area who can temporarily accommodate these families to please reach out.”

The New York City mayor’s office is asking anyone in a position to help to contact the city by sending an email to asylumseekersupport@cityhall.nyc.gov

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Carina Dominguez

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May 28, 2024
What’s the difference between voluntary and mandatory evacuations?
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HOUSTON – After several days of heavy rainfall and flood threats, both voluntary and mandatory evacuations have been issued.

Authorities in Harris County initially issued a voluntary evacuation for residents near the East Fort of the San Jacinto River. Then the voluntary evacuation turned into a mandatory evacuation.

SEE ALSO: Emergency Management Office seeks donations for San Jacinto County Shelter

So, what’s the difference?

A Voluntary Evacuation means that you should consider leaving to a safer location. There’s a chance that flood waters could render you unable to leave your home. You should still prepare to shelter in place for several days.

Meanwhile, a Mandatory Evacuation means that a life threatening situation is imminent. With that brings a threat to the lives of first responders.

Here’s the very serious part – If you do not leave during a mandatory evacuation, emergency personnel will not come to help you. You are on your own. You cannot rely on help.
“Why are we saying mandatory evacuation? We had a request for a voluntary evacuation a couple days ago,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. “The situation then was not threatening to life safety. The situation today is threatening to life safety. And so we want to signal how important this is.”

Now here’s the thing. Just because it’s called a Mandatory Evacuation, it doesn’t mean law enforcement can force you out of your home.

It’s a personal decision to leave or go.

But it’s a decision that could cost someone their life.

“We can’t force someone to leave,” Hidalgo said. “But if you stay there, not only are you a sitting duck, but you’re putting out law enforcement in danger. And at some point, we can’t send law enforcement into swift water that is sure to pose a threat to their life because you made a bad decision. So, please evacuate.”

You can see river and stream water levels as well as rainfall rates here. You can also view the KPRC 2 Flood Tracker here.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

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Gage Goulding

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May 4, 2024
Landslide damages at least 3 homes in Sherman Oaks, some residents evacuated

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SHERMAN OAKS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — At least three homes in Sherman Oaks were impacted by a landslide, prompting some people to be evacuated overnight.

Firefighters responded to N. Ventura Canyon Avenue around 2:51 a.m. Wednesday after reports of a large tree and wires down in the backyard of a residence, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

They discovered a large portion of the hillside had slid down toward homes in the area.

A home that was under construction sustained the most damage and will be red-tagged, officials said. One of the other homes was yellow-tagged.

LAFD’s Cody Weireter described the damage that was left behind.

“You have a large debris of mud, vegetation, trees… and rocks and concrete just come down into one of the homes that was under construction,” he told Eyewitness News. “A portion of one of the homes’ outdoor pool area has actually separated form that main foundation, and so obviously that’s one of our biggest concerns right now.”

Video from the scene shows a pool house and pool that sustained significant damage with large cracks on the ground. Crews pumped the water out of the pool to reduce the stress on the hillside.

There were people inside two of the homes at the time of the landslide. They all safely evacuated. No injuries were reported.

DEVELOPING: We will add more details to this report as they become available.

Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Jaysha Patel

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March 13, 2024
Collapse of building basement walls prompts evacuation of apartment building in New Jersey

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HAWTHORNE, New Jersey (WABC) — The walls of a basement collapsed in a New Jersey apartment building Sunday morning, forcing the evacuation of residents.

The walls caved in shortly after 9 a.m. at the Hawthorne Gardens apartment complex at 100 Rock Road in Hawthorne, affecting a two-story building that houses about 20 families, according to Hawthorne Mayor John Lane.

The mayor says half of the basement and the building are now considered unsafe.

Officials originally evacuated four units that were compromised, but further investigation found a stress crack on another section of the building, which prompted officials to evacuate the entire building.

Donna Petrillo was inside around 9 a.m. when everything started shaking.

“I heard the loudest bang ever and then I noticed one of my pictures was off the wall and then I heard a cracking nose. Kept hearing a cracking noise,” Petrillo said,

What she and others felt was a partial collapse in the basement, Officials believe the heavy rain is to blame an the ground right now is saturated like a sponge. They say the problem was likely slowly unfolding, but Sunday was the breaking point.

“The foundation underneath the building is collapsed into the basement, which is now dragging the first floor into the basement and landed on nine boilers that were affecting other buildings,” said Hawthorne Fire Chief Joe Speranza.

vacate orders were placed for Building E, where nine adults, three dogs, and three cats live.

“It’s very disturbing mentally. I was worried about my girls’ safety,” said Michael Barchetto.

The problem is not just isolated to Building E — the heavily damaged boilers in the basement service other apartments in the complex. Three additional buildings do not have heat and gas.

People were given a brief window to go and grab what they could. Engineers will be determining next steps.

No injuries have been reported

ALSO READ | Woman in custody after body parts found in fridge inside Flatbush apartment

Jim Dolan is in Flatbush with the story.

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January 28, 2024
Heavy Southern California rain floods roads, and thunderstorms are still possible

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Heavy rainfall early Monday brought some localized and urban flooding across Los Angeles County, making for a treacherous — or at least slow — morning drive for many commuters.

The latest in a string of wet winter storms has much of Southern California under a flood advisory through 9:30 a.m. Monday, with the possibility for thunderstorms and heavy showers still in the forecast through the evening, according to the National Weather Service.

“We had a quarter- to half-inch of rain in an hour across much of the area, which did result in a lot of urbanized flooding and a lot of ponding on the roadways,” said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Reports of roadway flooding hindered commutes across the region, including a majority of lanes shut down on the southbound 405 Freeway in Long Beach.

But by 8 a.m. Monday, Sirard said, much of the worst had passed.

“It looks like the heavier rain is moving out of the area,” Sirard said. “We do still have a chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms today … what that means is there still could be localized, brief heavy rains.”

The flood advisory, however, remains in effect through 9 a.m. for southeast Los Angeles County as well as parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. For San Diego County’s coast and Orange County’s foothills, the warning has been issued through 9:30 a.m.

County officials issued an evacuation warning for some Topanga Canyon residents that lasts through Tuesday morning, citing concerns about mudslides.

“Any time we get this kind of rain, there’s always that possibility,” Sirard said, noting that recent burn scars, like in that area, are particularly vulnerable. But as of early Monday, he said the rain rates hadn’t yet reached levels to prompt flash flood warnings there or elsewhere in the region.

Rain totals for Monday are expected to reach almost 3 inches in some foothill communities, and up to an inch across the L.A. metro area. Localized flooding will remain a concern from potential scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, but the widespread heavy rains have mostly moved out of the area, Sirard said.

“If the roads are wet and it’s raining, you want to slow down and use caution,” Sirard said.

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Grace Toohey

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January 22, 2024
Fast-moving Highland fire prompts evacuations in Riverside County

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A brush fire has burned more than 300 acres across Riverside County, prompting evacuation orders and road closures.

The blaze, dubbed the Highland fire, was first reported at 12:37 p.m. near Highlands Road and Aguanga Ranchos Road in the unincorporated neighborhood of Aguanga. Within a few hours, the fire had reached 325 acres and was threatening structures. Firefighters have made no progress at containment.

An evacuation order was issued for Aguanga residents north of Cottonwood Creek, south of Sage Road and Golden Eagle Drive, west of Boulder Vista and east of Becker Lane. An evacuating warning, a less urgent alert, was issued for an area east of Vail Lake Resort, north of David Street, south of Rancho Pueblo Road and west of Shirley Way.

CalFire officials published an online map of the evacuation areas.

A reception and care center for evacuees can be found at Great Oak High School in Temecula, 32555 Deer Hollow Way. Those who have large or small animals that need shelter can drop them off at the San Jacinto Animal Shelter, 581 S. Grand Ave.

Road closures were in place along Highway 79 between Sage Road and the San Diego County line, as well as between Sage Road and Wilson Valley Road.

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Jeremy Childs

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October 30, 2023
‘Legend Day’ Declared Honoring Afghan Who Saved Americans From Taliban

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The City Council of Irvine, California, Proclaimed March 21, 2023 ‘Legend Day’ Honoring an Afghan American for His Efforts to Save Americans and Allies in Afghanistan.

IRVINE, Calif., March 30, 2023 (Newswire.com)
–
In America’s safest city, one U.S. Army combat veteran is making big waves around the world. His callsign is “Legend,” and he’s the only Afghan-American to be awarded his own holiday in the United States.

At 3:30 PM PST, Mayor Farah Khan of Irvine, California, proclaimed March 21, 2023 #LegendDay on behalf of the Irvine City Council. She was joined by former Mayor Christina Shae, current City Council Member Larry Agran, as well as U.S. Military veterans and members of the Afghan and Iranian communities of Irvine.

“Thank you for your brave leadership in this humanitarian crisis,” Agran said to Legend. “I stand with you to do whatever we can for the Afghan people.”

Legend Group Spokesperson Jazz Cannon received the award on Legend’s behalf.

“By proclaiming March 21, 2023 #LegendDay,” Cannon said, “Irvine is sending a powerful message of unity and solidarity to the world with the occupied people of Afghanistan.”

Legend was deeply moved by the gesture.

“I want everyone, whether friend or enemy, to remember this honor given to a person from Afghanistan the next time you hear the harsh words that Americans have abandoned Afghanistan,” Legend said upon hearing about the proclamation. “This holiday is proof that the American people stand with the freedom-loving people of Afghanistan.“

“I dedicate this holiday to the 40 million victims of the Taliban regime,” Legend continued. “I dedicate this to the 800,000 American veterans of the Afghanistan War, and our vocal supporter United States Congressman Mike Waltz. I dedicate this to the Afghan soldiers who are continuing the war against terrorism. And I dedicate this proclamation and this honor to my brother Commander Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, who is fighting against our common enemy.“

It all started on Aug. 15th, 2021, when Legend, a retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, single-handedly went behind enemy lines to rescue American citizens, Afghan allies, and religious minorities from the clutches of the Taliban.

For him, it’s personal: he escaped the Taliban days before 9/11, and served his new nation honorably in the U.S. Army, deploying with former CENTCOM Commander General Joseph Votel to his former homeland during the War on Terror. Legend frequently returns to Afghanistan to continue helping those left behind.

Today, Legend Group’s extensive on-the-ground team provides evacuations, medical support, prenatal care, food, safe houses, and counter-human trafficking support for at-risk Afghan allies and their families in need.

Legend Group Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization solving the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. For media queries or to support their work, contact Jazz Cannon at (321) 418-5253.

Source: Legend Group Foundation

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March 30, 2023
Oklahoma daycare evacuated after car fire in parking lot

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An Oklahoma daycare was evacuated after a car fire in their parking lot.The flames reached two cars next to the building, forcing everyone to get out. The daycare workers said that the fire scared them as much as it scared the children.When Jones Fire Department arrived to put out the fire, Nannie’s Daycare was already getting children to safety.”Before we could look up, all the women that worked there at Nannie’s daycare had a perfect plan in place,” said Mark Taylor, Jones Fire chief.The fire department said they were responding to a call of a car on fire in a shopping center parking lot.”Upon our arrival we found one car fully engulfed, impending on the second vehicle next to it. It had already blew out the windows and blew the tires out of that also,” Taylor said.In the shopping center, the staff was already working on getting children out.”The director went and pulled the fire alarm and proceeded to evacuate all the children out of the facility. Then she ran out to the playground to help with getting the children off of the playground because it was pretty close to where the car had caught on fire,” said Sherry Minnick, owner of Nannie’s Daycare.While the fire department worked to put out the blaze, the children were down the road at a local bank.”The people from the bank, who are right behind us, they actually came out and said, ‘Hey, bring those kids in here,’” Minnick said.The owner said it comes as no surprise that everyone around them was willing to help get the children to safety.”It’s a small community so everybody knows just about everybody and when the bank saw what was happening, they started handing out waters and suckers to the kids,” Minnick said.The owner said she’s extremely grateful for the help from their neighbors and the fire department.

OKLAHOMA CITY —

An Oklahoma daycare was evacuated after a car fire in their parking lot.

The flames reached two cars next to the building, forcing everyone to get out. The daycare workers said that the fire scared them as much as it scared the children.

When Jones Fire Department arrived to put out the fire, Nannie’s Daycare was already getting children to safety.

“Before we could look up, all the women that worked there at Nannie’s daycare had a perfect plan in place,” said Mark Taylor, Jones Fire chief.

The fire department said they were responding to a call of a car on fire in a shopping center parking lot.

“Upon our arrival we found one car fully engulfed, impending on the second vehicle next to it. It had already blew out the windows and blew the tires out of that also,” Taylor said.

In the shopping center, the staff was already working on getting children out.

“The director went and pulled the fire alarm and proceeded to evacuate all the children out of the facility. Then she ran out to the playground to help with getting the children off of the playground because it was pretty close to where the car had caught on fire,” said Sherry Minnick, owner of Nannie’s Daycare.

While the fire department worked to put out the blaze, the children were down the road at a local bank.

“The people from the bank, who are right behind us, they actually came out and said, ‘Hey, bring those kids in here,’” Minnick said.

The owner said it comes as no surprise that everyone around them was willing to help get the children to safety.

“It’s a small community so everybody knows just about everybody and when the bank saw what was happening, they started handing out waters and suckers to the kids,” Minnick said.

The owner said she’s extremely grateful for the help from their neighbors and the fire department.

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October 15, 2022
Modern Day Underground Railroad is Staving Off Disaster With On-the-Ground Network in Afghanistan

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It started when “Legend”, callsign for a former U.S. Army Staff Sgt., returned to Afghanistan to rescue trapped Americans, Afghan allies, Christians and other religious minorities hunted door to door by the Taliban.

Press Release
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Aug 26, 2022

SAN DIEGO, August 26, 2022 (Newswire.com)
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What others call H*LL, he calls HOME: Meet “Legend”, the Afghan-American U.S. army combat veteran on the ground in Afghanistan right now. It all started with a solo evacuation operation during the 2021 forceful invasion of the Afghan Capitol by the Taliban regime. Risking his own life daily, Legend was captured and lashed by the Taliban but escaped to complete his mission. Legend ultimately rescued hundreds of at-risk Afghans and Americans, personally leading them to safety.

A native of San Diego, Legend is back on the ground in Afghanistan as the head of the humanitarian organization called Legend Group. It’s an extensive on-the-ground network that provides intelligence to U.S. veteran-operated Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Known in the evacuation circles as a “Modern Day Underground Railroad”, the Legend Group provides safe passage, medical support, prenatal care, food, safe houses, and counter-human trafficking support for at-risk Afghan allies and their families. For its humanitarian work, the city of Newport Beach in California proclaimed March 21 #LegendDay.

They are currently advised and supported by active and former members of the U.S. Military, Congressional offices, and elected officials throughout the United States. Together they have one goal: restore America’s honor by solving the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

“In this past week alone, I’ve come across at least a dozen American citizens in Kabul and Logar Provinces,” says Legend. “I know there are many more Americans still stranded behind enemy lines. They are eligible to return home, but they aren’t willing to leave their spouse and children behind. In addition, we have thousands of Afghan interpreters who are eligible for SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) hiding in safe houses across Afghanistan. The State Department is moving at a very slow pace and their assistance begins only after the evacuees are at the processing centers, so they aren’t providing any meals or safe houses to keep these folks alive on the ground. That’s where American veterans and volunteers have stepped in to fill the gap and that’s why I am here.”

About Legend Group Foundation

Legend Group is a veteran-operated non-governmental organization led by an Afghan-American U.S. army combat veteran. We are a group of American patriots who came together after the Aug 2021 forceful invasion of the Afghan Capitol with one vision: to restore America’s honor by solving the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. We have assisted hundreds of individuals reach safety and provided free meals and medical support to thousands of our allies. For media queries, contact legend@legend.ngo. For more information, contact Jazz Cannon at (321) 418-5253.

Legend Group Foundation is a U.S. based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Source: Legend Group Foundation

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August 26, 2022