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Tag: Wildfire

  • Douglas County wildfire sparked by trash truck, sheriff says

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    A wildfire that raced across more than 1,000 acres of dry, grassy land in Douglas County on Tuesday was started by a trash truck, according to the sheriff’s office.

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    Lauren Penington

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  • Burn bans active in multiple Central Florida counties due to dry conditions

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    Burn bans active in multiple Central Florida counties due to dry conditions

    OUR WEBSITE AT WESH.COM. ALL RIGHT. TURNING THINGS OVER NOW TO FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST MARQUISE MEDA MARQUISE. BEAUTIFUL DAY OUT THERE. PERFECT FOR THE EVENT, BUT VERY DRY. YEAH. DRY CONDITIONS. THOSE ARE GOING TO BE STICKING AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME HERE IN FLORIDA. BUT AS WE REMAIN DRY, YOUR TEMPERATURES ARE JUST GOING TO KEEP CLIMBING HIGHER AND HIGHER DAY AFTER DAY. IT’S NICE RIGHT. QUITE THE CHANGE FROM WHAT WE SAW LAST WEEK IN WHICH FREEZE WARNINGS, FROST ADVISORIES, WIND CHILL ADVISORIES WERE ALL IN EFFECT ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA. TONIGHT WE’RE GOING TO BE COOLING DOWN. YES, WE FALL BACK TO THE 40S IN THE 30S UNDER CLEAR SKIES, BUT THE SPRING LIKE WARM UP THAT’S JUST AROUND THE CORNER. TEMPERATURES COULD POTENTIALLY EVEN HIT THE 80S BY THE MIDDLE OF YOUR UPCOMING WORKWEEK. BUT THERE IS A BIG CONCERN. THAT’S THE FIRE DANGER THREAT WITH VERY LITTLE CHANCES FOR RAIN IN SIGHT THIS WEEKEND OR ACROSS THE FIRST HALF OF YOUR WORKWEEK. CURRENTLY, THE TEMPERATURES ARE COOLING. UNFORTUNATELY, LOWER 50S RIGHT NOW WILL BOTTOM OUT IN THE MID 30S OR MID 40S IF YOU’RE IN ORLANDO TONIGHT. AND HERE’S A LOOK AT THE TEMPERATURES SPREAD ALL ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA. OF COURSE THE COOLEST PLACE TO BE. THAT’S WAY UP NORTH IN PALM COAST, 39 DEGREES. SO ALREADY DROPPING DOWN TO THE 30S, YOU MIGHT FOLLOW SUIT IN OCALA, THE VILLAGES IN WILDWOOD, BUT YOUR TEMPS CURRENTLY ARE IN THE 40S HERE JUST PAST 1018. CLEAR SKIES ARE GOING TO BE THE CULPRIT FOR OUR COOLING CONDITIONS. THAT, COMBINED WITH THE NORTHERLY BREEZE IN WHICH WE’RE PULLING IN COOLER TEMPERATURES TONIGHT, BUT WITH CLEAR SKIES TOMORROW, I PROMISE YOU TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO BE WARMING UP. WINDS HAVE SUBSIDED QUITE SUBSTANTIALLY FROM WHAT WE HAD IN THE AFTERNOON. WINDS WERE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 20 OR 25 MILE PER HOUR GUSTS. NOW WE JUST GOT A COUPLE OF ZEROS ON THE BOARD IN PLACES LIKE KISSIMMEE, SANFORD, DAYTONA BEACH THREE MILE PER HOUR CONDITIONS FROM ORLANDO. BUT KEEP IN MIND IT’S STILL THAT NORTHERLY WIND FLOW COOLING US DOWN TONIGHT. WE ALSO HAVE A DROUGHT MONITOR CONCERN IN WHICH WE ARE TRENDING EXTREMELY DRY ACROSS PARTS OF MARION COUNTY. I MENTIONED THAT WE HAVEN’T HAD MANY CHANCES FOR RAIN THROUGHOUT 2026. OF COURSE, TONIGHT WE STAY DRY AND THAT WILL BE THE GENERAL TREND TILL ABOUT THURSDAY COMING UP. SO UNDER THE DRY CONDITIONS TONIGHT, TEMPERATURES FALL DOWN TO 43 DEGREES IN ORLANDO. BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE IS BACK TO START OFF THE DAY TOMORROW. AND WE ACTUALLY JUST WATCHED A WEAK COLD FRONT PASSES BY. SO THAT IS ALSO PLAYING ITS ROLE IN KEEPING US CLEAR TONIGHT AND COOLING US DOWN. BUT TOMORROW WITH CLEAR SKIES COMES WARMER WEATHER. WE’LL BE BOUNCING BACK TO THE 60S AND 70S IN THE AFTERNOON, BUT YOUR WAKE-UP TEMPERATURES WILL LOOK LIKE THIS. A COUPLE CHANCES FOR SOME FROST WHERE WE HAVE THIS AREA OF LIGHT BLUE SHADED HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, 38 OR IN OCALA, 37. IN THE VILLAGES. ULTIMATELY, YOUR DAY PLANNER WILL HAVE US ROLLING INTO THE LOW 70S BEFORE SUNDAY IS SAID AND DONE. AND WHAT WE’RE LACKING IN THIS DAY PLANNER. ANY CLOUD COVERAGE, HIGH PRESSURE WILL KEEP US QUITE SUNNY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES ARE BETWEEN THE LOW 60S IN THE MID 70S TOMORROW IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. AND IT’S NOT JUST ANY ORDINARY SUNDAY. IT’S SUPER BOWL SUNDAY HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, WHICH WE’VE GOT WONDERFUL WEATHER. IF YOU’RE TAILGATING THE EVENT OR MAYBE WATCHING IT OUTDOORS. TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 60S TO START THINGS OFF AT 630, AND WE’LL DIP DOWN TO THE 50S BEFORE THE DAY IS SAID AND DONE. ULTIMATELY, THOUGH, THROUGHOUT THE WORKWEEK WE ARE WARMING UP DAY AFTER DAY, CONTINUING TO SEE TEMPERATURES ROUTINELY HIT THE 70S OR POTENTIALLY THE 80S BY WEDNESDAY. BUT NEXT WEEKEND, JUST IN TIME FOR THE DAYTONA 500, HERE COMES A BATCH OF RAIN SHOWERS IN WHICH WILL BE TRACKING THOSE PRETTY CLOSELY. STILL, THOUGH, A LOT OF SUNSHINE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. 73 FOR YOUR HIGH TOMORROW, MID 70S MON

    Burn bans active in multiple Central Florida counties due to dry conditions

    Updated: 11:22 PM EST Feb 7, 2026

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Due to dry conditions and the risk of wildfires and brush fires in Central Florida, burn bans have been imposed in multiple counties.Active burn bans in Central FloridaFlagler County – Burn ban issued on Friday Sumter County – Burn ban in effectOrange County – Yard debris burning is always prohibitedPolk County – Burn ban in effectMarion County – Voluntary burn banWhat is a burn ban?A burn ban is set into effect by the county when a long period without rain causes a severe drought in the area. This is when wildfires or brush fires are more common.An active burn ban prohibits activities like campfires, bonfires, burning trash, and other open fires in the county until the burn ban is lifted.How to protect your property from brush firesFlorida’s fire season peaks in April. As drought conditions continue to worsen in Central Florida, knowing how to protect your home from wildfires in your area could make all the difference.

    , Fla. —

    Due to dry conditions and the risk of wildfires and brush fires in Central Florida, burn bans have been imposed in multiple counties.

    • Flagler County – Burn ban issued on Friday
    • Sumter County – Burn ban in effect
    • Orange County – Yard debris burning is always prohibited
    • Polk County – Burn ban in effect
    • Marion County – Voluntary burn ban

    burn bans in central florida

    What is a burn ban?

    A burn ban is set into effect by the county when a long period without rain causes a severe drought in the area. This is when wildfires or brush fires are more common.

    An active burn ban prohibits activities like campfires, bonfires, burning trash, and other open fires in the county until the burn ban is lifted.

    How to protect your property from brush fires

    Florida’s fire season peaks in April. As drought conditions continue to worsen in Central Florida, knowing how to protect your home from wildfires in your area could make all the difference.

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  • City of L.A. has approved less than half of applications to rebuild after wildfires

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    City of L.A. has approved less than half of applications to rebuild after wildfires – CBS News









































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    This week marks one year since wildfires erupted across the Los Angeles region. At least 31 people were killed, and thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed. Most have not been rebuilt. Andres Gutierrez reports.

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  • Spencer Pratt announces run for LA mayor on one-year anniversary of Palisades fire that destroyed his home

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    Spencer Pratt announced on the one-year anniversary of the start of the Palisades Fire that he plans to run for mayor of Los Angeles.

    Pratt, whose home burned down during the fires last year, made the announcement during a “They Let Us Burn!” protest in the Pacific Palisades near the remains of his home Wednesday.

    “On Jan. 7, 2025, [his wife] Heidi [Montag] and I lost our home. We lost every material possession we own. My parents lost their home too and, with it, decades of memories lost inside those walls,” Pratt emotionally told the crowd on Wednesday, calling it the “worst day of my life.”

    The 42-year-old noted he grew up in the Palisades, “thinking that my two boys would grow up here just like I did with that same hometown feeling. Then, right before my eyes, that future that I envisioned burned to the ground.”

    LA MAYOR BASS POINTS FINGERS WHEN GRILLED ON AFRICA TRIP AMID BOTCHED WILDFIRE RESPONSE

    Spencer Pratt announced on the one-year anniversary of the start of the Palisades Fire that he plans to run for mayor of Los Angeles. (Spencer Pratt/Instagram; MEGA/GC Images)

    Pratt, a frequent critic of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom, said the most “heartbreaking” part of the last year was the “realization that all of this was preventable.”

    The former “The Hills” reality star accused the state of letting “brush grow wild” in Topanga State Park for 50 years without wildfire maintenance and creating a “hostile” insurance environment that prompted carriers to drop them before the fires.

    Spencer Pratt announcing his run for mayor at a rally in the Palisades on the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire.

    Spencer Pratt announces he’s running for mayor of Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, on the first anniversary of the Palisades Fire.  (Backgrid)

    “I have realized that the city I love is being managed into the ground by people who don’t have the courage to actually lead,” he said. “Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles, and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. That’s why I am running for mayor. And let me be clear, this just isn’t a campaign. This is a mission.”

    LA MAYOR BASS CONCEDES AFRICA TRIP WAS ‘ABSOLUTELY’ A MISTAKE AMID BOTCHED WILDFIRE RESPONSE

    After making his announcement, Pratt posted a photo of himself with his signed paperwork to run for mayor, writing, “Yes, it’s official. Papers are filed and campaign is open: mayorpratt.com.”

    Since losing his home, Pratt has been vocal on social media, accusing city and state leaders of mismanagement, corruption and “criminal negligence” in their response to the fires.

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    Spencer Pratt overlooking wildfire approaching home

    Former reality television star Spencer Pratt, who lost his home in the Palisades fire, has been an outspoken critic of California leaders over their management of the wildfire recovery efforts. (MEGA/GC Images)

    In January 2025, Pratt and Montag sued the city of Los Angeles and the Department of Water and Power over the destruction of their home.

    The “Hills” alums filed the suit Jan. 21, 2025, along with 20 other property owners, blaming the city and the utility company for the damage.

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    Spencer Pratt with wife Heidi Montag in the Palisades on the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire

    Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag at a “They Let Us Burn!” rally in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2026.  (Backgrid)

    Republicans have also launched a congressional investigation into the fire response.

    “When people are like, ‘How do you feel about Republican senators opening a congressional investigation into the Palisades?’ I’m just happy anyone is investigating why the people who paid almost $700,000,000 in taxes, to these people who are employees, aren’t being questioned in front of every judge, jury, investigator, cop, sheriff, detective,” Pratt said last year.

    Spencer Pratt surveying his burned down home

    Spencer Pratt surveying his property after his home was destroyed. (Spencer Pratt Instagram)

    He was also joined in the Palisades by U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler, who toured the damage amid delayed rebuild permits.

    Fox News Digital has reached out to Pratt, Newsom and Bass for comment.

    “It’s no shock that in advance of his imminent book release, a reality TV ‘villain’ who once staged a fake divorce to boost ratings and spent the last summer spewing post-fire misinformation and disinformation to pump up his social media following, would now announce he’s running for Mayor,” Douglas Herman, Bass’ campaign strategist, told Fox News Digital.

    A spokesperson from Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital in part, “Topanga State Park is within LA city limits. By law, the fire response is the responsibility of the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD), not the state. Parks is not a firefighting agency and does not direct fire response.”

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    The governor’s office said, “With respect to the origin of the fire, the U.S. Department of Justice has determined that it was intentionally set by an out-of-state arsonist who was arrested in Florida. The governor expects the suspect to be held fully accountable under the law.

    “Gov. Newsom has been focused on stabilizing and modernizing California’s home insurance market, especially as climate change drives more severe wildfire risk.”

    The spokesperson added that California insurance rates “remain below the national average and significantly less than some other states.” 

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  • 3-acre wildfire in Fourmile Canyon in Boulder County forces evacuations

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    Residents were ordered to evacuate Monday evening as crews responded to a wildfire that sparked west of Boulder amid red-flag conditions.

    The fire, initially reported as one to two acres, grew to about three acres, according to Boulder County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Vinnie Montez.

    As of about 9 p.m., the fire, which was reported around 5:30 p.m. in the 700 block of Wild Turkey Trail in Fourmile Canyon, had stopped spreading forward and crews were in the mop-up phase, according to Fire Duty Officer Seth McKinney.

    Winds remain a concern, McKinney said, and fire crews remained on scene, attacking hot spots and strengthening the containment line. Evacuation orders remain in place.

    No structures had been lost as of about 8 p.m., according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Carrie Haverfield.

    Residents who live in the areas along Four Mile Canyon Drive southeast of Gold Run Road near Crisman were ordered to use Evening Star Road to evacuate, according to a Boulder County Everbridge alert. Residents should avoid Wild Turkey Trail, the alert said.

    An evacuation warning that was issued for residents along Four Mile Canyon Drive northwest of Boulder Canyon Drive, including the Seven Hills area and parts of Switzerland Trail and Sunshine Canyon Drive, was lifted around 9:45 p.m., according to Boulder County Sheriff’s Office maps of the evacuation areas.

    Before the evacuation warning was lifted, there were about 662 people and 449 structures in the areas under evacuation order and evacuation warning, according to Montez. It’s not clear how many people and structures are in the evacution order area.

    The east lot of the Boulder County Justice Center at 1777 6th St. was open to evacuees who needed a place to park. The west lot was being used to stage first responders.

    Others should avoid the area so first responders can respond up the narrow canyon, Montez said in a video post to social media.

    The sheriff’s office did not have information about the cause of the fire.

    Much of Boulder County was under a Red Flag Warning until 5 p.m. on Monday amid unseasonably high temperatures, low humidity and wind, according to the National Weather Service. The warning came only three days after a windstorm brought 100-plus mph winds to the county.

    Monday night’s blaze was not the first wildfire the area has seen. In September 2010, the Fourmile Canyon Fire burned about 5,700 acres and destroyed 162 homes.

    This is a developing story and may be updated.

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  • Small wildfire burning near Turkey Tracks shooting range northwest of Woodland Park

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    A small human-caused wildfire was burning Friday near the Turkey Tracks shooting range northwest of Woodland Park, though firefighters were taking an “indirect approach” due to unexploded ammunition in the area, officials said.

    The Turkey Tracks 69 fire, located 14.4 miles northwest of Woodland Park, off Highway 67 and Forest Service Road 343, was estimated to be 8 acres in size Friday afternoon.

    The Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands posted an alert on social media at 1:52 p.m. that said U.S. Forest Service and local fire departments were on scene.

    “Due to unexploded ammunition and a focus on firefighter safety, we are taking an indirect approach for #TurkeyTracks69Fire while utilizing full suppression efforts,” National Forest officials wrote on social media. “Smoke will be visible for the next few days as fuels continue to consume within the fire perimeter.”

    The area near the shooting range saw another wildfire earlier this year, burning 128 acres of land that consisted of grass, dead and downed trees and shooting debris.

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  • How cutting-edge robots can help prevent wildfires

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    A Southern California couple became the first residents to return to a rebuilt home in the Eaton Fire burn zone outside Los Angeles. That home is designed to resist any future fires. Jonathan Vigliotti looks at how new robot technology is being used to prevent wildfires in the first place.

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  • ‘Breaking Bad’ star Aaron Paul moves family from Los Angeles to Paris after LA fires

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    Aaron Paul said au revoir to life in Los Angeles.

    During a recent interview with the Daily Mail, the 46-year-old “Breaking Bad” star shared that he and his family have left Los Angeles and are now living in Paris.

    “Paris is awesome,” he told the outlet, explaining that he and his wife, Lauren, have “always dreamt of doing a year abroad” and that the two of them “just always wanted to be around a completely different culture.”

    While it has always been their dream to live outside the U.S., it wasn’t until the wildfires in Los Angeles in early 2025 that they put steps in motion to make their dream a reality.

    Paul shared that he and his family left Los Angeles and moved to Paris. (Greg Doherty/Getty Images for American Express)

    COMEDIAN JEFF DYE JOINS HOLLYWOOD EXODUS, SAYS LA FIRES WERE ‘QUITE A WAKE-UP CALL’

    “When the fires happened in LA, we just knew that we were done with LA, so we sold our house in LA and moved to Paris,” he said.

    The actor put his three-bedroom home in LA’s Los Feliz neighborhood on the market in July for $9.9 million.

    Homes in Pacific Palisades and Altadena were lost while both the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire burned through their respective areas in January.

    Many Hollywood stars, including “Top Gun: Maverick” actor Miles Teller, Paris Hilton, Mandy Moore, Billy Crystal and others were among the thousands of people who lost their homes in the fires.

    Billy Crystal on stage at the LA Fireaid Concert in January 2025.

    Billy Crystal is one of many celebrities who lost their homes in the LA fires. (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for FIREAID)

    “You’ll be hearing from a number of people who were tragically affected by these fires, and I was one of them,” Crystal said on stage at the LA FireAid Benefit Concert in January. “These were the clothes I wore when I fled my house with my wife, Janice, like so many of us did, on Jan. 7. This was all I had. Wore it for a week, plus an N-95 mask.

    “I stepped onto the grounds and fell to my knees and I wailed,” the first time he was allowed back onto the property of the home he lived in for 46 years. He concluded his speech with an uplifting message, telling everyone, “We will laugh again. We are going to listen to music again and we will be OK.”

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    Paul is not the only actor to leave Hollywood for a life abroad. Richard Gere shared last year that he and his family moved to Spain, his wife Alejandra Silva’s native country.

    “It’s time for my wife to be around her family and friends and culture,” Gere told Fox News Digital in November 2024. “And [it’s] good for our kids. I think it’s great to be living, not just visiting, but living in another culture.”

    Richard Gere in a light blue shirt and black suit smiles as he sits on stage

    Richard Gere is now living in Spain. (Daniele Venturelli/WireImage/Getty Images)

    Gere further opened up about his decision to move to Spain in an interview with Vanity Fair Spain in April 2024, saying it would be “a great adventure” because he had “never lived full time outside the United States.”

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    Richard Gere and Alejandra Silva on the red carpet at the Elle for Future 2024 event in Spain in November 2024.

    Silva says they will go back and forth between Spain and the U.S. (Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)

    He added that it would be good for his wife to be around her friends and family, noting, “She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so I think it’s fair that I give her at least six others living in hers.

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    “I’m with my family … I missed them a lot,” Silva told the Daily Mail in April. “But I miss the U.S. So we come back and forth.”

    Lori Bashian is an entertainment production assistant for Fox News Digital. 

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  • Atmospheric river moving into Southern California, bringing possible flooding and mudflows

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    An atmospheric river sweeping California is bringing some rain to the southern part of the state, with more than 20 million people under flood watch advisories. CBS News reporter Andres Gutierrez has more from Los Angeles.

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  • Pack Fire explodes in Mono County, California, forcing evacuations as storm threatens mudslides in the south

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    A powerful storm is pummeling California, bringing heavy rains that could help to counter the high winds fueling a fast-growing wildfire in the Sierra Nevada mountains, but they could also unleash dangerous flooding and landslides further south, where previous fires have stripped vegetation.

    There were apocalyptic scenes overnight as the Pack Fire, burning near the popular Mammoth Mountain ski resort in Mono County damaged at least 15 homes.

    Mandatory evacuation orders were in effect for at least two communities threatened by the Pack Fire in Mono County, which, according to the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, was zero percent contained and burning across 3,400 acres on Friday morning.

    This image released by the Mammoth Lakes Police Department shows the Pack Fire burning on Nov. 13, 2025, in Mono County, Calif.

    Mammoth Lakes Police Department via AP


    Many more areas were under evacuation warnings, meaning people who required more time to escape were advised to do so immediately.

    The Pack Fire exploded late Thursday night in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, destroying more than a dozen homes as it spread quickly thanks to high winds from an atmospheric river. Conditions were so bad that crews grounded all firefighting aircraft overnight.

    Heavy rainfall coming in with the storm off the Pacific could help crews gain control over the blaze on Friday, and scientists say the moisture laden storm could even bring an end to California’s fire season, but in the south of the state, many residents were concerned about potential mudslides in burn scar areas.

    Some 23 million people were under flood watches across California on Friday morning.

    Atmospheric River Causes Localized Flooding Across Bay Area

    Cars drive through floodwaters on the Highway 880 northbound connecting ramp to Highway 24 in Oakland, California, Nov. 13, 2025.

    Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty


    Officials are worried that hillsides charred by the devastating wildfires in Southern California early this year, left with no foliage to hold soil in place, could give way under significant rainfall.

    The weather system pushed through some parts of California on Thursday, flooding roads and downing trees.

    “It’s basically like a river,” Sierra Madre resident Gary Kelly said of the deluge. “Just pouring down when it’s like an inch in an hour.”

    Kelly lives in the Eaton Fire burn scar area near Pasadena. His neighborhood has been put on notice for a heavy risk of flash flooding, so he was busy on Thursday preparing for the worst.

    Atmospheric River Brings Soaking Rain, Threats Of Floods And Mudslides To California

    Thousands of burned homes lie in ruins as a powerful atmospheric river storm breaks, in a Feb. 14, 2025, file photo taken in Altadena, California, in the Eaton fire burn scar area.

    Getty


    For Kelly and others in the community, the scenes of devastation from flooding and landslides unleashed by storms in February, right after the wildfires, are still fresh on the mind.

    “Anytime you have fire that’s spread through the hills, and then you have rain, a lot of that mud will come down, so that’s what I think everyone’s worried about,” he said.

    This storm could deliver the Los Angeles area its wettest November in 40 years. Officials in the county have encouraged people to map out evacuation routes in the most vulnerable areas, including Malibu, where there could be intense mud flows and flooding.

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  • Scissors Fire closes down roads in Shelter Valley area

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    A Cal Fire engine. (File photo courtesy OnScene.Media)

    Cal Fire crews were on the scene of a quickly-growing vegetation fire in the community of Shelter Valley on Sunday.

    The Scissors Fire reached 25 acres within an hour, burning out of control in light-to-medium fuel with a moderate rate of speed. By 4 p.m., the fire had spread to about 40 acres. However, no structures were threatened.

    The fire broke out about 2:20 p.m. Sunday near San Felipe Road and the SR-78.

    Both roads were closed by the California Highway Patrol, with officers allowing only passenger cars to pass through.

    Incident command requested two crews, two water tenders, one dozer, five engines and three air tankers. The fire was burning along the main highway connecting Julian and Borrego Springs in San Diego’s backcountry.

    No injuries were initially reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

    City News Service contributed to this report.


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  • Xcel considered power shutdowns on Monday. Here’s why

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    Power lines hang over an alley in Athmar Park. July 11, 2023.

    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    On Sunday, Xcel issued a warning that it might shut off power ahead of high winds on Monday in Denver and surrounding counties. The shutdown never happened, but it made us wonder: How often does Xcel shut off power, what goes into that decision and how does it work?

    During bouts of high winds and dry temperatures, Xcel Energy has two ways to reduce the risk that a powerline will spark a fire.

    The first option is less dramatic.

    On days like Monday, Xcel changes how it handles problems with lines.

    Normally, if a tree branch or other debris falls on a power line, it will reset automatically, as long as the object doesn’t stay on the line. 

    But during high winds, “Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings” (EPSS) can be enacted. In this mode, debris causes a line to turn off immediately. It will only come back on once someone from Xcel checks the line. 

    According to a video from Xcel, patrols are done by aerial inspection, by truck or on foot. Once it’s cleared, they’ll turn the power line back on. Xcel enacted this protocol on Monday, and it may have led to some power outages. Xcel was not able to provide a number.

    There’s also a more extreme preemptive measure.

    Xcel can shut down lines if they’re near active wildfires or if there’s extreme risk, which it considered doing on Monday. This is known as the “Public Safety Power Shutoff” (PSPS) plan. The utility warned that shutdowns might be necessary for up to seven hours, but they didn’t ultimately happen.

    According to Xcel’s website, the PSPS measure is not a step it takes “lightly.” It’s a five-stage plan that starts 72 hours before the power shuts off and ends 72 hours after the “all clear.” 

    Xcel previously did preemptive shutdowns in April 2024, when winds spiked to around 100 mph. About 55,000 people around the northern Front Range were without power as a result of the PSPS, according to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, and roughly 100,000 more lost power through unplanned outages.

    Xcel said it communicates with customers as soon as the forecast includes extreme weather. 

    The risks of fire are extreme — both for utilities and the public.

    Xcel launched its wildfire mitigation program in 2020, which includes shutdown, community outreach and resources during shutdowns. Xcel plans to spend about $1.9 billion on wildfire mitigation through 2027, including on measures like burying power lines.

    In 2021, the Marshall Fire destroyed nearly 1,000 buildings in Boulder and Jefferson counties. It began as two fires – including one that investigators said was sparked by an Xcel powerline.

    Xcel and two telecom companies recently settled a lawsuit over the fire for $640 million. Xcel admitted no fault.

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  • Oregon Declares End To 2025 Fire Season – KXL

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    SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has officially ended the 2025 wildfire season, lifting all remaining fire restrictions across the state as cooler temperatures and steady rainfall take hold.

    ODF officials credited the quick response of firefighting crews for keeping the number of acres burned well below last year’s totals — despite a higher number of fire starts.

    ODF reported 1,135 fires on lands under its protection in 2025, with a total of 24,275 acres burned. That’s nearly 100 more fires than in 2024, but the vast majority — 94% — were kept to 10 acres or less.

    ODF’s Complex Incident Management Teams were mobilized six times this year for major wildfires, including the Rowena Fire, Elk Fire, Marks Creek Fire, Grizzley Complex, Flat Fire and Kelsey Peak Fire.

    Statewide, across all jurisdictions, 2,965 fires have burned an estimated 338,740 acres in 2025.

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    Grant McHill

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  • L.A. County resident on long path to recovery after wildfire

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    It has been over nine months since some of the worst wildfires in California’s history devastated parts of Los Angeles County. But even with all that time passed, it’s a slow road to recovery for most families. Garret Gray, who had to evacuate his home during the Palisades fire, joins “The Daily Report” to discuss.

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  • Why a Lottery Ticket Winner Is Buying Lots In His Hometown

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    For the residents of Altadena, California, the beginning of 2025 began with fire, when the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires started burning between January 7, and January 9. Those fires joined a series of smaller fires to burn more than 16,000 buildings across southern California—9,414 of which were in Altadena. Months later, a “second wave of disaster” has hit the area, according to the Wall Street Journal, as investors look to profit off the scorched land.

    But one investor is not like the others.

    Edwin Castro, 33, who won $2 billion in 2023 after buying a winning Powerball lottery ticket in a local gas station, is hoping to bring the streets of his hometown of Altadena back to its pre-fire state, and he says he wants to make sure families are prioritized in the rebuild.

    “I want it to feel like the old neighborhood,” Castro told WSJ. “Like if you put all those houses pre-fire in a time bubble.” 

    With over 9,000 structures gone in Altadena due to the fires, and many residents living in temporary housing waiting to rebuild, Altadena is primed for new developments.

    As a real estate development novice, Castro has hired a team of experts, from a design consultant to craft designs and deal with permits, to a community outreach team to connect with local nonprofits and earn the resident’s trust. To date, Castro has spent $10 million for 15 lots of land—and while many investors are pitching multifamily homes— he is proposing single-family units that resemble the area’s architectural vernacular.

    According to the Journal‘s report, Castro predicts the massive real estate development project—which includes three-bedroom homes in the small lots, and flashier offerings for the larger pieces of land—will take around 10 years to complete. And while Castro isn’t planning on overcapitalizing on the situation, although he still looks at it as a business opportunity, WSJ revealed.

    “The profit margin doesn’t need to be egregious,” he said. “But I’m not building these homes just to give them away.”

    Prior to his rebuilding initiative, Castro remained out of the spotlight, using his winning on various investments, including vintage Porsches and multimillion dollar homes, two of which also burned down earlier this year.

    And while many residents are praising Castro’s efforts, with one telling WSJ that he felt “better about him than anybody else because he’s from the area,” many are skeptical of Castro’s intentions and long-term effects on diversity.

    “The fear is that Black homeownership will drop,” one resident told WSJ.

    According to the Journal, Castro says he plans to sell to only those looking to settle down in his hometown, not others looking to buy the developments are rentals or investments. Additionally, he says he is done buying lots, only planning to finish the 15 lots.

    “This is for a family that wants to move in,” Castro told WSJ. “Those are the people that need to be looked out for right now.” 

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    María José Gutierrez Chavez

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  • Church of Palisades Fire Suspect’s Parents Speaks Out

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    Joel and Jennifer Rinderknecht live in France as missionaries for Association of Baptists for World Evangelism

    As the man accused of intentionally sparking a New Year’s Day blaze that morphed into the deadly and devastating Palisades wildfire – killing twelve – is held without bail, a pastor at the church where his parents are missionaries in France said they “grieve and pray” for those who lost everything.

    Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was arrested last week in Melbourne, Florida and charged in California’s Central District with “maliciously” using a lighter to set a wildfire in Topanga State Park in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day. The Lachman fire continued to rage underground as what is known as a “holdover fire,” which was reignited on Jan. 7 with the ferocious Santa Ana winds to become the Palisades fire, federal prosecutors say.

    The former Uber driver, according to the ATF, had apparently planned his crime and had entered a prompt into ChatGPT about rich people and fire that created eerie AI imagery in July 2024. Rinderknecht had lived near Skull Rock Trailhead in the state park and set the fire, prosecutors say, in a clearing known as Hidden Buddha.

    AI imagery generated by suspected arsonist arrested by federal investigators last week
    Credit: Department of Justice

    Five months ago, he moved to Florida to live with a sister, which is where he was arrested. In recent weeks, he had threatened to burn her house down and shoot his brother-in-law, prosecutors say, forcing his sister and her family to flee their own home before Rinderknecht was arrested.

    His parents, Joel and Jennifer, are missionaries who live in the south of France, where their son, who speaks fluent French, spent much of his time. His father flew to Florida last month after his son allegedly threatened to shoot his brother in law, and reported the incident to local police on Sept. 25. When his son was arrested, ATF agents recovered a loaded .380 magazine but the gun would not be recovered until later when it was found secreted inside a stuffed animal hidden in his sister’s garage, according to a court filing.

    “Our hearts are heavy for everyone affected by the Palisades fires—those who were injured, lost loved ones, or suffered the loss of homes and livelihoods. We grieve with them and pray for their recovery, comfort, and restoration,” Pastor Alex Kocman for the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, the Christian organization where the accused arsonist’s parents work, said in an email to Los Angeles.

    Kocman said the church “has been made aware of the recent criminal charges involving the adult son of one of our missionary families, Joel and Jennifer Rinderknecht,” he was quick to point out that his actions are not connected to his parents’ ministry work.

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    “As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that every person is made in the image of God and accountable to him. We also believe in the hope of redemption through the gospel—that through repentance and faith in Christ, anyone can find forgiveness, healing, and new life,” Kocman wrote. “In moments like this, we cling to that hope while trusting in the justice and mercy of God, who alone can bring good even out of brokenness.”

    Rinderknecht is expected back in an Orlando federal courtroom on Oct. 17. On Tuesday, an attorney based in Michigan, Steve Haney, filed a motion to the U.S. District Court in Florida where Rinderknecht is being held, saying that he had been retained for his defense.

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    Michele McPhee

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  • Exclusive: Inaudible sound might be the next frontier in wildfire defense | TechCrunch

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    A decade ago, two college students built a fire extinguisher that snuffed out a fire using nothing more than a booming 10-inch subwoofer. The internet lapped it up, and Jimmy Fallon even booked a demonstration for The Tonight Show.

    But since that brief viral moment, there hasn’t been much more than a whisper about the technology.

    It’s not for lack of trying. The college kids weren’t the first to prove the concept. DARPA was on the case in 2012; and a search of the scientific literature reveals dozens of researchers investigating the idea.

    One startup now claims to have cracked the problem. Sonic Fire Tech has built an acoustic fire suppression system that doesn’t just extinguish flames; it that might also protect homes and other buildings from wildfires. The startup has raised a $3.5 million seed round from investors, including Khosla Ventures and Third Sphere, TechCrunch has exclusively learned.

    Wildfires cost the U.S. as much as $424 billion annually. The problem has become so acute in places like California that insurers are refusing to renew policies after repeated blazes have reduced large swathes of the state to ashes.

    Sonic Fire Tech has been developing its technology over the last several years. Michael Thomas, who is chairman of the startup’s board, had been tinkering with the idea of using sound to fight fires, and when he hit a wall, he reached out to Geoff Bruder over LinkedIn. Bruder had worked for NASA, where he focused on heat and acoustics. 

    “This is kind of a new age founding story,” Bruder, the startup’s CEO and CTO, told TechCrunch.

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    Bruder was intrigued with Thomas’s idea and set about building a prototype. “I got a subwoofer and some parts from Home Depot and AutoZone and said, ‘Hey, let’s see if we can do any better than other people had,’” Bruder recalled. “We knocked a fire out from seven feet in my driveway.”

    The startup soon ditched the subwoofer and moved to lower frequencies. The problem with audible frequencies is that any system powerful enough to suppress a fire would be damaging to people’s hearing, Bruder said. “You’ve basically got to throw a speaker design in the trash and start from scratch,” he said.

    There are competing theories as to how exactly acoustic energy can disrupt combustion, but the soundless demonstrations certainly suggest that Sonic Fire Tech is onto something.

    The new system uses a reciprocating piston much like those inside a car’s engine, but it is significantly larger. An electric motor turns a crankshaft, which pulses the two-foot piston to produce infrasound, the technical term for sound that’s below people’s hearing range, or about 20 Hz. 

    “Since we designed everything ourselves, we dropped the frequency to where we’re below audible range, which helps us transmit further, and it makes it safe,” Bruder said.

    Sonic Fire Tech’s current record is 25 feet. A bigger system could work as far away as 330 feet, Bruder said. The company plans to sell and install its system for about 2% of a home’s value, and it’s talking with insurance companies to qualify the technology. 

    To protect a house, Sonic Fire Tech routes infrasound from a single generator through rigid ducts that sit on the roof’s ridge and under the eaves. On the ridge, they fire down the pitch to catch any fires that might start in debris in the gutters. Under the eaves, they are aimed toward the ground to suppress any flames that pop up near the walls. The system turns on when sensors detect a flame.

    A home-based system draws around 500 watts of electricity, and in case of a power outage, Sonic Fire Tech is drawing up plans to use lead-acid batteries for backup. Unlike sprinkler systems, it doesn’t require a source of water, which can be in short supply in wildfire country.

    The startup is working with PG&E and Southern California Edison to demonstrate the technology on homes, and it has signed a letter of intent with a chemical storage facility. 

    “The natural progression is, if we get certified as a sprinkler replacement, then you can just run a run a pipe into your house and protect your kitchen and everywhere you would need to protect,” Bruder said.

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    Tim De Chant

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  • California governor signs bills to aid Los Angeles wildfire recovery and reform disaster response

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    California governor signs bills to aid Los Angeles wildfire recovery and reform disaster response

    Updated: 4:19 PM PDT Oct 10, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills to help the ongoing recovery and rebuilding of the communities in the Los Angeles area impacted by two deadly wildfires earlier this year, his office announced Friday.The bills, signed this week, streamline the process for rebuilding homes lost to wildfires, including an accelerated permitting process, and allow residents to live in temporary structures on their properties while they rebuild permanent homes. They also provide property tax relief for wildfire survivors.The Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes in January in the city of Altadena and in coastal communities in the city of Malibu and in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood.”While it’s been nine months since these firestorms struck Los Angeles, the destruction and devastation left behind is still fresh for thousands of survivors and remains a constant reminder that we have more to do to support our fellow Californians,” Newsom said in a statement.He said the lessons learned from the firestorms informed the bipartisan bills, which also reform the state’s disaster response. The legislation also puts in place programs to decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires by creating a grant program to provide funds to low-income homeowners to install fire-safe roofs on their homes and allotting money to fund defensible space vegetation clearing projects.The Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in the state’s history, broke out on Jan. 7 and burned for days, killing 12 people and destroying nearly 7,000 structures. Federal officials on Wednesday called the blaze a “holdover fire” from a Jan. 1 fire that was not fully extinguished by firefighters. Prosecutors this week charged Jonathan Rinderknecht, who lived in the area, accusing him of starting a small fire on New Year’s Day.The Eaton Fire broke out the same day in the community of Altadena, destroying more than 9,400 homes and killing 19 people. Investigators have not officially determined a cause, but the federal government sued utility Southern California Edison last month, alleging its equipment sparked the fire.Newsom signed several of the measures in Altadena while flanked by legislators and wildfire survivors.The bills will also protect homeowners and tenants immediately following a disaster and crack down on looting and first responder impersonators in evacuation zones.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills to help the ongoing recovery and rebuilding of the communities in the Los Angeles area impacted by two deadly wildfires earlier this year, his office announced Friday.

    The bills, signed this week, streamline the process for rebuilding homes lost to wildfires, including an accelerated permitting process, and allow residents to live in temporary structures on their properties while they rebuild permanent homes. They also provide property tax relief for wildfire survivors.

    The Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes in January in the city of Altadena and in coastal communities in the city of Malibu and in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood.

    “While it’s been nine months since these firestorms struck Los Angeles, the destruction and devastation left behind is still fresh for thousands of survivors and remains a constant reminder that we have more to do to support our fellow Californians,” Newsom said in a statement.

    He said the lessons learned from the firestorms informed the bipartisan bills, which also reform the state’s disaster response. The legislation also puts in place programs to decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires by creating a grant program to provide funds to low-income homeowners to install fire-safe roofs on their homes and allotting money to fund defensible space vegetation clearing projects.

    The Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in the state’s history, broke out on Jan. 7 and burned for days, killing 12 people and destroying nearly 7,000 structures. Federal officials on Wednesday called the blaze a “holdover fire” from a Jan. 1 fire that was not fully extinguished by firefighters. Prosecutors this week charged Jonathan Rinderknecht, who lived in the area, accusing him of starting a small fire on New Year’s Day.

    The Eaton Fire broke out the same day in the community of Altadena, destroying more than 9,400 homes and killing 19 people. Investigators have not officially determined a cause, but the federal government sued utility Southern California Edison last month, alleging its equipment sparked the fire.

    Newsom signed several of the measures in Altadena while flanked by legislators and wildfire survivors.

    The bills will also protect homeowners and tenants immediately following a disaster and crack down on looting and first responder impersonators in evacuation zones.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • Minnesota getting new tool to fight wildfires: AI-powered cameras

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    Minnesota will begin using AI cameras to detect wildfires



    Minnesota will begin using AI cameras to detect wildfires

    01:27

    On Thursday, officials provided a look at some new technology that could change how wildfires are spotted in Minnesota.

    Parts of the state are deploying AI-powered cameras to protect against the blazes.

    The cameras scan a 10-mile radius every minute and use AI to detect smoke. The smoke is then verified by humans.

    Pano AI, which started deploying cameras like these in 2021, said utilities and first responders are alerted if there is smoke. For partner Xcel Energy, it’s about protecting their power infrastructure against the growing threat of wildfires.

    12p-vo-ai-wildfire-camera-wcco8x7y.jpg

    WCCO


    Mahtomedi, Minnesota, is set to get a nearby camera in the future. The fire chief says this will be a valuable tool, because minutes and seconds count when dealing with wildfires.

    “Minutes, seconds make a difference,” Chief Joel Schmidt said. “If we can get ahead of it and stop it at a certain point, that’s our goal, rather than having it turn into 10, 15, 20, 30 acres.” 

    Two cameras are already operating in Mankato and Clear Lake.

    Pano AI will be rolling out over 30 new cameras across the state by 2026.

    Jason Rantala

    Jason Rantala joined WCCO as a reporter in June 2023. He’s a Minnesota native and is thrilled to be telling the stories of those in his hometown.

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    Jason Rantala

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  • Firefighters and DNR respond to wildfire near George Manitou Crosby State Park

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    WCCO digital headlines: Afternoon of Oct. 8, 2025



    WCCO digital headlines: Afternoon of Oct. 8, 2025

    05:37

    Firefighters and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are responded to a wildfire in a remote area of northern Minnesota, officials said on Wednesday. 

    According to officials, firefighters detected smoke near the Caribou River close to the George Manitou Crosby State Park. The area is roughly 10 miles southwest of Tofte. 

    The initial estimate in size is 30 acres. 

    The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Superior National Forest are responding to the Crosby fire. Officials are asking for the public to avoid the area for their safety and the safety of fire personnel. 

    Northern Minnesota has seen several large wildfires this summer. The Camp House Fire and Jenkins Creek Fire both started in May and took weeks to get under control. The fires destroyed over 28 thousand acres combined.

    Early last month, a 27-year-old was charged with a misdemeanor for leaving a campfire unattended, which started the Camp House Fire. 

    Chloe Rosen

    Chloe is a digital producer at CBS Minnesota in Minneapolis and has worked in numerous positions at the station, including Assignment Editor, Digital Line Producer and Web Producer. She started her career at CBS Minnesota in 2015.

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    Chloe Rosen

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