All posts tagged: Wildfires

Amtrak Cancels Florida Auto Train Service as a Wildfire Disrupts Routes

Amtrak Cancels Florida Auto Train Service as a Wildfire Disrupts Routes

Published by Sam Flores

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Amtrak train service in Florida was disrupted Monday because of a wildfire in the northeast part of the state, officials said. The auto train service between Sanford, Florida, near Orlando, and Lorton, Virginia, outside Washington, was canceled for Monday, Amtrak said in a statement. The train service allows passengers to take their cars on trips. The Silver Meteor route, which runs between Miami and New York, was starting and ending in Jacksonville instead of South Florida on Monday, and one of its two daily train trips was canceled for Tuesday. The Floridian route, running from Miami to Chicago via Washington, was starting and ending in Savannah, Georgia, and one of its two train trips was canceled for Tuesday, Amtrak said. Amtrak on Monday was providing some bus service between Jacksonville and Miami for passengers on the Silver Meteor and Floridian routes. The Florida Forest Service reported a 2,700 acre (1,093 hectares) fire along the eastern border of Putnam and Clay counties, south of Jacksonville. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. …

Southern California faces first wildfires of the season

Southern California faces first wildfires of the season

Published by Sam Flores

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Tina Fey joins Jack Black in his fifth time hosting ‘SNL’ 00:23 Second airman that was shot down over Iran rescued safely 01:23 Artemis II crew tells NBC News what sleep is like in space 01:03 Artemis II crew speaks with NBC News from Orion capsule 00:47 Plane makes emergency landing on Pennsylvania highway 00:24 Now Playing Southern California faces first wildfires of the season 00:27 UP NEXT Helicopter drops marshmallows for Easter tradition 00:19 Search for F-15 pilot in Iran enters second day 00:41 Why the NCAA is calling for changes to gambling laws 01:41 Pope Leo marks Good Friday with cross procession at Colosseum 00:24 Trump says downing of U.S. jet won’t impact Iran negotiations 00:45 NASA shares photos of Earth taken by Artemis II crew 00:25 Firings in Trump 1.0 vs Trump 2.0 01:33 Could Lee Zeldin be the next attorney general? 00:40 Tourists walk hanging Eiffel Tower bridge 00:29 Artemis II astronauts troubleshoot onboard toilet 00:57 …

Southern California Wildfire Mostly Contained as Officials Lift Many Evacuation Orders

Southern California Wildfire Mostly Contained as Officials Lift Many Evacuation Orders

Published by Sam Flores

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A smoky wildfire in southern California that broke out a day earlier and prompted evacuation orders was mostly under control Saturday afternoon, fire officials said. Encompassing roughly 6.3 square miles (about 16 square kilometers) in Riverside County, about 64 miles (103 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, the Springs Fire was no longer growing and at least 75% percent contained Saturday, said Terra Fernandez, public safety information specialist for the Riverside County Fire Department. It was 25% contained on Friday. Fire officials also lifted evacuation orders for a large swath of neighborhoods Saturday morning. Fernandez said she expected the rest will be lifted by the end of the day. “It’s pretty much under control,” Fernandez said. The fire was fueled by strong Santa Ana winds with gusts predicted to get up to 45 mph (72 kph) on Saturday. But winds had “dissipated a bit” since Friday, helping the efforts of fire crews, Fernandez said. Natural equestrian trails around the area also helped firefighters make access to the fire and build effective containment …

EU unveils new strategy to tackle rising wildfires in Europe

EU unveils new strategy to tackle rising wildfires in Europe

Published by skeptic

The European Commission has outlined a continent-wide framework focused on prevention, preparedness and recovery after record-breaking wildfire damage. Wildfires in Europe are entering a more destructive phase, driven by rising temperatures and prolonged drought conditions linked to climate change. European authorities say the scale of the threat is no longer episodic but structural, requiring a coordinated, long-term response. In 2025, more than one million hectares burned across the continent – the most severe wildfire season on record. Scientists and policymakers increasingly view this as a signal of what future European wildfires may look like if underlying environmental pressures persist. Against this backdrop, the Commission has introduced a new integrated wildfire risk management strategy, aiming to reshape how countries anticipate, respond to and recover from fires. Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, emphasised the importance of the plan: “Europe must be ready before the first fire starts. “That means building a real culture of preparedness: equipping people with the right skills, supporting firefighters and first responders, and helping communities …

ESA funding call targets space-tech to combat European wildfires

ESA funding call targets space-tech to combat European wildfires

Published by skeptic

The European Space Agency (ESA) is seeking new technologies to detect and track fires in near real time as wildfire activity intensifies across parts of Europe. European wildfires are growing larger and more frequent, and ESA is now asking industry to help respond by building tools that rely heavily on satellite data to detect, monitor and predict fires as they unfold. A sharp rise in fire activity Wildfires across Europe are becoming more frequent and destructive, particularly in southern Mediterranean countries and parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Recent data indicate a sharp escalation: the total area burned in 2025 across EU member states was more than double the long-term average recorded between 2006 and 2024. While fire has long played a natural role in maintaining ecosystems, the current trajectory reflects a shift. Human activity, combined with environmental conditions such as prolonged drought and rising temperatures, is increasing both ignition risk and fire spread. One critical factor is the expansion of urban forest boundaries, where residential areas meet flammable vegetation, amplifying both exposure and damage. …

This startup claims it can stop lightning and prevent catastrophic wildfires

This startup claims it can stop lightning and prevent catastrophic wildfires

Published by skeptic

Skyward’s diagrams show planes dropping particles into clouds to prevent cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in “high risk areas.” The company also notes in the document that it uses artificial intelligence for a number of purposes, including forecasting lightning storms, prioritizing treatments, targeting storm cells, and optimizing flight paths.   Harterre stressed that the company would deploy the technology judiciously and reserve it for storm events with elevated wildfire risk, adding that such storms account for less than 0.1% of lightning activity in a given area. “Our objective is to reduce the probability of ignition on the limited number of extreme-risk days when fires threaten lives, critical infrastructure, and ecosystems, and when suppression costs and impacts can escalate rapidly,” he said. The document posted by the World Bank states that Skyward partnered with Alberta Wildfire in August of 2024 to “prove suppression by plane and drone,” and that its process produced a “60-100% reduction” in lightning compared with “control cells” (which likely means storm cells that weren’t seeded).  The document added that the company would be carrying out …

Warning: French regions at risk! Part 1: Corsica – Europe Rendezvous

Warning: French regions at risk! Part 1: Corsica – Europe Rendezvous

Published by Sam Flores

France is a poor performer when it comes to cohesion in Europe and is marked by growing regional inequalities, despite being allocated a whopping €18 billion in EU cohesion funding for 2021-2027. Numerous regions risk falling into a “development trap”: after a period of growth, they stagnate or even decline, having invested in sectors with little long-term potential. In this first part of the show examining EU cohesion policy, we’re on the French island of Corsica. Demographic growth, but economic lethargy  Corsica has a population of 260,000. To counter the disadvantages that come with being an island, the European Union has allocated €117 million in cohesion funding between 2021 and 2027. Corsica has a strong identity and distinct culture within France, but its challenge is to develop and innovate without relying too heavily on tourism. We meet those who are driving change on the Isle of Beauty. For example, the EU financed the acquisition of special tanks to help fight the forest fires that have ravaged the island in recent years. Armen Georgian interviews Captain Stéphane …

PacifiCorp to Pay 5M to Resolve Federal Government’s Claims Over Wildfires in Oregon, California

PacifiCorp to Pay $575M to Resolve Federal Government’s Claims Over Wildfires in Oregon, California

Published by Sam Flores

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — PacifiCorp has agreed to pay $575 million to resolve the federal government’s claims for damages stemming from six wildfires in Oregon and California in 2020 and 2022, federal officials announced Friday, in the utility’s latest multimillion-dollar payout related to the deadly blazes. The settlement resolves the federal government’s claims that PacifiCorp’s electrical lines negligently started four fires in Oregon in 2020 and two fires in California in 2020 and 2022, the Justice Department said. The money will help restore some of the 290,000 acres (117,359 hectares) of public land that burned. It will also help repay the government for the cost of fighting the fires, which the department said was “critical because the U.S. Forest Service now spends more than half of its budget on wildfire suppression annually.” “This settlement served the Department’s longstanding policy of holding individuals and corporations responsible for damages caused by wildfires. Every fire impacting federal lands, no matter the size, is a priority,” U.S. Attorney Eric Grant of the Eastern District of California said in a …

EPA Administrator Outlines Trump’s Plan to Speed up Rebuilding of Homes Destroyed by LA Wildfires

EPA Administrator Outlines Trump’s Plan to Speed up Rebuilding of Homes Destroyed by LA Wildfires

Published by Sam Flores

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trump administration officials traveled to Los Angeles on Wednesday to outline the president’s plan to override state and local rules and speed up the permitting process for reconstruction of tens of thousands of homes destroyed by last year’s wildfires. Last week the president signed an executive order that the White House promised would allow homeowners to rebuild without contending with “unnecessary, duplicative, or obstructive” requirements. The plan is to allow federal loan recipients to “self-certify” that they meet all state and local building requirements if their permits aren’t approved within 60 days, Trump’s goal is to help homeowners cut through bureaucratic red tape and “tear through every single obstacle” that’s slowing rebuilding, said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, whom Trump tapped to oversee the effort. His staff will examine why over 1,000 permit applications have been returned to residents seeking to rebuild, Zeldin said during a Wednesday news conference after meeting with residents in Pacific Palisades, where the first of the two infernos erupted in January 2025. “We want …