Forest fires News

Valencia - The beautiful city of Valencia in Spain is covered in a pall of smoke and ash as wild fires burn out of control in the surrounding area. Hundreds of people have had to be evacuated from their homes.

Tyva - Forest fires are ravaging parts of Russia due to irresponsible handling of fires and grass being cut for agricultural purposes.

Normally, the season for forest fires in Spain is the height of summer when high temperatures and dry conditions add to the dangers. However, the fire season seems to have started much earlier this year following a very mild and dry winter.

Temuco - Six firefighters were killed and two were seriously burned while fighting a forest fire in the Araucania region in Chile; another worker is still missing. Authorities believe arson is involved.

Santiago - Wildfires persist in several regions of the country burning hundreds of homes and causing huge damage, unemployment problems and death; there are 42 active forest fires in several regions of Chile, 24 of which are out of control.

Moscow - Wildfires raging across Russia since the start of the year have destroyed almost triple the amount of forests and crops as attributed to last year’s deadly wildfires during the same time period, and conditions show the situation is likely to get worse.

Las Vegas received a major lightning storm and the first big rains for 2009 Monday night while the National Weather Service issues a flood advisory for all low lying areas until early Tuesday morning.

Summer storms hit southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and California causing fires in the National Forests. The National Forest Service is fighting several fires Monday.

A study, conducted for the very first time, has made a connection between homes that are not fireproofed and the spread of forest fires. Fireproofing not only aids the home but the forest.

LOS ANGELES - More than 1,500 firefighters and a fleet of helicopters and tankers continued to battle a 63,270-acre wildfire in the Sierra Nevada, with the blaze still only about 15 percent contained and dangerous dry lightning forecast. The fire, ...