A massive fire in Ventura County, Calif., that started early Thursday (May 2) has gobbled up thousands of acres of brush and is headed toward the ocean near Malibu.
The blaze erupted at about 6:30 a.m. local time (9:30 a.m. EDT) Thursday off the Southbound 101 freeway, threatening hundreds of homes in Newbury Park and Camarillo, the LA Times reported. The flames had consumed 10,000 acres of brush and was 10 percent contained as of early Friday morning, NBC News reported, and had reached within “seven or eight miles” of the city of Malibu.
The so-called Springs fire caused the shutdown of a 9-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway and the evacuation of hundreds of Ventura County residents as it crept toward the coast. [The 10 Worst US Natural Disasters]
CAMARILLO, Calif. (KTLA) — The Springs Fire in Ventura County has burned at least 28,000 acres by Friday and is just 20 percent contained, Ventura County fire officials said.
It has damaged 15 homes, five commercial properties and 15 outbuildings, according to Cal Fire.
Some 4,000 residences were threatened, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as firefighters scrambled to reposition after a 180-degree shift in the winds.
The Ventura County Fire Department said the air attack would end at sunset and the Springs fire would be attacked by ground crews.
“Barring unusual events, we do not expect to receive any new updates on the fire until tomorrow morning,” authorities said in a statement.
Earlier Friday the fire hopped PCH and was burning at a Navy Seabee target range about two miles south of Las Posas Road.
Heavy smoke forced Navy officials to evacuate 118 families from Point Mugu base to a facility at Port Hueneme.
Five helicopters and seven fire crews are fighting a 30-hectare pine forest fire east of Martinborough. Two further helicopters are expected to join firefighters shortly. Wairarapa principal rural fire officer Phill Wishnowsky said it could take days to extinguish the large forestry blaze. “We’ve got a large forest fire, very active and quite extreme conditions. The fire is an active fire so of course everywhere it goes it’s obviously destroying the forest. “It’s going to take a long time and a lot of effort [to put it out],” Mr Wishnowsky said. Mr Wishnowsky said there was no risk to surrounding property at the moment. Wellington fire communications shift manager Tim Rees said the forestry block fire was reported at 5.50am this morning. Fire services from Martinborough, Featherston, Upper Hutt, Wellington and rural fire parties are fighting the blaze.
Ground crews and two helicopters are battling a forestry fire in south Wairarapa.
Emergency services were called to Hinakura just before 6am.
Crews from Wairarapa and Wellington are on the ground fighting the blaze that is well involved and covering a 20ha area, with two helicopters also assisting, said a central fire communications spokesman.
Firefighter departments from several counties and the Tennessee Division of Forestry continue to battle a massive fire in Pigeon Forge overnight. Sevier County Fire Department confirmed that the fire damaged at least 35 cabins near Black Bear Ridge Resort and Trappers Ridge at this time. Pigeon Forge Fire Chief Tony Watson said his department used lots of resources fighting flames covering 200 to 300 acres. “It’s been rough. It’s been rough as I’ve ever seen it,” said Watson. Weather conditions failed to provide relief for crews struggling to contain the blaze. “You gotta understand, it jumped across a road, several roads, and now it’s racing up a hill,” explained Watson. “Luckily, the humidity, the temperatures dropped. We’re still not under control, but if it was earlier in the day, we’d still be in worse shape.”
Crews evacuated the area, and Watson said there are no injuries at this time. “Everybody that I know of has not been injured,” confirmed Watson. “This is by the luck of God and prayer that we’ve not been able to get that.” Officials said they believe a cabin fire at the Bear Ridge Resort ignited the massive fire at approximately 4:00 p.m. Authorities still don’t know what sparked the fire inside the cabin. Watson said the fire spread quickly, which made for dangerous conditions. “These houses are put close together up there. The first portion of this started out as a house fire. . . it led to several other next to it catching on fire,” Watson said. “Propane tanks have been exploding. It’s been a real dangerous.” Firefighters placed tankers on the scene carrying water to put out the flames. Officials used helicopters to extinguish the fire from a higher altitude as well.
“We’re a long way from home. We’re going to be going into multiple operations for the next couple of days,” said Watson. “We’re not even able to say this fire’s under control. We are not under control.” Tennessee Highway Patrol, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office and Pigeon Forge Fire Department are helping with evacuation efforts and keeping people out of the danger zone. Watson said people who live in Pigeon Forge, Waldens Creek, Wears Valley area, and Lost Branch area need to pay attention to the conditions. “What I’ve been telling people, ‘If you see the fire get close to your home call 911,” said Watson. “If you live in those areas right there, you need to be packing up some stuff and be ready to go, so if somebody knocks on your door, you’re ready to get out quickly.” Agencies from all over East Tennessee and churches organized relief efforts throughout Sunday. The American Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at the Pigeon Forge Community Center for people displaced by the fire. Red Cross volunteers also staffed an emergency relief vehicle to assist the area.
Posted on: 10:55 am, March 18, 2013, by George Brown
(Pigeon Forge, TN CNN) Tennessee authorities declared a state of emergency and sent in the National Guard on Monday in an effort to control a fast-moving wildfire near the resort town of Pigeon Forge.
The fire started about 5 p.m. Sunday and quickly spread, charring more than 30 cabins and turning propane tanks into shrapnel.
About 20 fire departments have been fighting the fire, authorities said.
“Propane tanks have been exploding,” Pigeon Forge Fire Chief Tony Watson said Sunday. “It’s been real dangerous.”
Now at 230 acres, the blaze started as a house fire, according to Watson.
“It looks like somebody just went through there and just dropped a bomb on the place,” Shannon McCostlin told affiliate WATE-TV. “I feel bad for them people.”
The area is home to rental cabins with some permanent residences.
National Guard helicopters were flying to the scene Monday morning and will drop water from a nearby lake onto the fire, said Perrin Anderson, a spokesman for Sevier County.
The help is badly needed, Watson said Sunday.
“You gotta understand, it jumped across a road, several roads, and now it’s racing up a hill,” he told CNN affiliate WBIR-TV.
The fire has been partially contained, said Dean Flener, a spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
About 150 people were evacuated Sunday and the American Red Cross opened a shelter at the Pigeon Forge Community Center.
Pigeon Forge, in eastern Tennessee, is best known for singer Dolly Parton’s theme park, Dollywood, which was not affected by the fire.
Positioned on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains, the area also is popular with outdoors enthusiasts and has a wide variety of other attractions, including music theaters, outlet malls, go-kart tracks and mini-golf courses.
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More than 30 cabins torched by Tennessee wildfire
A wildfire, seen here from helicopter, destroyed more than 30 cabins in East Tennessee, March 17, 2013. / WVLT-TV/CBS
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. A wildfire burning in a resort area outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee has destroyed more than 30 large rental cabins.
The 145-acre fire was first reported around 5 p.m. EDT Sunday in Sevier County, said Ben Bryson, a fire resources coordinator with the Tennessee Division of Forestry. Smoke was reported to be visible from 25 miles away.
Bryson said early Monday that the fire was contained and not expected to spread.
Fires burn in two Southern states
Some of the cabins were occupied and about 150 to 200 people were evacuated, but no injuries were reported, Bryson said.
After dawn Monday, two Tennessee Air National Guard helicopters took off from nearby McGhee Tyson Airport. A state Forestry Division spokesman said the helicopters would be used to scoop up water from Douglas Lake and drop it on the fire.
A forest fire occurred at the Telamba village section along the Muara-Tutong highway last evening. The fire started around 6pm in the forest next to the highway. A team of firefighters in two fire engines from Tutong Fire Station rushed to the scene after receiving emergency calls from motorists, Borneo Bulletin reported. The firefighters faced difficulties in battling the fire as they had to run their hose through the dense vegetation. The fire engines also had to take turns to refill their tanks as there are no fire hydrants at the site. At press time the firefighters were still trying to control the blaze.
Tutong – A forest fire occurred at the Telamba village section along the Muara-Tutong highway last evening. The fire started around 6pm in the forest next to the highway. A team of firefighters in two fire engines from Tutong Fire Station rushed to the scene after receiving emergency calls from motorists.
The firefighters faced difficulties in battling the fire as they had to run their hose through the dense vegetation. The fire engines also had to take turns to refill their tanks as there are no fire hydrants at the site. At press time the firefighters were still trying to control the blaze.
A brush fire spread to a community near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Saturday night and destroyed dozens of homes and condominiums. The fire grew out of control in minutes. No one knew how many homes were burning, or how fast the fire was spreading. “Then all of a sudden these buildings caught fire, almost at the same time, one right after the other,” one homeowner said. One man living in Ashley Park said around 5 p.m., he walked outside and saw small flames flickering in the field. He said within minutes, those flames spread quickly, engulfing home after home in the Windsor Green community. Fire officials says multiple structures were lost. One woman watched her home burn, while neighbors stood in shock watching the black smoke thicken in the sky, not knowing if their homes would be next. Soon that panic led to helplessness as people were pushed back from the area. As of Saturday night, some people still did not know if their homes were still standing. Those who lost their homes spent the night at a local shelter. One firefighter was injured and three police officers were treated for smoke inhalation.
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100 homes destroyed by fire in Myrtle Beach, Gov. Haley tours damage
UPDATED 2:49 PM EDT Mar 18, 2013
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. —Investigators say there appeared to be little firefighters could do to save more than 100 homes that were destroyed by an Horry County fire that burned two dozen condominium buildings.
State Forestry Commission spokesman Scott Hawkins says authorities have determined the fire Saturday at Windsor Green in Carolina Forest started near power lines less than 50 feet from the nearest building in the complex.
Investigators have not determined what sparked the fire.
The blaze spread quickly, burning buildings on three different streets to rubble. No deaths or injuries were reported.
Gov. Nikki Haley visited the condos Monday afternoon.
Hawkins says the Forestry Commission recommends at least 30 feet of material that won’t burn in front of buildings. Many of the condos had grass and pine straw in their yards.
Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Monday, 11 March, 2013 at 05:51 (05:51 AM) UTC.
Description
Winston-Salem firefighters responded to a number of grass fires Sunday afternoon. The first calls came in before around noon. Some of the heaviest smoke and fire volume was from Peters Creek Parkway to Ebert Road. No homes were in danger, and a cause of the fires is being investigated. Another grass fire was battled along the 5700 block of Brinkley Road near Belews Creek. A forest service worker told WXII’s Stephanie Berzinski there didn’t appear to be a relation between that fire and the ones off I-40. A third fire started in the Walkertown area off Cardwell Manor Street, and the blaze eventually burned an abandoned work shed. A woman told WXII that the fire came within about 10 feet of her home. Drivers on I-40 in Winston-Salem told WXII they could see smoke from a distance Sunday afternoon.
Virginia Department of Forestry crews and Scott County volunteer firefighters spent several hours Saturday battling a wildfire that burned more than a dozen acres of forest just north of Gate City. VDOF officials said the blaze, which began just before 3 p.m. approximately four miles north of Gate City, claimed a total of 15 acres of mostly wooded land. Crews with the VDOF, the Gate City Volunteer Fire Department and Duffield Volunteer Fire Department worked until 7 p.m. to bring the fire under control, forestry officials said. The cause of the blaze was not immediately determined and is still under investigation. The fire reportedly began in a field off Harness Lane before spreading to the nearby forest. A forestry official said measures had to be taken to protect several nearby homes and farm structures. The official noted that burning is currently prohibited in Virginia prior to 4 p.m. because of dry conditions that are normally seen this time of year. The 4 p.m. burn ban began Feb. 15 and remains in effect through April 30.
GATE CITY — Virginia Department of Forestry crews and Scott County volunteer firefighters spent several hours Saturday battling a wildfire that burned more than a dozen acres of forest just north of Gate City.
VDOF officials said the blaze, which began just before 3 p.m. approximately four miles north of Gate City, claimed a total of 15 acres of mostly wooded land.
Crews with the VDOF, the Gate City Volunteer Fire Department and Duffield Volunteer Fire Department worked until 7 p.m. to bring the fire under control, forestry officials said.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately determined and is still under investigation.
The fire reportedly began in a field off Harness Lane before spreading to the nearby forest. A forestry official said measures had to be taken to protect several nearby homes and farm structures.
The official noted that burning is currently prohibited in Virginia prior to 4 p.m. because of dry conditions that are normally seen this time of year.
The 4 p.m. burn ban began Feb. 15 and remains in effect through April 30.
A fast-moving brush fire near Daytona Beach at one point forced the evacuation of 300 homes and spread to 1,000 acres Saturday, Greg Dunn of the Florida Forest Service said. By late Saturday, the blaze was 75% contained and occupants of most of the homes were allowed to return. Interstate 95 in Volusia County reopened after it was closed in both directions because of the fire and poor visibility, authorities said. Thick smoke rose from the fast-moving fire, which was being fueled by high winds and low humidity, Dunn said, adding he expects the same conditions Sunday. Firefighters from Volusia and Flagler counties, the state forest service and all city fire departments were working to fight the fire, the Volusia County government website said. By Saturday evening, the fire had destroyed two structures — a barn and a chicken coop, Dunn said. Volusia County Animal Control was helping to evacuate horses and other large animals from the area, the county government said.
Flames up to 20m high are being battled by more than 100 firefighters as a bushfire threatens lives and homes in Bindoon, north of Perth. An emergency warning has been issued for people in an area bounded by Mooliabeenee Road, Bindoon-Moora Road, Great Northern Highway, Ioppolo Road, Brand Highway and Cockram Road in parts of Bindoon, Mooliabeenee, Lennard Brook and Breera. Residents are being warned they are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. They should leave in a southerly direction via Chittering Road. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said the bushfire was moving fast at 2.8 kilometres per hour, and was doubling in size every two hours. Burning embers are also being blown and spot fires are starting ahead of the fire. An aircrane, two helitacks, and a helicopter are assisting fire crews. WA’s Department of Education said parents and carers of students at Bindoon Primary School needed to pick up their children direct from the school as the school bus service was cancelled.
A massive wildfire in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria is so close to a ski village the residents don’t have time to leave, officials said Friday. A warning issued just after 9 p.m. local time — that the fire could affect the alpine area of Hotham Heights — was downgraded shortly afterward to a watch-and-act alert, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. The fire, which has consumed more than 27,000 acres, was expected to cross a creek and burn uphill to the ski village on Mount Hotham, said incident controller Stephen Grant. Grant said three teams were in the village preparing should the fire approach. Fire officials said it was too late for residents of the area to leave, and cautioned those already out of their homes not to return.
It has damaged 15 homes, five commercial properties and 15 outbuildings, according to Cal Fire.
