Seoul: The South Korean government on Wednesday mobilised 57 choppers to help contain a wildfire in the southeastern city of Miryang, while vowing to make all-out efforts to put out the blaze.The fire broke out on Tuesday on a hill in Miryang, around 280 km southeast of Seoul. As of Wednesday afternoon, firefighters said about 60 per cent of the blaze had been brought under control, Yonhap news agency reported.The number of helicopters sent to the scene is higher than 51 deployed to fight another wildfire that broke out across Gangwon and North Gyeongsang Provinces in March. The government also sent around 1,800 personnel, including firefighters and police officers, to fight the fire that has affected 356 hectares of land so far. The Korea Forest Service earlier issued the highest wildfire response level of three. The all-out efforts to fight the wildfire came after President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed related agencies the previous day to “swiftly mobilize all available equipment and personnel” and “put all of their energy into quickly putting out the wildfire.”—IANS

The South Korean government on Wednesday mobilised 57 choppers to help contain a wildfire in the southeastern city of Miryang, while vowing to make all-out efforts to put out the blaze.

S.Korea Vows All-Out Efforts To Put Out Wildfire

Seoul: A wildfire continued to rage for a third day in South Korea on Thursday despite firefighting efforts involving dozens of helicopters. The fire that broke out on a hill in Miryang, around 280 km southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday, is continuing to spread rapidly, driven by strong winds and a dry spell, reports Yonhap News Agency.Forestry and firefighting authorities dispatched 53 helicopters to resume their firefighting operation as soon as operations resumed on Thursday morning and dispatched some 2,450 personnel to join the battle later in the day. The choppers included 16 from the Army and three from the Air Force, according to the Defence Ministry. The military also plans to send some 590 service members to aid the firefighting efforts on Thursday. The blaze has burned nearly 700 hectares of forestland as of Thursday, while the fire extinguishing rate climbed to 73 per cent.No casualties or property damage have been reported yet. The Korea Forest Service retained its highest Level-3 wildfire response posture as of Thursday.—IANS

A wildfire continued to rage for a third day in South Korea on Thursday despite firefighting efforts involving dozens of helicopters. The fire that broke out on a hill in Miryang, around 280 km southeast of Seoul, on Tuesday, is continuing to spread rapidly, driven by strong winds and a dry spell, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Wildfire Continues For 3rd Day In S.Korea

Athnes: A wildfire raged out of control on the outskirts of Athens on Saturday, damaging houses and cars, the Fire Department said. Fanned by strong winds, the blaze quickly spread across the slopes of Mount Hymettus which overlooks the Greek capital, sending thick clouds of smoke over the southern suburbs. As a precaution, civil protection authorities evacuated some parts of the Voula and Glyfada regions about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Athens centre.A Reuters witness saw at least two houses severely damaged by the fire. "Due to the intense north winds the fire quickly spread and approached the city," Fire Department spokesperson Yiannis Artopios said in a briefing. "We ask our fellow citizens to be very careful," he added. More than 130 firefighters aided by 6 firefighting aircraft and 4 helicopters dropped tonnes of water in an attempted to douse the blaze, which has raged for more than seven hours. A spate of wildfires scorched about 300,000 acres of forest and bushland in different parts of Greece last summer, amid the country's worst heatwave in 30 years. The country has bitter memories of a 2018 blaze that tore through the seaside town of Mati near Athens, killing 102 people in a matter of hours.—REUTERS

A wildfire raged out of control on the outskirts of Athens on Saturday, damaging houses and cars, the Fire Department said. Fanned by strong winds, the blaze quickly spread across the slopes of Mount Hymettus which overlooks the Greek capital, sending thick clouds of smoke over the southern suburbs.

Wildfire rages near Athens, damaging homes

Los Angeles: Authorities said Monday that more than 500 firefighters are battling a fast-moving wildfire to protect some of the world's oldest and largest trees in the Yosemite National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the United States.The Washburn Fire, reported Thursday afternoon, has grown to over 2,340 acres (around 9.47 square km) and is only 25 per cent contained, threatening the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the largest sequoia grove in the park.Located in the southern portion of Yosemite, the historic tree grove is home to over 500 mature giant sequoias, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant tree. "A full initial attack response was dispatched including Yosemite National Park Fire resources and state and local cooperators," said an incident update released by the InciWeb, an interagency all-risk incident information management system in the United States.A total of 545 firefighters are working at the scene, an increase of 185 personnel compared to the previous day.The fire was active Sunday night and with the current warming trend, increased fire activity is expected for Monday as well, officials noted.While structure wrap is not currently being used on the giant sequoias, firefighters are proactively protecting the Mariposa Grove through the use of a ground-based sprinkler system.This increases the humidity in the area around the trees and combined with the removal of ground fuels, the ground fire risk is greatly reduced, according to the update, adding that Yosemite's fire management program has for many years utilized a wide variety of methods to reduce the fuels and minimize the risk of fire to the over 500 mature giant sequoias as well as the entire national park.&nbsp;—ANI/Xinhua

Authorities said Monday that more than 500 firefighters are battling a fast-moving wildfire to protect some of the world's oldest and largest trees in the Yosemite National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the United States.

Over 500 Firefighters Battle Wildfire To Protect Iconic Trees In US Yosemite National Park

Madrid: Despite firefighters successfully containing the wildfires in the Spanish regions of Catalonia, Segovia, Zaragoza and Avila this week, an ecology expert opined that extreme wildfires were here to stay."We don't know exactly what will happen, there are always doubts, and climate models are sometimes wrong, but everything suggests that we're moving towards a situation of higher temperatures, heat waves, more irregular precipitation less in quantity but very intense at times," Narcis Prat, emeritus professor in ecology at the University of Barcelona, told Xinhua news agency.&nbsp;"This is a new scenario we'll have to adapt to."This year alone, 193,247 hectares of forest areas burned in Spain, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).&nbsp;This is a new record, surpassing the 189,367 hectares recorded in 2012."In large part this is due to a lack of woodland management," Prat said."For many years, woodlands have been neglected because doing anything with them was very expensive, they were difficult to access, and all this wasn't profitable.""The main lesson is that we need to manage woodlands differently. We must avoid large masses of trees. Instead, trees should be mixed with undergrowth, meadows and agricultural fields to make what is called a forest mosaic. This would make it very difficult for wildfires to spread."However, since climate change mainly means rising temperatures, Prat warned that unless authorities around the world reduce carbon emissions radically in a short period of time, the situation is likely to get worse."What we've seen here this year with so many heat waves is something that scientists believed wasn't going to happen for another five to ten years. Things have accelerated and scientists are worried that the forecasts they made for 2030 or 2050 are arriving more quickly," Prat said.On Friday, firefighters were still trying to control three wildfires that together covered some 31,000 hectares in Galicia, while two new blaze started on the island of Tenerife and in Guadalix de la Sierra in the region of Madrid.&nbsp; —IANS

Despite firefighters successfully containing the wildfires in the Spanish regions of Catalonia, Segovia, Zaragoza and Avila this week, an ecology expert opined that extreme wildfires were here to stay.

 Extreme wildfires here to stay: Spanish expert

San Francisco:&nbsp;Authorities have declared a state of emergency in part of California as a wildfire continued to rage near the Yosemite National Park. The state of emergency has been declared in Mariposa County and in a statement, California Governor Gavin Newsom said the flames were being “driven by weather and drought conditions”.The fast-moving wildfire, dubbed the Oak Fire, grew to 6,555 acres (about 26.5 square km) overnight, prompting mandatory evacuation orders, Xinhua news agency. The wildfire ignited on Friday afternoon in Mariposa County and was still zero contained as of Saturday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).It is about 50 km away from Yosemite Valley, near Yosemite National Park, one of the most popular national parks in the US.The blaze had destroyed at least 10 structures and damaged another five by Saturday, threatening 2,000 other structures, Cal Fire said.“Fire activity is extreme with frequent runs, spot fires and group torching. Emergency personnel are working to safely evacuate people and are actively engaged in protecting structures,” said Cal Fire, noting that explosive fire behaviour is challenging over 400 firefighters on the spot. It is now “one of California’s largest wildfires of the year”, the Los Angeles Times said in a report.Some residents were forced to temporarily evacuate and some roads in the area, including one major highway to Yosemite, were closed.With the Oak Fire, the streak of relatively modest and non-destructive wildfires in California so far this season appears to be over, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.He added that record vegetation dryness and less stable atmospheric conditions will likely favour plume-dominated behaviour at times. Swain estimated that the Oak Fire will very likely surpass 10,000 acres (around 40.46 square km) in less than 24 hours.Another explosive wildfire, the Washburn Fire, has burned over 4,850 acres (19.6 square km) to date with 79 per cent contained in over two weeks near Yosemite National Park.The Washburn Fire has drawn national attention as hundreds of firefighters are battling the blaze to protect some of the world’s oldest and largest trees in the park.Must of the US is sweltering through a heat wave this weekend.Temperatures in Mariposa County hit 35.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday, and are expected to stay at that level for the next few days. —IANS

Authorities have declared a state of emergency in part of California as a wildfire continued to rage near the Yosemite National Park. The state of emergency has been declared in Mariposa County and in a statement, California Governor Gavin Newsom said the flames were being “driven by weather and drought conditions”.

 Emergency declared as wildfire rages near Yosemite National Park

California: A huge wildfire raging for the third day on Sunday in central California destroyed land of over 14,000 acres and displaced over 6,000 people from rural communities.According to CNN, the state fire officials said that the fire began on Friday and remained 0 per cent contained on Sunday in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near the small community of Midpines, roughly a 9-mile drive northeast of the county seat, the town of Mariposa.Governor of California, Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County after the fire forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Activating a state of emergency allows for additional resources to aid in response to the fire, a news release from his office said. The Yosemite National Park preserves the world's oldest and largest trees, one of the most visited national parks in the United States. Located in the southern portion of Yosemite, the historic tree grove is home to over 500 mature giant sequoias, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant tree.The visuals from the site showed that the flames tore through trees and sent thick smoke into the sky Friday, and in at least one rural area burned close to homes and parked vehicles. A resident of the Mariposa Pines area, Wes Detamore said, "Authorities came by ... and told us everybody's got to go," adding that the Electricity service in the area stopped Friday at about 4 pm, "and the fire has been coming towards us faster and faster," Detamore added. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, said that the fire had destroyed at least 10 structures and damaged another five on Saturday, CNN reported.&nbsp;&nbsp;"At that time, the blaze was threatening 2,000 other structures, Cal Fire said.&nbsp;"It had burned 6,555 acres by Saturday morning and nearly 12,000 that evening. Fire activity was extreme, and emergency personnel were working to evacuate people and protect buildings," the department added.&nbsp;The department said that as many as eleven fire crews with more than 400 personnel, as well as 45 fire engines and four helicopters, have been assigned to fight the flames.&nbsp;The Oak Fire is the largest of California's currently active wildfires, a few dozen miles southwest of Yosemite National Park's southern edges, CNN reported.&nbsp;The blaze comes as much of the US has been experiencing an extreme heat wave this week, with parts of California seeing temperatures in the triple-digits.Wildfires scorching the western US in recent years have become more common due to worsening drought conditions fueled by climate change.&nbsp;Experts say bone-dry drought conditions and overgrown forests have enabled even the smallest sparks to explode into an inferno, which has led to a sharp increase. In California alone, more than 2.5 million acres were burned in nearly 9,000 fires last year, according to Cal Fire. —ANI

A huge wildfire raging for the third day on Sunday in central California destroyed land of over 14,000 acres and displaced over 6,000 people from rural communities.

California Wildfires: Over 14,000 Acres Land Destroyed, 6000 People Displaced

Washington: In addition to affecting water quality, soils are essential for plant development. However, it has been challenging to foresee how wildfires might affect water quality and plant development, according to a recent study led by a group of Colorado investigators.The findings of the research were published in the journal 'Applied and Environmental Microbiology."To make practical predictions about recovery, we had to use a modern artificial intelligence tool called statistical learning," said John Spear, PhD, professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo. "When we fed data about the microbes and nutrients into this model, we were able to predict how soil is changed by fire far more accurately." Spear emphasized that combining information on the types and quantities of both microbes and nutrients increased accuracy. Another intriguing discovery was that including microbiota that is uncommon in soil--those that constituted less than 1 per cent of the microbiome--was critical to the predictions' accuracy."This apparent contradiction is a fascinating outcome of our study and runs contrary to the common wisdom that if we measure 99 per cent of what's living in soil, we'll have a great sense of how that soil will behave," said first author Alexander S. Honeyman, PhD, research associate at the Colorado School of Mines.The investigators were also able to predict water quality by analyzing the microbiome for species that affect both soil regeneration and downstream waters, said Spear, who added that the methodology may lead to a better understanding of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem recovery post-wildfire.In the study, "We went out to 2 active wildfires in Colorado in 2018 and 2019, and collected soil shortly after the smouldering stopped," said Spear. "This was as simple as shovelling soil into a bucket. We returned to the same sites for 3 summers [2018, 2019, and 2020], collecting more samples, and followed up as the landscape recovered from the black of burn to the green of new growth."The investigators in the lab measured soil carbon, nitrogen and other important molecules. They also took the census of the microbiome--the species present, and the quantities of each in the soils."The trick," said Spear, "was to do this over and over in a thorough fashion for 3 years, generating a dataset of more than 500 soil samples. Then, we wanted to see if the pattern of recovery of soil after a fire could be predicted from this unique dataset, using statistical learning."The methodology worked, even though the dataset is quite diverse--representing different severities of wildfire and various soil types and seasons. "That's good news for our approach, because [the methodology] appears to work on many different conditions of soil," said Spear.The research was motivated by Honeyman's decade of experience as a volunteer firefighter, and having lost his home to a Colorado wildfire in 2010. This experience raised important questions for him. Would soil recover nutrients that had been lost in a fire? The investigators also wanted to know whether water quality would be renewed. "We asked ourselves how we could describe recovery in a way that's useful to land managers," said Spear, noting that, "our forest service coauthors, who are land managers, really liked this work."As climate change contributes to more frequent fires, we must understand how to manage the recovery of burned soil, particularly in the western U.S., said Spear. Spear noted that the methodology could likely also be applied to agriculture to boost food production "even while using less water and less fertilizer, thus saving money."&nbsp;—ANI

In addition to affecting water quality, soils are essential for plant development. However, it has been challenging to foresee how wildfires might affect water quality and plant development, according to a recent study led by a group of Colorado investigators.

Study Predicts Soil Recovery Following Wildfires

Paris:&nbsp;Wildfires in France's department of Ardeche have burnt 900 hectares of land and forced evacuation in different cities.According to the Le Figaro newspaper, a total of 550 firefighters and 100 intervention engines, as well as fire brigade aerial units, were mobilized to bring under control the wildfires, reports Xinhua news agency.The main fire is pursuing its progression along the Ardeche river and is going towards the city of Vogue where the firefighters of Ardeche are located, according to local authorities.There were no "habitations threatened" and the industrial zone of Lavilledieu has been "secured", the authorities said.Several roads were closed and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fires.—IANS

Wildfires in France's department of Ardeche have burnt 900 hectares of land and forced evacuation in different cities.

 New wildfires in France force evacuation

Paris:&nbsp;Four firefighters were injured while battling the raging wildfires in the city of Aubais, located in the French department of Gard, which have so far burnt 200 hectares of land and forced evacuation of local residents, local media reported.The fires on Sunday injured four firefighters, one of them seriously, Xinhua news agency quoted Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin as saying.A total of 170 firefighters and aerial units were mobilised, while fire personnel from neighbouring departments were also deployed, according to French daily Le Figaro.As a security measure, several highways have been closed in both directions."The fire has not impacted the highway, but a significant release of smoke presents a risk for traffic," said the Minister.Due to heat waves and dry winds, several wildfires have broken out over the past two weeks in southern France.—IANS

Four firefighters were injured while battling the raging wildfires in the city of Aubais, located in the French department of Gard, which have so far burnt 200 hectares of land and forced evacuation of local residents, local mia reported.

 4 French firefighters injured while battling wildfires

Four firefighters were injured while battling the raging wildfires in the city of Aubais, located in the French department of Gard, which have so far burnt 200 hectares of land and forced evacuation of local residents, local media reported.

Washington: Over the last decade, an average of over 61,000 wildfires have burnt 7.2 million acres per year in the United States. When a wildfire begins to expand, the firefighting work is complicated by challenges such as spot fires, which occur when winds lift lofted sparks and start new fires outside of the original fire perimeter. The greater the possible spot fire distance, the more difficult it is to monitor, control, and extinguish wildfires. A new study, led by University of Florida forest management researcher Victoria Donovan, found that as woody plants like shrubs and trees replace herbaceous plants like grasses, spot fires can occur farther away from the original fire perimeter. This "woody encroachment" is not only a major issue in grasslands where the study takes place, but also in wetland and savanna systems like longleaf pine, an important ecosystem in Florida. "Spot fires are one of the most common reasons why houses burn in a wildfire," said Donovan, an assistant professor with the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences at the UF/IFAS West Florida Research and Education Center in Milton, Florida. "It's not typically because the flames from wildfire reach a house, but that embers from that fire land on roofs, travel through home ventilation systems, or land on other combustible material on or near the home, and ignite the house from there. They're a big concern for structural damage." Donavan's study indicates that prescribed fire, which is commonly used in Florida to control woody plant growth, could help reduce spot fires. The study looked at three phases of woody encroachment: the first a largely grassland area, the second grassland with new forested growth, and the third a dense forest. The research was modeled using a mathematical fire simulation program and considered various conditions in Loess Canyons Experimental Landscape in south Nebraska. Donovan conducted this study as a researcher at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  "Our study shows that the risk of spot fire is much lower when you're burning under the weather conditions used for prescribed fire, regardless of encroachment phase, compared to waiting for the potentially more extreme conditions we can see during wildfires," Donovan said. "This tells us that using prescribed fire early to control encroachment and reduce fuel load is a lot safer than waiting for a wildfire to occur." The safety concerns of woody encroachment extend beyond structures and residents to also include the firefighters battling the blaze. "It is not only spot fire distance that increases wildfire risk from woody encroachment. Shrubs and trees can grow much taller than grasses," Donovan said. "Think about putting out your campfire on the ground by pouring water on it, and compare that to trying to put out a fire a couple stories above you." The concerns are universal, she said, and reveal similarities no matter the land type where the wildfires occur. "We're seeing the same kind of issue here in Florida, where fire suppression has led to a lot of encroachment of shrubs," Donovan said. "This creates these really dense forest stands rather than the open savannah systems that we would have seen historically with more frequent fire." She added that Florida has become a model for prescribed burning across the country, though there is still hesitancy among some private landowners. Donovan cautions: "Using prescribed fire as a controlling process for woody encroachment has far less risk than allowing woody encroachment and waiting for wildfire to occur." "Across the country, data has shown that fire is inevitable," she adds. "Using prescribed fire allows us to decide what we want a lot of that fire to look like." (ANI)

Over the last decade, an average of over 61,000 wildfires have burnt 7.2 million acres per year in the United States

Risk of wildfire spreading increases where trees, shrubs replace grasses

Hawaii: At least six people have been killed by wildfires in Hawaii, CNN reported citing Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. The mayor said search and rescue efforts are being carried out and warned that the number of people killed could increase as more information becomes available. According to Bissen, at least six other people were injured. Richard Bissen Jr said three of the injured were burn related. A firefighter was also taken to the hospital and was undergoing treatment for smoke inhalation, CNN reported. Bissen said many structures have been destroyed with several of them being burnt "to the ground." He said the officials and first responders' main focus remains to "save lives and preserve lives," according to CNN report. He further said that the secondary focus is to try to save property and added that both fire departments and objectives are working very hard to do. He said that the fire department is working in 24-hour shifts to contain the fire. Meanwhile, crews with Hawaiian Electric have been urging people to be patient as they work to restore power to people impacted in West Maui and Upcountry, as per the news report. Spokesperson Shayna Decken, in a statement on Wednesday, said, "We are all hands on deck in supporting and responding to Maui communities affected by the outages, active wildfires, and sustained high wind damage," CNN reported. Decken added, "Our focus right now is the safety of our communities, customers, and workforce and prioritizing power restoration to areas that our crews can safely access." As per the news report, approximately 12,400 customers remain without power in West Maui and crews are analysing the damage from the wildfire. The crews have been working working to repair multiple downed poles and power lines in various areas. —ANI

At least six people have been killed by wildfires in Hawaii, CNN reported citing Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr

At Least Six Dead As Wildfires Ravage Hawaii

Hawaii: At least 53 people have now been killed by the Lahaina fire as the firefighting efforts continue in Hawaii, CNN reported citing Maui County's statement. Maui County in the statement said, "As firefighting efforts continue, 17 additional fatalities have been confirmed today amid the active Lahaina fire. This brings the death toll to 53 people."  More than 14,000 people have been shifted from the island of Maui on Wednesday (local time) amid raging wildfires. Hawai'i Tourism Authority in a news release said that an additional 14,500 people are expected to be moved off by the end of Thursday, according to CNN. The people who have been moved from Maui have been sent to other places in Hawai’i to finish their vacation or were sent back home, CNN reported citing the release.  The wildfire that devastated the Lahaina area of Maui is now 80 per cent contained, the county said on Thursday (local time), according to CNN. According to PowerOutage.US, Lahaina remains without electricity with around 11,000 people in Maui without power. State and county crews continue to make efforts to clear roads. However, entry into Lahaina remains restricted, CNN reported. The Pulehu fire in Kihei is 70 per cent contained and firefighters are still determining the containment of the Upcountry fire in the centre of the island, where state forestry workers are making efforts on the northern slopes of Haleakala. On Thursday, US President Joe Biden on Thursday declared Hawaii wildfires a "major disaster" and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas impacted by the wildfires since August 8. Biden's action makes federal funding available to impacted people in Maui County. A White House statement said, "Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Hawaii and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires beginning on August 8, 2023, and continuing." The assistance announced by Biden includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help people and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, according to the White House statement. Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private non-profit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures in Maui County and assistance for emergency protective measures for Hawaii County. Maona N Ngwira of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas, according to the White House statement. —ANI

At least 53 people have now been killed by the Lahaina fire as the firefighting efforts continue in Hawaii

US: Death Toll In Hawaii Wildfire Climbs To 53

Hawaii: Making it the deadliest US wildfire in 100 years, the death toll from Hawaii's Maui wildfires has increased to 93 on Saturday, reported Al Jazeera.  According to officials, the death toll might even increase as the search teams are searching through the ruins of Lahaina town on Maui island. The town was home to over 12,000 people and has been reduced to ruins. Whereas, the lively hotels and restaurants turned into ashes.  Governor Josh Green said the number of confirmed deaths from the Maui wildfires had risen to 89, making it the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years. Maui County later raised the confirmed death toll to 93, Al Jazeera reported. “It’s going to continue to rise. We want to brace people for that,” Green told reporters. “It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced,” Green said as he toured the devastation on historic Front Street. The latest figure exceeded the 85 people who perished in a 2018 fire in the town of Paradise, California and was the highest death toll from a wildfire since 1918 when the Cloquet fire in Minnesota and Wisconsin killed 453 people, Al Jazeera reported. Maui police chief John Pelletier said only a fraction of the disaster zone had been searched, and only two of the victims could be identified because they were burned badly. He added that cadaver dogs trained to detect bodies had covered only 3 percent of the search area. “The remains we are finding are from a fire that melted metal,” he said. “We have to do rapid DNA [testing] to identify every one of these. Governor Green added, “When we pick up the remains … they fall apart.”The cost to rebuild Lahaina was estimated at $5.5bn, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with more than 2,200 structures damaged or destroyed and more than 2,100 acres (850 hectares) burned.“Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding." The cost to rebuild Lahaina was estimated at $5.5bn, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with more than 2,200 structures damaged or destroyed and more than 2,100 acres (850 hectares) burned, reported Al Jazeera. —ANI

Making it the deadliest US wildfire in 100 years, the death toll from Hawaii's Maui wildfires

Death Toll In Hawaii Wildfire Reaches 93, Deadliest In 100 Years 

Honolulu: The death toll from the wildfires in Hawaii's Maui island, deemed to be the the deadliest in modern US history, has spiked to 114 while more than 60 per cent of the disaster area has been searched with rescue efforts continuing, authorities said.  The Maui Police Department confirmed in an update that the total number of fatalities in the deadly wildfires has increased to 114, up from Thursday's 111, reports Xinhua news agency.  In a televised speech, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said that the number of lives lost in the disaster is "expected to increase each day" as the search for victims continues.  "The scope of devastation on Maui is difficult to express in words," said the Governor, noting that more than 2,200 buildings have been destroyed and another 500 have been damaged at an estimated cost of nearly $6 billion.  "Now, we are engaged in the difficult work of searching for survivors, reuniting separated families and identifying the remains of those we've lost," Green said.  There are now approximately 470 search and rescue workers and 40 search dogs combing through the hundreds of burnt buildings, according to the governor.  "We will rebuild Lahaina. It will take years of work and billions of dollars, but we are committed to this effort, and together we will meet this challenge," the governor said.  Deadly wildfires have scorched much of the historic town of Lahaina, a popular tourist spot on Maui and once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii.  It's home to around 13,000 residents.  Green said he has ordered a comprehensive assessment of every detail of the emergency response to the fires on Maui.  With at least 1,000 people still unaccounted for, recovery teams in Lahaina are racing against time to cover as much ground as possible before heavy rains are slated to move in next week, reported local news outlet Hawaii News Now.  The White House said in a statement earlier this week that President Joe Biden will travel to Maui on August 21 to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state and local officials. —IANS

The death toll from the wildfires in Hawaii's Maui island, deemed to be the the deadliest in modern US history

Death toll from Hawaii wildfires reach 114 as search for victims continues

Hawaii: After over 100 people were killed in the Hawaii wildfire, Maui County officials released a list of 388 people who are still “unaccounted for” after the devastating fires, The Washington Post reported. However, within a day of making the list public, at least 100 people were crossed off, after they were reported “safe and sound”. “They were reported to be safe and sound,” Steven Merrill, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Honolulu Division, said during a news conference Friday. “Again, we don’t take that for granted. We still understand that there’s hundreds more that we’re still looking for and we will not stop until we find those,” The Post quoted him as saying. The list of names released Thursday was “a subset of a larger list” that still needs to be vetted, Merrill added. “The 388 names were names that we had more information on. That’s why we released that first,” Merrill said. “That being said, I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that we still have hundreds of other names where we still need more information.” Notably, the validated list of names from the FBI that were released on Thursday night is the first of its kind for unaccounted people since the August 8 disaster in Lahaina, the country’s most devastating wildfire in a century. “We’re releasing this list of names today because we know that it will help with the investigation,” Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said in a news release. “We also know that once those names come out, it can and will cause pain for folks whose loved ones are listed. This is not an easy thing to do, but we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible,” The Post quoted him as saying. Before the validated list was released, the estimated number of unaccounted people had fluctuated this week in what Hawaii Governor Josh Green (D) described as the FBI’s efforts to “un-duplicate” people reported missing. After Maui County Mayor Richard T Bissen said on Monday that the number of missing was believed to be at around 850, Merrill estimated Tuesday that there were more than 1,000 on an unconfirmed list, as per The Post. Merrill further said that efforts to confirm those who are unaccounted for have been complicated because of a lack of detail in some reports and the wide array of lists tracking the unaccounted-for individuals. Meanwhile, the deadliest US wildfire which horrified the entire world, has resulted in the deaths of over 111 people, reported CNN. Hawaii's governor had called it the “deadliest US wildfire” in more than 100 years. —ANI

After over 100 people were killed in the Hawaii wildfire, Maui County officials released a list of 388 people 

Hawaii Wildfire: Officials Release List Of 388 'Unaccounted' People, 100 Names Crossed-Off Later

Honolulu: Energy firm, the Hawaiian Electric Company has pushed back against a lawsuit filed by Maui County over the devastating wildfires in the island that have claimed at least 115 lives. "We were surprised and disappointed that the County of Maui rushed to court even before completing its own investigation," Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric, said in a statement. She adde tdhat the company believes "the complaint is factually and legally irresponsible", reports Xinhua news agency. Maui County had filed the lawsuit on August 24 against Hawaiian Electric Company, alleging that the company, a for-profit, investor-owned utility serving 95 per cent of the Hawaii customer base, caused civil damages "to the County's public property and resources caused by recent Maui fires, including fires in Lahaina and in Kula". The wildfires in Maui are the deadliest in the US in more than a century, and the worst natural disaster in Hawaii's history. The deadly wildfires have scorched much of the historic town of Lahaina, a popular tourist spot on Maui and once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. More than 2,200 buildings have been destroyed and another 500 damaged by the blaze, at an estimated cost of nearly $6 billion. In the statement, Hawaiian Electric Company said that "several important facts are clear about the events on August 8". The company admitted that a blaze at 6.30 a.m. on that day appears to have been caused by power lines that fell in high winds, but the Maui County Fire Department responded to this fire, reported it was "100 per cent contained", left the scene and later declared it had been "extinguished". "At about 3 p.m., a time when all of Hawaiian Electric's power lines in West Maui had been de-energized for more than six hours, a second fire began in the same area," said the company, noting that "the cause of the devastating afternoon fire has not been determined". —IANS

Energy firm, the Hawaiian Electric Company has pushed back against a lawsuit filed by Maui County

Hawaii Energy Firm Rejects Lawsuit Over Devastating Wildfires

San Francisco: A new study found that the extreme wildfires that ravaged California in recent years have affected the habitats of hundreds of wildlife species in the US state.  The study, published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed that fire activity from 2020 to 2021 in California was "unprecedented" in the modern record, which burned more than 19,000 square km of forest vegetation, potentially affecting the habitat of 508 vertebrate species,reports Xinhua news agency.  Focusing on 2020 and 2021, the study said these two years account for 58 per cent of the area in California that burned from 2012 to 2021, and in each year, the total area burned was at least 10 times greater than the historical average from 1878 to 2011.  It found wildfires burned at least 10 per cent of the habitats for 100 vertebrate species, 16 of which were species of conservation concern in these two years.  For these 100 species, high-severity fire burned across 5 per cent to 14 per cent of their ranges, which signals an alarm for potentially significant changes to habitat structure, it said.  Describing the fires as unprecedented in their size and severity due to climate change, it said that the wildlife in the region is not adapted to such megafires and may struggle to cope with the rapid changes in their environment.  Effective forest management practices, such as prescribed fires and mechanical thinning, which means thinning trees in a forest, are needed to curb severe fire behaviour and increase the resilience of wildlife habitats, it noted.
—IANS

A new study found that the extreme wildfires that ravaged California in recent years have affected the habitats of hundreds of wildlife species in the US state.

Unprecedented wildfires in California threaten wildlife habitats: Study

Forest fires ripping through central Chile’s coastal hills since Friday have killed at least 46 people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes, with many more feared dead, according to the national government.
The wildfires are encroaching on Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, two cities that form a sprawling region that is home to more than 1 million people on Chile’s central coastline, about 75 miles northeast of the capital, Santiago.  Just after midday, President Gabriel Boric flew over the area in a helicopter, and said his government had worked to “secure the greatest resources” in Chile’s history to fight the blazes during the country’s wildfire season, which typically hits during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer and reaches a peak in February.  On Friday night, Boric issued a constitutional decree granting his government additional powers to combat the fires.  The Chilean wildfires come as Colombia has also been battling blazes in the mountains around Bogotá, the capital, as dozens of other blazes have burned across the country, in what officials say is the hottest January there in three decades. Climatologists have linked the extreme dryness there and wildfires to warming trends afflicting South America.
Various Chilean agencies, as well as the country’s air force, have deployed 92 planes to fly over the fires dropping water. The government has also issued a steady trickle of evacuation notices, mixed with pleas for calm.  Makeshift refuges and support centers have sprung up in several towns, with local authorities calling for donations of drinking water, mattresses, blankets and food.  The interior ministry imposed a 9 p.m. Saturday curfew in Viña del Mar as well as in several nearby towns.  On Saturday morning, Chile’s interior minister, Carolina Tohá, said that a 17-year-old girl was among those killed.  Tohá warned that the death toll was likely to rise once authorities gained access to the affected areas. She added that 92 fires were still burning nationwide — 29 of which are still being fought and 40 of which have been brought are under control — with more than 160 square miles of land already having been ravaged by the fires.  Viña del Mar Mayor Macarena Ripamonti said that in addition to the confirmed fatalities, 249 people had been reported missing.
—International New York Times

Deadly Chile wildfires: 46 killed, 1,000 homes destroyed. President Boric declares emergency. Evacuations, curfews, and urgent pleas for aid in Viña del Mar and Valparaíso.

Wildfires threaten 2 Chilean cities, destroying 1,000 homes and killing 46

On Tuesday, the Maui Police Department identified Paul Kasprzycki, 76, of Lahaina, Hawaii, as the 101st fatal victim of the deadly blaze that swept through the historic town in August.
The police said that Kasprzycki was found during an effort to narrow down the last known locations of those who remain missing.  After months of pressure to provide more information about the fire and the government’s response to it, the Maui police released a detailed new report this month revealing that a large number of victims had died along a single street, a stark indication of the ferocity of the blaze.
Authorities continue to name two people as unaccounted for, and their cases have not been classified as fatalities.  The deadly blaze in Lahaina started as brush fires and exploded into the town on August 8, becoming the country’s deadliest wildfire in more than 100 years.  Locating remains and identifying victims has been a difficult process. Experts in examining human remains have worked in Maui to help the local authorities.  Among the identified victims, three were children.
—International New York Times

Discover the latest on Lahaina's deadly wildfire as Maui Police identify the 101st victim. Shocking details revealed in the comprehensive report.

The Hawk

Tag : Wildfire

S.Korea Vows All-Out Efforts To Put Out Wildfire

Karan

Tag : Wildfire

S.Korea Vows All-Out Efforts To Put Out Wildfire

Karan

More about Wildfire