CANBERRA, Australia — The Australian capital region declared a state of emergency on Friday because of an out-of-control forest fire burning erratically to its south. It's the first fire emergency for the Australian Capital Territory area since 2003 when wildfires killed four people and destroyed almost 500 homes in a...
Australians Leave Homes as Heat, Winds Escalate Fire Danger
EDEN, Australia — Thousands of people fled their homes and helicopters dropped supplies to towns at risk of nearby wildfires as hot, windy conditions Friday threatened already fire-ravaged southeastern Australian communities. The danger is centered on New South Wales and Victoria, Australia’s most populous states, where temperatures and winds spiked...
Forest Thinning to Stop Wildfires as Strong as Weakest Link
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS — Buzzing chainsaws are interrupted by the frequent crash of breaking branches as crews fell towering trees and clear tangled brush in the densely forested Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco. Their goal: To protect communities such as Redwood Estates, where giant redwoods loom over the...
Wildfire Rages on LA's Northern Edge, Thousands Evacuated
LOS ANGELES — A wildfire raged out of control along the northern edge of Los Angeles early Friday, forcing thousands of people from their homes as firefighters battled flames from the air and on the ground. The blaze erupted late Thursday along the northern tier of the San Fernando Valley...
California Senate Oks Expansions of ‘Red Flag’ Gun Law
SACRAMENTO — Employers, co-workers and teachers could ask judges to take away guns from people who are deemed a danger to themselves or others under a bill that has cleared the California Senate. California enacted a so-called "red flag law" that took effect in 2016. But it only allows law...
Warnings Against Toxic Algae Increased at San Luis Reservoir
State water authorities on Thursday raised the warning level about toxic algae at San Luis Reservoir, saying no one should swim there or eat fish caught in the lake. The Department of Water Resources boosted the advisory level at the reservoir from warning to danger after detecting increased levels of...
Schools Turn to Technology to Reduce Toll During Shootings
LOS ANGELES — Efforts to combat school shootings are starting to shift from preventing the violence to reducing the number of victims through technology that speeds up law enforcement's response and quickly alerts teachers and students to danger. School districts are using products like gunshot detection systems that identify where...
North Korea Fires 2 Suspected Missiles in Possible New Warning
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea on Thursday, South Korean officials said, its second weapons launch in five days and a possible warning that nuclear disarmament talks with Washington could be in danger. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the weapons...
California Police Promote Measure to Limit Fatal Shootings
SACRAMENTO — Round two gets underway Tuesday in California's fight over how best to limit fatal shootings by police through nation-leading reforms. Legislators are debating a measure that proponents said would set a national precedent by creating statewide guidelines on when officers can use lethal force and requiring that every...
Some Polls Show Parents' Growing Fears of Dangers at School
The deadly attack at Columbine High School in 1999 seemed to usher in a new era of school shootings. Two decades later, polls consistently capture growing fears among American parents that their children face imminent danger whenever they go to school. Those fears have only intensified since attacks at an...