Wildfires

Resurgent wildfires in Greece burn homes, threaten monuments

By Derek Gatopoulos And Elena Becatoros Aug. 05, 2021 05:11 AM EDT

Bobbie Uno displays photographs of burnt brushes outside her home Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Clearfield, Utah. July Fourth fire works are a mainstay summer tradition for Americans aching for normalcy as pandemic restrictions ease, but the megadrought gripping the West means the colorful sparklers and exploding bottle rockets could be seriously dangerous. They also carry risk, starting thousands of fires a year - including one that burned Uno's home on the holiday last year. "Within five seconds my house, from the bushes to the rooftop, it was burning," she said. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Drought woes in dry US West raise July 4 fireworks fears

By Lindsay Whitehurst Jun. 27, 2021 11:20 AM EDT

In this Wednesday, June 23, 2021, photo, lawmakers meet in the Oregon House of Representatives during the legislative session at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Ore. (Abigail Dollins/Statesman-Journal via AP)

Oregon Legislature adjourns 2021 session marked by COVID

By Sara Cline Jun. 26, 2021 09:17 PM EDT

FILE - This July 23, 2020, file photo shows the view of the Space Needle, in Seattle. Record-high heat is forecast in the Pacific Northwest this weekend, raising concerns about wildfires and the health of people in a region where many don't have air conditioning. The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch and predicted “dangerously hot” conditions Friday, June 25, 2021, through at least Tuesday. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

Pacific Northwest braces for record-breaking heat wave

By Nicholas K. Geranios Jun. 24, 2021 03:04 PM EDT

FILE — In this Jan. 8, 2019 file photo Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses emergency preparedness during a visit to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CalFire Colfax Station in Colfax, Calif. On his first full day as governor, Newsom announced executive actions to improve the state's response to wildfires and other emergencies. Newsom has vastly overstated wildfire prevention work done under his administration according to an investigation by Capital Public Radio, published Wednesday, June, 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File )

Report: California governor overstated fire prevention work

Jun. 23, 2021 07:48 PM EDT

Editorial Roundup: U.S.

By The Associated Press Jun. 23, 2021 11:53 AM EDT
Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: June 22 The Kansas City Star on hubris and COVID...

Idaho officials brace for tough wildfire season amid drought

By Keith Ridler Jun. 16, 2021 02:34 PM EDT
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho officials are bracing for what could be a challenging wildfire season. A meteorologist on Tuesday told Republican...

Alert warns of poor air quality due to smoke from wildfires

Jun. 09, 2021 10:22 AM EDT
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Residents of western and central New Mexico are being warned that air quality is being diminished by large amounts of smoke from...

FILE - In this June 30, 2016 file photo firefighters respond to a wildfire near the Morningside Heights neighborhood near Table Rock in east Boise, Idaho. With a potential ferocious wildfire season ready to ignite across the western U.S., the push is on to persuade state and federal wildland firefighters to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little said Tuesday, May 18, 2021, that lives could be lost if frontline firefighters get sidelined with the illness. (Joe Jaszewski/Idaho Statesman via AP, File)

US wildland firefighting force urged to get vaccinated

By Keith Ridler May. 18, 2021 06:09 PM EDT

FILE - In this March 22, 2010, file photo, workers, from left, Johan Du Preez, Susan Dupreez and Rouxle Crafford clear honey from dead bee hives at a bee farm east of Merced, Calif. California's Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing spending $11 billion on programs to combat climate change amid a drought that followed a year of historic wildfires exacerbated by a warming planet. The windfall will fund everything from charging stations for electric cars to preparing communities for disasters ranging from fire, flooding and earthquakes to creating habitat for threatened bumble bees that are essential to pollinating crops in the nation's most productive farmland. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Newsom's green budget has something for everyone — even bees

By Brian Melley May. 14, 2021 08:23 PM EDT

FILE - In this April 28, 2021, file photo, a firefighter prepares to battle the North Fire from a backyard on Via Patina, in Santa Clarita, Calif. U.S. officials say they'll try to stamp out wildfires as quickly as possible this year as severe drought tightens its grip across the West. (Emily Alvarenga/The Santa Clarita Valley Signal via AP, File)

Fire officials aim to douse blazes fast, avoid megafires

By Matthew Brown May. 13, 2021 12:03 PM EDT

Editorial Roundup: Nebraska

By The Associated Press May. 03, 2021 10:00 AM EDT
Omaha World-Herald. April 29, 2021. Editorial: Landfill scamming revelation is a huge failure by Douglas County ...

FILE - In this May 5, 2016, file photo, a Boeing 747-400 Global SuperTanker drops half a load of its 19,400-gallon capacity during a ceremony at Colorado Springs, Colo. The world’s largest firefighting plane has been shut down just as Western states prepare for a wildfire season that fire officials fear could be worse than the average year. Tara Lee, a spokeswoman for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, said via email Friday, April 23, 2021, that the state’s Department of Natural Resources was alerted to the shutdown of the worlds’ largest firefighting plane called the Global SuperTanker.(Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP, File)

Largest firefighting plane may be sold for COVID-19 response

By Patty Nieberg Apr. 27, 2021 04:49 PM EDT

Wildfire scorches thousands of acres, force evacuations

Apr. 23, 2021 10:45 PM EDT
SAND LAKE, Mich. (AP) — Firefighters are battling a blaze that has blackened about thousands of acres in northeastern Michigan and has forced about 100 area...

Damage from the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire is seen at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Boulder Creek, Calif., Thursday, April 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Resilient redwood forest a beacon of hope for California

By Martha Mendoza Apr. 23, 2021 05:05 PM EDT

Greater Mid-Atlantic News Digest 1:30 p.m.

Apr. 22, 2021 01:39 PM EDT
Hello! Here’s a look at how AP’s general news coverage is shaping up in the Mid-Atlantic, covering North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Questions...

Editorial Roundup: New York

By The Associated Press Apr. 14, 2021 04:55 PM EDT
Adirondack Daily Enterprise. April 14, 2021. Editorial: Not the time to burn It’s pretty dry out there — so dry that a...

Noem asks Biden to allow fireworks at Mount Rushmore in July

Apr. 13, 2021 12:03 PM EDT
KEYSTONE, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem sent a letter to President Joe Biden Tuesday asking that he intervene and allow a Fourth of July fireworks display at...

Oregon governor announces 10-Point Economic Recovery Plan

By Sara Cline Mar. 23, 2021 07:04 PM EDT
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced a 10-Point Economic Recovery Plan Tuesday that aims to help families and businesses across the state ...

Housing remains priority during Oregon's legislative session

By Sara Cline Mar. 09, 2021 01:07 PM EST
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — As new problems emerged in Oregon during 2020, another remained and was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires –...