Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Search
Search:
Wildfire destroys 70 homes in California
AFP - 48 minutes ago
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - Wind-swept flames have destroyed at least 70 homes in the swank celebrity community of Montecito in southern California, as an army of firefighters battled the blaze on Friday.
The fire in the seaside town northeast of Los Angeles, where celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Michael Douglas and Rob Lowe own sprawling estates, broke out at dusk on Thursday.
Flames driven by wind gusts of up to 113 kilometers (70 miles per hour) quickly overwhelmed firefighters.
By midnight (0800 GMT Friday) the blaze had razed at least 70 homes and scorched some 320 hectares (800 acres), spokeswoman Terri Nisich with the San Barbara County executive office told KCAL-9 television.
At least four people were injured, Nisich said.
A blackout plunged much of the area into darkness soon after the fire broke out. Television images showed enormous flames lighting the sky as they engulfed multi-million dollar houses.
Santa Barbara County officials told KCAL that 125 engines, more than 1,000 firefighters from nearby communities and three water-dropping helicopters were battling the blaze.
Firefighters negotiated narrow roads in the hillside community, where powerlines often dangled dangerously low, to reach the fast moving fire.
The strong wind whipped up clouds of burning embers that helped spread the blaze southwest towards the city of Santa Barbara, local media reported.
Montecito -- located some 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Los Angeles -- is famous for its seaside views and for being home to celebrities.
It includes talk show queen Winfrey's 17-hectare (42 acre) estate where she famously hosted a fundraising reception for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama during the Democratic party primaries.
"I have so many concerns," Terry McElwee, operation chief for the Montecito Fire Department, told the Los Angeles Times. "It's just moving so fast right now ... We're having trouble rounding up enough resources."
Firefighters from Santa Barbara County, the city of Santa Barbara, Montecito, Carpinteria, and the California Department of Forestry were battling the flames, the Times reported.
The last major fire in the area was in 1977, when more than 200 homes went up in flames, according to KCAL.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: World
Wildfire destroys 70 homes in CaliforniaAFP - 48 minutes ago
UN hands out food behind Congo's rebel linesAP - 1 hour 38 minutes ago
Iraq's al-Sadr renews threats to attack USAP - 1 hour 43 minutes ago
Scottish court refuses to free Lockerbie bomberAFP - 1 hour 50 minutes ago
Court says no to bail for cancer-stricken bomberAP - 1 hour 50 minutes ago
Enlarge Photo
Firefighters battle a blaze near Los Angeles in October 2008. The Santa Barbara authorities said powerful winds helped spread a brush fire that destroyed some 70 homes in the wealthy California community of Montecito.
Most Popular – World
Viewed
Ancient 4,300-year-old pyramid discovered in Egypt
Britney Spears's son hospitalized: statement
Earth would be heading to a freeze without CO2 emissions
China mulls crackdown on lip-synching
Bin Laden is isolated, focused on his own security: CIA
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular