Page 8 - Fire

Shops burnt after fire broke out in commercial buildings in Nagaland

Hundreds of shops with properties worth crores of rupees have been razed to ashes after a fire broke out in a few commercial buildings at High School junction here in the early hours of Saturday, police said. The Fire & Emergency Service Department received the information around 2:30 am and the blaze was brought under control by 5 am, they said. Officials of the High School Traders Union said some people suffered minor injuries while trying to protect the properties inside more than 100 shops. There was no report of any fatality. The blaze is suspected to have erupted due to a short-circuit in one of the shops, police said. Further investigation is underway.

Wildfire burning across Huntsville, Texas triggers evacuations in few parts

A large wildfire burning across Huntsville, Texas, forced some parts of the city to evacuate on Friday, CNN reported.Forecasters have predicted extremely hot weather to persist over the Labor Day weekend.As per Texas A & M Forest Service, the fire, named the "Game Preserve Fire," has burned an estimated 500 acres and is 0 per cent contained.Aircraft are dropping water to assist with firefighting efforts, the Walker County Office of Emergency Management said.Communications supervisor for Walker County, Stephanie Harris, told CNN that the county's emergency management office has recommended evacuation for everyone within three miles of Lost Indian Camp Road. A large area northwest of Huntsville has been evacuated.Huntsville, the county seat of Walker County, is located north of Houston, Texas.On July 21, Walker County issued a burn ban prohibiting outside burning. On Thursday night, the emergency management office said dry conditions led to critical fire weather conditions.Governor .

Maui fire missing list falls to 385, Guv indicated it would be below 100

The number of people on the official list of those missing from the Maui wildfire stood at 385 on Friday, nearly unchanged from a week earlier. In a news release, the Maui Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said 245 people on the list of 388 made public the previous week were located and removed from the list. However, a nearly equal number of new names were added. The updated total was a startling departure from what had been expected a day earlier Governor Josh Green said he had expected the number would fall below 100. We think the number has dropped down into the double digits, so thank God, Green said in a video posted to his account on X, formerly known as Twitter. Authorities have said at least 115 people died in the fire, which tore through Lahaina in a matter of hours on August 8 the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century. So far, the names of 50 people have been publicly released and five others have been identified

At least 73 people killed in fire in multi-storey building in Johannesburg

At least 73 people were killed and 52 others injured after a massive fire broke out on Thursday in a multi-storey building occupied by migrants in the central business district here in South Africa's biggest city, emergency services said. Authorities said it was unclear what sparked the blaze at the five-storey building in the city centre. City of Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said firefighters were alerted to the fire in a building on the corner of Delvers and Alberts streets at about 1:30 a.m. Dozens of emergency and rescue workers are still on the scene as bodies continue to be brought out. We managed to evacuate the people who were inside the building as soon as we arrived while we were conducting firefighting operations, Mulaudzi said, adding that most of those treated for injuries had suffered smoke inhalation or minor injuries. Mulaudzi said arrangements were being made to accommodate those who had been left homeless by the incident. The fire

Blast in Bengal firecracker factory claims 8 lives, BJP demands NIA probe

At least eight people were killed and scores injured in a blast at an illegal firecrackers factory in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Sunday morning, police said. The explosion took place when people were working at the factory in Nilgunj's Moshpole within Duttapukur police station limits, around 30km north of Kolkata, they said. The blast's impact was so intense that over 50 houses in the neighbourhood were partially damaged and body parts of people were found on terraces of several buildings, a senior police officer said, adding they suspect several people were still stuck under the rubble. Police said the owner's son, who was present in the unit, was also killed in the blast. "The matter is under investigation. Guilty will be punished. We are conducting rescue operations now," the officer told PTI. Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose, who reached Duttapukur from Kolkata airport after returning to the city after a three-day trip to North Bengal, said he would evaluate the ...

3 dead in blaze in hotel that civic officials had flagged fire safety norms

Three persons died in a fire that broke out on Sunday afternoon in a hotel in Santacruz East in Mumbai that civic officials said had been issued a notice for failure to adhere to fire safety norms and had even been taken to court over it. The blaze broke out on the third floor of the ground-plus-four Galaxy Hotel in Prabhat Colony at 1:10pm and gutted the electric wiring, power installations,air-conditioning, curtains, mattresses, wood furniture in a couple of rooms and common areas like the duct, staircase and lobby, a fire brigade official said. "Three persons identified as Rupal Kanji (25), Kishan (28) and Kantilal Gordhan Vara (48) were declared brought dead by hospital authorities. Alfa Vakhariya (19) and Manjula Vakhariya (49) are injured and are under treatment," he said. "The fire gutted wiring, furniture, air conditioning. mattresses in room number 103 and 203, while it also destroyed clothes for laundry, room blankets in the staircase and lobby as well as wiring in the ...

Officials release list of 'unaccounted' people after Maui wildfire

However, within a day of making the list public, at least 100 people were crossed off, after they were reported "safe and sound"

Flames devour forests, homes as wildfires in Greece burn out of control

Advancing flames devoured forests and homes as wildfires that have killed 20 people raged across swathes of Greece Wednesday, with blazes also burning in neighbouring Turkey and in Spain's Canary Islands. Greece's largest forest fire was burning out of control for the fifth day near the city of Alexandroupolis in the northeast. Another major blaze on the outskirts of Athens torched homes, reducing some to piles of smoking rubble, and encroached into the national park on Mount Parnitha, one of the last green areas near the Greek capital. From Friday to Tuesday, 355 wildfires broke out, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said. On Wednesday, firefighters were tackling 99 blazes, fire department spokesman Ioannis Artopios said in an evening briefing, including 55 that had broken out in the previous 24 hours. Authorities made 140 wildfire-related arrests, including 117 for negligence and 23 for deliberate arson, Artopios said, adding that nearly all were for .

18 bodies found in Greece as firefighters battle wind-driven wildfires

Firefighters on Tuesday found the burnt bodies of 18 people believed to have been migrants who had crossed the Turkish border into an area of northeastern Greece where wildfires have raged for days. The discovery near the city of Alexandroupolis came as hundreds of firefighters battled dozens of wildfires across the country amid gale-force winds. On Monday, two people died and two firefighters were injured in separate fires in northern and central Greece. With their hot, dry summers, southern European countries are particularly prone to wildfires. Another major blaze has been burning across Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands for a week, although no injuries or damage to homes was reported. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. In Greece, police activated the country's Disaster Victim Identification Team to identify the

Climate change doubled chance of conditions that led to Quebec fires

Climate change more than doubled the chances of the hot, dry weather that helped fuel the unprecedented wildfire season in eastern Canada that's driven thousands from their homes and blanketed parts of the U.S. with choking smoke, according to an analysis released Tuesday. What's more, human-caused climate change made the fire season in Quebec from May through July 50% more intense than it otherwise would have been and increased the likelihood of similarly severe fire seasons at least sevenfold, researchers said. "The biggest takeaway is, this is because of us that we have seen so many fires this year, due to greenhouse gas emissions, said Yan Boulanger, a research scientist in forest ecology for Natural Resources Canada. He was one of 16 researchers who collaborated on the analysis for World Weather Attribution, an initiative that aims to quickly evaluate the role of climate change in the aftermath of extreme weather events. Canada is in the middle of its worst wildfire season on

Maui confronts challenge of finding those unaccounted for after deadly fire

Two weeks after the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century swept through the Maui community of Lahaina, authorities say more than 800 people remain unaccounted for a staggering number that presents huge challenges for officials who are trying to determine how many of those perished and how many may have made it to safety but haven't checked in. Something similar happened after a wildfire in 2018 that killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise, California. Authorities in Butte County, home to Paradise, ultimately published a list of the missing in the local newspaper, a decision that helped identify scores of people who had made it out alive but were listed as missing. Within a month, the list dropped from 1,300 names to only a dozen. I probably had, at any given time, 10 to 15 detectives who were assigned to nothing but trying to account for people who were unaccounted for, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said in a phone interview. At one point the local editor of ou

Federal govt will help Maui 'for as long as it takes' to recover: Joe Biden

President Joe Biden on Monday told survivors of Hawaii's wildfires that the nation grieves with you and promised that the federal government will help Maui for as long as it takes to recover after touring damage caused by the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century. Biden arrived in Maui 13 days after the wildfires that have taken at least 114 lives ravaged the western part of the island. Standing near a burned, but still standing, 150-year-old Banyon tree, the president acknowledged the overwhelming devastation but said that Maui would persevere through the tragedy. Today it's burned but it's still standing," Biden said of the tree. "The tree survived for a reason. I believe it's a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis. Biden and first lady Jill Biden got a close look at the devastation wrought by the flames that ripped through the western part of the Hawaiian island, seeing for themselves the hollowed homes, structures, .

More villages evacuated as a large wildfire in Greece rages for second day

Greek authorities evacuated another four villages near the northeastern border with Turkey Sunday where a large summer wildfire that has already destroyed several homes over the weekend drew dangerously close. There were no reports of serious injuries to firefighters or residents from the forest blaze near the town of Alexandroupolis, that forced the evacuation of another eight villages Saturday. Strong winds whipped on the flames, and civil protection authorities warned of an extreme fire risk Monday in the region around the capital, Athens, and other parts of southern Greece. Some 200 firefighters, assisted by 16 water-dropping aircraft, volunteers and police, were battling the blaze near Alexandroupolis. Local authorities said about half a dozen outlying houses and outbuildings were badly damaged in two of the evacuated villages, as well as a church. Sections of a major highway were closed for a second day as smoke reduced visibility, while Alexandroupolis residents were advise

Canada firefighters wage battle to save communities after mass evacuations

Firefighters battling wildfires in western Canada received help from reinforcements and milder weather Saturday, after the nation's worst fire season on record destroyed structures, fouled the air with thick smoke and prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents. Flames were being held at bay 15 kilometres from Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, and weary firefighters had a reprieve around Kelowna in British Columbia. But the firefighters were nowhere close to declaring victory, especially with drier and windier weather forecast for the coming days. "We're by no means out of the woods yet, Mike Westwick, wildfire information officer for Yellowknife, told The Associated Press. We still have a serious situation. It's not safe to return. The fires near Kelowna, about 90 miles (150 kilometres) north of the US border, are among more than 380 blazes across the province, with 150 burning out of control, according to the Canadian Press. Another 236 fires

1 dead, 185 structures destroyed in eastern Washington wildfire: Officials

A wind-driven wildfire in eastern Washington state has destroyed at least 185 structures, closed a major highway and left one person dead, officials said Saturday. The blaze started on the west side of Medical Lake, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Spokane, at about 12:30 p.m. Friday, Washington State Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Isabelle Hoygaard said Saturday. It grew to 14.8 square miles (38 square kilometers) by Saturday morning, with zero containment. The burned structures were a mixture of homes and outbuildings. Level 3 evacuations Go Now were ordered for the town as winds blew the flames south, Hoygaard said. The blaze burned through the south side of the town and then jumped Interstate 90 Friday night, forcing its closure. The major east-west thoroughfare remained closed in both directions Saturday morning. The fire is burning on both sides of the highway, the Washington state Department of Transportation said on its webpage. There was one confirme

Fire breaks out in 2 coaches of Udyan Express in Bengaluru, no casualties

A fire broke out in the two air-conditioned coaches of the stationary Udyan Express at the Bengaluru City Railway Station on Saturday morning. However, there were no casualties as no passengers were inside the bogies. According to Railway officials, the train had arrived from Mumbai at 5.45 am and was stationed at platform three of the Bengaluru City Railway Station. "At 07.10 am smoke in B1 and B2 coaches was noticed. Immediately a message was given to the fire brigade. Fire brigade arrived by 7.35 am and extinguished the fire," the Chief Public Relation Officer of South Western Railway Anish Hegde said in a statement. He said the cause of the fire is under investigation. Other sources said fire-fighters broke the window of the coach to extinguish the fire.

Fire breaks out at garment warehouse in south Delhi, no injuries reported

A fire broke out at a garment warehouse in south Delhi on Saturday morning, officials said. Information regarding the fire in the warehouse, located on the terrace of a building in South Extension Part-1 here, was received at 5.25 am, they added. Eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was doused around 9 am, the officials said, adding that no injuries were reported. The clothes stored in the warehouse got burnt in the blaze, the officials said. The building where the fire broke out comprises a basement, two floors and a terrace, they added.

Fire at plastic factory in Delhi's Bawana, 5 firefighters injured

Five firemen were injured following a blast at a plastic factory in north west Delhi's Bawana, officials said on Thursday. According to fire officials, the incident took place on Wednesday at 10.56 pm, and 30 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The factory is situated at Sector-5 in Bawana Industrial Area. A blast occurred in the factory due to which the wall and gate collapsed, and five firemen sustained injuries, they said. "Dharamveer, Ajeet, Narender, Jaiveer and Vikas sustained injuries in the incident. They were rushed to Maharshi Valmiki Hospital and later discharged," an official said.

Death toll rises to 80 as rescue efforts continue to contain Maui fire

"We have suffered a tragedy here in Hawaii," Governor Josh Green said Friday in video posted on Facebook. "The fires on Maui have been devastating. But we have hope"

Fire breaks out in Delhi's Lady Hardinge Medical College, no one injured

A fire broke out at the Lady Hardinge Medical College in central Delhi on Friday, officials said. No one was injured in the incident, the fire officials said. The fire broke out in the Anatomy Department on the first floor of the Lady Hardinge Medical College. A call regarding the blaze was received around 2:30 pm and seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot, they said. The fire has been doused, they said.