Death toll from California fires rises to 10

The toll from the California wildfires rose to 10 Thursday after a heavy equipment mechanic assigned to the Carr Fire was killed in a road accident, authorities said.

The Carr Fire, near the city of Redding, has proved to be the deadliest of nearly 20 major fires raging across the state, having previously claimed seven lives, including two firefighters.

Two other people have died in the Ferguson Fire, which has forced the partial closure of Yosemite National Park.

"We are saddened to report the death of a CAL FIRE heavy equipment mechanic from the Butte Unit assigned to the Carr Fire," Cal Fire, the state's department of forestry and fire protection, said.

"He was killed early this morning as the result of a traffic accident on Highway 99 in Tehama County," it said.

The Carr Fire is 48 percent contained but has burned through 177,450 since it ignited July 23.

The biggest fire currently is the Mendocino Complex fire, which actually consists of two big fires -- the Ranch Fire and the River Fire -- that together have consumed more than 300,000 acres.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Dead squirrel in California tests positive for plague

A squirrel found dead at Lake Tahoe last month has tested positive for the plague, health officials said, marking the latest incidence of the disease in California that forced the temporary closure of two Yosemite National Park campgrounds.

The Lake Tahoe squirrel was discovered at a picnic area near the Tallac Historic Site on Aug. 17 and sent to a state laboratory for testing, the El Dorado County Environmental Management Division, said in a written statement released on Friday.

Test results confirmed last Wednesday that the rodent had plague, El Dorado health officials said, and warning signs were posted for visitors to the area. The officials said they were not aware of any contact between humans and the squirrel.

"Plague is naturally present in many parts of California, including higher elevation areas of El Dorado County, so we need to be cautious around animals that can carry it," Karen Bender, a supervisor with the El Dorado County Environmental Management Division, said in a written statement.

In August, health officials closed two Yosemite National Park campgrounds for to be treated with insecticide after a child who camped there was hospitalized with the centuries-old scourge.

That case marked the first time a human was known to be infected with plague, which is carried by rodents and the fleas that live on them, in California since 2006. A second Yosemite visitor, who had traveled there from Georgia, was later diagnosed with the disease.

Officials have since urged visitors to Yosemite, which is about 120 miles from Lake Tahoe, to avoid walking or camping near rodent burrows, to wear long pants tucked into boots when hiking and to spray insect repellent containing the chemical diethyltoluamide, or DEET, on socks and pant legs to reduce the risk of flea bites

Last year in El Dorado County, two live rodents tested positive for plague antibodies, and in 2013 three tested positive, according to health officials there. There were no reports of illness to people.

An elderly Utah resident died from plague in August and two people have succumbed to the disease this year in Colorado.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says the plague was introduced to the United States in 1900 by rat–infested steamships that had sailed from affected areas, mostly in Asia.

Early symptoms of plague include high fever, chills, nausea, weakness and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit or groin.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

US wildfire rages on, threatens San Francisco water

SAN FRANCISCO - Nearly four thousand firefighters battled a fierce blaze on the edge of world famous Yosemite National Park on Tuesday amid fears it could contaminate San Francisco's drinking water supply.

"I see another intense fire day," said Lee Bentley of the US Forest Service, as crews raced to douse the dangerous flames.

The so-called Rim Fire, the 13th largest in state history, has shut the road into one of the country's top tourist destinations.

Ten days after it broke out it is only 20 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

The powerful blaze had charred 179,481 acres (72,630 hectares), spokesman Daniel Berlant added in a Twitter update Tuesday.

He said more than 3,700 firefighters were battling the blaze, which began 10 days ago. What sparked it remains unclear.

Although ash from the inferno has reached the reservoir that supplies San Francisco's drinking water, crews said they were confident public health can be protected, local news reports said.

The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is the main source of fresh water for 2.6 million people living in the San Francisco Bay Area, located some 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the west.

"Water quality is not currently impacted by the Rim Fire," the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission said in the latest update on its website.

"We are monitoring water quality every minute of each day to ensure its quality and safety."

The fire is also threatening the iconic giant sequoia trees in Yosemite.

"They are definitely in danger, but we're doing everything we can," Bentley told CNN when asked about the trees.

We've "got a pretty good chance of keeping it away, but it's going to take a heck of a lot of work and a lot of air power."

Schools in several nearby areas were expected to stay closed Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the park said on its website that "most of Yosemite National Park is not affected by the fire and is relatively smoke-free. The northern part of the park... has some smoke. Conditions may change if winds shift."

Highway 120, one of the main routes into Yosemite from the west, was closed due to the fire.

Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for San Francisco due to the threat to its water and even power supplies.

Two hydroelectric power plants have not been in use since August 19 due to the fire, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission said on its website.

The state's firefighting efforts got a boost when California received federal assistance over the weekend to help mobilize the necessary resources.

President Barack Obama spoke to California's governor on Sunday and "expressed his gratitude for the brave men and women working tirelessly to combat this devastating fire."

"The President reiterated his commitment to providing needed federal resources to support the ongoing state and local response," the White House added, in an account of the call.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com