Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 17 OcTOber 2017
Lighter winds help crews gain on California wildfires

that have killed at least 40 help crews tamp down the
people started chewing deadliest, most destructive
through the state’s cele- cluster of blazes in Califor-
brated wine country. nia history.
“The weather has not been “Any sort of moisture is
in our favor over the past welcome at this point,”
week in general, but we said Scott Rowe, a meteo-
are still marching forward rologist with the National
with our progress,” said Weather Service. “In terms
Daniel Berlant, spokesman of fire, the weather outlook
for California Department is looking to be improving.”
of Forestry and Fire Protec- He predicted a quarter-
tion. inch (0.6 centimeters)
The smoky skies started would fall late Thursday in
to clear in some places, Sonoma and Napa coun-
and thousands of people ties.
got the all-clear to return In hard-hit Sonoma County,
home. About 40,000 evac- Sheriff Rob Giordano said
uees were still waiting for authorities have located all
permission to go back to but about 100 of the more
their communities, down than 1,700 people once
from a high of 100,000 on listed as missing. Many of
A scorched truck and wheelchair sit outside the charred remains of a house in the Coffey Park Saturday. those names were put on
area of Santa Rosa, Calif., Monday, Oct. 16, 2017. “This is my home. I’m go- the list after people called
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) ing to come back without from out of state to say they
By S. THANAWALA killed when his truck over- able about the accident, question,” said Howard could not reach a friend or
BRIAN MELLEY turned on a winding moun- which was under investiga- Lasker, 56, who returned relative.
Associated Press tain road. tion, said Mike Wilson, a fire Sunday with his daughter Authorities said they will not
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — The driver, who had been spokesman. to their torched house in let people return home un-
Crews trying to corral the delivering water to the fire After days of gusts that Santa Rosa. “I have to re- til it is safe and utilities are
California wildfires made lines, crashed before dawn constantly fanned the fires, build. I want to rebuild.” restored. Pacific Gas and
progress Monday as au- in Napa County on a road better weather offered a Although the weather was Electric Company said it
thorities reported the first that climbs from vineyards chance for crews to get still hot and dry, the calmer expects to restore power
death from the firefighting into the mountains. No the upper hand more than winds and the possibility of and gas to the area by late
effort — a driver who was other details were avail- a week after the blazes rain later in the week should Monday.q

Crews search air, water for missing worker after blast

By KEVIN McGILL juries and burns,” said Mike
Associated Press Guillot, director of East Jef-
KENNER, La. (AP) — Authori- ferson Emergency Medical
ties searched by air and Services. Two of the three
water Monday for a con- people in critical condition
tractor who disappeared were in a burn unit, Guilot
when an oil and gas plat- said. A statement from Clo-
form exploded on a lake velly Oil said three oil wells
near New Orleans. Seven near the platform were
people were injured, in- shut in at the time of the
cluding three who were in explosion and its one gas
critical condition, authori- well was flowing, but was
ties said.The Coast Guard successfully shut-in shortly
reported that a fire aboard after the explosion. Clovelly
the structure was out by does not know if any oil was
midday and there were released into the lake.
no signs of pollution visible He said the four wells that
from the air. A Coast Guard feed the platform were
helicopter, along with drilled in the 1970s and are
Coast Guard vessels and all in the lake, a brackish
boats from local agencies, tidal basin that is fed both
continued looking for the by the Gulf of Mexico and
missing worker. The Clovelly Jefferson Parish, La., authorities and others from other parishes respond to an oil rig explosion in by fresh water from rivers
Oil Co. platform exploded Lake Pontchartrain off Kenner, La., Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. and streams in 16 Louisiana
Sunday night while main- (Matthew Hinton/The Advocate via AP) parishes and four Mississippi
tenance was being done ing chemicals had ignited shores of the lake said their it was a sonic boom or counties. Its water cov-
on the structure, sending a on the structure, but the homes shook about 7:15 something, I had no idea ers 630 square miles (1630
fireball high into the night company said the cause p.m. Some reported that what was happening.” square kilometers) but it’s
sky, authorities and com- of the blast was unknown. the air smelled of burning Lopinto said there were no generally only about 10
pany officials said. The Ken- Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe rubber. “My house actually reports of structural dam- to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters)
ner government Facebook Lopinto said the cause re- shook,” Andrew Love, 32, age to any homes. deep. It’s 40 miles (64 kilo-
page said authorities on the mained under investiga- told NOLA.com/The Times Five of the injured were hos- meters) long and 25 miles
scene reported that clean- tion. Residents along the Picayune . “At first I thought pitalized with “blast-type in- (40 kilometers) wide.q