Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 27 september 2017

California firefighters hose down blaze ahead of wind gusts

CORONA, Calif. (AP) — gerous air quality.
Southern California fire- Corona High School was
fighters struggled Tuesday set up as an evacuation
to protect hundreds of center and cars streamed
homes from a wildfire that into the parking lot on Tues-
surged through suburban day as donors brought
canyons, trying to beat fruit, fresh-baked cookies
back the flames amid fore- and fuzzy blankets along
casts of high winds that with water and first-aid
could fan the blaze. supplies, the Los Angeles
Crews hosed down blaz- Times reported (http://lat.
ing trees within several few ms/2yqVctg ).
feet of homes and one As the fire approached
residence was damaged Monday, Joey Tu and his
Monday before shifting family fled their home in
winds sent flames away Corona’s Sierra del Oro
from neighborhoods in and neighborhood.
around the city of Corona, “It was far away, then sud-
southeast of Los Angeles. denly it leaped toward us
More than 500 firefighters, and boy, we knew what
aided by helicopters and we had to do,” Tu, 48, told
planes, were trying to con- the Times.
tain the flames before the Tu and his son and daugh-
anticipated return of late Firefighters battle to save homes as Canyon fire continues to burn in 4200 block of San Ramon ter tossed belongings into
afternoon winds gusting to Drive in Corona, Calif., Monday, Sept .25, 2017. backpacks.
30 mph (48 kph), Orange (W. Phomicinda/Orange County Register/AP) “We never knew it would
County Fire Authority Capt. stopped its advance. Schools were closed and at ter onto mountain peaks, spread so quickly. Then we
Larry Kurtz said. The 20-acre (80,000-square least 300 homes and 1,000 Kurtz said. The fire sent up a saw ashes in our back and
“We can play offense” until meter) fire in the Oakland people remained under huge plume of smoke and front yard and so my dad
then, he said. Hills neighborhood of Oak- evacuation orders on Tues- rained ash as it swiftly grew went for the computers
Near San Francisco, a fast- land was about 50 percent day, Kurtz said. to more than 3 square miles and hard drives,” said Tu’s
moving grass fire threat- contained. “We have resources (7 square kilometers) after 9-year-old son, Kyle. “We
ened about 50 buildings, At the height of the South- swarming the neighbor- starting early Monday af- were all panicking.”
including some homes, and ern California fire, flames hoods, constantly patrol- ternoon. It was just 5 per- Flames crept down hillsides
prompted some evacua- climbed hillsides along a ling checking for hotspots,” cent contained. to the shoulder of State
tions. But fire crews quickly partially closed freeway. he said. “We can’t afford to Smoke drifted some 40 Route 91.
let one ember catch hold.” miles (64 kilometers) west to The freeway acted as a
Some firefighters were be- the ocean and authorities fire line and blocked the
ing dropped by helicop- warned of potentially dan- spread of the blaze. q

Paradise in the Caribbean
US, Mexico expand pact on Colorado River use

By DAN ELLIOTT provements in Mexico’s needs, said Bill Hasencamp
Associated Press water infrastructure to re- of the Metropolitan Water
DENVER (AP) — The United duce losses to leaks and District of Southern Califor-
States and Mexico have other problems, according nia, which supplies water
agreed to renew and ex- to officials of U.S. water dis- to about 19 million people
pand a far-reaching con- tricts who have seen sum- in and around Los Angeles.
servation agreement that maries of the agreement. Major river consumers in
governs how they manage The water that the im- the U.S. would be required
the overused Colorado provements save would be to agree on their own short-
River, which supplies water shared by users in both na- age plan before Mexico
to millions of people and to tions and by environmental produces one, he said.
farms in both nations, U.S. restoration projects The deal will extend a pre-
water district officials said. The deal also calls on Mex- vious agreement that both
The agreement to be ico to develop specific countries would share the
signed Wednesday calls plans for reducing con- burden of water supply
SALES OFFICE +297 2801005 info@leventaruba.com for the U.S. to invest $31.5 sumption if the river runs too cutbacks if the river runs
MOBILE +297 5927275 www.leventaruba.com million in conservation im- low to supply everyone’s low, Hasencamp said.q