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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 1 augusT 2024
1 person killed in Colorado wildfires as blazes torch large areas of

the U.S. West

By JESSE BEDAYN, MATTHEW the National Interagency
BROWN, COLLEEN SLEVIN and Fire Center. Almost 7,000
OLGA RODRIGUEZ square miles (18,000 square
Associated Press kilometers) have burned na-
LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) — A tionwide so far this year, an
person was killed in one of area nearly the size of New
several wildfires threatening Jersey and well above the
heavily populated areas of 10-year average for this time
the Colorado foothills, au- of year.
thorities said Wednesday, Evacuation orders were in
as almost 100 large blazes effect for more than two
burned across the western dozen fires.
U.S. Fires in southeastern Wyo-
The death came in a fire ming triggered evacua-
near the town of Lyons that tions in Hartville, which has
had burned more than two about 65 people, and the
square miles (five square unincorporated community
kilometers) by Wednesday of Pleasant Valley. Helicop-
afternoon, authorities said. ters and heavy tankers were
The person’s remains were being used against the fires,
discovered at one of five which had grown to about
homes that burned, Boulder Flames consume trees as the Alexander Mountain Fire burns near Sylvan Dale Ranch late Tuesday, 47 square miles (120 square
County Sheriff Curtis Johnson July 30, 2024, west of Loveland, Colo. kilometers) by Wednesday
said. Associated Press morning, Gov. Mark Gordon
Johnson said detectives Denver metro area west of nearby reservoir on that fire. continue into early next week said in an online post.
were assisting the investi- the small town of Conifer The fire was burning in open but winds were forecast to In Northern California,
gation into the death but triggered the evacuation land in steep terrain, making remain light in coming days, the massive Park Fire has
declined to provide further orders for about 575 houses it hard to fight the flames on which would make it easier scorched 609 square miles
details from several subdivisions the ground, said Mark Tech- to control blazes. (1,577 square kilometers),
The Stone Canyon Fire was overnight Tuesday. That fire meyer, a spokesperson for Colorado National Guard according to the California
not growing significantly on was less than one square the Jefferson County Sher- units were activated to help Department of Forestry and
Wednesday, Johnson said. mile (2.5 square kilometers) iff’s Office. with the fires, which were Fire Protection.
It was listed as zero percent as of midday Wednesday “Every neighborhood in this expected to continue for The blaze started in Butte
contained on a federal but was expected to grow facility is at risk. This fire is not weeks, Gov. Jared Polis said. County last week after au-
wildfire report that said 150 with temperatures forecast an easy fight. The terrain is It’s the first time the guard thorities say a man pushed
personnel were battling the to reach nearly 100 degrees treacherous. It is very steep,” has been used in such fash- a burning car down a ravine
blaze. (38 Celsius). he said. ion since a December 2021 in the city of Chico. That fire
It was one of several large A third large fire was burning Hot, dry weather and local- fire in heavily populated has destroyed 361 structures
fires burning on Colorado’s west of the town of Loveland, ized wind gusts of up to 30 suburbs between Denver and threatens thousands
Front Range, a densely pop- where rural residents have mph (50 kph) were expected and Boulder that killed two more. The suspect, Ronnie
ulated corridor along the been under evacuation or- across the Front Range on people and destroyed nearly Dean Stout II, was recently
eastern edge of the Rocky ders since Monday. Wednesday, elevating the 1,100 homes, he said. charged with arson. His
Mountains that includes Den- A plane was dropping fire re- fire danger, government Across the U.S. almost 28,000 public defender, Nicole Dia-
ver. tardant and four helicopters forecasters said. The hot tem- firefighters were battling 95 mond, said in an email that
A fire at the edge of the were dropping water from a peratures were expected to large fires, according to she had no comment. q

Utility chief in north Florida sentenced to 4 years in prison for

privatization scheme

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The former head of a north Florida public utility was sen-
tenced to four years in prison for a scheme to privatize the authority which prosecutors
said would have enriched him and his associates by tens of millions of dollars at the
expense of taxpayers.
Aaron Zahn was sentenced to federal prison on Tuesday after being convicted earlier
this year of wire fraud and conspiracy.
Zahn’s defense attorney had argued that the plan never came to fruition and the
scheme involving the Jacksonville Electric Authority, also known as JEA, never paid
anything out.
Zahn became the authority’s CEO in 2018. Not long afterward, he launched an effort
to convince JEA’s board of directors of the need to privatize, claiming that the author-
ity faced major headwinds if it failed to do so and would have to layoff more than 500
workers, authorities said.
But Jacksonville’s city council auditor in 2019 uncovered a hidden incentive plan cre-
ated by Zahn which would have awarded $40 million to the CEO and $10 million to
other high-level JEA executives if the sale of the utility went through, according to the
A general view of the Jacksonville, Fla., skyline is shown on U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sunday, Sep. 12, 2021, in Jacksonville. The sale process was stopped and Zahn was fired.q
Associated Press