Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 19 december 2017
NYC house fire kills mother and 3 young children Calmer winds

NEW YORK (AP) — A moth- of year, and the holidays ‘critical’ to slow
er and three children, ages make it that much more dif- California fire
11, 7 and 3, died early ficult because our commu-
Monday in a fast-moving nities should be celebrat- By CHRISTOPHER WEBER
New York City house fire ing, not mourning,” Nigro Associated Press
that also left the children’s said in a statement, urging LOS ANGELES (AP) — Crews
father and two teenagers people to be safe. “This is a trying to corral Southern
in critical condition. Fire terrible tragedy, not just for California’s enormous wild-
Commissioner Daniel Nigro this community, but for our fire hope to take advan-
said that while the cause city,” Nigro said. “This time tage of a two-day window
was still under investigation of year, when these things of calmer winds before po-
by fire marshals, “we know strike, it just tears your heart tentially dangerous gusts
that unattended candles, out for the family,” Nigro return at mid-week, offi-
overloaded outlets and said. “Our city grieves with cials said Monday.
power strips, and many of this family today.” The fire The blaze that broke out
the holiday traditions we was reported around 2:30 Police and firefighters converge on the scene of a fatal fire, two weeks ago still threat-
all hold dear are so often a.m. in Brooklyn’s Sheeps- Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood ens communities north-
the cause.” Friends and head Bay neighborhood in the Brooklyn borough of New York. west of Los Angeles, where
neighbors said the family and Nigro said it “got a (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) thousands remain under
was known to light meno- good start before a neigh- the flames were already flames at the front door, evacuation orders.
rah candles in celebration bor noticed and called us.” “consuming” all three floors but “pushed in very aggres- Cooler temperatures,
of Hanukkah. “So often, Firefighters arrived within of the building. He said that sively” because they knew slightly higher humidity
tragedy strikes at this time 2½ minutes but Nigro said firefighters were met with people were inside.q and light winds forecast for
Chicago: Monday and Tuesday will
be “critical” for firefighters
Teen earning gift money killed delivering papers hoping to make progress
against the Thomas Fire,
said fire spokesman Capt.
By DON BABWIN newspapers with his stepfa- ing gang war that didn’t in- left nearly 600 people Rick Crawford.
Associated Press ther to earn money to buy volve him, Chicago police dead. Anthony Riccio, “For right now the winds
CHICAGO (AP) — The fatal presents may have been said Monday during a news chief of the bureau of or- seem very favorable,” he
shooting of a 15-year-old the result of mistaken iden- conference in a city where ganized crime, said police said.
boy slain while delivering tity and rooted in an ongo- gun violence this year has are looking for two male “We’re always looking out
suspects — the driver of for those unpredictable
a white van that rammed gusts.”
the car driven by Brian Jas- The hot, gusty winds that
so’s stepfather and anoth- caused a huge flare-up
er who opened fire from and forced more residents
the passenger window to flee over the weekend
and shot the teen in the are expected to come
head. Riccio said witness- back Wednesday.
es of the shooting shortly The fire churning through
before 7 a.m. Sunday told brush in Ventura and San-
detectives that the step- ta Barbara counties has
father was at a stop sign burned more than 1,000
on the city’s Southwest structures, including at
Side when a white van ap- least 750 homes. Some
peared to accelerate and 18,000 more residences
strike his car. Riccio said are still threatened. The
the van flashed its bright 422-square-mile (1,093-sq.
lights in an apparent signal kilometer) blaze, the third
to pull over. But the step- largest in state history, is 45
father sensed something percent contained.
was wrong and when he Television news footage
drove away a passenger showed at least one struc-
in the van opened fire ture burned on property
with a handgun. After a in the wealthy enclave of
brief chase, the stepfa- Montecito, and authorities
ther pulled into a parking said damage assessments
lot, where he realized that could take days.
Jasso had been shot in the Michael and Sonia Beh-
head. Jasso, of Chicago, rman told KABC-TV they
was pronounced dead fled their hillside home
at the scene. Police have when heavy smoke blew
not released the stepfa- in and returned to find it in
ther’s name. At the time of ashes.
the shooting, police were “It’s just hard to put into
investigating a shooting words,” Michael Behrman
about a mile away hours said.
earlier in which two men “It’s where we live. It’s
armed with high-powered just smoke and ruin right
rifles stood on the street.q now.”q