Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

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U.S. NEWS Monday 6 august 2018

Brown asks Trump for wildfire

aid as state battles 17 blazes

By PAUL ELIAS all, they have destroyed conditions through Satur-
Associated Press hundreds of homes, killed day night, saying a series
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — eight people — including of dry low-pressure systems
Gov. Jerry Brown on Sat- four firefighters— and shut passing through the region
urday called on President down Yosemite National could bring wind gusts
Donald Trump to help Cali- Park. of up to 35 mph (56 kph)
fornia fight and recover Hundreds of colleagues, that could turn small fires
from another devastating family and friends attend- or even sparks into racing A tower of smoke pours from Cow Mountain as Burney, California
firefighter Bob May keeps a watch on surrounding vegetation
wildfire season. ed a memorial service Sat- walls of flames. for spot fires during a wildfire off Scotts Valley Road, Thursday,
Brown, who inspected urday in Fresno for National "This is a particularly dan- Aug. 2, 2018, near Lakeport, Calif.
neighborhoods wiped out Forest Service Capt. Brian gerous situation with ex- Associated Press
by a wildfire in the Northern Hughes, the Fresno Bee re- tremely low humidity and
California city of Redding, ported . Hughes was killed high winds. New fires will service said in its bulletin for gion throughout the week
said he was confident the July 29 by a falling tree grow rapidly out of control, the Mendocino area north with wind gusts reaching
president he has clashed while fighting the wildfire in some cases people may of San Francisco. 25 mph (40 kph) during the
with over immigration and that has closed Yosemite not be able to evacuate Meteorologist Steve Ander- day Sunday.
pollution policies would National Park at the height safely in time should a fire son said temperatures will "It's not good firefighting
send aid, which Trump did of tourist season. approach," the weather remain in the 90s in the re- weather," Anderson said.q
last year when California's Firefighters have achieved
wine country was hit hard. 41 percent containment of
"The president has been that forest fire.
pretty good on helping us The fire had reached into
in disasters, so I'm hopeful," remote areas of the coun-
said Brown, a Democrat. try's third-oldest national
"Tragedies bring people to- park. Workers who live in
gether." Yosemite's popular Valley
Brown's call for help came region were ordered to
shortly before authori- leave Friday because of in-
ties called on residents in accessible roads.
Glenn and Colusa coun- The biggest blazes continue
ties in Northern California to burn north of San Francis-
to evacuate as a wildfire co, including twin wildfires
there continues to grow. fueled by dry vegetation
Cal Fire issued the evacu- and hot, windy weather.
ation order Saturday night Those fires destroyed 55
for people who live in sev- homes and forced thou-
eral parts of the counties, sands of residents to flee
including an area just east their neighborhoods about
of the boundary of Men- 100 miles (161 kilometers)
docino National Forest. The north of the city. They have
blaze, known as the Men- grown to a combined 300
docino Complex fire, has square miles (648 kilome-
grown to 357 square miles ters).
and is 32 percent con- The two fires have charred
tained, according to Cal an area of the forested, ru-
Fire. ral area five times the size
The National Weather Ser- of San Francisco and were
vice forecasts hot and only 27 percent contained.
windy conditions to persist Thousands of people re-
in Northern California. main evacuated.
There are 17 major fires The National Weather Ser-
burning throughout Cali- vice issued red flag warn-
fornia, authorities said. In ings of critical fire weather