Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 10 June 2019

Brush fire sets off evacuation

at California amusement park

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP)
— A fast-moving brush
fire erupted near a huge
amusement and water
park in Southern California
on Sunday, sending hun-
dreds of visitors to the exit
to escape clouds of smoke
and ash before fire officials
Police keep watch at Dupont Circle at the conclusion of the asked them to stay put
Capitol Pride Parade in Washington, Saturday, June 8, 2019.
Associated Press while they worked to con-
tain the blaze.
Police detail man’s Six Flags Magic Mountain
threat behind panic and Hurricane Harbor an-
nounced the evacuation
at DC LGBTQ parade shortly after noon, citing
concern for the safety of

By MICHAEL BALSAMO on the crowd of revelers. park visitors and employ- In this photo provided by Arthur Wilkie, people evacuate Six
ees. About a half-hour
Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor, Sunday, June 9,
Associated Press Seven people were taken later, the park said on its 2019, in Santa Clarita, Calif., north of Los Angeles, as smoke from
WASHINGTON (AP) — A to local hospitals for injuries Twitter account that fire of- a fast-moving brush fire surrounded the area.
man threatened another they suffered while fleeing ficials asked guests to shel- Associated Press
person with a BB gun dur- the area, authorities said. ter in place due to nearby Los Angeles County fire offi- She said when she tried to
ing an LGBTQ pride parade Inside a small park in Du- road closures. cials said nine people were drive to the entrance to
in the nation’s capital and pont Circle, Singh pulled Park visitors were asked to taken to the hospital due to pick up her partner and
set off a panic that sent the BB gun on another per- move to the back of the smoke exposure. The blaze their two young sons, po-
hundreds of people, who son who was “hitting on his 260-acre property, away is 20% contained. lice told her to return to the
mistakenly believed gun- significant other,” accord- from firefighting activ- Shalane Gonzales, 34, said parking lot.
shots were fired, running in ing to a police report. Peo- ity near the entrance, said she saw people running “The fire was feet away
fear, police said Sunday. ple began running from the Rachel Gallat, who was vis- out of the park in bathing from where we were,” she
Aftabjit Singh, 38, was ar- area and police officers iting a friend who works at suits. said.
rested on weapons pos- who were keeping watch the park. “It was pretty scary. We saw The park later announced
session and disorderly con- over the festivities heard “I was getting iced coffee trucks packing people,” it was closed for the day
duct charges after Satur- revelers shouting that there and when I walked out- Gonzales said. “They were after police reopened the
day evening’s incident in was a man with a gun. side, ash was raining down just telling people to load roads, allowing everyone
the Dupont Circle neigh- As the officers got closer, on me,” Gallat said. “There up on their truck beds.” to leave in their cars.q
borhood of Washington, someone in the crowd was a big cloud of smoke.
D.C., where thousands of pointed to Singh and said I saw people around me CAR RENTAL 5616944
people packed the streets he had a gun in his bag. An panicking; they didn’t Address: Paramira #30 (Oranjestad) - Email: yessrentalcar@gmail.com - Website: www.yessrentalcar.com
to celebrate in the city’s officer stopped Singh and know where they were
annual pride parade. noticed what appeared to supposed to go.” We Rent:
Although no gunshots were be a silver handgun stick- A Los Angeles County Fire Cars- Vans - SUV
fired, hundreds of people ing out of his brown bag Department dispatcher
ran from the area, knock- that was underneath a told the Los Angeles Times
ing down metal police tree, the report said. the park voluntarily evacu-
barricades and running The weapon turned out to ated visitors.
into stores, fearing that a actually be a BB gun, po- “We did not tell them to do
gunman had opened fire lice said.q this,” Melanie Flores said.