- 'Bullet for democracy': Trump returns to site of rally shooting
- Italy targets climate activists in 'anti-Gandhi' demo clampdown
- South Korean cult-horror series 'Hellbound' returns at BIFF
- Nepalis fear more floods as climate change melts glaciers
- Honduras arrests environmentalist's alleged murderer
- Padres pitcher Musgrove needs elbow surgery
- Supreme Court lets stand rules to curb mercury, methane emissions
- Boston beat Denver in NBA exhibition season opener, but Jokic says omens are good
- Chagos diaspora angry at lack of input on islands' fate
- Biden says 'not confident' of peaceful US election
- US trade chief defends tariff hikes when paired with investment
- Lukaku stars as Napoli beat Como to hold Serie A top spot
- Ohtani set for MLB playoff debut as Dodgers face Padres
- Pogba's drug ban cut to 18 months from four years
- Devine leads New Zealand to big win over India in Women's T20 World Cup
- Bosnia floods kill 16 people
- EU court blocks French ban on vegetable 'steak' labelling
- Prosecutors seek dismissal of rape charges against French rugby players
- Meta AI turns pictures into videos with sound
- Bolivia's Morales says claims he raped a minor are a 'lie'
- MLB Reds hire two-time champion Francona as manager
- Daniel Maldini receives first Italy call-up for Nations League
- US dockworkers return to ports after three-day strike
- Ancelotti points finger at Madrid's 'lack of intensity'
- Haiti reeling after 70 killed in gang attack
- Five Czech kids in hospital over TikTok 'piercing challenge'
- What happens next in Iran-Israel conflict?
- Country star Garth Brooks denies rape accusations
- Stubbs hits maiden century as South Africa make 343-4 against Ireland
- DR Congo to begin mpox vaccination campaign Saturday in east
- Odegaard injury has forced Arsenal to be 'different', says Arteta
- Ratcliffe refuses to guarantee Ten Hag's Man Utd future
- Meta must limit data use for targeted ads: EU court
- Mauritius to hold legislative election on November 10
- Britain qualify for America's Cup final after 60-year wait
- IMF asks Sri Lanka to protect hard-won gains
- Morata returns to Spain Nations League squad after injury
- Irish regulator to probe Ryanair use of facial recognition
- Public allowed to see video evidence in France mass rape trial
- US hiring soars past expectations in sign of resilient market
- Under-fire Ten Hag 'together' with Man Utd hierarchy
- Guardiola talks of Man City love affair as financial hearing rumbles on
- De Bruyne out of Belgium Nations League squad
- Japanese trainer Yahagi hopes Shin Emperor achieves 50-year-old Arc dream
- UK's Starmer hails 'landmark' carbon capture funding
- As EU targets Chinese cars, European rivals sputter
- Bosnia floods kill 14 people
- Tennis world number one Swiatek splits with coach Wiktorowski
- Liverpool share responsibility for Nunez goal drought, says Slot
- Top EU court finds against FIFA in key transfer market ruling
Wildfire rages as California bakes under heat dome
Hundreds of firefighters endured triple-digit temperatures Thursday battling against a wildfire along a major highway, as the western United States bakes under a fearsome heat dome.
Super Scooper water-spraying aircraft were assisting the attack on the 5,000 acre (2,000 hectare) blaze that took hold of a swath of countryside near Los Angeles in California.
Seven firefighters had to be taken to hospital after suffering heat-related injuries in their bid to contain the Route Fire, which erupted on Wednesday.
All of them have been discharged, and none is seriously hurt, fire chiefs said.
The inferno came as California and parts of Nevada and Arizona broiled under another day of blistering temperatures.
A stubborn bubble of high pressure sitting over the region has sent the mercury soaring, with a temperature of 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) forecast around the fire area Thursday.
The heat dome is expected to last well into next week, with thermometers set to peak at 116F in some densely populated areas around Los Angeles over the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend.
Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia, who is overseeing the fight against the Route Fire, said the sudden growth of the blaze on Wednesday was "a wake-up call," with "very rapid fire growth and very, very explosive fire behavior" expected over the next few days.
"The days ahead are going to be very challenging," he told reporters.
Fire officials said that while they had a portion of the perimeter contained, they were a long way from out of the woods.
"Excessive heat, low humidity and steep terrain will continue to pose the biggest challenge for firefighters," an incident statement said.
"This combination has the potential for large plume growth, uphill runs and short-range spotting."
The blaze, which shuttered the I5 interstate for several hours, came as Californians were being asked again to conserve energy on Thursday.
- Flex Alert -
The California Independent System Operator (ISO), which runs the state's power grid, issued a second consecutive Flex Alert, calling on households to limit power consumption between 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm, to avoid straining the over-burdened system.
That typically means turning up the thermostat on air conditioning systems, avoiding using major appliances and not charging electric vehicles in this time.
"Reducing energy use during a Flex Alert can help stabilize the power grid during tight supply conditions and prevent further emergency measures, including rotating power outages," California ISO said.
California has abundant solar installations, including on homes, which typically provide for around a third of the state's power requirements during daylight.
But when the sun goes down, that supply falls quickly, leaving traditional generation to plug the gap. The problem is particularly acute in the early evening when temperatures are still high, but solar starts dropping out of the power grid mix.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency that temporarily relaxes pollution controls on fossil fuel power plants to allow them to generate more electricity.
The National Weather Service has issued an "excessive heat warning" for most of California, as well as parts of Arizona and Nevada, warning of "dangerously hot conditions" over the next several days.
Nighttime temperatures are not expected to offer much relief, with lows struggling to get below 80 degrees Fahrenheit in many places.
It is not unusual for southern California to experience heat waves in September, but temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit are considered hot even for a place almost perpetually baked by sunshine.
Scientists say global warming, which is being driven chiefly by the unchecked burning of fossil fuels, is making natural weather variations more extreme.
Heat waves are getting hotter and more intense, while storms are getting wetter and, in many cases, more dangerous.
A.Aguiar--PC