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David McNew / Getty Images
A DC-10 jet drops fire retardant over the Williams fire in the Angeles National Forest on Monday north of Glendora, Calif.
A wildfire in Southern California's Angeles National Forest that cut short weekend holiday plans for hikers and campers grew to 4,000 acres on Monday.
The fire, which broke out near a campground Sunday afternoon, was about 5 percent contained by Monday morning, U.S. Forest Service officials said.
The Williams fire prompted the evacuation of about 12,000 visitors who had flocked to campgrounds for the holiday weekend, The Associated Press reported. It sent a towering plume of smoke that could be seen from many parts of the Los Angeles basin.
The forest is heavily used by Southern California residents because it is close to populated areas. Fire officials said that while the campgrounds were not in the line of the fire, they had to be emptied so that the only road in and out of the San Gabriel Canyon could be open just for fire trucks and emergency vehicles.
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Officials Monday morning had set up an evacuation center at nearby Glendora High School, the Los Angeles Times reported.
About 500 personnel, aided by 6 air tankers and eight helicopters, were fighting the blaze, which was burning in steep terrain in the east fork of the San Gabriel Canyon.
No injuries were reported and no structures were threatened, forest officials said.
Evacuation orders lifted in Nebraska
Elsewhere, authorities lifted evacuation orders for some northwest Nebraska residents whose homes had been threatened by wildfires, but crews on Monday were still battling three blazes that had blackened nearly 260 square miles in Nebraska and neighboring South Dakota.
The Rocky Mountain Area Incident Management Team C said Sunday that smoke and flames from the so-called Douthit and West Ash fires still might be seen near the city of Chadron.
Residents of Whitney, southwest of Chadron, were allowed to return home earlier Sunday.
The Douthit fire was nearly contained and had charred about 47 square miles by Sunday night. The West Ash fire had blackened more than 91 square miles and was half contained.
Evacuation orders have been lifted as well for the so-called Wellnitz fire north of Rushville. The blaze crossed into South Dakota on Friday and broke through containment lines on Saturday.
Following a new aerial survey on Sunday, officials lowered the damage figure to about 120 square miles, down from the 150 square miles in earlier estimates.
The Wellnitz fire was about 27 percent contained, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Jodie Fawl said Monday.
At least three minor injuries were reported, and the fires have damaged at least 10 homes and more than 50 structures in the two states.
"We've got a very challenging situation out here because of the winds and the very dry conditions," Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman said Sunday after touring the damage and meeting with officials. He said it would likely take several more days to fully contain the blazes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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I keep saying, the states, or the U. S. Government should invest in a squadron of at least 50 aerial firefighting planes per state. Also, then states could send their planes to other states if fires rapidly became extremely large.
We just blew our wad on an $840 billion "stimulus" bill rammed through Congress in 2009 that Joe Biden said had to be passed "immediately" to keep unemployment from going above 8%, and according to Obama was to have created "millions" of "shovel ready" and "green energy" jobs.
For you Obama voters, that \is roughly the same amount of money that we have spent in Iraq...total spending since 2003 to date.
All three promises FAILED like the FAILED "green energy" company Solyndra that went bankrupt that received millions in funding...right after the execs in that company got their golden parachute (never heard ythe liberals whine about THOSE golden parachutes for some reason). And people like you still have the audacity to made snide remarks about the defense budget or cutting teacher pay or raising taxes on those who pay them? (Top 10% of income earners pay 70% of all household income taxes, the bottom 50% of income earners pay ZERO).
JHawke, most economists agree that the stimulus money helped create millions of jobs and kept us out of a depression.
"Most" economists is a far stretch, jock.
Not only that, but there is not one single CREDIBLE benchmark that proves that we would all be standing in soup lines circa 1930 had that porkulus bill not been passed. Of course, if you consider far left wing liberal economic hacks like Paul Krugman as someone credible, then, well, I rest my case of hyperbole. When you think about it, it's an impossibility to even measure. It's nothing but hype and emotion and lies to validate the government getting even more power and fatter while draining more resources of American workers (those that pay income taxes to the IRS anyway, which rules out the bottom 50%).
Anyone who honestly believes that $840 billion "saved" us from a Great Depression II is a complete unabridged kool-aid drinker.
The stimulus totally saved Tucson...so Jhawk, how did you get from a forest fire to your rant? Some of you are programmed for nothing but doom and gloom.
By lowering the value of our homes, the local government is now out millions on property taxes. No way is my home only worth $85,000, but thanks for the tax break anyway.
JHawke, most economists agree that the stimulus money helped create millions of jobs and kept us out of a depression.
That is a great exaggeration, but I sure as hell hope it did something. It's $840 billion - of which we haven't paid the bill yet.
If someone lent you a lot of money I bet you could accomplish a lot. That doesn't mean it's a good idea.
it is not just the planes...the crew is especially trained for this...not just any ole pilot
Would would Rhode Island do with 50 fire-fighting aircraft?
ctviking, as you said "if someone lent you a lot of money I bet you could accomplish a lot" Well said, Obama DID accomplish a lot - he dug us out of a huge hole the administration prior to him had dug --- however, the Banks are beginning to do it again; the only thing wrong with Obama bailing out country out to avoid a great depression caused by the previous administration was that the money went to the banks instead of the middle class TAXPAYING CITIZENS who would have all gotten quite a nice check - and most would have spent most of that money making the economy go round....
I have recently gotten an Obama Care refund check for overpaid medical expenses due to making my insurance company pay a fair share because I pay for insurance. When those checks start coming in to people, I hope they realize it was because of Obama.
Vote Obama - vote to continue to improve. It's gonna take awhile to fix the mess he was left with!
Tragedy fails when God is involved is a very confusing title! Anyway, I wanted to state that this country is in a depression. I became unemployed in 2009 (the start of the Obama administration) and I haven't been able to get another job since. I lost my house in 2009 also. I do not see anything that Obama has done to improve the situation in this country. He has increased our national debt so much that there is no way we will ever be able to dig ourselves out of the pit we are in. Personally, my hope is not in anyone who occupies the big white building in D.C. nor works in the Pentagon. My hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody on this earth has the capability to fix the mess that we are in. What we need to be doing is what it says in 2 Chron. 7:14 - "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." That is the ONLY thing that will help our nation get back on its own two feet again! It's up to the Christians to make a difference - so Christians, "Get on your knees!" ME TOO!!!
Jhawke----- And if the top 10% made less and the bottom 50% made more the total tax would be the same and the 50% would have enough to keep the economy going better by being able to buy more. Narrow the gap back to the sixties and let everyone have a little, now the rich want it all and will eliminate the middle class that keep a country going.
hungrymongoose...
CAL Fire has (23) S2T Tracker Air Tankers, (11) UH-1A Super Huey Helos and (14) OV10 Broncos in its OWN (State) fleet specifically for fighting fires.
This fire is on on National Forest (fed jurisdiction) land.
The Feds use "contract" A/C to fight Wildland fires although State (CAL Fire) A/C are utilized as needed and often.
It is probably another marijuana erradication fire gone out of control while enforcing the stupidest law in history.
To me,Its seems too much for Americans to handle all this unfinish,mother nature catastrophe destruction ,after one another,across America ! The God must be crazy in picking up all these tab to hits us.Its the "God"'s Curse ?
You Betcha ! Its because of the in fighting between Afghanistan Taliban God and American Taliban God ?
No God in this. It is called nature.
plork...
It seems that the only ones that are trying to treat bush2 as god are those that think obama is god. That's ok, though we know obama and company needs someone to blame for obamas failure to lead these past 4 years.
Keep up the good work wanting bush2 to remain in thespotlight. LOL!
God must really be pissed at Clint Eastwood.
maybe for Letters from Iwo Jima
Uh its So Cal, he lives in Carmel... uh way up north? Oh i get it...your trying to be funny!!LOL does that help?
The earth needs more people!
It was the gay boy scout leaders , teaching the lads how to make a fire by rubbing their 2 sticks together.
To move away from the unnecessary crude biased, or prejudiced, irrelevant comments I'd like to open up the discussion to: "Why are there so many fires when, among the disasters, it is the most predictable, preventable and solvable of environmental problems?" In the 21st century, in a developed nation, there should not be so many fires that harm people, threaten neighborhoods and homes, displace or inconvenience people. What do you think is going on? One real estate agent said that they had actually caught a fire marshal in Cal, few years ago, who had been setting fires for "attention and/or employment"? Is this true? I never thought professionals, leaders and proud Californians would do that. Is this true? One friend years ago, sick of all the fires and fire-news, said that she suspects "someone is doing this deliberately for 'publicity, to keep some guys employed and for the money'." Is this true? How is money involved?
Discuss with sense, sensitivity, facts and humanity. No more crude inconsiderate inappropriate comments. Fire threatens property, livelihood, lives of civilians and fire-fighters (who give their lives for our safety). So...stop being insensitive in your comments and discuss with sense and sensitivity please.
Wildfires are neither predictable nor preventable. They are natural phenomenin that have always occurred and always will. There are a few factors that can make them more or less numerous or severe, but they can't be stopped.
The vast majority (80-90%) of wildfires over the last 10 yrs are human-caused (NIFC).
AG is right on this one.
People build houses in brush areas and canyons, and that's fine.... except then they expect some fireman to come and save it - that's bull. Sure, those can be some lovely areas with nice views. Haul in a modular house, and when it burns, haul in another - don't ask for firefighters to put their lives on the line for "stuff". And when they say evacuate - get your animals, and go.
I think often times fires are set by professional firemen - some of whom became firement because they are pyromaniacs and love the draw of the flame....... You are given the dry situations in Cali that are forests full of kindling, trees so dry that they go up just by looking at the sun. A wonderful place for a pyromaniac to go live, and a great profession as well. Unfortunately.
pegep
As a fire chief, I can not let you get away with such remarks. As a general rule, fire fighters hate fire. Fires are total destruction. As far as fire fighters setting fires, yes, some do. However, every garden has a few weeds. It is a very few fire fighters who get their jollies in setting fires. No matter what job, every industry has a select few who do bad things. I have been in the fire service for over 20 years. And in that time I witnessed only one person do as you say. In 20 years, you get to know a lot of fire fighters. So, fire fighter arsonists cases are very isolated. The fires in SoCal could have started by any number of reasons.
Dr. MS...
"In the 21st century, in a developed nation, there should not be so many fires that harm people, threaten neighborhoods and homes, displace or inconvenience people. What do you think is going on?"
The simple and most direct answer is overpopulation in areas where wildland fires are an otherwise "natural" occurance...see AG99's post above (#8.2).
Bill-ljfd5127...Kudos Bill!
Wow, time traveling fire: "The fire, which broke out near a campground Sunday afternoon, was about 5 percent contained by Sunday morning, U.S. Forest Service officials said."
LOL time travel - now that's another discussion, another board, at another time. ;)
I was hoping someone else would pick up on that. Fire broke out Sunday afternoon, 5% contained by Sunday morning. Damned fast work, good job firefighters. The writers and proofreaders (if they still exist and I use those terms reluctantly) for Newsvine are so hopeless.
Fire is natural, suppression isn't. Deal with it. And stop paying for the insurance for the foolhardy.
I hope Smokey Bear help!
Would someone please spirit Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein away from the cauldron in Charlotte and drop them in for a closer look? ( I'll pay for the parachutes.)
Great idea, cactus. Unfortunately, they're so full of hot air that the parachutes wouldn't work. They would just float higher instead of drifting to the ground. Kind of like a bunch of hot-air balloons. You're also leaving out a whole lot of others that need to be on there. Harry R., Joe B., Al S., Jessie J., about any politician you can think of, Republican and Democrat.
No injuries were reported and no structures were threatened, forest officials said! Thats good!
They may have left out " yet ".
Hurricanes, flooding, droughts, & wild fires. All on the same day in this country. I tell you it looks like climate change to me. Just like al gore and 98% of the climate scientists said it's because of co2 from fossil fuels.
No. No. No. Say mr grover, the gop, the rushbo, & foxnews.com. Co2 has nothing to do with climate change. That 98% of the climate scientists say climate change is based in some part on co2. That 1.95% say they are not sure if co2 has a role in climate change or not. That 0.05% say co2 has no effect on climate change in any way.
And mr grover, the gop, the rushbo, & foxnews.com say these 0.05% of the world's climate scientists are absolutely correct. Further, that we should employ hundreds of thousands working on the keystone xl pipeline from canada to texas which 100% of scientists agree will cause co2 emission to skyrocket up from the 1990 co2 emissions levels of today.
But if you were to ask mr grover, the gop, the rushbo, & foxnews.com - what would happen if you are wrong. What would happen if the 1 of 2,000 of the world's climate scientists who say co2 have nothing to do with climate change are wrong. I tell you they give you no answer because the consequences are extreme. So they will tell you that it is inconceivable that they could be wrong.
Fires in CA are brutal. They spread like the wind over that dry brush. That's one thing I don't miss is the fires. The firemen there are the best in the world. They have to be.
Will never figure out how they can call that a forest. Californians. Go figure.
It's because of all the pine trees.
klondiko..
Obviously a "flatlander"!
It seems that "by MSNBC News staff" means an intern wrote this? When does a major media outlet release something with errors like "A wildfire in Southern California's Angeles National Forest that curt short weekend holiday plans" (sic) and stating the fire "promoted" an evacuation. Doesn't an editorial staff review this before it is released?
Exactly, No God in this. He doesn't cause these things. It's either nature or human caused.
This is God's earth.
Oregon has the closer blaze, possibly an arsen fire but could be scattered lighted debris from trucks.
the end is near.
Really how irresponsible do you have to be to put your family at risk not to mention the other families who wanted to enjoy a weekend of camping. Obviously someone lack the basic knowledge on fire safety.
Crazy that this makes the news, yet a wildfire in Nebraska that burned over 75,000 acres didn't.
Welcome to the news media of 2012. Don't you know that one acre of California is more news worthy than the whole state of Nebraska or any other state with the exception of New York? The only time you hear anything about Nebraska, Kansas, Kentucky, the Dakotas and most other states is when some idiot does something horrendous. Then they hammer the citizens of that state without mercy. There may be more stupidity in California and New York than the rest of the country combined but it will never be reported.
"Near a campground" Does anything else have to be said. Thank you -- idiot(s)!
ASIA FOR THE ASIANS, AFRICA FOR THE AFRICANS, WHITE COUNTRIES FOR EVERYBODY!
Everybody says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY into white countries.
The Netherlands and Belgium are just as crowded as Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and quote assimilating unquote with them.
Everybody says the final solution to this RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY white countries to “assimilate,” i.e., intermarry, with all those non-whites.
What if I said there was this RACE problem and this RACE problem would be solved only if hundreds of millions of non-blacks were brought into EVERY black country and ONLY into black countries?
How long would it take anyone to realize I’m not talking about a RACE problem. I am talking about the final solution to the BLACK problem?
And how long would it take any sane black man to notice this and what kind of psycho black man wouldn’t object to this?
But if I tell that obvious truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the white race, Liberals and respectable conservatives agree that I am a naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.
They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-white.
Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.
Roasted fruit and nuts... what's the web site address? ;-)
The fire started "Sunday morning" and was five percent contained by "Sunday afternoon"? Oh, I get it...your editor must have taken the day off being Labor Day and all.