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A fast-moving fire erupted in hillside terrain near Murrieta on Wednesday night, quickly scorching almost 1,000 acres and prompting mandatory evacuation orders for multiple residential enclaves as fire officials urged others nearby to voluntarily leave. At least 300 firefighters responded to the Tenaja fire in Riverside County, which sent up an eerie and massive plume of smoke at dusk. By nightfall, hillsides were aglow in hot and windy conditions on a day marked by thunderstorms in the region. By late Wednesday, the fire had burned hillsides in unincorporated Riverside County and appeared to be headed northeast toward Murrieta. .....

An out-of-control bushfire blazing through south-west Sydney could hit the nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights, and spot fires have broken out at the Holsworthy military barracks. The bushfire, which jumped Heathcote Road and has already burnt through 980 hectares of land, is still out of control and being spread by strong winds. Greg Allan, a spokesman for NSW Rural Fire Service, told Daily Mail Australia suburbs in the north-east of the fire were their current concern, with residents in Pleasure Point, Sandy Point, Illawong, Menai and Bangor expected to be hit by an ember attack. 'We are advising residents in...

The drone was spotted about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday flying between two fixed-wing aircraft battling the massive wildfire burning south of Big Bear Lake, according to Mike Eaton, forest aviation officer for the San Bernardino National Forest. The sighting of the illegal aircraft prompted authorities to recall all aircraft battling the fire. “We don’t want to deal with unknown aircraft in our airspace,” Eaton said. “They’ve got enough on their mind already … difficult terrain, difficult weather, winds and other things. They don’t need to be worrying about model airplanes or drones.” Authorities could not figure out who was flying the...

DIAMOND BAR, Calif. — A cluster of brush fires erupted along the fringes of suburban neighborhoods in eastern Los Angeles County on Tuesday. Helicopters and SuperScooper airplanes roared low over homes to drop loads of water on the flames in hilly terrain just outside back yards. Lines of widely separated flame moved across rolling grasslands. Weather appeared to be on firefighters' side, with little wind evident. County Fire Inspector Steve Zermeno said reports of five to eight separate fires near State Route 60 came in about 11:45. The area is about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. About 150...

Here is dramatic video from inside the Australian firestorm that has claimed over 100 lives in the state of Victoria. The video was shot by a man who showed the firestorm around him. He keeps saying, "everything is gone," and that he has "lost everything," including his house, car, his grandparents. He said he managed to save his dog. Our thoughts and prayers should go out for the victims of this tragedy Down Under. . . . . (Watch Video)

Here is a Sky News video report on the incredible brushfires that have swept across the Australian state of Victoria, leaving more than 130 people dead and thousands of people homeless. At least two people have been charged with arson. This report has a lot of video of the devastation and some interviews with residents, as well as a clip of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd moved to tears in an interview about what he has seen. . . . (Watch Video)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two huge wildfires driven by strong Santa Ana winds burned into neighborhoods near Los Angeles on Monday, forcing frantic evacuations on smoke- and traffic-choked highways, destroying homes and causing at least two deaths. Around sunset, residents were warned to stay on alert during the night and winds more than 60 mph were forecast. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. More than 1,000 firefighters and nine water-dropping aircraft battled the 4,700-acre Marek Fire at the northeast end of the San Fernando Valley, and the 5,000-acre Sesnon Fire at the...

Golfer starts fire with spark from club RENO, Nev., June 20 (UPI) -- Reno, Nev., fire officials say a brush fire was caused by a golfer who tried to play his ball from a patch of grass near the Wildcreek Golf Course. Reno Battalion Chief Curtis Johnson said the golfer hit his ball off the course and then struck an object with his club while trying to direct the ball back to the fairway, The Reno Gazette-Journal reported Wednesday. The impact of the club on the object created a spark that caused the brush fire, Johnson said. "He was totally...

Brush Fire Burns In Hollywood Hills Near Barham Boulevard

Two structures in Anaheim Hills are ablaze as about 500 firefighters are battling a 300-acre brush fire, and scores of homes in that area and Orange Park Acres are being evacuated...

Fire update: Air battle begins early By Star staffDecember 4, 2006 Updated: 8:45 a.m. Fire crews battling the wind-whipped Shekell fire took to the air this morning to try to get control of the blaze that has burned nearly 10,000 acres. Nine helicopters and six fixed-wing aircraft went up at 7 a.m. to battle the fire that began early Sunday morning in Moorpark. It has destroyed five structures, including a building at the long-abandoned Egg City facility on Grimes Canyon Road, and damaged five others. Getting the aircraft in the air was a major accomplishment for the crews. Their flying...

Last night, the Day Fire exploded, burning 50,000 acres and traveling 11 miles west. from AP Sep 17, 2006 11:48 am US/Pacific Day Wildfire Explodes Westward, Threatens Fillmore (AP) CASTAIC, Calif. Offshore winds are fanning a huge wildfire burning in the Los Padres National Forest, prompting voluntary evacuations for portions of Fillmore and a group of homes along a highway connecting Santa Paula and Ojai. U.S. Forest Service officials say that since yesterday afternoon, winds have pushed the so-called Day Fire about 10 miles west and have burned several thousand new acres. It has scorched more than 125 square miles...

Per scanners and TeamSpeak, large brush fire in the area, threatening Anaheim Hills Area (Serrano). Large power outages in Anaheim, Orange, and other areas per Edison. OrCo Trunked TG2896....and 2704 166.675 Helos 271 and 301 122.575 Victor

CAMP MABRY, Austin, Texas (Jan. 8, 2006) – Since the statewide disaster declaration by Gov. Rick Perry on 27 Dec, 2005, the Texas Army and Air National Guard have been working in coordination with the United Stated Forest Service and a number of other local, state and federal agencies. In total the Texas National Guard has been supporting the wildfire suppression with seven UH-60 Black Hawks from Austin, Brownwood and San Antonio, and four CH-47 Chinooks from Grand Prairie, along with three UH-60 Black Hawks with 18 crew members from Louisiana. On Dec. 28 two of the Texas Black Hawks...

A fast moving brush fire scorched nearly 100 acres of rugged canyon land in north east Bexar County, not far from the location where the PGA Village resort will be built. County officials asked people living on Fossil Peak Road in the Fossil Ridge Subdivision north of Evens Road to evacuate. The fire broke out around 1pm and by 3:30pm had burned at least 100 acres of land. At least seventeen fire departments battled the fire, aided by two Black Hawk helicopters from the Texas National Guard, which was recently mobilized by Governor Perry to help fight brush fires around...

LA County Fire Helicopter drops water on RACE fire 6/19/05 With the start of Brush Fire Season, here is the Brush Fire Thread. Fires currently burning in Mt. Washington section of City of Los Angeles

I'm not sure if it is the first of the season, but there is a fire upwind in the hills of Riverside county. Smoke is filling the air. If anyone has information on this, please post here or point to the FR thread. News search is not turning up anything yet.

Large amounts of LA County Fire Engines and LA County Sheriffs heading to the north part of the county for a brush fire. Residences along Highway 138 requested to evacuate. Sheriff CTAC1 - 482.8125 County Fire - 470.5875 http://www.mulhollandraceway.org/roads/pine_cny.html <--map of area.

fires Break out all over southen california

154.400 Helicopters 470.3625 LACounty Fire 470.4125 LACounty Fire 470.2625 Verdugo Fire Ops 470.2375 Burbank PD - evacs