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California wildfire wreaks more destruction as temperatures rise

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An enormous wildfire raging across Northern California for nearly a month has burned down another 550 homes, fire officials said on Wednesday, becoming one of the most destructive in state history.

The Dixie Fire, which broke out on July 14 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains some 160 miles (260 km) northeast of Sacramento, is the second largest in state history. Crews had contained only 30 percent of the blaze as of Wednesday evening.

Temperatures were expected to cross over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) in coming days as a high pressure weather system, described by forecasters as a “heat dome” bakes the Pacific Northwest.

“High pressure continues to build over the incident and will be the dominant feature with predicted thunderstorms moving in this week,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire protection said in an incident update.

The thunderstorms can rake the landscape with so-called dry lightning, igniting more flames across Northern California in forests and brush left brown and parched from years of drought.

The Dixie Fire has scorched more than 500,000 acres, making it by far the largest and most destructive of 11 wildfires burning across California, fought by nearly 10,000 personnel. Two firefighters and a civilian have been injured.

The blaze has now destroyed more than 1,000 single-family homes, along with hundreds of other structures. Flames roared through the historic mining town of Greenville last week, leaving its main street in smoldering ruins.

California, which typically experiences peak fire season later in the year, is on pace to suffer more burnt acres this year than last, the worst fire season on record.

The state’s five largest wildfires in history have all occurred in the last three years, burning more than 2.5 million acres and destroying 3,700 structures.

The Dixie Fire is second in size only to last year’s August Complex, which was comprised of several smaller fires that merged together to make one massive conflagration.

 

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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