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02 Jan 2012 10:28

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U.S.: “Person of interest” in custody after L.A.-area arson spree

  • Is this the guy? Last night, the LAPD released this image of a person of interest in this weekend’s widespread arson spree, which was the result of over three dozen separate blazes — some of which damaged significant amounts of property. This morning, the police say they have a person of interest in custody, presumably the guy in this photo. However, officials say “it is too early to speculate if this person is responsible for the spree of arson fires.” However, sources say that fire-starting materials were found in the man’s van, meaning he potentially had the ability to start a number of fires if he wanted to. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jan 2012 14:12

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U.S.: L.A. arson spree: Officials struggle as wave of fires continue

  • 39 number of fires suspected to be part of an arson spree in the L.A. area
  • 7 number of fires set last night alone — one of the arson attacks was described as “serious”
  • $60k the size of the reward for info leading to an arrest; despite this, details are scarce source
  • » Cars uses as incendiary devices: The damage caused by these fires, many of which were started by unlocked cars and allowed to blaze out of control, sometimes spreading to nearby buildings — in one case a home where Jim Morrison once lived. “Auto fires, as soon as they get going, they get really hot, really fast,” Los Angeles Assistant Chief Patrick Butler said. “They essentially give off their own combustibles.” Officials are asking neighbors to keep their eye out and to offer up any security footage near the scenes of the arson attacks.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2011 22:52

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U.S.: Texas, Oklahoma wildfires damage buildings, force evacuations

  • The ground is so dry, because of the drought, that one welding spark or a cigarette tossed could easily ignite a fire.
  • Jesse Moore, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth, Texas • Commenting on how easy it is to start wildfire. Texas is seeing one of the worst fire seasons on record, including the devastating fires earlier this year in April. The fires started on Tuesday; as of Wednesday night, the wildfires have damaged 39 homes and buildings over 6,200 acres of land. These wildfires are also threatening cities in Oklahoma. Authorities have asked local residents to evacuate, so stay safe, guys. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Aug 2010 10:12

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World: Bad timing: Moscow’s mayor on vacation during huge smogout

  • 700people have died per day in Moscow this Summer source
  • what Moscow has been under a huge cloud of smoke for months, causing heavy smog.
  • why A bunch of peat bogs fires near Moscow have led to record high levels of pollution.
  • reaction After a sports injury, mayor Yury Luzhkov took a three-week vacation to rehab. Oops.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

18 May 2010 10:52

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Tech: Yikes: Laptop batteries’ quick charging can cause fires

  • So, why do laptop batteries do this? Cambridge University scientists say the need for quick charging creates “dendrites,” metal fibers that can cause short circuits and, in turn, fires like this one. After watching this video (did you guys see that fireball?), we’re going to hold our laptop tight when we go to bed with it tonight. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Oct 2009 21:18

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Biz: “Built Ford Tough”? More like “built for recall.”

  • 4.5 million Ford vehicles got recalled for faulty cruise control source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Mar 2009 19:16

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Biz: Is your refrigerator running? You may want to catch wind of Maytag’s recall.

  • 1.6 million fridges were recalled voluntarily by Maytag Corp.
  • 16
    fires     were caused by the fridges, some leading to major damage source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

07 Feb 2009 09:54

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World: “Worst ever” bushfires in Australia have a deadly toll

More than 40 people are feared dead in the fires, located in the state of Victoria. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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