Calif. Wildfires Force Hundreds From Homes
TOOLBOX   Resize
 Save/Share +
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
|
Calif. Wildfires Force Hundreds From Homes
FELTON, Calif. -- Hundreds of firefighters struggled to gain control of wildfires burning across Northern California on Thursday, including a raging forest fire that forced hundreds to leave their homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The blaze in the Bonny Doon area, about 10 miles northwest of Santa Cruz, quickly grew to 700 acres after it broke out around 3 p.m. Wednesday; it was only 5 percent contained Thursday morning. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for 500 residents in the heavily forested hills. Voluntary evacuations were in place for another 1,000 residents.
Nearly 800 firefighters were battling the blaze, which could spread to as many as 1,500 acres, Battalion Chief Paul Van Gerwen said.
High winds pushed the blaze Wednesday. Thursday's weather was calmer, but temperatures were quickly rising, with 90-degree weather expected. "It's getting hotter and drier. We'd like to see the humidity come up," Van Gerwen said.
Meanwhile, a lightning-sparked wildfire has blackened 20,000 acres in the southeastern part of Colorado and was threatening archaeological sites in a national forest, officials said. The blaze has burned through tinder-dry juniper and pinyon trees into the canyons of the Comanche National Grassland, the site of numerous historic artifacts, including American Indian rock art, dinosaur tracks and early American ranches.
Princeton Bias Probe Widened
TRENTON, N.J. -- The Education Department has broadened a review into whether Princeton University discriminates against applicants of Asian descent. The case stems from a federal civil rights complaint filed in 2006 by Jian Li, a Chinese immigrant. Li said Princeton and other elite institutions rejected him, even though he had perfect SAT scores, was in the top 1 percent of his high school class and had earned other honors. Li enrolled at Yale but now goes to Harvard.
Judge Seeks Inquiry Over Porn
LOS ANGELES-- A federal judge who reportedly posted pornographic images on his personal Web site is calling for an investigation of his own conduct. Judge Alex Kozinski says he has asked a court ethics panel to initiate proceedings after the Los Angeles Times reported that he posted lewd photos and videos on a publicly accessible Web site. Kozinski, the chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, said he will cooperate in the investigation. He is presiding over a pornographic obscenity case, but the trial has been put on hold until Monday.
