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Sad! Wildf!re engulfs US homes, 30,000 evacuat3d
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A wildfire in a Los Angeles suburb devoured buildings and sparked panicked evacuations Tuesday, as hurricane-force winds tore through the region.
Frightened residents abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the upscale Pacific Palisades area, fleeing on foot from the almost 3,000-acre (1,200-hectare) blaze engulfing an area packed with multimillion-dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Firefighters used bulldozers to push dozens of vehicles – including expensive models like BMWs, Teslas and Mercedes – to one side, leaving many crumpled and with their alarms blaring.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said despite the chaotic evacuation, there were no immediate reports of any deaths or injuries.
Hundreds of firefighters swarmed the area, attacking the blaze from the ground and from the air, while crews worked in steep terrain to cut back vegetation and create firebreaks.
Around 30,000 people were ordered to evacuate the fast-spreading flames, which leveled multiple homes as powerful winds spread embers far and wide.
“We are not out of danger,” said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, speaking at an afternoon press conference, adding that the winds are expected to pick up.
– ‘Everyone panicked’ –
The fire erupted midmorning and swelled quickly, taking many residents by surprise.
One man, who gave his name as Gary, told broadcaster KTLA hot ashes were raining down on his community of Sea Ridge.
“There was smoke in the distance, and I was assured that it would not come over the hill… Five minutes later, it’s coming down the hill,” he said. “Everyone panicked, that’s when everybody made a run and went to go and pack their houses up.”
Evacuee Kelsey Trainor said she saw the fire explode in size as she was fleeing.
“By the time we got to the bottom of the hill, which is about two or three miles, there were flames on both sides of the road, and it became gridlocked,” she said.
“No one knew what to do. Everyone was honking their horns. There’s flames all around you.
“I could see people walking with suitcases, with their dogs, children. An elderly woman was really visibly upset and in tears.”
Pacific Palisades resident Andrew Hires told AFP he got a text alerting him to the fire as his child was at the dentist about to have a tooth extracted.
“We pulled off the mask and ran to the car,” he said.
– ‘A rough night’ –
The fire came as the area was being hit by seasonal Santa Ana winds that forecasters said could develop into the worst windstorm in a decade, with gusts of up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) an hour expected.
“This looks pretty, pretty concerning,” said meteorologist Daniel Swain.
“It’s going to be, I think, a rough night. And what’s going on now is only just the beginning, because weather conditions are going to get a lot worse.”
With a huge pall of smoke visible over the whole of Los Angeles, events throughout the area were cancelled, including a red-carpet premiere of Jennifer Lopez’s new film “Unstoppable.”
US President Joe Biden – who was in Los Angeles for a planned announcement on new national monuments – was briefed on the incident, the White House said.
The president has approved federal aid to help California tackle the blaze, Governor Gavin Newsom said.
“No politics, no hand wringing, no kissing the feet. The president of the United States said, ‘Yes. What else do you need?’” he told reporters.
Incoming president Donald Trump has previously threatened to withhold wildfire aid from Democrat-run California.
Wildfires are an expected part of life in the US West and play a vital role in nature.
But scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather patterns.
Southern California had two decades of drought that were followed by two exceptionally wet years, which sparked furious vegetative growth – leaving the region packed with fuel and primed to burn.
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday declared open the National Assembly Open Week at the House of Representatives Chamber in Abuja.
The Open Week event serves as a platform to demonstrate the legislature’s commitment to transparency, strengthen public trust and engage stakeholders in the 10th Assembly’s legislative journey.
In his keynote address delivered to declare the weeklong event open Akpabio underscored the essence of the Open Week: “We are assembled today for something far greater than either Chamber. Parliament belongs not to those elected to sit within it, but to the millions whose hopes and votes brought it into existence.
“Parliament was never built to keep the people out. It was built to bring them in, for democracy flourishes only in the confidence of an informed and engaged citizenry.
“This Open Week invites Nigerians to look beyond the headlines and the soundbites, to see Parliament as the meeting point between the aspirations of the people and the responsibilities of government.
“For this is not merely a matter of public education; it is a matter of democratic necessity. History teaches us that great nations are sustained not merely by strong executives or independent judiciaries, but by Parliaments where differing opinions are heard, competing interests are reconciled, and every citizen ultimately finds constitutional expression.
“Openness therefore means more than allowing citizens to observe proceedings. It means assuring every Nigerian that no community is too remote, no voice too quiet, and no corner of this Republic too insignificant to deserve representation,” he said.
Akpabio invited Nigerians to engage the Parliament to make the institution stronger. “That is why this Open Week is so important. We invite Nigerians not merely to observe us, but to engage with us; not merely to applaud where they agree, but to challenge us where they believe we can do better. A Parliament that listens becomes wiser. A democracy that listens becomes stronger.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas said the Open Week Initiative is built on the conviction that an open, listening parliament is essential for earning public trust and strengthening public institutions.
The three-day event will feature several high-level, people-centered engagements designed to bridge the gap between citizens, the private sector, and policy makers.
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The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old suspected bandit and recovered an AK-47 magazine, 109 rounds of live ammunition, suspected military uniforms and other incriminating items during an operation in Bichi Local Government Area of the state.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the arrest was made by operatives of the Bichi Divisional Police Headquarters following credible intelligence provided by a member of the public regarding a man allegedly wearing a suspected military uniform at Rimaye Village in Bichi LGA.
According to the statement, the police team, working in collaboration with members of the Rimawa Community, intercepted the suspect, identified as Mohammed Isah Haruna of Dan Dinshe Yamma Quarters in Dala Local Government Area.
A search of his bag led to the recovery of one AK-47 magazine loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition, an additional 79 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, two sets of suspected military uniforms, three military caps, a suspected fake military identity card, personal identification documents, four ATM cards and a pair of desert boots.
The command said the suspect confessed during interrogation that he was in the area to deliver the recovered items to bandits operating in nearby forests. It added that the suspect is currently in police custody while investigations have commenced to apprehend other members of the criminal network before the case is charged to court.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended the vigilance of the Rimawa Community for promptly alerting the police, describing the arrest as another demonstration of the importance of community participation in combating crime.
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