Disaster

Changing America reports: The intense smoke and heat from an Oregon wildfire is producing “fire clouds,” also known as pyrocumulus clouds, above the far-ranging fire — creating plumes of smoke and ash that have reached a height of over a mile into the sky. Fire clouds can spew ash and embers, sometimes even lightning, to other areas and further increase …

Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports: Disturbing reports are emerging of a hacker taking advantage of those who were killed in the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside. Officials said the criminal is seeing the victims’ names in the news and then stealing their identities. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told Local 10 News that he is …

The Associated Press reports: At a hearing, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman ordered that the process begin to sell the site of Champlain Towers South, which could fetch $100 million to $110 million according to court records. The court-appointed receiver handling finances related to the condo, attorney Michael Goldberg, said the judge wants the sale to move quickly. Goldberg said …

Miami’s CBS News affiliate reports: Exhausted crews are on day 21, and nearing the end, of their search for victims as the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside. The death toll stands at 95. The county’s medical examiner’s office said every individual that was found in the building collapse will have the same cause of death – …

The Associated Press reports: Wildfires that torched homes and forced thousands to evacuate burned across 10 parched Western states on Tuesday, and the largest, in Oregon, threatened California’s power supply. Nearly 60 wildfires tore through bone-dry timber and brush from Alaska to Wyoming, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Arizona, Idaho and Montana accounted for more than half of …

NBC News reports: The Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon nearly doubled in size from Saturday to Sunday to more than 150,000 acres as extreme heatwaves and wildfires continued to scorch the West. The intense flames in the Fremont-Winema National Forest broke out on July 6, burning for its sixth day on Sunday, according to an incident report. The out-of-control wildfire …

Miami’s CBS News affiliate reports: Search-and-recovery efforts continued uninterrupted at the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside into the night and Sunday morning. “Our teams worked tirelessly, as ever, to make progress on the collapse site. Truly, it is a remarkable operation,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Mayor Cava said. “Our team continues to make incredible progress …

The Miami Herald reports: Binx, a cat that lived on the ninth floor of Champlain Towers South condo, was found safe two weeks after the building collapsed and has been reunited with its family, an animal rescue organization said. The cat was found near the rubble and was taken Thursday night to Kitty Campus, an organization that cares for community …

Reuters reports: The confirmed death toll in the collapse of a Miami-area condominium tower increased to 78 on Friday after workers recovered an additional 14 bodies and whittled the rubble down close to ground level, officials said. A total of 62 people remain missing and feared dead in the concrete and steel ruins of the 12-story building in the oceanfront …

Reuters reports: Should the prime beach property in Surfside be turned into a memorial? Or should it be sold for hundreds of millions of dollars to raise money for victims and their kin? Experts in trauma stemming from disasters said it’s crucial that there be some type of physical place where the families of those killed in the June 24 …

The Miami Herald reports: As the 14th day of searching came to a close, families and loved ones were informed during a private briefing that the search and rescue effort for live victims in the rubble that was once Champlain Towers South is coming to an end. Fire authorities said Wednesday there is no longer hope that there are any …

The Associated Press reports: The search for victims of the collapse of a Miami-area high-rise condominium reached its 14th day on Wednesday, as workers uncovered 10 more bodies from the rubble and officials sounded more and more grim about the prospects of finding anyone alive. Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah broke the discovery of the additional bodies and human …

Miami’s NBC News affiliate reports: The remaining portion of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside was demolished Sunday night. The structure came down at about 10:30 p.m., and before 11:30 p.m., rescuers were given an all-clear to resume their search, according to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. Officials had given a window of the demolition occurring between 10 …

Yesterday it was announced that demolishing the still standing portion of the Surfside tower would take place today. Now they’re saying “Monday at the earliest.” The Miami Herald reports: The demolition company was identified as CDI Controlled Demolition Inc., of Phoenix, Maryland. It is being sub-contracted through BG Group, the Delray Beach demolition company hired by the Florida Department of …

The Associated Press reports: A top Miami-Dade fire official on Saturday told family members of people missing in the rubble of a collapsed condo building that demolition workers planned to bring down the remainder of the building on Sunday. Worries have intensified over the past week that the damaged structure could come tumbling down on its own, endangering the crews …

Miami’s CBS News affiliate reports: COVID has reared its ugly head once again, this time at the search site of the Surfside collapsed condo. Miami-Dade Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said Friday, at least 6 firefighters from Florida, but outside of Miami-Dade, tested positive for COVID-19. The task force that contained the positive COVID-19 has been “demobilized,” according to the chief, …

USA Today reports: Engineers were evaluating options Friday for demolishing the remaining portion of a condo building that partially collapsed outside Miami last week, leaving 22 people dead and 126 unaccounted for. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Friday officials have had “a couple of meetings” with engineers, who are “meeting regularly” to determine what the process would look …

The Miami Herald reports: Exactly one week after the Champlain Towers South building collapsed, rescue crews early Thursday stopped work amid concerns that the remaining structure could topple. Also, South Florida is bracing for the possible arrival of a tropical storm later in the week that could affect the site. The new challenges arose Thursday as President Joe Biden prepares …

Los Angeles’s CBS News affiliate reports: Sixteen people were injured Wednesday evening after a planned detonation of seized illegal fireworks ended in an explosion in South Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Fire Department said nine LAPD officers were treated and taken to local hospitals in fair condition with minor injuries. One Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officer was …

ABC News reports: Video recorded at Champlain Tower South minutes before its deadly collapse Thursday appears to show water pouring out of a ceiling in a parking garage and rubble on the ground, ABC News has confirmed. Adriana Sarmiento told ABC News that she and her husband were on vacation and swimming in the pool at the nearby Bluegreen Vacations …