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15 homes evacuated as crews battle another wildfire in New Jersey

JACKSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — The latest forest fire to break out in New Jersey spurred authorities to evacuate more than a dozen homes Wednesday as crews worked to contain the blaze, but no injuries or property damage has been reported. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said the blaze in Jackson Township was expected to be contained when it reached around 300 acres (121 hectares), though it wasn’t clear when that might happen. Firefighters were using a backfire operation to help combat the blaze, which involves burning areas ahead of the main fire in a bid to stop the flames from ...

Hundreds flee and homes burn as powerful winds feed wildfires in Southern California

By MARCIO SANCHEZ, CHRISTOPHER WEBER and STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press MOORPARK, Calif. (AP) — California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed a fast-moving wildfire that destroyed homes and forced hundreds of residents to flee while another fire burned near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” blazes. Northwest of Los Angeles, the Mountain Fire exploded in size and prompted evacuation orders for suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas near ...

Tropical Storm Rafael forms in Caribbean, on a track to hit Cuba as a hurricane

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Rafael formed Monday in the Caribbean and will bring heavy rain to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands before strengthening into a hurricane and likely hitting Cuba, forecasters said. Later in the week it also is expected to bring heavy rainfall to Florida and portions of the U.S. Southeast, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Jamaica, and a hurricane watch was in effect for the Cayman Islands and for parts of Cuba including the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, ...

Spain’s king stood his ground under a mud barrage. What will the iconic moment mean for his reign?

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Mud splattered the cheek of Spain’s monarch as survivors of catastrophic floods unleashed their fury in a barrage of muck and mire. Felipe VI took it, literally, on the chin, and his determination to stay and speak to the enraged crowd could redefine his reign. It instantly became an iconic moment. But what it will mean remains to be seen. Spain’s royals, prime minister and the Valencian regional president were greeted by a crowd hurling mud and other debris on Sunday when they tried to visit Paiporta, where over 60 ...

Oklahoma storms injure at least 11, leave thousands without power

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Severe storms and tornadoes battered Oklahoma early Sunday, tossing cars and ripping roofs off buildings in the middle of the night and leaving tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power. Among numerous injuries, 11 people required hospitalization, ...