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As wildfire season approaches, budget woes and federal uncertainty have put states’ plans at risk

By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Budget woes, combined with cuts to the federal wildfire-fighting workforce and President Donald Trump’s tariff and sovereignty threats against Canada, have made it more difficult for state officials to plan for the upcoming wildfire season. In Washington, a $12 billion budget shortfall prompted majority Democrats in the Legislature this week to propose slicing spending on wildfire prevention and fighting by one-third to two-thirds. “These massive cuts to wildfire prevention and response increase the threat to public safety ...

Wildfires in Japan damage homes, force residents to evacuate in at least 2 areas

TOKYO (AP) — Wildfires have hit several regions in western Japan, injuring at least two people, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate and damaging a number of homes as hundreds of firefighters battled the widening blazes in the mountainous areas. The fires in the western towns of Okayama, Imabari and Aso broke out Sunday, quickly burning hundreds of hectares (acres). Six homes have been damaged in city of Okayama, where a fire started on Mount Kaigara and burned 250 hectares (600 acres) of the forest. In Imabari, in the Ehime prefecture on the main island of Shikoku, the fire ...

Weather

Marquette and vicinity: Today, snow showers. High near 34. Breezy, with a north wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Tonight, snow showers likely, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Extended forecast: Tuesday, a 10 percent chance of snow showers before 8 a.m. Partly sunny, ...

Texas wildfire prompts evacuations as Arkansas and Florida also battle fires

By JIM VERTUNO, FREIDA FRISARO and ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Wildfires fueled by dry conditions and gusting winds burned in a few Southern states Thursday, forcing evacuations in Texas and prompting Florida officials to close part of a major highway with spring break in high gear. A wildfire in Sam Houston National Forest near Houston prompted the evacuation of about 900 homes and closed schools. The National Weather Service issued elevated fire warnings around the nation’s fourth-largest city. The fire, which started Wednesday, had burned about ...

March megastorm may bring blizzards, tornadoes, flooding and even fires across US

By ISABELLA O’MALLEY Associated Press More than 100 million people in the U.S. will be in the path of an intense March storm starting Friday as the sprawling multi-day system threatens fires, blizzards, tornadoes, and flooding as it tracks eastward across the Great Plains. Scientists said the storm’s strength and potential for far-reaching impacts is notable, but its timing isn’t particularly unusual. Extreme weather can pop up in spring because storms feed on big temperature differences between the warmth that’s starting to show up and the lingering chill of winter. “If ...