Fire doesn't care about the COVID-19 pandemic, and a wildfire in Florida's Santa Rosa County exploded Wednesday, forcing at least 500 people to evacuate from their homes outside Pensacola, Florida Forest Service officials said late Wednesday. At least 18 homes have burned in the Five Mile Swamp Fire and the blaze forced the closure of part of Interstate 10. The fire started as a prescribed burn on private property Monday, but grew out of control as low humidity and high winds combined with Florida's below-average rainfall, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
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Book reviews: 'America, América: A New History of the New World' and 'Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson'Feature A historian tells a new story of the Americas and the forgotten story of a pioneering preacher
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Another messaging app used by the White House is in hot waterThe Explainer TeleMessage was seen being used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
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AI hallucinations are getting worseIn the Spotlight And no one knows why it is happening
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US proposes eroding species protectionsSpeed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
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Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslidesSpeed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
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Should Los Angeles rebuild its fire-prone neighbourhoods?Talking Point The latest devastating wildfires must be a wake-up call for Los Angels to 'move away from fire-prone suburban sprawl'
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What happens to wildlife during a wildfire?The explainer Flames also affect the flora and fauna
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