Potential for fire this summer and fall is very high, officials warn - San Jose Mercury News
Noting there have been twice as many blazes in the first five months of this year as during the same period in 2011, state and local fire officials are warning property owners that the potential for fires will be higher than usual this summer and fall.
"I know in some areas going back to the winter, November, December, January were some of the driest months in 100 years," said Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "We've already seen a significant increase in fire activity statewide."
And the spring rains didn't help much, he added. "Even though in March we saw a good amount of rain, it wasn't enough to make up for the winter."
From January to the beginning of June there have been about 1,600 fires in California, Berlant said. That's not only double the number that broke out last year during the same months but also considerably more than the five-year average for that period of about 1,300 fires, he said.
Locally, officials are advising residents to take precautions to prevent fires and protect their homes in the event of a wildfire.
Woodside Fire Protection District Chief Dan Ghiorso said grass, brush, leaves and other debris should be cleared around homes to create a "defensible space."
"Vegetation management is a big thing," Ghiorso said. "We don't want light, flashy fuels. I believe we're going to see more fires this year."
A Woodside home on Bear Gulch Road was
destroyed by fire Saturday, Ghiorso said. Although the cause is still under investigation, the surrounding grass and trees also caught fire, adding to the difficulty of fighting the three-alarm blaze."It was extremely fast," Ghiorso said. "It was a total loss." The owners were on vacation and fortunately no one was hurt, he said.
Berlant echoed the need for residents to remove vegetation around their homes, suggesting a 100-foot buffer zone.
"It's the homes that have good clearance and good defensible space that we see saved every year," he said.
Email Bonnie Eslinger at beslinger@dailynewsgroup.com.
Gary Barlow leads Jubilee charts boost for music sales - BBC News
Gary Barlow organised and performed at the concert outside Buckingham Palace
Gary Barlow is on course to top both the UK's singles and albums charts this weekend (10 June), as the celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee boost music sales.
Sing, written by Barlow and featuring Prince Harry on tambourine, has risen 10 places to top the midweek chart.
Barlow's album, also called Sing, is set to retain its place at number one.
The Official Chart Company said a total of 51 Jubilee-related songs and albums are in the top 200.
Read: Stars perform at Jubilee concert
Many of the artists who performed at the Jubilee concert organised by Gary Barlow on Monday (4 June) have seen sales increases, according to the company.
Gary Barlow and Cheryl Cole's cover of Lady Antebellum's Need You Now isn't commercially available - but the original has entered the official midweek chart at 26.
Jessie J and Ed Sheeran have made significant leaps in both the singles and albums charts as well.
Stevie Wonder, Madness, Black Eyed Peas, Kylie Minogue and Tom Jones have also returned to the chart following their performances.
Meanwhile, Run To You, the debut single from The Voice UK winner Leanne Mitchell has debuted on the midweek chart at 27.
The track's release was not highly publicised during the show's live final on BBC One, which was seen by more than seven million viewers.
Lauryn Hill charged over income tax returns - BBC News
Hip-hop star Lauryn Hill has been charged with willfully failing to file income tax returns in the US.
Authorities say the singer earned more than $1.6 million (£1.03m) during the three years that she failed to file returns.
US prosecutors said her main source of income during the period 2005 - 2007 was royalties from her music and films.
Hill, who has not yet commented on the charges, is scheduled to appear in court on 29 June.
According to court papers, the 37-year-old owns and operates four corporations - Creations Music, Boogie Tours, LH Productions 2001, and Studio 22.
Hill was the only female member of rap group The Fugees, whose album The Score achieved worldwide success in 1996.
Two years later, she released her debut solo album - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill - to wide critical acclaim. It remains her only studio album to date.
The singer also appeared alongside Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.
She has six children and now rarely makes public appearances.
Advocaat's two big calls - UEFA
Dick Advocaat said he has "a full squad to choose from" as Russia held their final training session before Friday's UEFA EURO 2012 game against the Czech Republic.
The 64-year-old gave very little away and also commented that the team "aren't feeling nervous" ahead of their opening game. There had been injury concerns about Igor Akinfeev, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Marat Izmailov, but all three seemed to move easily and without any noticeable problems.
The vast majority of the Russia team picks itself, but there are two positions that will give the Dutchman something to think over tonight. Perhaps the toughest is who will play in goal, with Akinfeev and Vyacheslav Malafeev two candidates who have both had to overcome adversity in recent times.
Fifteen months ago, Malafeev lost his wife in a car crash and was left to care for his two children alone. However, rather than let himself be overcome by grief, the FC Zenit St Petersburg keeper produced the form of his life and excelled for both the national team and his club in the UEFA Champions League.
Dick Advocaat addresses his squad during training on Thursday
The other quandary for Advocaat is who to play on the right-hand side of attack, with Alan Dzagoev, the incumbent, up against Izmailov. Dzagoev was Russia's joint top scorer in qualifying, but the 21-year-old only recently recovered from a broken bone in his foot and is now under pressure from a rejuvenated Izmailov. The Sporting Clube de Portugal winger is no stranger to injuries himself, though he has battled back to full fitness and was impressive in his country's warm-up games after six years in the international wilderness.
It's a nice headache for Advocaat to have going into the game with the Czech Republic and he has the luxury of knowing that whoever he chooses is likely to cause their opponents a number of problems.
BJP chief gets an earful from RSS - deccanchronicle.com
RSS bigwigs reportedly gave BJP state president K.S. Eshwarappa an earful for his remarks that the BJP government rode to power in 2008 relying on money and caste power. The BJP chief had ignited a fresh controversy in the ruling party with loyalists of former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa—many of whom had shifted from the Congress and JD(S) to the BJP— expressing outrage over his remarks.
The BJP president had said that the Yeddyurappa government was formed by launching Operation Kamala with money and caste playing a prime role. With the BJP just having emerged from a severe crisis, RSS functionaries reportedly advised Eshwarappa to focus on balancing the interests of different groups instead of raking up controversies. Soon after the rebuke, Eshwarappa denied making the statement attributed to him.
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