SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.
Wildfire destroying homes
A wildfire with a ferocity never seen before by veteran California firefighters raced up and down canyons, instantly engulfing homes and forcing thousands of people to flee, some running for their lives just ahead of the flames. By Wednesday, a day after it ignited in brush left bone dry by years of drought, the blaze had spread across nearly 40 square miles and was raging out of control. The flames advanced despite the efforts of 1,300 firefighters. Authorities could not immediately say how many homes had been destroyed, but they warned that the number will be large. “There will be a lot of families that come home to nothing,” San Bernardino County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig said after flying over a fire scene he described as “devastating.”
WASHINGTON
Fight over Clinton emails
The FBI is improperly restricting access to materials from its closed investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Wednesday. In a letter sent to the Senate’s security director, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley asked that unclassified portions of the FBI documents be provided to his staff. The move appears to be an end run around strict restrictions imposed by the FBI, which warned members of Congress not to leak documents from its investigation involving the Democratic presidential nominee.
Elevator closes monument
The Washington Monument closed again following problems with its elevator. National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst said in a statement that the service interruption happened late Wednesday morning. He said one employee was on board but no visitors. The statement says 84 visitors walked down the stairs without incident. The spokesman said the elevator’s compensating cable broke loose from the car, causing it to stop between the 490-foot and 500-foot levels.
SILVER SPRING, Md.
Effort aids women in shelters
A Maryland woman has collected and delivered more than 20,000 new and gently used bras and 50,000 feminine hygiene products to shelters around the country. Dana Marlowe, a mother of two who works from her Silver Spring home, said she was motivated to donate her own bras following a 35-pound weight loss. A year ago, Marlowe put out a call to family and friends on social media. The response was so great, she asked her husband to create a website for what she dubbed “Support the Girls.” Now the nonprofit organization boasts chapters in several U.S. cities, Canada, Mexico and Australia, with donations from all over the world.
Compiled from wire reports
