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NEW ORLEANS – Stark differences exist between the oil platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico and the blast that led to the massive BP spill. Mostly notably, no one was killed and no crude was gushing into the water, but the distinctions don’t end there.

Even though the Mariner Energy-owned platform that erupted in flames Thursday was just 200 miles west of the site of the spill, everything from the structures to the operations to the safety devices were different.

Full Story at CNN.com

Los Angeles, California (CNN) — Hundreds of firefighters battled a third wildfire in the Los Angeles area early Friday as two more raged within 60 miles of one another.

The latest — known as the Crown Fire — has ignited more than 5,000 acres, fire officials said.

About 500 firefighters were at the scene, with mandatory evacuations in effect for nearly 2,000 residences.

Areas affected included some parts of Leona Valley, Ritter Ranch, Anaverde and Palmdale in northern Los Angeles County.

Full Story at msnbc.com

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Firefighters in aircraft and on the ground battled the second serious wildfire to threaten the Flagstaff area in two days Sunday, prompting officials to urge hundreds of residents to flee as flames crept within 500 yards of some homes.

Officials said the fast-spreading fire erupted in this forested city’s northern outskirts Sunday morning and burned across 7 square miles of forest land by evening, sending a huge plume of smoke over parts of the region.

Full Story at CNN.com

(CNN) — A T-shirt vendor who noticed smoke coming out of a tinted, dark green sport utility vehicle alerted police to what turned out to be a potential bomb placed in Times Square.

“We avoided what could have been a very deadly event,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg early Sunday morning. “It certainly could have exploded and had a pretty big fire and a decent amount of explosive impact.”

Full Story at CNN.com

(CNN) — The estimated amount of oil leaking from a sunken rig in the Gulf of Mexico has increased to as much as 5,000 barrels a day — five times more than what was originally believed, a Coast Guard official said late Wednesday.

Rear Adm. Mary Landry told reporters that the increased estimate is based on analysis from the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She noted that there are “a lot of variables” in calculating the rate of the spill.

Full Story at money.cnn.com

Oil is still leaking at a rate of about 42,000 gallons a day from the well, located some 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana beneath a drill rig that exploded and sank last week. Eleven workers are still missing following the incident, and are presumed dead.

BP, the well’s owner, is racing to shut off the well using eight remote controlled submarines, but has had no luck as of yet.

Full Story at msnbc.com

NEW YORK CITY – A seven-alarm fire broke out in Manhattan’s Lower East Side Chinatown neighborhood on Sunday night, injuring 25 people, NBC News affiliate WNBC reported.

At least 250 firefighters were battling the blaze, a New York Fire Department official told WNBC. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that two dozen firefighters and three civilians had been injured.

BNO News earlier reported that two elderly civilians were taken to hospital in critical condition, while a third who inhaled smoke was hospitalized with minor injuries.

Full Story at msnbc.com

LOS ANGELES – Two firefighters were killed Sunday when their vehicle rolled down a mountain side amid the intense flames of a wildfire that threatened 12,000 homes. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged those in the fire’s path to get out as the blazes rained ash on cars as far away as downtown Los Angeles, spreading in all directions in dry conditions.

Firefighters fixed their attention on the blaze’s fast-moving eastern side where flames lapped at the foot of the vital communications and astronomy center of Mount Wilson, and on the northwestern front, where the two firefighters were killed on Mount Gleason near the city of Acton.

Full Story at msnbc.com

On the Fourth of July, the United States celebrates its independence with picnics, parades and of course, fireworks such as these seen exploding above the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. In honor of the holiday, we’ve cobbled together a collection of nature’s best fireworks displays.

Click the “Next” button above to get an eyeful of red-hot volcanic eruptions, dazzling lightning storms, scorching forest fires and more.

Full Story At  CBS News

(CBS/AP) Here in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence Center, the sadness and dismay linger on Saturday night as workers press their search for the cause of Thursday’s deadly air crash, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.

Officials say the recovery of bodies and debris will take days, not hours, the focus of the investigation appears to be on ice buildup and on the plane’s de-icing equipment, and more than 50 agencies are coordinating their efforts, including the National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI.

Full Story At CNN.com

Continental Connection Flight 3407, operated by Colgan Air, was en route from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo when it went down at around 10:20 p.m. The crash occurred about seven miles from Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Full Story At Yahoo! News

HEALESVILLE, Australia – Towering flames razed entire towns in southeastern Australia and burned fleeing residents in their cars as the death toll rose to 84 on Sunday, making it the country’s deadliest fire disaster.

At least 700 homes were destroyed in Saturday’s inferno when searing temperatures and wind blasts produced a firestorm that swept across a swath of the country’s Victoria state, where all the deaths occurred.