Latest news with #publicwarning
BBC News
4 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Warning after wildfire near Littlehampton Golf Club
Firefighters have warned the public to take extra care after a large wildfire broke out on the edge of Littlehampton Golf Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS) sent four fire engines and three off-road vehicles to the scene on Monday fire affected gorse, reeds, grassland, trees and around ten tonnes of hay, and was not believed to have begun accidentally, WSFRS brigade said precautions should be taken during dry weather, warning that fires can spread quickly and pose serious risks to people, property and the environment. WSFRS said the fire was first reported at 19:05 BST and the final crew left the scene at 23:15 after completing damping down wearing breathing apparatus worked quickly to bring the fire under control and stop it from spreading further. A WSFRS spokesperson said the blaze was "rapidly developing" on arrival and required extensive efforts to said: "The cause of the fire remains unclear, but it is not believed to have begun accidentally. "Fortunately there were no casualties as a result of this large fire, but residents living nearby were urged to keep their doors and windows closed due to the large amount of smoke."The fire damaged approximately two acres of land, including natural vegetation and stored hay. Residents were reminded by WSFRS to fully extinguish cigarettes, avoid lighting fires in the countryside, and never leave disposable barbecues or campfires unattended. Glass bottles should also be disposed of properly, as they can magnify sunlight and ignite dry grass, they said.
CBC
5 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Heat warnings, poor air quality choke southern Ontario
Temperatures above 40 C and smoke from northern wildfires created dangerous conditions in southern Ontario on Monday, with experts warning people to reschedule outdoor activities as much as possible.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
How ‘alert fatigue' impacts communities during natural disasters
Destructive flash flooding in central Texas, specifically Kerr County, has led to at least 121 fatalities and over 170 people missing after the Guadalupe River overflowed. Many affected individuals did not receive emergency warnings due to a lack of mobile phone service, silenced notifications, or not having their devices present. The tragedy underscores the problem of alert fatigue, where an abundance of warnings causes people to disable notifications, increasing their vulnerability during emergencies. Challenges in the emergency alert system include the difficulty of predicting flash floods, overly broad warnings, and rural authorities lacking funding or expertise to issue effective alerts. While the FCC is developing improvements like muted alerts for less severe situations, these changes are not anticipated until 2028, highlighting ongoing deficiencies in public warning systems.
CTV News
19-06-2025
- CTV News
High-risk sex offender charged in SkyTrain groping, transit police say
Hayden McCorriston was the subject of a public warning by the Vancouver Police Department on April 17, 2025. A 'high-risk sex offender' has been charged with sexual assault after allegedly groping a teenage girl in Surrey earlier this year. Metro Vancouver Transit Police announced Thursday that 30-year-old Hayden McCorriston had been charged with sexual assault in connection to an April 18 incident at Gateway SkyTrain Station. Around 9 p.m. that day, McCorriston allegedly followed a 17-year-old girl off of a train and groped her as she walked along the platform. The suspect then fled the station when the girl approached other passengers for help. At the time of the assault, the Vancouver Police Department had just issued a public warning about McCorriston, saying that he was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for breaching the conditions of his release from prison. It was the second warning the VPD had issued about McCorriston in as many days. He was also the subject of a public warning when he was released to a Vancouver halfway house on April 17. According to police, McCorriston had obtained statutory release after serving two-thirds of his three-year, two-month sentence, which he received in 2023 after pleading guilty to five counts of sexual assault, two counts of assault, one count of assault by choking, one count of committing an indecent act, and one count of robbery. In their news release Thursday, transit police said McCorriston remains in custody. 'Everyone has the right to arrive at their transit destination safely, and without the fear of harassment or assault,' said Const. Amanda Steed, in the release. 'Thanks to this young woman's quick thinking, officers were able to conduct investigative steps that identified the suspect and make an arrest.' With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel
