Silver Fire in California spreads to 1,200 acres, prompts evacuations
A vegetation fire in California rapidly spread to 1,000 acres on Sunday, prompting evacuations of parts of Inyo and Mono counties. (Cal Fire)
(BISHOP, CA) — A vegetation fire in California rapidly spread to 1,250 acres on Sunday, prompting evacuations of parts of Inyo and Mono counties.
The fire was first reported just after 2 p.m. PT near Highway 6 and Silver Canyon Road north of Bishop, California, a city east of Fresno, according to Cal Fire.
Officials named the fast-moving blaze the Silver Fire.
It remained at 0% containment as of 9 a.m. Monday.
Cal Fire said Sunday evening that the blaze crossed Highway 6, threatening multiple structures and power lines.
There are no known injuries associated with the fire, officials said.
Fighting the blaze was impacted by strong winds, with gusts reaching up to 35 mph at Bishop Airport, according to Cal Fire, which noted extreme turbulence grounded some firefighting aircraft.
The National Weather Service forecasts continued windy conditions for the region, with a High Wind Warning in effect through Monday evening.
ABC News’ Timmy Truong and Tristan Maglunog contributed to this report
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(SALINAS, Calif.) — The family of a 16-year-old track star is threatening to take legal action after the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) disqualified their daughter and stripped her of her gold medal after she celebrated her win in the state final by spraying her feet with a fire extinguisher – an homage to Olympic champion Maurice Green.
Clara Adams, a North Salinas High School sophomore, said that CIF officials told her that she was disqualified for “unsportsmanlike” behavior after the 400-meter state final and was prevented from standing on the podium to claim her number one spot or competing in the final race.
ABC News reached out to CIF representatives but requests for comment were not returned.
Adante Pointer, an attorney representing Clara Adams, told ABC News that the family is “certainly” planning on taking legal action if the CIF doesn’t reverse its decision.
“That was the championship, she would have been the fastest sprinter in the state of California – she is, she won, but she doesn’t have the title nor the medal,” Pointer said. “She’ll never have that moment.”
According to the CIF code of conduct on sportsmanship, student athletes are in part, not permitted to engage in or allow “taunting, boastful celebrations, or other actions that demean individuals or the sport.”
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors wrote a letter in support of Adams that the county is set to vote on Tuesday afternoon, urging CIF officials to reinstate her immediately.
“Clara’s celebration did not take place on the track itself, not was it directed at any of the competitors, the letter says, calling the punishment “disproportionate.”
Adams spoke out about the incident alongside members of the NAACP and her father, David, who is also her coach, during a press conference on Friday, saying that she was “crushed” by the CIF’s decision.
“I had to watch the girls get on the podium without me,” she said. “I had to watch somebody else get on the number one spot that I was supposed to stand on. And that wasn’t cool at all. That was wrong.”
Adams said that her father handed her the fire extinguisher after her win and instructed her to get off the field before spraying her feet in a nod to Greene, an iconic Olympian sprinter, who famously celebrated his 2004 Olympics win in the 100 meter race by taking off his shoes and having a teammate spray them with a fire extinguisher to put out the figurative fire on his feet.
Pointer said that Adams was “surprised” that she was punished because she was “paying homage to one of her icons.”
Greene, who spoke with ABC affiliate in Salinas, KSBW-TV, said he was happy to see Adams pay homage to him and suggested that she should be reinstated.
“When I heard, cause it happened, and then people just started calling me ‘This girl who just ran the 400 did your celebration’ I was like huh? What?” Greene said. “If it was away from everyone and not interfering with anyone, I would say reinstate her.”
(ATLANTA) — A 10-year-old girl was struck and killed by a tree that fell on her Atlanta home when severe storms blew through the city this weekend, officials said.
Six people lived in the house where the tree crashed down around 3 a.m. Saturday, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue.
The 10-year-old, identified by family as A’erica Shukai, was killed and her mother and grandmother were injured and hospitalized in stable condition, fire rescue officials said.
A’erica was lying in bed sleeping next to her grandmother when the tree fell, according to A’erica’s cousin, Tomeka Dixon.
A’erica’s mom has been released but her grandmother remains in the hospital, Dixon told ABC News on Monday.
A’erica, who loved cheerleading and making TikTok videos, just turned 10 on April 15, Dixon said.
She’s survived by her mother, grandmother, two sisters and brother. A’erica’s father died two years ago “and the family is still grieving from his loss,” according to a GoFundMe set up by Dixon.
“I’m just trying to be there for my family,” she said.
“We ask that all Georgians join us in praying for her loved ones during this difficult time,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wrote on social media.
The family plans to hold a candlelight vigil on Friday night, Dixon said.
ABC News’ Mariama Jalloh contributed to this report.
(PALM SPRINGS, CA) — Guy Bartkus — the lone suspect in a fatal car bombing that took place outside of a fertility center in Palm Springs, California, on May 17 — appears to have operated multiple social media accounts where he posted videos of homemade explosive devices and messages pointing to his plans.
Law enforcement officers are reviewing the accounts, which are believed to have been operated by Bartkus, a source familiar with the investigation told ABC News.
A snapshot of a YouTube channel, titled “Indict Evolution,” was saved to an online archive before the channel was taken off the platform.
The archive contains videos dating back at least six years and pointing to an interest in experimenting with homemade explosives and chemicals.
Several videos show what appear to be tests of homemade explosive devices.
Other videos suggested an interest in radioactive materials, with titles like “Uranium ore next to Geiger counter” and “Thorite from thorium mine.”
A spokesperson for YouTube, when asked about the account “Indict Evolution,” said, “We terminated channels associated with the suspect.”
The channel was no longer available as of Sunday.
The spokesperson added that the accounts had been removed for violating the platform’s policy on violent extremism.
One of the videos from the YouTube account was shared on May 12 to a controversial message board dedicated to suicide. The account that shared the YouTube video there went by the same username that law enforcement believes belonged to Bartkus, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
On May 5, a post on that account mentioned a failed suicide attempt involving drugs and a homemade explosive device.
On Thursday, that account posted again, detailing disturbing plans for a death by carbon monoxide poisoning. In a follow-up post, the user referred to “some extra drama that I probably shouldn’t say haha.”
The suspect was identified on Sunday afternoon as 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms, which is located about 50 miles from Palm Springs, according to Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
Bartkus is believed to be the person found dead next to the detonated vehicle, Davis said.
The fertility clinic near the blast, the American Reproductive Centers of Palm Springs, said in a statement that its staff members, as well as eggs, embryos and reproductive materials, were unharmed in the blast.
