(STERLING, Va.) — Twenty-six patients were transported to area hospitals late Wednesday evening for ammonia exposure after a leak occurred at a commercial building in Sterling, Virginia.
At approximately 8:36 p.m., Loudoun County Fire Rescue responded to the 22400 block of Sous Vide Lane in Sterling for reports of a gas leak. Officials later confirmed the leak was ammonia.
A representative for Cuisine Soultions Inc. told ABC News that employees were immediately relocated outside of the plant and that the leak was contained.
Four of the 26 patients were experiencing significant symptoms, according to officials.
(NEW YORK) — A wildfire that started Tuesday in Colorado has killed a person in their home, while California firefighters battling the largest active wildland blaze in the nation made significant progress on containing it but still have a long way to go before it is extinguished, authorities said.
As the Park Fire in Northern California has grown into the fifth largest wildfire in California history, firefighters were dealt a new challenge when another blaze erupted in Southern California and quickly blew up into a major conflagration, prompting mass evacuations, officials said.
The Stone Canyon Fire in Colorado
During a news conference Wednesday, Boulder County, Colorado, Sheriff Curtis Johnson said the remains of a person were recovered from a home in the area of the Stone Canyon Fire burning about 20 miles north of Boulder. But Johnson released few details about the circumstances of the death.
The Stone Canyon Fire burning west of Rabbit Mountain and the town of Lyons was first reported around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Johnson said. By Wednesday morning, the fire had grown to 1,320 acres and was 0% contained, according to the Boulder Office of Disaster Management.
The fire prompted evacuations in the fire zone, authorities said. At least five structures have been destroyed, according to authorities.
The Alexander Mountain Fire in Colorado
Colorado firefighters were also trying to get the upper hand on the Alexander Mountain Fire, which was first reported around 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. The fire burning in a remote mountainous area near Roosevelt National Park grew to 6,781 acres by Wednesday afternoon, fire officials said during a news conference.
The fire was 0% contained as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Alexander Mountain Fire, which also prompted evacuations, is about eight miles from the Stone Canyon Fire, officials said.
“The good news for us is that we were able to grab resources from Larimer County. As soon as our fire kicked off, the Larimer sheriff was in contact with me, offered to send some of those air resources to this fire, tried to help us get it under control,” Johnson said. “So within an hour, we had a lot more support than we might on a normal initial fire because of the fire burning north of us.”
The Park Fire in Northern California
Firefighters battling the Park Fire in Northern California, the largest active fire in the nation, made significant progress overnight, increasing containment lines on the blaze from 12% on Tuesday to 18% on Wednesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
As of Wednesday, the Park Fire, which officials said was deliberately started on July 24 and spread through Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties in Northern California, had grown to 389,791 acres — which sent it leapfrogging over the 2020 Creek Fire, which tore through Central California’s Sierra National Forest, to become the fifth largest wildfire in state history, officials said.
The Park Fire has destroyed 361 structures, including homes and commercial property, and damaged another 36 structures in a path of destruction that started in Bidwell Park near the city of Chico and spread about 90 miles north to the Lassen National Forest, according to Cal Fire.
More than 5,800 firefighters are fighting the Park Fire from the air and ground. At least 3,800 people have been forced to evacuate their homes, according to Cal Fire.
Meanwhile, the suspect arrested on suspicion of starting the Park Fire was formally arraigned on Monday. Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico, was charged with felony arson with an enhancement of special circumstances due to prior convictions. His arraignment was continued to Thursday, when he is expected to enter a plea. Stout was ordered to be held without bail.
Stout was allegedly spotted just before 3 p.m. PT on July 24 pushing a burning car down a gully called “Alligator Hole” in Bidwell Park, near Chico, sparking the Park Fire, prosecutors said.
Weather conditions in the Chico area will be heating up in the coming days. The high temperatures in the area are forecast to climb into the upper 90s on Wednesday and reach triple digits by Thursday and into the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The Nixon Fire in Southern California
California firefighters were confronting 20 active blazes on Wednesday, including seven that started on Monday and Tuesday. Among the biggest new fires is the Nixon Fire that ignited around 12:30 p.m. local time on Monday off Richard Nixon Boulevard in Riverside County, northeast of the town of Aguanga, according to Cal Fire.
As of Wednesday morning, the Nixon Fire had grown to 4,941 acres and was 5% contained, according to Cal Fire.
At least five structures in the fire zone were damaged or destroyed, but it was unclear if they were homes. More than 900 structures were being threatened by the fire, according to Cal Fire.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in the area.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
More than 700 fire personnel, including 44 fire engine crews, two helicopter crews and numerous firefighting air tankers, were battling the fire on Wednesday.
Smoke spreading across the Northwest
The fires in the West are spreading smoke across the Northwest.
By Wednesday afternoon, the smoke is expected to remain heavy in the Northern California region, but farther east, it will be pushed south.
Medium to heavy smoke is possible from Salt Lake City to Denver on Wednesday afternoon, while places farther north that have been under heavy smoke for days will finally get a break as they get rainfall and cooler temperatures.
Air quality alerts were issued for Boise, Idaho, and Denver due to the smoky conditions, officials said.
Red flag warnings signaling elevated fire danger were issued for at least Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.
(NEW YORK) — A man has “intentionally” run over and killed a flock of 25 seagulls with his Jeep Cherokee before almost running over two people and their dogs, authorities said.
The incident occurred last Saturday around 8 p.m. when the unidentified suspect was driving his silver four-door Jeep Cherokee approximately 1.7 miles south of the Klipsan Beach approach outside of Long Beach in Pacific County in Washington, some 180 miles southwest of Seattle, according to a statement from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police.
“The same Jeep nearly struck two subjects walking their dogs on the beach,” officials said. “Multiple witnesses came forward including three that stopped the vehicle, photographing it and the driver.”
Most of the seagulls died immediately but efforts to save the few remaining injured birds failed.
“WDFW police have identified the driver thanks to these community members and officers are currently attempting to contact the man who is believed to be living out of State,” authorities said.
Seagulls are classified as protected in Washington and it is illegal for them to be hunted or fished.
Authorities are currently looking for witnesses and have asked the public to get in touch with them if you have any information regarding the person of interest or vehicle by contacting the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police at (877) 933-9847.
(OKLAHOMA CITY) — Several Oklahoma schools are speaking out against State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ directive to teach the Bible in public school grades 5 through 12.
Walters recently released guidelines on his controversial Bible mandate in public schools after ordering educators to incorporate the religious text into their lessons, arguing that the Bible is necessary to ensure “students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.”
In a June 27 meeting, Walters spoke on the requirement, saying, “every teacher and every classroom in the state will have a Bible in the classroom and will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom.”
The order was followed by intense backlash from civil liberties groups and the Oklahoma Education Association – a collective of educators, administrators and other school employees — who say it infringes on students’ and educators’ freedom of religion.
Now, several Oklahoma schools have publicly stated that there will not be any changes to their curriculum and that they will continue to adhere to current school standards despite Walters’ recently announced guidelines.
In a July 25 statement, Owasso Public Schools Superintendent Margaret Coates said the district “will continue to adhere to the curriculum and instructional materials previously adopted by the district.”
“As a public school system, it is crucial that we maintain neutrality and objectivity in our curriculum and instructional practices,” Coates continued.
Many school district superintendents noted that Walters cannot solely mandate curriculum or instructional resources — pointing to the state law that requires standards to receive legislative approval on a six-year cycle and state statutes that give local districts the ability to determine reading and instructional materials.
Currently, the 2019 approved Oklahoma state education standards include religion as it relates to its historical role and to cultures around the world. According to the current “World History Content Standards,” educators are to discuss “the origins, major beliefs, spread and lasting impact of the world’s major religions and philosophies, including Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, and Sikhism.”
Stillwater Public Schools Superintendent Uwe Gordon said in an online statement that the school will neither be purchasing class copies of the Bible nor will it deliver lessons from Bibles or any other religious text.
“SPS prides itself on being respectful of the myriad religions, cultures, traditions, worldviews, and belief systems inherent in our community,” said Gordon. “The district also holds itself to adherence with the state’s established academic standards and the laws of the land.”
Gordon also reaffirmed students’ abilities to pray in schools, read religious texts on their own, wear religious garb and meet with religious student-led clubs.
In a statement on the Bixby Public Schools district website, Superintendent Rob Miller said he agrees with Walters on “the importance of studying the role of religion in historical and cultural contexts.”
However, the district argues that the teaching of any specific religious doctrine or ideology is not part of the current state standards. Therefore, Bixby Public Schools said it will not change its curriculum.
Moore Public Schools Superintendent Robert Romines clarified in a statement on July 18 that while students should learn about religion’s role in historical and cultural contexts, the teaching of specific religious doctrines or practices is not a part of the current education standards.
“Our goal is to continue providing a respectful environment that acknowledges various perspectives while adhering to the set and approved Oklahoma educational standards,” said Romines.
Walters told ABC News in a statement: “Some Oklahoma educators have indicated they won’t follow the law and Oklahoma standards, so let me be clear: they will comply, and I will use every means to make sure of it.”
ABC News asked for clarification on the consequences educators or schools could face if they did not comply, but his office did not provide a response.
Walters’ guidelines require educators to incorporate the Bible by looking at “only its historical, literary and secular benefits” by noting the Bible’s influence on Western civilization, American history, literature, art and music.
The guidelines also repeatedly state that the Bible “is not to be used for religious purposes such as preaching, proselytizing or indoctrination” and that “maintaining neutrality and objectivity is crucial.”
When it comes to the constitutionality of religion in schools, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against mandated religious practices or texts in schools.
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that Kentucky’s then-law requiring that a copy of the Ten Commandments be posted in public classrooms “had no secular legislative purpose” and was “plainly religious in nature.”
Nearly 20 years before that, the Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored devotional prayer and Bible readings in public schools are unconstitutional.
Local news outlet Tulsa World recently reported comments from Walters in which he appeared to welcome lawsuits against the Bible directive, in hopes that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn previous precedent on the separation of church and state.
Miller, from Bixby Public Schools, noted that these comments seem to be a “tacit acknowledgment that this directive may not pass constitutional muster based on current statutes and legal precedent and may require a future review by the Supreme Court.”
“Bixby Schools will continue to comply with existing case law to ensure that the rights of our students and employees are fully protected,” Miller said.
(PLANT CITY, Fla.) — Four people and three dogs are dead after a Florida mobile home was intentionally set on fire in what authorities called an “evil” act, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office responded to a call of a fire at a residence in Plant City shortly after midnight on Wednesday.
Fire crews were able to knock down the fire in 20 minutes, though four people were found dead at the scene, authorities said. Three dogs were also killed in the blaze.
A 25-year-old man who lived in the home has been arrested after allegedly admitting to intentionally setting the home on fire.
The suspect, Shawn Gossett, was found near the mobile home after fire crews responded to the blaze, according to Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer.
Gossett allegedly admitted to detectives that he started the fire by igniting paper towels with a lighter, Maurer said.
“The details of why and his motive are still being worked out as we work through this investigation,” Maurer said during a press briefing on Wednesday. “This is an immense tragedy, and one that was senseless.”
Gossett has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder while engaged in arson, three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of arson of a dwelling, the sheriff’s office said. It is unclear if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Gossett is believed to have been friends with the family who lived in the home, Maurer said. The names of the victims, who were all adults, have not yet been released pending family notification, he said.
Maurer said the victims were unable to get out of the home, but it is unclear why.
Their manner and cause of death are pending an autopsy and should be available later Wednesday, Maurer said.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister commended the swift actions of the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue that led to an arrest in the incident.
“This is an utterly senseless and horrific crime where four innocent lives were tragically taken due to the evil actions of this man,” Chronister said in a statement.
(MOUNDRIDGE, Kan.) — A toddler was rescued Sunday afternoon after getting stuck underground in a PVC pipe, officials said.
Emergency responders in Moundridge, Kansas, “acted swiftly and worked diligently for approximately 15-20 minutes to safely recover the child,” the Moundridge Police Department said in a press release.
The 14-month-old boy was “understandably shaken,” but was not injured in the incident, police said.
The boy fell into the sump pump drain while playing outside, according to Wichita, Kansas, ABC affiliate KAKE.
“Kids are always a concern, especially small kids,” Moundridge EMS Director Brian Falco told KAKE. “He doesn’t communicate. He doesn’t follow instructions. It’s not like an adult.”
The pipe was about 1 foot in diameter and about 10 to 12 feet deep, police said.
Police specifically commended one officer, identified as Officer Ronnie Wagner, who they said “constructed a makeshift ‘catch pole’ using a smaller PVC pipe and rope.”
“This creative solution was instrumental in lifting the child safely from the pipe,” police said.
Police thanked first responders for their work in rescuing the toddler.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to all the first responders for their swift and effective action, which transformed a dangerous situation into a successful rescue,” police said.
(EAST BATON ROUGE, La.) — A 6-month-old boy died after being left for hours in a hot car in Louisiana, authorities said.
The baby was found dead in the backseat by his parent at about 5:46 p.m. Tuesday, according to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.
When the parent went to pick up the baby from day care after work, they realized they forgot to drop him off at day care that morning, the sheriff’s office said.
The heat index — what temperature it feels like with humidity — reached a scorching 112 degrees in Baton Rouge on Tuesday.
The investigation is ongoing. The coroner will conduct an autopsy to determine how long the baby was in the car, according to the sheriff’s office.
At least 16 children have died in hot cars across the U.S. so far this year, according to national nonprofit KidsAndCars.org.
Since 1990, at least 1,100 children have died in hot cars — and about 88% of those kids were 3 years old or younger, according to KidsAndCars.org.
Click here for hot car safety tips to keep in mind this summer.
(NEW YORK) — A Missouri woman is suing a Kansas hospital where she says she was denied an emergency abortion after she went into premature labor at 18 weeks of pregnancy, alleging she was denied emergency health-stabilizing care.
The lawsuit comes a year after a government investigation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that hospitals in Missouri and Kansas violated federal law when they refused to provide Mylissa Farmer with abortion care.
Farmer is now suing the University of Kansas Health System and the hospital authority that governs it under a law — Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, EMTALA — that federally mandates emergency stabilizing care for all patients in hospitals funded by Medicare.
In a lawsuit, Farmer alleged that she suffered preterm premature rupture of membranes — when a pregnant woman’s water breaks before the pregnancy is viable — in August 2022 and she had lost all her amniotic fluid by the time she arrived at the Kansas Hospital. She alleges she had been sent to the hospital after being turned away from a Missouri hospital due to the state’s abortion ban.
Without treatment, she was at risk of severe blood loss, sepsis, loss of fertility and death, according to the suit.
Farmer alleged that physicians at the hospital “refused to perform even routine emergency checks such as taking Ms. Farmer’s temperature and assessing per pain,” according to the lawsuit.
Physicians at the hospital told her of the risks she faced without an emergency abortion, but still turned her away without any treatment, Farmer alleged.
Farmer got abortion care two days later in Illinois, but her prolonged miscarriage “caused extensive damage to her health,” according to the suit.
She is seeking a “declaration that the hospital violated federal and Kansas law by turning her away and financial compensation for the harm she suffered,” the National Women’s Law Center, which is representing her, said in a statement.
“What happened to me should never happen to anyone. Denying me care not only put my life at risk but inflicted irreparable trauma, physical and mental suffering, and financial hardship on me and my husband,” Farmer said in a statement Tuesday.
Farmer “continues to suffer physically, psychologically, and financially as a result of her ordeal. Her doctor believes the trauma from the denial of care exacerbated a chronic illness, for which she has been hospitalized several times since TUKH’s denial of care,” the lawsuit said.
“The psychological and physical manifestations of the trauma Ms. Farmer suffered ultimately prevented her from working for many months. Without the ability to earn wages, Ms. Farmer lost the home she owned,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that blocked Idaho’s ban on abortions in cases where there is a threat to the health of the mother. The case was the first time the court has weighed in on a state abortion law since it overturned Roe v. Wade, ending federal protections for abortion rights.
The University of Kansas Health System told ABC News it “has not seen the lawsuit and don’t want to comment on something we’ve not had the opportunity to review.”
But in a statement following last year’s complaint, the hospital said it was following policy.
“It met the standard of care based upon the facts known at the time, and complied with all applicable law,” according to the statement, adding that it will “respect” the government’s process on the complaint.
(NEW YORK) — Ashley Benefield, the woman at the center of the “Black Swan” murder trial, was convicted of manslaughter on Tuesday night.
The jury in the trial of the ballerina who had been accused of killing her husband, Doug Benefield, returned its verdict late Tuesday night in a Florida courtroom.
She faces up to 30 years in prison. Her sentencing date has yet to be determined.
Ashley Benefield’s attorney argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship, stating that Doug Benefield was a manipulative, controlling and abusive man. She had argued she killed her husband in self-defense. Prosecutors had accused Ashley of wanting sole custody of the couple’s daughter Emerson.
“This case is about a woman who, very early on in her pregnancy, decided she wanted to be a single mother,” prosecutor Suzanne O’Donnell said. “Her husband and everything she did from that point on was to attain that goal and she would stop at nothing to attain that goal. When there was no other option, she shoots him and kills him and claims self-defense.”
According to court documents filed by the defense, Ashley claims Doug struck her in an incident on Sept. 27, 2020, hitting her on the side of her head, and then tried to keep her from leaving the room.
Ashley claims she feared for her life, shot Doug multiple times in self-defense, and then ran to her neighbor’s house.
(PHILADELPHIA) — A 43-year-old man on his way to evening prayers at a Philadelphia mosque Tuesday was shot multiple times and killed in what police called an “execution-type homicide.”
A suspect remains at large, police said. A motive is not yet known.
Police responded to reports of gunfire and a shooting on the 1500 block of Germantown Avenue shortly before 5 p.m. ET, authorities said.
The victim was found lying in the parking lot of the mosque suffering from multiple gunshot wounds — including several to his chest and torso and at least one to his head, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. Police rushed the victim to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, he said.
The shooter, who was wearing dark-colored clothing, fled the parking lot and got into a vehicle, Small said.
Surveillance footage captured the shooting in the parking lot, Small said.
“You can clearly see our victim walking to this mosque for a prayer service. He was walking with another male. You see the shooter run up behind the victim, and from just a few feet away, begin firing shots,” Small said during a press briefing.
The shooter continued firing after the victim collapsed onto the parking lot, Small said.
“Our victim clearly appears to be the intended target,” he said.
The name of the victim has not been released. The man the victim was walking with was uninjured, police said.
Seventeen spent shell casings were found at the scene, fired from a large caliber semi-automatic weapon, Small said.
The suspect vehicle is believed to be a dark-colored sedan with a replacement or donut tire on the right front passenger side, Small said.
Police will be reviewing other surveillance cameras in the area and have found several witnesses to the shooting, Small said.
There is a $20,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction, police said.
