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About 2,800 residents from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and about 450 residents from the Fort Nelson First Nation were asked to evacuate. Wildfire smoke has been linked to increases in certain cancers and heart-related issues, among other ailments. In 2023, 19 counties in 11 states had days with “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality — given at least a “code purple” alert on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index. Light rain showers were expected overnight Sunday with more rain forecast Monday, “which will help lower fire activity,” a Sunday update from Alberta Wildfire said. Fire restrictions will remain in effect in the area until conditions improve, according to Alberta Wildfire.

Persons: Parker, “, ” Ben Boghean, ” Cliff Chapman, Jaylene, Terry Cavaliere, ” Boghean, Paul, Crews Organizations: CNN, BC Wildfire Service, Northern Rockies Regional, Fort Nelson, Wildfire, Northern Rockies, Fort Nelson First Nation, Environment Canada, Canadian Interagency Fire Centre, Air, Environmental Protection Agency, US, Protection, British Columbia, Alberta, Reuters Residents, Estates, Lake Estates, Fort McMurray, Alberta Wildfire Locations: British Columbia, Fort Nelson, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, Parker, Fort, Canada, Maryland, Alberta, Fort McMurray, Saskatchewan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Minneapolis, St, United States, British, Grande Prairie Forest, TeePee Creek , Alberta, Regional, Wood Buffalo, Lake

☆ Hyundai and Kia models topped US auto theft rankings last year
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In all, six of the top 10 most-stolen vehicles in America last year were Hyundai and Kia models. The list included the Kia Soul, Kia Forte, and Kia Sportage. Certain older Hyundai and Kia models made before 2023 are particularly vulnerable to car thieves. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia, and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering. More than 1.1 million Kia vehicles nationwide have had anti-theft software installed, according to Kia.

Persons: Kia, Kia Forte, Kia Sportage, ” Kia, James Bell Organizations: CNN, National Insurance, Hyundai, Kia, Chevrolet Silverado, Silverado, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Ford, Crime Information Center, Data, Hyundai Motor Group Locations: America, United States

It's a story increasingly familiar in the energy industry: Some utility companies don't properly assess the risks wildfires pose to their operations. The primary purpose is to prevent power lines from igniting a wildfire during periods of high fire danger. The lawsuit also alleges the company "inexcusably kept their power lines energized during the forecasted high-fire danger conditions." A PG&E utility worker locates a gas main line in the rubble of a home burned down by wildfire in Paradise, California, Nov. 13, 2018. Several of those agencies track statewide wildfire information, but most did not keep track of the names of utility companies associated with wildfire incidents.

Persons: Michelle Glogovac, Glogovac, Laurie Allen, Brent Jones, Allen, Jones, inexcusably, Michael Wara, Shelee Kimura, Yuki Iwamura, David Pomerantz, Pomerantz, Patti Poppe, It's, JOSH EDELSON, Warren Buffett's, Stanford's, CNBC's Brian Sullivan, David Paul Morris, Institute's Pomerantz, Tama Organizations: CNBC, Electric, Energy, Stanford University, Hawaiian Electric, AFP, Getty, Policy, Policy Institute, NV Energy, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Bloomberg, Getty Images Locations: Paradise , California, Lahaina , Hawaii, Hawaii, Maui, Maui County, Lahaina, California, Nevada, Warren, — Arizona, California , Colorado, Hawaii , Montana , Nevada , New Mexico , Oregon , Utah, Washington, Arizona , New Mexico, Utah

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota isn’t telling owners of 1.9 million recalled RAV4 SUVs to park them outdoors even though U.S. safety investigators have four complaints about engine fires that can start with the vehicles' ignitions turned off. In addition, the agency has eight reports of fires that started on the driver's side of the engine compartment where the battery is located. Four reports said “thermal events” happened with the ignition off, indicating that it may be wise for owners to park the SUVs outdoors until they can be repaired. But Toyota spokesman Aaron Fowles said the company is not advising people to park the RAV4s outdoors. Documents posted Friday by the safety agency say that Toyota has found 22 "field technical reports" in the U.S.

Persons: —, ignitions, Aaron Fowles, haven't, ” Toyota Organizations: DETROIT, — Toyota, Traffic, Administration, Toyota, U.S, NHTSA Locations: RAV4s, U.S

The lawsuits come after thousands of Hyundai and Kia thefts that use a method popularized on TikTok and other social media channels. The cities suing Kia and Hyundai include New York, Cleveland, San Diego, Milwaukee, Columbus and Seattle. Kia and Hyundai vehicles represent a large share of stolen cars in many U.S. cities, according to data from police and state officials. Many Hyundai and Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypassing the ignition. In May, the automakers agreed to a consumer class-action lawsuit settlement worth $200 million over rampant car thefts of the Korean automakers' vehicles.

Persons: Edgar Su, Immobilizers, David Shepardson, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Singapore, REUTERS, Rights, Korean, Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp, Hyundai, Kia, Traffic Safety Administration, Insurance Institute, Highway, Data, Thomson Locations: Singapore, New York, Cleveland, San Diego, Milwaukee, Columbus, Seattle, U.S

☆ Opinion | Maui and the Age of the Urban Firestorm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

It wasn’t even really a wildfire. In general, we’ve long believed the built environment offered formidable firebreaks, and worried over what might be lost when fires passed near homes as a form of tragic collateral damage. As of Tuesday, the official death toll in Maui was 99, but almost 1 percent of all residents remained unaccounted for, and many locals were suggesting the death toll could increase significantly in the days ahead. A climate lawsuit launched by the island against Big Oil in 2020 specifically cited additional wildfire risk. But still, when the fire broke out, almost no one seemed adequately prepared.

Persons: Daniel Swain, Tubbs, Marshall, Chuck, Swain Organizations: Costco, New York, Big Oil Locations: Lahaina, Hawaii, Santa Rosa, Calif, Paradise, Boulder County, Colo, New, Maui

A utility pole on Friday that had been damaged in the high winds this week in Lahaina, Hawaii. But Hawaiian Electric, the state’s largest utility and the parent company of the power provider on Maui, made wildfire prevention its lowest priority in a state regulatory filing in April. In fact, the utility had no plan to cut power to prevent further ignitions even after flames began consuming the island. The recent devastation on Maui served as a reminder that climate-driven disaster can strike anywhere. “From what we’ve learned, we believe the Lahaina fires could have been prevented had proper safety precautions been taken,” said Gerald Singleton, one lawyer who issued a release about potential lawsuits.

Persons: ”, Jennifer Potter, Potter, Jim Kelly, we’ve, Gerald Singleton, Nicole Lowen, Ms, ” Ms, “ Organizations: Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas &, Hawaiian Electric, Energy, Hawaii State Legislature Locations: Lahaina , Hawaii, Maui, California, Lahaina, “, Hawaii

☆ How Canada’s Record Wildfires Got So Bad, So Fast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nadja Popovich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

How Canada’s Record Wildfires Got So Bad, So FastWildfires in Canada have burned a staggering 25 million acres so far this year, an area roughly the size of Kentucky. With more than a month of peak fire season left to go, 2023 has already eclipsed Canada’s previous annual record from 1989, when over 18 million acres were scorched. Hot, dry conditions have fueled widespread wildfires, mostly in Canada’s boreal forests, since the spring, with some of the largest blazes burning in Northwest Canada and Quebec. A heat wave baked British Columbia and Alberta in mid-May, exacerbating several early wildfires. More than 100 times over the past three months, Canadian wildfires have grown sufficiently large and powerful to produce their own weather, kicking up giant thunderclouds known as pyrocumulonibus, and injecting smoke high into the atmosphere.

Persons: ”, Jennifer Kamau, Kamau, “, González, Mike Flannigan, Yan Boulanger, Flanningan Organizations: Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Madison Dong, Thompson Rivers University, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Times Locations: Canada, Kentucky, Northwest Canada, Quebec, North America, International, United States, Madison, Columbia, Alberta, Northern Canada, Thompson, Kamloops , British Columbia, California

Fires are burning across the breadth of Canada, blanketing parts of the eastern United States with choking, orange-gray smoke. So much wildfire smoke pushed through the border that in Buffalo, schools canceled outdoor activities. The average global temperatures today are more than 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than in the preindustrial era. The trees and grasses of eastern Canada turned to tinder. “We should expect a stunning year of global extremes,” he wrote.

Persons: It’s, El Niño, Justin Trudeau, ”, Alexandra Paige Fischer, Park Williams, Wiliams, Brendan Rogers, haven’t, La, Jeff Berardelli, El, Ada Monzón Organizations: Northern, University of Michigan, Stanford, University of California, Climate Research, El, Twitter Locations: Canada, United States, Puerto Rico, North America, El, Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, Alberta, Vietnam, China, Siberia, WFLA, Tampa Bay, Fla, WAPA

REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiNEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) - New York City on Tuesday sued Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and Kia Corp (000270.KS), accusing the South Korean automakers of negligence and creating a public nuisance by selling vehicles that are too easy to steal. The most populous U.S. city joined several other major cities that have sued Hyundai and Kia over the thefts, including Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego and Seattle. In contrast, the city said thefts of BMW, Ford, Honda, Mercedes, Nissan and Toyota vehicles have fallen this year. Last month, Hyundai and Kia reached a $200 million settlement of a consumer class action over the thefts. The case is City of New York v Hyundai Motor America et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Kim Hong, Hyundais, Kias, Kia, Jonathan Stempel, Chris Reese, Jamie Freed Organizations: Hyundai Motors, REUTERS, Tuesday, Hyundai Motor, Kia Corp, South Korean, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, New York City, U.S, Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego, Seattle, Manhattan, New York, of New York, Southern District, Southern District of New York

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) and Kia Corp (000270.KS) agreed to a consumer class-action lawsuit settlement worth $200 million over rampant car thefts of the Korean automakers' vehicles, lawyers for the owners and the automakers said on Thursday. In February, the Korean automakers said they would offer software upgrades to 8.3 million U.S. vehicles without anti-theft immobilizers to help curb increasing car thefts using a method popularized on TikTok and other social media channels. The settlement covers about 9 million U.S. owners and includes up to $145 million for out-of-pocket losses for consumers who had cars stolen, lawyers for the owners said. The consumer settlement covers owners of 2011 through 2022 model year Hyundai or Kia vehicles with a traditional "insert-and-turn" steel key ignition system. Other related expenses including car rental, taxi or other transportation costs not covered by insurance are also included by the settlement.

☆ Hyundai and Kia agree to $200 million legal settlement over theft issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai have agreed to an estimated $200 million class action legal settlement over claims that many of the companies’ cars and SUVs are much too easy to steal. The settlement, which could cover up to nine million vehicle owners, provides a total of up to $145 million that will be distributed to owners whose vehicles have been stolen to help cover their out-of-pocket losses. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia, and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering. Hyundai dealers will also affix window stickers stating that the vehicle has anti-theft software installed. As part of the agreement, installation of the anti-theft software will now be done automatically along with any dealer service appointment without the owner having to specifically request it.

☆ NYC to give out 500 Apple AirTags for residents to put in their cars to combat car theft
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Laura Ly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Some Kia, Hyundai, and Honda models are getting stolen in New York City so often that the Mayor is giving out Apple AirTags to help residents track their vehicles. The city plans to distribute 500 AirTags to residents to place in their cars to combat car thefts in target neighborhoods, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced at a press conference on Sunday. Adams made the announcement in a Bronx neighborhood that has seen over 200 car thefts this year alone – the highest of any precinct in the city. The Hyundai and Kia vehicles in question include the Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson, and the Kia Forte and Sportage, with 2015-2019 model years. So far this year, the NYPD has recorded thefts of 966 Kia and Hyundai cars – marking an increase of 819 cars since last year, Chell said.

CNN —A coalition of attorneys general for 17 states and the District of Columbia on Thursday called for a federal recall of Hyundai and Kia vehicles that they say are unsafe and too easy to steal. “Hyundai and Kia announced that they will initiate voluntary service campaigns to offer software updates for certain vehicles with this starting-system vulnerability. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia, and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering. “The bottom line is, Kia’s and Hyundai’s failure to install standard safety features on many of their vehicles have put vehicle owners and the public at risk,” Attorney General Bonta said. The attorneys general’s letter asserts that the ease of theft of these Hyundai and Kia vehicles constitutes a safety hazard and the vehicles fail to meet federal standards for theft prevention.

☆ California, other states seek recall of Hyundai, Kia vehicles over theft
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Doyinsola Oladipo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and Kia Corp (000270.KS) vehicles represent a large share of stolen cars in multiple U.S. cities, according to data from police and state officials. While most cars in recent years have been installed with industry standard anti-theft devices, the Korean automakers have no push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. Hyundai said its vehicles have engine immobilizers that prevent a vehicle from starting unless the correct key or fob is used, making it compliant with federal anti-theft requirements. "These specific models comply fully with all applicable federal standards, a recall is neither appropriate nor necessary under federal law," said Kia in a statement. U.S. theft claims were nearly twice as common for Hyundai and Kia vehicles compared with all other manufacturers among 2015-2019 model-year vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute said last year.

☆ Hyundai and Kia thefts trend reached New York City
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Spikes in car thefts of certain Hyundai and Kia models, a trend that began in the American midwest and was spread by how-to videos on social media, has reached America’s biggest city. About 100 of these particularly vulnerable Hyundai and Kia vehicles were stolen in the month of December alone in New York City, according to New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. Joy rides on Tik TokThese models became the subject of a viral social media trend in which thieves filmed themselves and others stealing Hyundai and Kia vehicles and taking them for a drive. The New York thefts first began to be noticed in The Bronx, the commissioner said, but soon were also happening in other parts of the city. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia, and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering.

[1/3] The Gateway Arch is seen across from snow covered banks of the Mississippi River during cold weather in St Louis, Missouri, U.S. February 11, 2021. "Big corporations like Kia and Hyundai must be held accountable for endangering our residents and putting profit over people,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. Many Hyundai and Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypassing the ignition. Since May 2022, St. Louis police received more than 4,500 reports of thefts of Kia or Hyundai vehicles. Sixty-one percent of vehicles stolen in St. Louis have been Kias and Hyundais, St. Louis said.

☆ U.S. states urge Hyundai, Kia to do more to tackle theft risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In Chicago there were over 7,000 thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles in 2022 accounting for 10% of Kia and 7% of Hyundai vehicles registered in the city, the letter said. Ellison said in Minneapolis in 2022 Kia and Hyundai vehicle thefts were tied to five homicides and 265 motor vehicle accidents. The free upgrade will be offered for 3.8 million Hyundai and 4.5 million Kia vehicles, the automakers and NHTSA said. Many Hyundai and Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypassing the ignition. All Hyundai vehicles produced since November 2021 are equipped with an engine immobilizer as standard equipment.

☆ Hyundai, Kia offer software upgrade to 8.3 mln U.S. vehicles to prevent thefts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The free upgrade will be offered for 3.8 million Hyundai and 4.5 million Kia vehicles in the United States, the automakers and NHTSA said. USA Today reported last month that two major insurance companies had stopped offering new policies for Hyundai and Kia vehicles at high risk of theft. Many 2015-19 model year Hyundai and affiliate Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypassing the ignition. The initial Hyundai upgrade will cover more than 1 million 2017-2020 Elantra, 2015-2019 Sonata and 2020-2021 Venue model year vehicles. All Hyundai vehicles produced since November 2021 are equipped with an engine immobilizer as standard equipment.

☆ Hyundai and Kia roll out free software patch to keep some cars from getting stolen
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The vehicles in question, 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia models with turn-key ignitions — as opposed to push-button start — are roughly twice as likely to be stolen as other vehicles of a similar age. The two South Korean automakers have come up with a software patch to fix the problem, the automakers and NHTSA said Tuesday. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia, and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering. The patch will be installed free of charge on vulnerable models, with software that requires an actual key in the ignition to turn the vehicle on. Hyundai will begin providing the software immediately for the most popular — and most frequently stolen — vulnerable models.

☆ Some Kia and Hyundai models get stolen so often that State Farm and Progressive said they'll no longer insure them in some cities
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

State Farm and Progressive are temporarily not writing new policies for some Hyundai and Kia cars, per reports. Since 2018, car thefts in Colorado rose by 160%, with Kia and Hyundai cars making up most of the thefts, Denver7 reported. Stolen car claims were almost twice as high for Kia and Hyundai models from 2015 to 2019, according to a report from the Highway Loss Data Institute. Some of the car models use traditional keys and don't have electronic immobilizers in them, meaning people can start the car without a key present. During the pandemic, a trend on TikTok and YouTube went viral teaching people how to hijack some Kia and Hyundai models with a screwdriver and USB charging cord.

☆ Some auto insurers are refusing to cover some Hyundai and Kia models
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Progressive and State Farm, two of America’s largest auto insurers, are refusing to write policies in certain cities for some older Hyundai and Kia models that have been deemed too easy to steal, according to one of the insurance companies and media reports. The insurance companies did not tell CNN which cities or states were involved. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering. Engine immobilizers are now standard on all Kia vehicles, according to a statement by the automaker and the company says it has been developing and testing security software for vehicles not originally equipped with an immobilize. Hyundai said it is providing free steering wheel locks to some police departments around the country to give local residents who have easily stolen Hyundai models.

☆ Back-to-back winter storms bring heavy snow, critical fire conditions and even a possible haboob to the West
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Jennifer Gray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The winter storm that dumped up to two feet of snow across the Cascades and the northern Rockies in the Northwest on Thursday will impact the Central US Friday. Check your forecast here“The cold front has featured everything from 82 mph winds to snow squall conditions to thundersnow,” the National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City said. With several feet of new snow in the mountains, an avalanche warning has been issued for the Central Sierra, including Greater Lake Tahoe through Friday evening. “Confidence has also increased in blowing dust including the potential of a wall of dust developing along the cold front,” the weather service warned. The weather service in Eureka, California, noted the “possibility of isolated thunderstorms capable of producing small hail” near the coast.

Drone Amplified, a Nebraska-based startup, is using unmanned aerial technology to improve one of the oldest and most-effective methods of preventing wildfires: prescribed burns. “Then you have helicopters with a whole crew on board, flying really low and slow over the fire,” he added of other methods for prescribed burns. The drones allow firefighters to work at a distance from flames, according to Detweiler, and in areas that are difficult to reach due to terrain or visibility. Precision is a critical element when conducting prescribed burns, because it is crucial for preventing fire escapes. Two recent controlled burns in New Mexico escaped and led to the state’s largest wildfire on record.

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