Small-town church where shooting was center of community

The most recent sermon posted on YouTube by the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, shows him explaining why he had parked a motorcycle in front of his lectern. As he walked side to side on stage, Frank Pomeroy explained in the video posted Oct. 29 that he wanted to discuss having faith in forces that can't be seen, be they gravity during a sharp turn or God.

Church where shooting took place was center of community

The most recent sermon posted on YouTube by the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, shows him explaining why he had parked a motorcycle in front of his lectern. As he walked side to side on stage, Frank Pomeroy explained in the video posted Oct. 29 that he wanted to discuss having faith in forces that can't be seen, be they gravity during a sharp turn or God.

California ablaze; Las Vegas aftermath; Drying wells

DISPATCH FROM CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES The massive wildfires in Northern California in mid-October forced thousands to quickly evacuate their homes as the fires advanced on neighborhoods and wineries. The American Red Cross set up makeshift evacuation centers in veterans' halls, churches and schools to accommodate the hundreds seeking refuge, some who had lost everything.

Memorial bell tolls for 42 victims of Northern California

Laura Schulze, above, holds her son Zachary, 8, during the Day of Remembrance at Santa Rosa Junior Col lege, where hundreds of community members, officials and first responders gathered in Bailey Field, below. Laura Schulze, above, holds her son Zachary, 8, during the Day of Remembrance at Santa Rosa Junior Col lege, where hundreds of community members, officials and first responders gathered in Bailey Field, below.

Utility scrutinized as California wildfire victims sue

Northern California homeowners allege in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that Pacific Gas & Electric Co. failed to adequately protect its power lines before the region's deadly wildfires, a theory that state investigators are considering as they try to determine the cause.

Fire death toll hits 40

The California wildfires raced toward wineries and the historic town of Sonoma on Saturday, chasing hundreds more people from their homes and threatening to roll back firefighters' modest gains against fires that stretched across a 100-mile swath of Northern California. Propelled by stiff winds, the fires damaged or destroyed several buildings in the middle of the night before crews halted their advance at the edge of Sonoma, where firefighters spent days digging firebreaks to keep flames from reaching the city's historic central plaza built centuries ago when the area was under Spanish rule.

Smoke smolders from a wildfire-ravaged home Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in Sonoma, Calif.

Newly released body camera footage shows a sheriff's deputy braving flames to rescue a disabled woman and get people to flee from a lethal wildfire that was about to devour a Northern California community. Sonoma County announced Saturday evening that its coroner had confirmed two more deaths, taking the total in the county to 22 and the overall count to 40. A residence in the hills above Sonoma, Calif., has a posted sign alerting people to an available pool if needed to shelter from wildfires Friday, Oct. 13, 2017.

California wildfire death toll approaches 40, hundreds still missing

Fast-moving fires spread by shifting winds forced thousands more Californians to evacuate their homes on Saturday as the death toll from the deadliest blaze recorded in the state's history rose to at least 38, with hundreds of people still missing. About 10,000 firefighters supported by air tankers and helicopters overhead were battling 16 major wildfires, some encompassing several smaller merged blazes, in areas north of San Francisco that have consumed nearly 214,000 acres over seven days, or roughly 334 square miles - an area larger than New York City.

The Latest: Phone companies told save evidence tied to fires

A helicopter flies through the smokey sky to drop a load of water on a wildfire Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, in Sonoma, Calif. Officials say progress is being made in some of the largest wildfires burning in Northern California but that the death toll is almost sure to surge.

Ecological imbalance: Why wildfires are increasing in US rangelands

Wild Horse Fire Brigade Plan instigator Bill Simpson outlines his full Natural Wildfire Abatement and Forest Protection Plan, which has been The nature and characteristics of wildfires in America have changed dramatically over the past decades as a result of several factors including a warmer climate cycle. Excessive amounts of ground fuels , which act as the kindling needed to ignite other forest debris such as dead and dying timber and previous fire-damaged trees have accumulated in and around most forests and present a new risk.

5 things you need to know Wednesday

Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2ybvOsg President Trump will visit central Pennsylvania on Wednesday to make his case for an overhaul of the nation's tax code. Republicans have outlined an ambitious plan to collapse brackets, change rates, eliminate deductions and revamp how big and small businesses are taxed.