Little progress in battling California wildfires

Firefighters in Northern California battled more than a thousand wildfires to a stalemate by Sunday, but forecasters said dangerous conditions would not relent anytime soon.

No new major fires had broken out Sunday as fire crews inched closer to getting some of the largest blazes surrounded, according to the state Office of Emergency Services.

But a "red-flag warning" — meaning the most extreme fire danger — was still in effect for Northern California until 5 a.m. today. And the coming days and months are expected to bring little relief.

Forecasters predicted more thunderstorms and dry lightning, similar to the ones that ignited hundreds of fires a week ago. Meanwhile, a U.S. Forest Service report said the weather would get even drier and hotter as fire season headed toward its traditional peak in late July and August.

Huntsville, Ala.

Child, 5, killed in wind storm

A 5-year-old was killed when strong winds blew over a row of tents at an Alabama air show during storms that stretched across the South on Sunday while severe weather caused airport delays in the East, officials said.

The winds that toppled the tents and canceled the air show in Huntsville came during an isolated, strong thunderstorm that developed just west of the airport with gusts of 48 mph, said Tim Troutman of the National Weather Service.

Twelve others were treated for injuries, but only one, a different child, was hospitalized in serious condition, said Pam Sparks, spokeswoman at Huntsville Hospital.

Jasper, Ala.

Small-plane crash kills 4 in Alabama

An Alabama sheriff says four people died Sunday morning after a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff about 40 miles north of Birmingham.

Walker County Sheriff Mark Tirey identified three victims as car dealer Bobby Crump, his wife, Jan, and their son, Matthew, a University of Alabama student. The fourth victim was family friend and fellow student Lauren Brue, 19, of Iowa. Authorities don't know what caused the crash.

Tirey says the twin-engine Beechcraft BE-55 was bound for the Alabama coast when it went down in a wooded area not far from the Walker County Airport in Jasper.

Sacramento, Calif.

Dollars flow to gay marriage campaigns

Backers of Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that would amend California's Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, had, as of Friday, raised nearly $2.3 million while foes had raised $1.3 million. Consultants predict by the time voters go to the polls, each side will have raised as much as $15 million.

Human Rights Campaign, which advocates for gay rights from its base in Washington, D.C., has donated $242,600 to defeat the initiative so far.

The California arm of the National Organization for Marriage, based in New Jersey, has bundled $1.1 million from 80 individual donors to promote the November initiative.

The California initiative would amend the state constitution to define marriage as being between a man and woman. Voters approved similar wording in a 2000 ballot initiative, but the measure did not amend the state's constitution. In May, the California Supreme Court ruled that the denying gays the right to marry violated the state constitution.

Although the measure affects only Californians, both sides intend to use the Internet to raise money and are already receiving donations from across the country.

Foes have raised 44 percent of their money from groups and individuals with addresses outside California. Backers have raised 34 percent of their funds from outside the state.

Also

Model's death: The death of fashion model Ruslana Korshunova who plunged from the ninth floor of a Manhattan building Saturday has been ruled a suicide.

Roller-coaster death: The father of South Carolina teen Asia LeeShawn Ferguson IV, who was decapitated by a roller coaster at a Georgia amusement park, said Sunday family members may never know why he hopped two fences into a restricted area.

Houston: A car slammed into two police officers working traffic control at a construction site early Sunday, killing one and seriously injuring the other, authorities said.

Seattle Times news services