A large fire sent a massive plume of smoke into the sky in Chicago during the Tuesday afternoon rush hour. The flames were seen around 4:30 p.m. in the 5000 block of Troy, near North Park University in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood.

All fire departments urge the public to avoid burning outdoors until further notice. The combination of gusty winds (we're expected to feel winds up to 30 mph), dry conditions and low humidity, on top of severe drought conditions,

A massive fire broke out at the Alum Rock park at at Penitencia Creek Road in San Jose, California, on Thursday.

GREGORY — Firefighters are battling a 15-acre fire that ignited at the Gregory Gin Co. on the afternoon of Oct. 29. A cold front brought strong winds to the area overnight, causing the fire to spread and burn cotton fields.

A man is dead after an early morning fire at a home in Concord, authorities said. The Concord Fire Department said they responded to a medical alert on Rhodora Court before 3 a.m. Saturday. When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke coming out the front door of the home. One person was found sleeping and was rescued without injury, authorities said.