Nation in brief

New Jersey couples sign up for 'first step'

MAPLEWOOD, N.J. - Hundreds of same-sex couples celebrated as New Jersey began issuing them domestic partnerships Saturday, but their desire for something bigger was as clear as the slogan on the buttons many of them wore: "The Next Step: Marriage Equality."

New Jersey, the fifth state to recognize same-sex relationships in some form, gives couples who register several legal rights, including the ability to make medical decisions for each other and to share in certain benefits.

Several hundred people attended a morning ceremony in Maplewood marking the first day of the law, many arriving hours early to fill out domestic partnership applications while sitting on the municipal building's steps or on lawn chairs. Couples more anxious to sign up were able to register at the South Orange clerk's office beginning at 12:01 a.m.

The law was considered by many to be an incremental step toward marriage, but many also were happy to have their relationships acknowledged by the state.

More than 250 couples had registered in Maplewood by day's end, officials said.

SAFFORD, Ariz. - Light rain and humidity helped firefighters battling a pair of wildfires that were threatening a multimillion-dollar observatory and nearly 100 summer homes in southeastern Arizona.

Rain fell Thursday and Friday, with meteorologists predicting more precipitation through the weekend and into next week.

The fires, which were 45 percent contained by Saturday, have charred 27,272 acres on Mount Graham since lightning sparked them in late June.

Fire managers said they were optimistic about saving the 74 cabins in Turkey Flat.

"It seems like we're going to be dodging that bullet," said Dean McAlister, fire management officer for the Coronado National Forest.

PHOENIX - More than 30 endangered brown pelicans have crashed onto sidewalks and roads in Arizona, mistaking the heat-induced shimmer of the paved surface for lakes and creeks.

"They try to land on the water, but it's asphalt and it's "Bam! That doesn't feel so good,"' said Sandy Cate, director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department's wildlife center at Adobe Mountain in north Phoenix.

During the past two weeks, the injured pelicans have been found from Yuma to Phoenix.

The pelicans have been treated mostly for dehydration and emaciation.

Wildlife experts believe the endangered birds are experiencing a food shortage along the West Coast and are heading to Arizona to find fish. The sun's reflection, mixed with hot and cool layers of air create mirages, and the birds mistake smooth pavements for water.

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