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Nation in brief

Firefighters struggle with Calif. wildfire

By wire services
Published February 8, 2006

ORANGE, Calif. - Residents of more than 2,000 homes evacuated because of a wildfire were allowed to return Tuesday as an army of firefighters worked to keep the blaze corralled in rugged land just east of Orange County suburbs.

The 3,500-acre blaze, which began Monday in the forest east of the cities of Anaheim and Orange, was only 7 percent contained, said Dennis Shell, a spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Dry desert winds gusting up to 40 mph hampered the 900 firefighters as they worked to beat the flames back.

Some residents managed to return to evacuated neighborhoods before the order was lifted, and some never left.

NEW ORLEANS - More than 4,500 Hurricane Katrina evacuees were ordered to check out of their government-paid hotel rooms Tuesday as the Federal Emergency Management Agency began cutting off money to pay for their stays.

Far more people - a total of more than 20,000 storm victims - were given extensions by FEMA until at least next week and possibly as long as March 1, said FEMA spokesman Butch Kinerney.

FEMA said it gave people every possible opportunity to request an extension.

"We've bent over backward to reach out. We've gone door-to-door to all of the 25,000 hotel rooms no fewer than six times. And there are individuals who have refused to come to the door, refused to answer. There are people who have run when they saw us coming - those are the ones that are now moving on," Kinerney said.

RANCH KILLINGS: Jurors on Tuesday convicted a 16-year-old in the deaths of his family on newsman Sam Donaldson's New Mexico ranch. Cody Posey was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his stepsister, 13-year-old Mary Lee Schmid; of second-degree murder in the death of his stepmother, Tryone Posey; and voluntary manslaughter in the death of his father, Paul Posey.

OHIO EXECUTION: An Ohio man convicted of raping and strangling two women was executed Tuesday. Glenn L. Benner II, 43, died by injection at 10:15 a.m. at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.

[Last modified February 8, 2006, 01:16:09]