At least 10 skiers are missing, and six others are stranded after a major avalanche hit a backcountry slope near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, US, on Tuesday (February 17, 2026). The avalanche took place at around 11:30 a.m. Pacific time in the Castle Peak area near Truckee amid heavy snowfall, which is around 10 miles north of Lake Tahoe, according to a report in Reuters.&nbsp;The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, "A group of 16 skiers reportedly encountered an avalanche in the Castle Peak area of Truckee at approximately 11:30 a.m. today. At least six of the skiers have survived the avalanche and remain at the avalanche site, awaiting rescue, with the remaining ten unaccounted for at the time of this release. The group consisted of four ski guides with 12 clients."&nbsp;"Highly skilled rescue ski teams have departed from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Centre to make their way to the six known survivors, who have been directed to shelter in place as best they can in the conditions. A SnoCat team was also launched from Alder Creek Adventure Centre," the sheriff’s office added.&nbsp;Following the incident, the rescue operations are underway.&nbsp;According to ABC News, the sheriff's office also said that a group of 16 skiers, along with four ski guides and 12 clients, experienced the avalanche. Among them, 6 were successfully rescued with varying injuries. "Due to extreme weather conditions, it took several hours for rescue personnel to safely reach the skiers and transport them to safety, where they were medically evaluated by Truckee Fire. Two of the six skiers have been transported to a hospital for treatment," the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/shaping-a-presidential-legacy-from-donald-j-trump-international-airport-kennedy-center-to-warships-trump-s-latest-self-naming-moves-in-pics-1771400773467">What's in a name? Trump's many attempts to leave behind a presidential legacy: Airport, warship and more | In pics</a>

The avalanche took place at around 11:30 a.m. Pacific time in the Castle Peak area near Truckee amid heavy snowfall, which is around 10 miles north of Lake Tahoe. Following the incident, the rescue operations are underway.

At least 10 skiers are missing, and six others are stranded after a major avalanche hit a backcountry slope near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, US, on Tuesday (February 17, 2026). The avalanche took place at around 11:30 a.m. Pacific time in the Castle Peak area near Truckee amid heavy snowfall, which is around 10 miles north of Lake Tahoe, according to a report in Reuters. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, "A group of 16 skiers reportedly encountered an avalanche in the Castle Peak area of Truckee at approximately 11:30 a.m. today. At least six of the skiers have survived the avalanche and remain at the avalanche site, awaiting rescue, with the remaining ten unaccounted for at the time of this release. The group consisted of four ski guides with 12 clients." "Highly skilled rescue ski teams have departed from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Centre to make their way to the six known survivors, who have been directed to shelter in place as best they can in the conditions. A SnoCat team was also launched from Alder Creek Adventure Centre," the sheriff’s office added. Following the incident, the rescue operations are underway. According to ABC News, the sheriff's office also said that a group of 16 skiers, along with four ski guides and 12 clients, experienced the avalanche. Among them, 6 were successfully rescued with varying injuries. "Due to extreme weather conditions, it took several hours for rescue personnel to safely reach the skiers and transport them to safety, where they were medically evaluated by Truckee Fire. Two of the six skiers have been transported to a hospital for treatment," the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Also read: What's in a name? Trump's many attempts to leave behind a presidential legacy: Airport, warship and more | In pics

The avalanche took place at around 11:30 a.m. Pacific time in the Castle Peak area near Truckee amid heavy snowfall, which is around 10 miles north of Lake Tahoe. Following the incident, the rescue operations are underway.

At least 10 skiers missing, 6 stranded after avalanche hits California mountains

A two-year-old boy in the United States accidentally shot and killed his 22-year-old mother inside an apartment in northern California, said the police. The mother Jessinya Mina died on Friday (Dec 6) from a single gunshot wound to her upper body after the toddler pulled the trigger of an unsecured gun he picked up from his parents’ bedroom.

A two-year-old boy in the United States accidentally shot and killed his 22-year-old mother inside an apartment in northern California, said the police. The mother Jessinya Mina died on Friday (Dec 6) from a single gunshot wound to her upper body after the toddler pulled the trigger of an unsecured gun he picked up from his parents’ bedroom. The gun belonged to the woman's boyfriend Andrew Sanchez, who is now facing criminal charges for her death, according to CBS News. "At some point in time while handling that particular weapon, the toddler was able to manipulate the trigger, and it struck Mina as she was lying in bed," said Lt Paul Cervantes during a press conference. Watch | Israel Plans to Target Iran's Nuclear Facilities Mina, a mother of two kids, was immediately taken to a local hospital for treatment but died. "It's devastating and serves as a stark reminder of the significance and importance of being able to properly store your weapon," the official further added. Police further said that the woman, along with her boyfriend and children, was planning to relax at home when the shooting happened. Sanchez allegedly left the gun in the bedroom in an area easily accessible to children. Mina’s boyfriend has since been charged with felony child endangerment and felony criminal storage of a weapon. Also read | Three more jailed in UK's biggest drugs bust "This is a very tragic and a very much preventable and avoidable incident," Cervantes further added in his statement. Mina's sister, Jessica Rodriguez, created an online fundraiser in which she called the mom of two "full of love and life and an amazingly beautiful mother". "My niece and nephew will have to live off of memories and stories of my sister rather than her presence. We will never be able to witness my sister carry out her lifelong goals and accomplishments due to his negligence," Rodriguez said. (With inputs from agencies)

US: 2-year-old accidentally shoots and kills mother with unsecured gun; boyfriend arrested

The California storm death toll has reached at least 16 as relentless rain forces evacuations in places like Montecito and Santa Cruz due to flooding and mudslides.

Severe winter storms leave at least 16 dead in U.S. California

A powerful bomb cyclone has brought heavy rain and high winds to California, and dramatic videos and photos are showing the scope of the damage.

Bomb cyclone slams California with high winds, flooding

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake that rattled Northern California Tuesday has resulted in at least two deaths from medical emergencies. There have been 11 other reported injuries so far.

2 dead, 11 injured after 6.4 magnitude earthquake jolts Northern California

A wildfire in Northern California has destroyed nearly 6,000 acres of land. Local authorities have arrested one woman on suspicion of arson. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas US Edition: Wildfire in Northern California destroys nearly 6,000 acres of land

A team of cryptography enthusiasts has successfully cracked one of the coded messages sent over 50 years ago by the “Zodiac Killer,” who terrorised northern California in the late 1960s and remains unidentified.

'Zodiac serial killer' message decoded after 50 years

A northern California wildfire raging in the foothills of the Cascade range has claimed three lives, officials said on Monday, as a separate blaze prompted mass evacuations and spread turmoil to the famed wine-producing regions of Napa and Sonoma counties.

The three fatalities in the so-called Zogg Fire in Shasta County, which erupted on Sunday near Redding, about 200 miles north of San Francisco, were reported by the county sheriff and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). They were all civilians.

No further details about the victims or how they perished were immediately provided. But the deaths bring to 29 the number of people killed since mid-August in a California wildfire season of historic proportions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/famed-wine-regions-in-california-destroyed-by-wildfires-thousands-flee-331129" hreflang="en">Famed wine regions in California destroyed by wildfires; thousands flee</a>

The Zogg fire, which has destroyed 146 structures and charred 31,000 acres of grassy hillsides and oak woodlands thick with dry scrub, coincided with the outbreak of another conflagration in the heart of California's wine country north of the Bay area.

That blaze, dubbed the Glass Fire, has spread across 36,000 acres of similar terrain in Napa and Sonoma counties since early Sunday, incinerating more than 100 homes and other buildings, forcing thousands of residents to flee and threatening world-renowned vineyards, according to CalFire.

Both fires were listed at zero containment as of Monday evening. The cause of each was under investigation.

They marked the latest flashpoints in a destructive spate of wildfires this summer across the Western United States.

In California this year, wildfires have scorched 3.7 million acres (1.5 million hectares) since January - far exceeding any single year in state history. They have been stoked by intense, prolonged bouts of heat, high winds and other weather extremes that scientists attribute to climate change.

More than 7,000 homes and other structures have burned statewide so far this year.

LANDMARK CHATEAU BURNS

The Glass Fire broke out in Napa Valley before dawn near Calistoga before merging with two other blazes into a larger eruption of flames straddling western Napa County and an adjacent swath of Sonoma County.

In one notable property loss, the mansion-like Chateau Boswell winery in St. Helena - a familiar landmark along the Silverado Trail road running the length of the Napa Valley - went up in flames on Sunday night.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/wildfire-smoke-from-us-crosses-the-atlantic-ocean-seen-in-parts-of-finland-uk-329412" hreflang="en">Wildfire smoke from US crosses the Atlantic Ocean; seen in parts of Finland, UK</a>

An estimated 60,000 residents have been placed under evacuation orders or advisories in Sonoma and Napa counties combined, but no injuries have been reported.

Not everyone heeded evacuation orders.

As neighbors around him fled, Santa Rosa resident Jas Sihota perched himself on his front porch with a garden hose, darting out every 15 minutes or so to douse nearby spot fires seeded by wind-blown embers under a hazy red sun.

Sihota, a radiology technician at a nearby hospital, said he had not slept in some 24 hours.

"I wouldn't have a house if I didn't stay," said Sihota. At least 10 homes elsewhere on the street beyond the reach of his hose were destroyed.

In 2017, roughly 5% of Santa Rosa's homes were lost when downed power lines sparked a devastating firestorm in October that swept the region, killing 19 people.

HARVEST SEASON SMOKE

The Glass Fire struck about midway through the region's traditional grape-harvesting season, already disrupted by a spate of large fires earlier this summer.

Several Napa Valley growers said recently they would forgo a 2020 vintage altogether due to smoke contamination of ripening grapes waiting to be picked.

The 475 vintners in Napa Valley alone account for just 4% of the state's grape harvest but half the retail value of all California wines sold. Sonoma County, too, has become a premiere viticulture region with some 450 wineries and a million acres of vineyards.

The full impact on the region's wine business remains to be seen and will differ for each grower, depending on how far along they are in the harvest, said Teresa Wall, spokeswoman for the Napa Valley Vintners trade group.

"There are some who were close to wrapping up, and some who were still planning to leave their grapes hanging out there for a while," she said.

The fires caused major upheavals for the area's most vulnerable residents already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.

The Adventist Health St. Helena hospital was forced to evacuate patients on Sunday, the second time in a month following a lightning-sparked wildfire in August.

On Monday, residents at Oakmont Gardens, a Santa Rosa retirement community, leaned on walkers and waited to board a bus taking them to safety, their face masks doubling as protection against smoke and COVID-19.

Over 100,000 homes and business have suffered power outages across northern California since Sunday, some from precautionary shutoffs of transmission lines to reduce wildfire risks in the midst of extremely windy, hot, dry weather, Pacific Gas and Electric Co reported.

Red-flag warnings for extreme wildfire risks remained posted for much of Northern California, forecasting low humidity and gale-force wind gusts.

A northern California wildfire raging in the foothills of the Cascade range has claimed three lives, officials said on Monday, as a separate blaze prompted mass evacuations and spread turmoil to the famed wine-producing regions of Napa and Sonoma counties.

A northern California wildfire raging in the foothills of the Cascade range has claimed three lives, officials said on Monday, as a separate blaze prompted mass evacuations and spread turmoil to the famed wine-producing regions of Napa and Sonoma counties. The three fatalities in the so-called Zogg Fire in Shasta County, which erupted on Sunday near Redding, about 200 miles north of San Francisco, were reported by the county sheriff and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). They were all civilians. No further details about the victims or how they perished were immediately provided. But the deaths bring to 29 the number of people killed since mid-August in a California wildfire season of historic proportions. Also read: Famed wine regions in California destroyed by wildfires; thousands flee The Zogg fire, which has destroyed 146 structures and charred 31,000 acres of grassy hillsides and oak woodlands thick with dry scrub, coincided with the outbreak of another conflagration in the heart of California's wine country north of the Bay area. That blaze, dubbed the Glass Fire, has spread across 36,000 acres of similar terrain in Napa and Sonoma counties since early Sunday, incinerating more than 100 homes and other buildings, forcing thousands of residents to flee and threatening world-renowned vineyards, according to CalFire. Both fires were listed at zero containment as of Monday evening. The cause of each was under investigation. They marked the latest flashpoints in a destructive spate of wildfires this summer across the Western United States. In California this year, wildfires have scorched 3.7 million acres (1.5 million hectares) since January - far exceeding any single year in state history. They have been stoked by intense, prolonged bouts of heat, high winds and other weather extremes that scientists attribute to climate change. More than 7,000 homes and other structures have burned statewide so far this year. LANDMARK CHATEAU BURNS The Glass Fire broke out in Napa Valley before dawn near Calistoga before merging with two other blazes into a larger eruption of flames straddling western Napa County and an adjacent swath of Sonoma County. In one notable property loss, the mansion-like Chateau Boswell winery in St. Helena - a familiar landmark along the Silverado Trail road running the length of the Napa Valley - went up in flames on Sunday night. Also read: Wildfire smoke from US crosses the Atlantic Ocean; seen in parts of Finland, UK An estimated 60,000 residents have been placed under evacuation orders or advisories in Sonoma and Napa counties combined, but no injuries have been reported. Not everyone heeded evacuation orders. As neighbors around him fled, Santa Rosa resident Jas Sihota perched himself on his front porch with a garden hose, darting out every 15 minutes or so to douse nearby spot fires seeded by wind-blown embers under a hazy red sun. Sihota, a radiology technician at a nearby hospital, said he had not slept in some 24 hours. "I wouldn't have a house if I didn't stay," said Sihota. At least 10 homes elsewhere on the street beyond the reach of his hose were destroyed. In 2017, roughly 5% of Santa Rosa's homes were lost when downed power lines sparked a devastating firestorm in October that swept the region, killing 19 people. HARVEST SEASON SMOKE The Glass Fire struck about midway through the region's traditional grape-harvesting season, already disrupted by a spate of large fires earlier this summer. Several Napa Valley growers said recently they would forgo a 2020 vintage altogether due to smoke contamination of ripening grapes waiting to be picked. The 475 vintners in Napa Valley alone account for just 4% of the state's grape harvest but half the retail value of all California wines sold. Sonoma County, too, has become a premiere viticulture region with some 450 wineries and a million acres of vineyards. The full impact on the region's wine business remains to be seen and will differ for each grower, depending on how far along they are in the harvest, said Teresa Wall, spokeswoman for the Napa Valley Vintners trade group. "There are some who were close to wrapping up, and some who were still planning to leave their grapes hanging out there for a while," she said. The fires caused major upheavals for the area's most vulnerable residents already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. The Adventist Health St. Helena hospital was forced to evacuate patients on Sunday, the second time in a month following a lightning-sparked wildfire in August. On Monday, residents at Oakmont Gardens, a Santa Rosa retirement community, leaned on walkers and waited to board a bus taking them to safety, their face masks doubling as protection against smoke and COVID-19. Over 100,000 homes and business have suffered power outages across northern California since Sunday, some from precautionary shutoffs of transmission lines to reduce wildfire risks in the midst of extremely windy, hot, dry weather, Pacific Gas and Electric Co reported. Red-flag warnings for extreme wildfire risks remained posted for much of Northern California, forecasting low humidity and gale-force wind gusts.

Northern California wildfires kill 3, force evacuation of thousands

Airbnb Inc banned "party houses" on Saturday after five people were killed in a shooting at a large Halloween gathering inside a rental home in Northern California that was advertised on the online listing service.

Airbnb Inc banned "party houses" on Saturday after five people were killed in a shooting at a large Halloween gathering inside a rental home in Northern California that was advertised on the online listing service. Police were still searching for the shooter who opened fire on Thursday night at the costume party, which authorities say was attended by more than 100 people at the house in Orinda, less than 20 miles (30 km) east of San Francisco. The death toll rose to five when a 19-year-old victim died of her wounds at a hospital, the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office said on late on Friday. The party host rented the home through Airbnb and told its owner she was holding a reunion for only a dozen people, the San Francisco Chronicle reported citing the owner, Michael Wang. "Starting today, we are banning 'party houses' and we are redoubling our efforts to combat unauthorised parties and get rid of abusive host and guest conduct, including conduct that leads to the terrible events we saw in Orinda," Airbnb co-founder and chief executive Brian Chesky said on Twitter. The company was expanding manual screening of "high-risk reservations" flagged by its risk detection technology, and was creating a house party "rapid response team," Chesky added, without elaborating. Valued at $31 billion (£23.97 billion) in its most recent private fundraising round, Airbnb said in September that it planned to become a publicly listed company in 2020, making it one of the biggest names considering a stock market float next year. Orinda police received noise complaints about the party at 9:19 p.m. and 10:25 p.m. local time, and at 10:48 p.m. an officer was dispatched to the address, the sheriff's office said in a statement. The suspect opened fire about two minutes later. Police have not publicly identified any suspects, and the sheriff's office said on Saturday that it had no further details of the incident. Authorities identified the victims who died as: Oshiana Tompkins, 19; Tiyon Farley, 22; Omar Taylor, 24; Ramon Hill Jr., 23; and Javin County, 29. Several other people were wounded, police said, without giving an exact number. Some of the victims transported themselves to the hospital in the chaos after the shooting which sent young people, including some in Halloween costumes, fleeing from the scene.

Airbnb bans 'party houses' after Halloween shooting in California

A fast-moving Northern California wildfire burned dozens of structures on Thursday, injuring residents and firefighters, as tens of thousands of people fled in a "chaotic" mass evacuation, state authorities said.

Driven by high winds and dry conditions, the blaze dubbed the Camp Fire swept through the town of Paradise, with social media reports that a hospital, high school and K-Mart store were on fire. State fire authorities said they could not confirm the reports.

"The whole town is burning," Bob Van Camp, a resident who escaped on his motorbike, told local TV channel Action News Now.&nbsp;

"We had to ride through flames to get here," he said from the side of a road west of Paradise.

With limited escape routes from the town, which is built on a ridge, traffic accidents turned roads into gridlock, with residents forced to abandon vehicles and run from the flames carrying children and pets, officials said. One woman stuck in traffic went into labour, the Enterprise-Record newspaper reported.

"It’s very chaotic. It’s a very bad fire,” Officer Ryan Lambert of the California Highway Patrol said of the evacuation. "The mass population is trying to be evacuated at once, a fast-moving fire, trying to get everybody evacuated on the roads, a lot of congestion, traffic accidents."&nbsp;

The blaze began early on Thursday and quickly charred 18,000 acres (3,237 hectares), forcing the evacuation of the 27,000 residents of Paradise, about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of San Francisco, and other communities, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said in a statement.

"It’s got all the right conditions to have grown very large, very quickly," said Cal Fire spokesman Rick Carhart. "There is significant loss of structures, and civilian and firefighter injuries." He said he did not know the number of injuries or how many structures were destroyed.

Wildfire photographer Bernie Deyo tweeted that one of the main buildings at Feather River Hospital in Paradise was on fire.

Fire authorities did not indicate how the blaze started.

California is experiencing one of its worst fire years ever, with 621,743 acres (251,610 hectares) burned through Sunday in areas covered by Cal Fire, nearly twice the amount during the same period of 2017 and nearly triple the five-year average.

The Camp Fire has cut off power to roughly 34,000 customers in Butte and Plumas counties, according to a spokesman for Pacific Gas &amp; Electric.

A fast-moving Northern California wildfire burned dozens of structures on Thursday, injuring residents and firefighters, as tens of thousands of people fled in a "chaotic" mass evacuation, state authorities said.

A fast-moving Northern California wildfire burned dozens of structures on Thursday, injuring residents and firefighters, as tens of thousands of people fled in a "chaotic" mass evacuation, state authorities said. Driven by high winds and dry conditions, the blaze dubbed the Camp Fire swept through the town of Paradise, with social media reports that a hospital, high school and K-Mart store were on fire. State fire authorities said they could not confirm the reports. "The whole town is burning," Bob Van Camp, a resident who escaped on his motorbike, told local TV channel Action News Now. "We had to ride through flames to get here," he said from the side of a road west of Paradise. With limited escape routes from the town, which is built on a ridge, traffic accidents turned roads into gridlock, with residents forced to abandon vehicles and run from the flames carrying children and pets, officials said. One woman stuck in traffic went into labour, the Enterprise-Record newspaper reported. "It’s very chaotic. It’s a very bad fire,” Officer Ryan Lambert of the California Highway Patrol said of the evacuation. "The mass population is trying to be evacuated at once, a fast-moving fire, trying to get everybody evacuated on the roads, a lot of congestion, traffic accidents." The blaze began early on Thursday and quickly charred 18,000 acres (3,237 hectares), forcing the evacuation of the 27,000 residents of Paradise, about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of San Francisco, and other communities, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said in a statement. "It’s got all the right conditions to have grown very large, very quickly," said Cal Fire spokesman Rick Carhart. "There is significant loss of structures, and civilian and firefighter injuries." He said he did not know the number of injuries or how many structures were destroyed. Wildfire photographer Bernie Deyo tweeted that one of the main buildings at Feather River Hospital in Paradise was on fire. Fire authorities did not indicate how the blaze started. California is experiencing one of its worst fire years ever, with 621,743 acres (251,610 hectares) burned through Sunday in areas covered by Cal Fire, nearly twice the amount during the same period of 2017 and nearly triple the five-year average. The Camp Fire has cut off power to roughly 34,000 customers in Butte and Plumas counties, according to a spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric.

'Whole town is burning': Residents flee Northern California wildfire

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 was reported off the coast of Northern California on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake was centered about 102 miles (165 kilometers) in the Pacific Ocean west of Ferndale, California, at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km), according to the USGS.

There was no tsunami warning, advisory or threat in effect following the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of the National Weather Service said on its website.

The quake was first reported with a 6.9 magnitude but downgraded to 6.5.

Some social media users said they felt the tremor in San Francisco, about 260 miles (418.43 km) south.

&quot;That was a big one,&quot; wrote Twitter user Antonis Papatsaras from the Bay Area city.

&quot;Felt 20 seconds of very light shaking,&quot; tweeted another San Francisco resident, Lila LaHodd.

(WION)

The quake was centered about 102 miles (165 kilometers) in the Pacific Ocean west of Ferndale, California

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 was reported off the coast of Northern California on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was centered about 102 miles (165 kilometers) in the Pacific Ocean west of Ferndale, California, at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km), according to the USGS. There was no tsunami warning, advisory or threat in effect following the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of the National Weather Service said on its website. The quake was first reported with a 6.9 magnitude but downgraded to 6.5. Some social media users said they felt the tremor in San Francisco, about 260 miles (418.43 km) south. "That was a big one," wrote Twitter user Antonis Papatsaras from the Bay Area city. "Felt 20 seconds of very light shaking," tweeted another San Francisco resident, Lila LaHodd. (WION)

6.5-magnitude quake reported off north California coast

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