Northern California city and county seat, cultural heart of the Shasta Cascade
Judith Sheldon, 84, daughter of filmmaker William Wyler, and her husband Wylie Sheldon, 86, have died after being found unresponsive in their running red Jeep Compass on the shoulder of Interstate 5 near Redding, California. Authorities say no foul play is suspected and a heat-related factor is being considered, with autopsy to follow.
Two Forest Service biologists were kidnapped near Gumboot Lake in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Joseph Charles Henrichsen and his son Phoenix have been charged with kidnapping federal employees after a near daylong standoff that ended with the hostages released and the suspects in custody. A large multiagency response was mounted, and prosecutors say the pair face life in prison if convicted.
Multiple French and European wildfires have intensified amid a heatwave, with science increasingly documenting pyrocumulonimbus clouds that can fan flames and alter fire behavior. Reports describe the phenomenon as a new, climate-linked hazard that firefighters are adapting to as evacuations continue and containment remains challenging.