■ Canada
Thousands flee forest fires
Wildfires have driven nearly 7,500 people from their homes and burned dozens of houses in the British Colombia town of Barriere, emergency officials said. At least 60 homes and a sawmill were destroyed Friday in the town, about 50km north of Kamloops. The British Columbia government declared a state of emergency in the affected area. Residents were shepherded to Kamloops, along with people from neighboring McLure and its surrounding area, where the estimated 40km2 fire broke out Wednesday. The fire apparently was started by a discarded cigarette. Fanned by high winds, it exploded Thursday night.
■ Germany
Police grab potato gunman
German police have arrested a man for firing potatoes at passers-by with a home-made bazooka, authorities in the western city of Essen said. "It was like a bazooka that fired potatoes," a police spokesman said. "Jolly dangerous from close range." Police said the weapon consisted of about 1.5m of drainpipe attached to an aerosol can which the man ignited to propel the root vegetables towards their targets. "He was plastered and probably thought it was fun," the spokesman said. The 33-year-old man is now under investigation for attempting to cause bodily harm and violating gun laws.
■ Mexico
Three killed in gun battle
A wild pre-dawn battle Friday in the streets of this border city left at least three dead and six wounded after police and troops returned fire against cars believed to be carrying drug traffickers, the state attorney general said. At least three people were killed when a fleeing sport utility vehicle exploded in the rolling shootout Authorities initially said a grenade launching device appeared to have been used by soldiers to stop the vehicle but later said the gas tank exploded when struck by a projectile.
■ United states
Plane crashes ball games
A small airplane with four people aboard crash-landed in Anchorage Alaska Thursday night, right between two fields where a baseball game and soccer match were in progress. There were no serious injuries. The pilot and two passengers aboard the single-engine Cessna 207 Skywagon were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. The fourth person in the plane walked away. One passenger said the engine died and the plane was steered onto the running track between the baseball game in one stadium and a coed soccer game in another. The plane then hit a fence at the north end of the track, flipping once and coming to rest on its belly.
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