Nation & World Glance
FLAGSTAFF — A wildfire that has raged since Sunday in northern Arizona now is 12% contained.
Fire officials say firefighters worked Wednesday to bolster containment lines, directly attack the blaze and extinguish flames in the perimeter.
Fire information officer Steve Kliest says the wildfire has burned nearly 3 square miles (8 square kilometers) since Sunday.
Forecasters have warned of possible flooding in Flagstaff neighborhoods with aging drainage systems below the fire.
Thunderstorms skirted the fire earlier Wednesday but more are predicted Thursday.
That brings the possibility of drenching the fire scarred-areas of the Coconino National Forest surrounding Flagstaff, a popular mountain getaway in the largest ponderosa pine forest in the U.S.
Fire no longer threatens key Idaho nuclear facilities
BOISE, Idaho — The nation’s primary nuclear research facility plans to go back to regular operations Thursday after a change in wind direction pushed a wildfire away from the sprawling site in Idaho.
The fire no longer poses a threat to key research facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory, lab officials said Wednesday evening.
The lightning-caused fire at the Idaho National Laboratory is one of several across the U.S. West.
Before the wind shifted, the Idaho blaze got close to several lab facilities, including one where highlevel radioactive materials are studied and another holding a nuclear reactor, spokeswoman Kerry Martin said. She said she didn’t know how close the flames got to those buildings.
Iran’s president hints at quid pro quo for seized UK ship
TEHRAN, Iran — President Hassan Rouhani suggested on Wednesday that Iran might release a U.K.-flagged ship if Britain takes similar steps to release an Iranian oil tanker seized by the British Royal Navy off Gibraltar earlier this month.
His remarks could create an opening to reduce tensions as Boris Johnson becomes prime minister. It’s unclear how the new government will respond to Rouhani’s suggestion or the impasse with Iran.
“We do not seek the continuation of tension with some European countries,” Rouhani said in comments carried on his website. “Should they be committed to international frameworks and give up their wrong actions, including what they did in Gibraltar, they will receive a proportional response from Iran.”
Britain this week announced plans to develop and deploy a Europe-led “maritime protection mission” to safeguard shipping in the area after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized the Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.
Rouhani said that while Iran does not seek a military conflict, it will not allow threats to its security in the important waterway. He described the Iranian seizure of the ship as “professional and brave.”