A gas explosion at a department store in Taiwan on Thursday killed four people and injured 26, fire authorities said.

The blast occurred at the food court on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung city, the Taichung Fire Bureau said. The higher floors of the upscale department store were blown out, raining debris on pedestrians below.

Among the dead were two people visiting from Macau, Macao's Tourism Office confirmed Thursday. Local media reported that they were part of a family of seven who were there for tourism. The other five were also injured are now being treated at local hospitals in Taichung.

TAIWAN AIR FORCE OFFICER KILLED AFTER BEING ‘INHALED’ BY FIGHTER JET’S ENGINE

Part of the store was under renovation, but it's not clear if the work was connected to the explosion, Taichung Vice Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin told reporters at the scene. "If it's found there were illegal actions or parts that violated renovation regulations, it will be dealt with appropriately," Cheng said.

Dozens of firefighters were deployed to the scene at about 11:30 a.m. Parts of the building's exterior were damaged and scattered fragments were strewn on the streets.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen told reporters at the scene that she felt the shock at her office nearby. She said the fire bureau would focus on a rescue operation first, but an investigation was also underway and officers were checking whether there were other sources of danger.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said he had asked all relevant government agencies to investigate the cause of the accident.

The U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska said Friday afternoon it had located the wreckage of the Nome-bound plane that went missing after takeoff with 10 people on board Thursday. 

In a post on X, the Coast Guard also reported that three deceased individuals were found inside the plane, which was located on sea ice about 34 miles southeast of Nome.

"The remaining 7 people are believed to be inside the aircraft but are currently inaccessible due to the condition of the plane," USCG Alaska posted. "Our heartfelt condolences are with those affected by this tragic incident."

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Mike Salerno told the Anchorage Daily News it's clear there were no survivors of the crash. 

BERING AIR PLANE CARRYING 10 PEOPLE VANISHES OVER ALASKA; RESCUE CREWS RESPONDING TO ‘ITEM OF INTEREST’ 

The commuter flight, operated by Bering Air, was traveling from Unalakleet to Nome in western Alaska, when its position was lost about 12 miles offshore, according to the Coast Guard. 

Data from FlightRadar shows the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX last reporting at 3:16 p.m. local time Thursday over Norton Sound.

Earlier, officials said aerial searches carried out by C-130 Hercules planes from the National Guard and Air Force resulted in "no sightings."

In a news conference Friday, officials said an "item of interest" had been found related to the search. 

Later, a Coast Guard rescue crew arrived at the wreckage site and lowered two rescue swimmers to investigate, The Associated Press reported. 

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During the news conference, the Coast Guard said that data showed a "rapid loss in elevation and rapid loss in speed" for the aircraft at 3:18 p.m. Thursday. 

All 10 people aboard the turboprop plane — nine passengers and a pilot — were adults, and it was a regularly scheduled flight, Lt. Ben Endres of the Alaska State Troopers said Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A medevac plane carrying a child, a mother and four crew members crashed near the Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia on Friday night. All those aboard the plane were killed in the tragedy. While there is not much known about who was aboard the doomed medical flight, some details have been made public.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the global ambulance flight company operating the plane, said its Learjet 55 crashed while departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at about 6:30 p.m. The company said that all those aboard the flight were Mexican nationals.

"The plane was loaded with jet fuel that's highly flammable. There is no indication that anybody survived, and by the debris field, I would be pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise," said Air Ambulance spokesperson Shai Gold.

Gold described the pilot and co-pilot as being "very seasoned," saying that "they know the job, and they do it many times."

CHILLING AUDIO REVEALS FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE PHILADELPHIA PLANE CRASH

Later, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the six nationals aboard the plane had been killed. Sheinbaum added that she instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to do anything necessary to support the victims’ families.

In addition to the child and mother, there was a pilot, co-pilot, physician and a paramedic aboard the plane.

PENNSYLVANIA GOV. SHAPIRO PRAISES ‘UNIFIED RESPONSE’ TO ‘AWFUL’ AVIATION DISASTER

Shriners Children's Hospital in Philadelphia confirmed in a statement on X that the young girl had been a patient.

"Shriners Children’s is heartbroken to confirm that one of our pediatric patients and the child’s mother were aboard the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance that crashed in Philadelphia last night," the hospital’s post read. Citing patient privacy concerns, the hospital did not give further details.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the medical crew and pilots who were also lost in this tragic event – as well as all of the people who were affected on the ground – and we’re thankful to the first responders for their quick action."

In addition to those aboard the flight, several people on the ground near the crash were injured. This included an 11-year-old boy, a 31-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, according to NBC10, a local news outlet.

STUNNED PHILADELPHIA CRASH EYEWITNESS ASKS ‘HOW DID THIS HAPPEN TWICE IN A WEEK?’

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to react to the tragedy.

"So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged," Trump wrote. "First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all."

The crash in Philadelphia comes just days after a deadly aircraft collision near Washington, D.C., that took the lives of 67 people. The cause of the crash in Philadelphia, as well as the total number of casualties, remains unknown.

Alexandra Koch, Lorraine Taylor and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.

The Washington Wizards held a moment of silence Thursday for the victims of the deadly crash involving a passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport.

The Wizards hosted the Los Angeles Lakers at the Capital One Arena, and it was the first sporting event in D.C. since Wednesday night's crash.

The Wizards had a message on their jumbotron before the game began.

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"We are deeply saddened by the tragedy near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last night," the statement said. "We extend our thoughts and prayers to those families, loved ones, and all those impacted.

LIVE UPDATES: MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDES WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

"And we thank all the first responders for their heroic efforts across this massive coordinated effort."

An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which was carrying three soldiers. All airline passengers and soldiers were presumed dead.

At least 14 members of the figure skating community were on board the plane. Six people with ties to the Skating Club of Boston were among them.

The Washington Commanders and Washington Nationals also paid tribute to those who lost their lives and showed their support for the first responders who sprang into action to find any potential survivors and recover bodies from the Potomac River.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Authorities in the eastern Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis said Thursday they are investigating the circumstances that led to the discovery of at least 19 bodies found drifting at sea.

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS FROM ACROSS US SUE AFTER WORKER SENTENCED FOR PLACING HIDDEN CAMERAS IN GUEST ROOMS

At around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday the St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard responded to a report of a drifting vessel off the coast of Nevis. The partially submerged boat contained decomposed human remains. It was towed to St. Kitts, where police and medical officials are conducting investigations.

"It was a fishing vessel, which is not typically found in the Caribbean," Police Commissioner James Sutton told The Associated Press. "We are not certain, but we believe that this vessel originated off the West African coast."

Sutton said officials now face the difficult task of determining the exact number of bodies and identifying them. The advanced state of decomposition, he said, has made it difficult.

This is the first such discovery in recent memory in the twin-island nation.

Air Traffic Control (ATC) audio from Wednesday’s collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet reveals the moments before and after controllers witnessed the disaster unfold. 

The two aircraft collided at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, at around 9 p.m. with 60 passengers and four crew members onboard the passenger jet, while three soldiers were inside the helicopter. A massive recovery operation is underway on the Potomac River.

In the air traffic control audio, a controller can be heard directing American Airlines Flight 5342 to take Runway 33.

AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE, ARMY HELICOPTER COLLIDE OUTSIDE REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT NEAR WASHINGTON DC

The AA pilot confirms he can take Runway 33 and is clear to land the aircraft, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, referred to as "CRJ."

The controller then instructs the helicopter, an Army UH-60 helicopter Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter, referred to as "PAT25," to pass behind the jet.

"PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight? PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ," the controller says.

No response is heard on the ATC audio feed. Fox News has learned that the helicopter did respond, but on a different frequency, a frequency for helicopters.

About 40 seconds later ground traffic control alerted the tower.

REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT CRASH: MILITARY BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER COLLIDES MIDAIR WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES JET

"Tower Did you see that?"

"Yup we saw it," someone from the tower says, and then the controllers begin the process of frantically diverting the flights.

"Everybody hold your positions on the field right now," a female controller says.

"Fire command. The accident happened in the river. Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river... he approached into Runway 33," she says.

"All runways are closed. Nobody's landing, no one moving at all," she tells the fire command, adding that he has clearance to use all taxiways and runways for a response. 

"It was probably out in the middle of the river, the controller says. "I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river. But it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit, I would say about a half mile off the approach into 33," she says.

At the time of the crash, Reagan National Airport reported clear skies, visibility of 10 miles and winds sustained out of the northwest at 16 mph, gusting to 26 mph. The temperature at the time was 50 degrees.

The Army told Fox News Digital that the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, carrying three soldiers, was "from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir" and was conducting a "training flight."

Russian and U.S. figure skaters were on board an American Airlines flight.

The collision marked the first time there has been a crash involving a U.S. commercial flight since 2009.

Colgan Air Flight 3407, a flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, New York, stalled and crashed during a landing approach near Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Feb. 12, 2009. The plane slammed into a house.

Fox News’ Greg Wehner and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report. 

We have all experienced emergencies in which adrenaline takes over; we max out the credit cards, do what has to be done in the moment and worry about the consequences later.

In western North Carolina, four months after the horrible devastation of Hurricane Helene, later is now.

Tucked into the shadow of the aptly named Smoky Mountains, this city of 95,000 is postcard pretty, yet physical scars and working crews seem to lurk around every corner of red bricks and cozy cafés.

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA ‘GAVE PEOPLE HOPE,’ SAYS REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM

The good news is that most places, at least in downtown, are open. At the Jack in the Woods restaurant and pub on Friday evening, a sizable crowd was gathered, some from out of town, there to see a performance by the Kill Tony comedy show, another sign of returning normalcy.

I was told that the restaurant was closed for two months, then managed to get a water pump and opened with a limited menu until the water was finally turned back on.

But when I asked the bartender, one of a classic kind who seems to know everyone and everything about the town, if things felt normal, she looked at me almost shocked

"No, absolutely not," she said.

I asked her and a few other locals, including a man in his forties who works for a local school district, how much time each day they still spend either doing something hurricane-related or thinking about the hurricane. Four months later, both gave just about the same answer: "Almost all day."

In a stunning admission, the bartender told me that the day she got her electricity back was bittersweet.

"It was better obviously," she said. "But we had all been coming together in this amazing way and once I could watch TV, I just wanted to stay home."

As bad as the damage is in Asheville, in the surrounding rural areas it is much worse, which is why Mark Luckinbill and a few friends who live in Raleigh discovered a unique way to help: Installing mailboxes. Desperate to assist local communities in Avery County, Mark was told by a pastor’s wife there that they really needed heavy equipment.

"All I had was a friend, my hands and a couple of shovels," Mark told me.

Then something happened. The pastor’s wife remembered an elderly woman with no cell phone, who was terrified because her mailbox was gone. She depended on it for getting her Social Security checks and bills.

This might not make sense to urban dwellers, but in rural America your mailbox can be half a mile down a dirt road from home. The mail carriers can't just leave parcels by the side of the road.

So they built the woman a mailbox.

Mark and his friend have now been to Avery County to install mailboxes 10 times, because it was a thing that needed to be done that they had the power and ability to do. They even have a website now.

The selflessness of neighbors helping neighbors is clear here, as is the spirit of putting others first.

One local musician I spoke to was typical. When I asked if he had been hit hard, he said, "No, we mostly were fine. I mean we didn’t have power for two months and my car and my girlfriend’s car were totaled, but nothing drastic."

In Ashville, that qualifies for "we were mostly fine." He thinks himself lucky.

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I asked if insurance had allowed them to replace the cars. He said they were lucky (again) to get one to share. 

"Insurance paid," he said, "but there’s just no cars, I can’t find anything decent under $10,000."

Not long after, his girlfriend arrived, they exchanged the keys, and he said if work went too late, he’d get an Uber.

More than 138,000 vehicles were destroyed by Hurricane Helene, a good chunk of them in western North Carolina. Walking around town, even the cars that survived show water damage on their lower half, and the state Attorney General’s office has warned of scams involving the sale of badly water-damaged cars.

Compared to the loss of a life or the destruction of a home, access to a car or a mailbox might seem like small potatoes, but they add up fast, and they are a low priority for a state and federal government still swamped by the devastation.

With President Trump’s visit on Friday, and promise of more aid, there is room for more optimism in North Carolina. But the real strength here, what is ultimately going to get the good people in and around Asheville through this, is themselves, and how they care for each other. 

There is very little that is more beautiful than that, and possibly nothing that is more American.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE DAVID MARCUS

President Donald Trump said he plans to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene more than 120 days after the storm struck the state. 

"I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Friday morning. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."

Trump also promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to "do a good job" for the state. 

"We're going to fix it, and we're going to fix it as fast as you can," Trump said. "It's a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don't know if that's Biden's fault or whose fault it is, but we're going to take over. We're going to do a good job."

Trump also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief. 

TRUMP, GOP LEADERS MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AS PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO NC, DEFENDS EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Trump also promised to work with three of the lawmakers whose areas were affected by Hurricane Helene, claiming that FEMA was "not on the ball" in assisting North Carolina in the aftermath of the hurricane. 

"So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree [with]," Trump said. "I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. And I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response."

So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels that FEMA is footing the bill for under its Transitional Housing Assistance program. 

TRUMP SAYS NEWSOM IS TO 'BLAME' FOR 'APOCALYPTIC' WILDFIRES

While these families were approaching a late January deadline that would have removed them from the hotels, FEMA announced this week it extended the deadline to May 26. In total, more than 3,000 families are eligible for the program extension. 

"It's been a horrible thing the way that's been allowed to fester, and we're going to get it fixed up," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday prior to departing for North Carolina. "It should have been done months ago from the hurricane that took place almost four months ago. North Carolina's been treated very badly so we're stopping there." 

FAST-MOVING HUGHES FIRE ERUPTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ORDER EVACUATIONS

Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that "Democrats don’t care about North Carolina" and that was why he would visit the state for his first official trip as president during his second term. 

Trump is slated to visit California on Friday as well to survey the damage from wildfires that have ravaged the state this month. 

"It looks like something hit it, we won’t talk about what hit it," Trump said. "But it is a bad, bad situation." 

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich and Aubrey Conklin contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Western North Carolina on Friday to visit locals impacted by Hurricane Helene in late September.

The president and other U.S. officials — as well as some local residents — have scrutinized the federal government's response to the devastation in the months since Sept. 27, when Helene destroyed large swaths of the Appalachian region, and killed more than 100 people in North Carolina alone. 

"Throughout the transition, both President Trump and Vice President Vance repeatedly reached out to me to check in on how Western North Carolina was doing," Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis told Fox News Digital in a statement ahead of the president's visit. "That is a testament to how high of a priority the recovery and rebuilding process is for them. President Trump’s visit on Friday is welcome news for the thousands of families dealing with a state of uncertainty when it comes to securing housing."

Republican North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd similarly told Fox News Digital that he spoke to "the president and members of his team over the weekend, and the people of Western North Carolina are among his top priorities."

TRUMP WARNS FEMA FACES RECKONING AFTER BIDEN ADMIN: ‘NOT DONE THEIR JOB’

"They need a Rebuilder-in-Chief who can cut through the red tape and get folks what they need as quickly as possible, and President Trump will do just that. The people of Western North Carolina will not be forgotten by me or the president," Budd said.

Some residents continue to sleep in tents and campers despite freezing temperatures. Thousands of others staying in hotel rooms funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its Transitional Housing Assistance (TSA) program faced the possibility of being booted out of those rooms in early January as the TSA deadline loomed.

HURRICANE HELENE FORCES NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS TO SLEEP IN TENTS WHERE HOMES ONCE STOOD

FEMA officials changed their tune this week, however, after receiving criticism and extended the deadline to May 26.

More than 3,000 families are eligible for the program's extension, according to FEMA. More than 10,000 households accepted temporary shelter in hotels participating in the TSA program in the aftermath of the hurricane, FEMA said last month, but most have since moved to longer-term housing.

"The Democrats don't care about North Carolina. What they've done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole [other] discussion, because all it does is complicate everything," Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, his first White House interview since his inauguration.

"So, I'm stopping on Friday. I'm stopping in North Carolina – first stop – because those people were treated very badly by Democrats. And I'm stopping there. We're going to get that thing straightened out because they're still suffering from a hurricane from months ago," the president continued.

WATCH: TRUMP'S INTERVIEW WITH SEAN HANNITY

Trump previously visited in October 2024 before the presidential election.

Jonathan "JP" Decker, executive director of nonprofit recovery organization Mercury One, told Fox News Digital that the president's visit will be a "blessing" to the people of Western North Carolina.

Mercury One has donated everything from RVs to propane for Hurricane Helene survivors recovering from the deadly disaster. The nonprofit also stepped up to pay for hotel rooms for those who were about to lose their TSA vouchers from FEMA this month.

"I've been there multiple times. I saw one FEMA truck," Decker said. "So, when they finally heard from the president of the United States that … we're going to help you, and the fact that [Trump is] coming in town on Friday is going to be a huge blessing just to finally see someone who's looking around taking the notes of, wow, nothing has changed."

FEMA EXTENDS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM FOR NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY HURRICANE HELENE

Decker, who has responded to multiple natural disasters and other humanitarian crises with Mercury One, said he has "never seen anything like what I've seen in Western North Carolina of just no clearing out of the debris."

"We've helped support a lot of families to just stay in hotels because FEMA had threatened to drop or just didn't communicate to drop their … hotel vouchers," Decker said. "FEMA was thinking of doing that, and then we stepped in and provided care for them. But these kids who have to go to school every day and have to see that … it's devastating because these families have had no help, and they've had to figure out: What do we do after this?"

WATCH: NC LOCALS WAIT IN LONG LINES FOR PROPANE

FEMA said people checking out of their temporary housing are returning to habitable homes or have withdrawn from FEMA assistance.

"Under President Biden, FEMA’s failure to act and communicate swiftly put vulnerable families at risk with freezing temperatures outside," Tillis told Fox News Digital. "Despite our continued pressure, FEMA made little progress in providing direct housing solutions for those most affected by Helene. Things will be changing under President Trump, and his visit shows his Administration is committed to the people of Western North Carolina as he promised during the campaign."

AMERICANS SPENDING THANKSGIVING IN TENTS AS HEAT, ELECTRICITY, FOOD STILL HARD TO FIND

Tillis said he looks "forward to working with the Trump-Vance Administration to ensure that every available federal resource is deployed and that red tape preventing families from accessing housing is eliminated."

Trump announced on his first day in office that he would visit North Carolina and California amid devastating natural disasters in both states.

He made implicit reference to areas of the Smoky Mountains decimated by Hurricane Helene, claiming Democrats had abandoned the Tar Heel State in the wake of the historic storm that affected parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Fox News' Charles Crietz contributed to this report.

The recent disasters sweeping the nation, from the torrential floods in North Carolina to the fires still raging in Southern California, showed how vital it is to have an evacuation plan because you might only have mere seconds to determine which items to take with you as you evacuate. 

While caring for your loved ones during this extremely stressful time should be a top priority, it is unavoidable that you must rebuild your home and life, which can mean having to provide detailed accounts of what you lost to your insurance provider. 

Trying to figure out what to take when you are given seconds or minutes to evacuate or having to file detailed insurance claims afterward can be a painful and confusing process.

I’M GIVING AWAY THE LATEST & GREATEST AIRPODS PRO 2

Home inventory and restoration apps can provide you with a tool to itemize and track every item in your home. Not only can these apps help you stay organized and fiscally responsible for everyday home projects, but they can also help you easily determine what you need to grab and where it would be when you have limited time to grab items to take with you when you evacuate. It is important to determine where and what to prioritize, especially if your home is at risk. 

These apps can centralize all your home information so that you can stay within budget for home projects and maintenance work, and they can help you should you ever have to submit a claim after any disaster. It can also help you keep your home safer with routine maintenance. Additionally, creating a home inventory can help you determine if you have the appropriate amount of insurance coverage. Some apps allow you to upload important documentation for your home in general or specific items. This means if you ever deal with the worst-case scenario and cannot grab all the important home documents, your apps will have them stored for you and accessible by phone or computer.

Here are the top picks for apps that are best at keeping track of your home before or after a disaster.

TOP FIREPROOF BAGS, ORGANIZERS AND SAFES TO PROTECT YOUR VITAL DOCUMENTS

A comprehensive home management platform, HomeZada, helps homeowners manage all aspects of their home, including but not limited to: maintenance, finances, inventory and improvement projects. Because it acts as a central hub to organize and track important home-related information, it will help you track, locate, rescue important items and make filing insurance claims easier.

Key features of HomeZada

Pricing

HomeZada offers both free and premium plans. Premium plans features include providing additional tools for inventory management, financial tracking and project planning.

Website

For more information or to sign up, click here.

TOP PICKS TO AMP UP YOUR HOME SECURITY

While not as comprehensive as Homezada, Centriq has a strong focus on home management, which centralizes everything you need to organize, troubleshoot, operate and maintain your home.

Key features of Centriq

Pricing

Centriq offers both free and premium plans. Some of the extra features of the Premium plan include interactions between multiple properties and shared access for multi-users.

Website

For more information or to sign up, click here.

TECH TIPS TO AVOID CONTRACTOR SCAMS AFTER A STORM OR DISASTER

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners created the NAIC Home Inventory app to help you if you need to file a claim, as well as provide expert tips. The app showcases a simple, clean design of the inventory section with built-in room suggestions. Though a bit more generic than some of its competitors, this app helps you create an itemized list of your home should you need to file an insurance claim in the future.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Key features of NAIC home inventory app

Pricing

NAIC Home Inventory app is free.

Website

For more information or to sign up, click here.

BEST APPS TO TRACK AND MONITOR AIR QUALITY TO STAY SAFE

Unlike its namesake, Itemtopia actually goes beyond itemizing your belongings. Available in over 170 countries worldwide, the app allows you to manage services, warranties as well as medical records. A rich and interactive app helps you start with ease by incorporating AI intelligence.

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Key features of Itemtopia

Pricing

Itemtopia offers both free and premium plans. Some of the extra features of the Premium plan include larger storage (up to 2 GB or approximately 3,000 items), the option to add more users and the ability to showcase items for sale with a shareable link.

Website

For more information or to sign up, click here.

THE ALARMING SURGE OF HOME TITLE THEFT AND HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY

It’s easy to feel chaotic and overwhelmed when disaster strikes or when friends or family members are grappling with huge losses in home and security. There are, however, home apps that can help you create a plan before and after disaster strikes so you can have one less problem to manage while grieving your losses. While the hope is that disasters will not happen to you, these apps I mentioned will help you know, organize and restore your home should disaster strike. With some of the easiest and best ways to create a home inventory, it will give you peace of mind and a proactive way to respond during an emergency.

Are you prepared for possible evacuation in an emergency? Have you survived a disaster? What did you learn, and what would you do differently? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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A fire at a hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday killed at least 66 people, Turkey's Interior Minister said.

Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster.

"We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel," Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site.

Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the injured was in serious condition.

The fire broke out at around 3:30 a.m. in the restaurant of the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, officials and reports said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Two of the victims died after jumping from the building in a panic, Gov. Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency. Private NTV television said some people tried to climb down from their rooms using sheets and blankets.

There were 234 guests staying at the hotel, Aydin said.

COLLEGE ATHLETE DIES FROM TRAGIC ACCIDENT ON SKI RESORT'S MOST DIFFICULT TRAIL

Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was asleep when the fire erupted and he rushed out of the building. He told NTV television that he then helped some 20 guests out of the hotel.

He said the hotel was engulfed in smoke, making it difficult for guests to locate the fire escape.

"I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK," the ski instructor told the station.

Television images showed the roof and top floors of the hotel on fire.

LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES: ANNA FARIS LOSES PACIFIC PALISADES HOME, MOLLY SIMS WEEPS OVER ‘DEVASTATED’ COMMUNITY

Witnesses and reports said the hotel’s fire detection system failed to operate.

"My wife smelled the burning. The alarm did not go off," Atakan Yelkovan, a guest staying on the third floor of the hotel, told the IHA news agency.

"We tried to go upstairs but couldn’t, there were flames. We went downstairs and came here (outside)," he said.

Yelkovan said it took about an hour for the firefighting teams to arrive.

"People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets ... some tried to jump," he said.

TEEN DEAD AT SKI RESORT NEAR POSH MOUNTAIN TOWN

The government appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation into the fire. NTV television suggested that the wooden cladding on the exterior of the hotel, in a chalet-style design, may have accelerated the spread of the fire.

The 161-room hotel is on the side of a cliff, hampering efforts to combat the flames, the station also reported.

NTV showed a smoke-blackened lobby, its glass entrance and windows smashed, its wooden reception desk charred and a chandelier crashed to the ground.

Kartalkaya is a popular ski resort in the Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Istanbul. The fire occurred during the school semester break when hotels in the region are packed.

Aydin's office said 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were sent to the site.

Other hotels at the resort were evacuated as a precaution and guests were placed in hotels around Bolu.

Meanwhile, a gas explosion at a hotel at another ski resort in central Turkey injured four people.

The explosion took place at the Yildiz Mountain Winter Sports Center in Sivas province. Two skiers and their instructor were slightly injured while another instructor received second-degree burns on the hands and face, the Sivas governor’s office said.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., suggested to a surprised CNN anchor on Tuesday that local authorities purposefully allowed homes in Los Angeles’ Altadena neighborhood to be ravaged by wildfires in recent weeks. 

"We need to find out the facts — a full-scale investigation on what went wrong. I and the CBC, the Congressional Black Caucus, for example, are curious about who decided to sacrifice Altadena, a historically Black community in the LA County area," she told CNN's Sara Sidner.

"There is no reason why only 2/5 of the folks who had their houses burned down were insured, and why companies are leaving California in droves, as well as other disaster-prone states," the lawmaker, who represents the 37th Congressional District based in LA County, added.

ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM

State Farm, for example, canceled over 72,000 home and apartment policies in the months prior to the devastating LA wildfires that started, leaving thousands of residents perplexed and desperate following the loss of their homes.

Los Angeles Fire Insurance expert Richard Giller told Fox News Channel recently that state policy is to blame for these canceled policies, as lawmakers refused to allow insurance companies to increase premium costs for residents in the wake of ever-more destructive fires. 

As a result, insurance companies have written fewer claims, canceled claims, or even left California entirely. "So the insurance companies tried to seek approval for rate increases and the California Department of Insurance and the insurance commissioner decided, you know, they didn’t want homeowners to pay more money … It all came to a head with seven of the 12 largest insurance companies pulling out of the state," Giller told FNC.

Seemingly taken aback by the lawmaker's claims, Sidner asked, "Congresswoman, did you just say sacrifice Altadena? I mean, are you suggesting that this was done somehow on purpose to hurt Altadena? There are a lot of conspiracies out there."

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The representative clarified she wasn’t suggesting that anyone committed arson, but she mentioned other decisions made ahead of the fire that she deemed suspicious.

"But what we do know is that power was shut off in Altadena. What we do know is that residents were not given adequate time to leave their homes," she said, noting that some folks she talked to said they were not given enough warning ahead of time to get back home and save the lives of their own pets.

Sidner attempted to explain why the power was off, stating that officials told the news network they "were worried it was going to create more fire danger."

"And that is why the pumps weren‘t working to get the water into the hydrants," the anchor added. 

The congresswoman acknowledged the response and replied by stating the need for local lawmakers to see reconstructing these fire-ravaged areas through an "equity lens."

A company that monitors electrical activity says faults along the Los Angeles power grid skyrocketed in the same areas where three of this week’s major wildfires are currently raging.

Bob Marshall, the chief executive of Whisker Labs, told Fox News Digital that the company recorded sharp increases in faults in the hours prior to the Eaton, Palisades and Hurst Fires.

Marshall said that his company has a network of around 14,000 sensors known as "ting" sensors across Los Angeles that can pinpoint and identify faults generated by electrical arcs. Through its network of sensors in homes, Whisker Labs is able to monitor the electric utility grid with "extraordinary precision and accuracy."

ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM

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"Faults are caused by tree limbs touching wires or wires blowing in the wind and touching. That creates a spark in a fault, and we detect all of those things," Marshall explained. 

Other causes include faulty electric equipment igniting, a sudden surge in demand or earthquake tremors. At the time the fires ignited, intense Santa Ana winds were blowing across Los Angeles.  

The company’s data, which was shared with Fox News Digital, is startling. 

In the Palisades area, the largest of the fires currently raging, there were 63 faults in the two to three hours prior to the ignition of the fire, Marshall said. There were 18 faults registered in the hour it began on Tuesday. 

The blaze has so far torched 12,300 homes and buildings across the area. Across the county, the death toll has risen to 11 people, and authorities anticipate that number rising.

"In the case of the Eaton Fire near Altadena, there's 317 grid faults that occurred in the hours preceding the ignition," Marshall said. "And then in the Hurst Fire, there's about 230 faults that occurred that we measured on the sensor network."

He said on a typical day there are very few faults.

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Sparks from faults can fall to the ground and ignite vegetation, essentially setting a match on the landscape. High winds then carry the flames at rapid speeds.

Investigators have yet to determine what sparked the raging wildfires that have decimated large areas of Los Angeles, but a jump in faults on the power grid may serve as vital clues. 

"Importantly, what we cannot say is one of those is whether one of those faults caused the fire. We don't know that," Marshall said. "What we know from our data is that there were increasing faults in the grid in the area around where those fires ignited."

He said the data shows that the power was not shut off immediately when the faults were rising. 

"But again, we can't say definitively at all whether one of those faults caused a fire. I do want to be very, very clear about that," he added.

Marshall said that Whisker Labs has had discussions with utility companies about using its data, but currently, the data is not being shared.

Right now, ting sensors notify homeowners of a surge in power so they can take preventative measures to prevent house fires. Marshall said the company has a network of about one million ting sensors across the U.S.

"A power surge can cause damage to appliances and devices. In the worst case, it can cause a fire in a home," Marshall said. 

He said the "smart and super sophisticated" technology can prevent 80% of potential house fires.

When the sensor picks up a fault, the home sensor is notified via an app, and then they can arrange for an electrician to call and make the necessary fixes.

"We take 30 million electrical measurements every second. There's AI (artificial intelligence) in the sensor, [and] we stream data to a cloud that is specifically designed to detect electrical faults inside of homes," he continued. "And then the network of sensors detects faults on the grid because when there's a fault on the grid it is simultaneously measured by many ting sensors in a community. So if there's a fault in your home, that fault doesn't propagate out to the whole community, we only detect it on one single thing sensor in your home."

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power didn’t proactively turn off the power to mitigate the risk of starting a fire ahead of this week’s devastating wildfires, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing regulatory filings.

The preventative measure is in place with every other big California power company after utilities have sparked wildfires in the past, the Journal reported.

An LADWP spokesperson told the Journal that they have other safety precautions in place, such as disabling technology that automatically restores power after an outage. She added that widespread preventative power outages could also be harmful to emergency services.

Fox News' Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

As Los Angeles battles the worst wildfires in the city’s history, thousands of people have been displaced or have seen their homes burn to the ground.

Around 130,000 people were ordered to evacuate and some 10,000 structures have been destroyed, according to the Associated Press. At least 10 people have died as a result of the blazes.

The devastation of the fires has undoubtedly taken a grave toll on the psyches of those affected, experts agree. (See the video at the top of this article.)

STEVE GUTTENBERG CALLS LA WILDFIRES ‘GREAT EQUALIZER,' URGES PEOPLE TO LEAN ON ONE ANOTHER

Fox News Digital spoke with celebrities, mental health experts and others, who offered the following guidance for all those impacted. 

For those who have experienced a loss from the fires, common reactions include shock, disbelief and confusion, according to David Kessler, a grief counselor in Los Angeles and founder of Grief.com. 

"I call it grief brain," he told Fox News Digital. 

"Your mind is trying to comprehend what happened, and it's a hard thing for it to do, because this is unimaginable that your house, your safety, is suddenly gone."

Not all grief is related to death, Kessler noted, as there are many different types of losses. 

"I always say grief is a change you didn't want — and certainly a fire is a change we didn't want," he added.

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It’s important to "self-validate" the reality of the loss, he said.

"People might give you the toxic positivity of, ‘Well, at least no one died,’" he said. "And while that's true, the reality is you still have lost your home. Don't let anyone minimize that."

"The loss of a home is devastating, and it can take years to recover."

Actor Steve Guttenberg, who lives in Pacific Palisades, California, where fires erupted on Tuesday, shared how the disaster has impacted his own mental health.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM

"I've seen so much tragedy the last three or four days that I’ve got to be careful to … keep a hold of my mind," he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

"And I think that we're going to deal with a lot of depression after this, a lot of sadness. And it's going to be really tough because this is like nothing you've ever seen."

Gutenberg noted that while it’s "very normal" to be down, he is trying not to let himself "go down that hole."

"But I'm pretty sad about this," he added.

HOW TO COPE WITH 'COLLECTIVE GRIEF' WHEN MASS TRAGEDY STRIKES

Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist in Manhattan and Washington, D.C., noted that the grief following the Los Angeles fires is "profound."

"It’s not just about the physical loss of homes or belongings — it’s also about the sense of safety and normalcy that has been lost," he told Fox News Digital.  

"It's important for people to feel emotions and not ignore them. This is a normal reaction to such overwhelming loss and tragedy."

Guttenberg emphasized the importance of maintaining connections with others and drawing support from the community during a disaster of this magnitude.

"We’re social animals — we need people," he said. "So I'm reaching out to my friends. There's no way to meet right now because it's so dangerous — so the best thing you can do … is call and reach out and maybe you can drive somewhere." 

Most of the people in town have evacuated, he pointed out. 

"There's probably 10% of the population left here. Or less."

Kessler reiterated that connection is critical after this type of trauma. "We need to be taken care of. We need other people around us. People equal safety," he said. 

Pastor Jesse Bradley of Grace Community Church outside Seattle, Washington, agreed that it’s essential to avoid isolating yourself after a loss.

"We need God and we need each other. Community is vital," he told Fox News Digital. 

"Family, friends and neighbors care about you. God sends His love through these people. Reject isolation. Don’t shut down and don’t shut people out."

"In times of crisis such as this, regaining even small amounts of control can be grounding," Alpert said. 

He recommended creating a plan for what’s next — whether it’s finding temporary housing, accessing local resources or starting the process of rebuilding. 

"Taking action — no matter how small — can help you move forward."

Kessler agreed, noting that people who are in the area but did not experience loss may feel a sense of relief mixed with guilt.

"If you do have survivor's guilt, I always say the best thing is to take action," he advised.

In the longer term, advocacy efforts can be a powerful tool in dealing with trauma, Alpert noted.

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"Working to improve fire prevention policies, supporting relief efforts or helping neighbors rebuild can provide a sense of purpose and empowerment during this difficult time," he said. 

Some people may be angry about the systems that failed to prevent the fires in the first place, Alpert acknowledged, and this anger can be a "powerful motivator."

"Use that energy to demand better, but don't get stuck on the anger," he advised.  

"By holding leaders accountable for the policies — or lack thereof — that contributed to this devastation, and by asking the right questions and demanding answers, you might start to feel better."

"The L.A. fires no doubt will not just leave physical scars, but deep emotional ones, too," Alpert said. 

"For many people, the fear, panic and helplessness experienced during the fires don't just disappear — they linger, creating flashbacks, anxiety and difficulty functioning."

In many cases, this can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of this condition can include vivid memories of the fires, nightmares, hypervigilance or avoidance of anything that reminds someone of the event, Alpert said.

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"It's important to see this not as weakness, but rather, the mind's and body’s way of trying to cope with extreme stress."

As people seek help, it's also important to understand that PTSD doesn’t define anyone, he added.

"It’s a part of your experience, not your identity. While the fires were devastating, they didn’t diminish your strength or character," said Alpert.

For those who have experienced traumatic grief, Kessler emphasized the importance of faith and spirituality.

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"They help ground us in a world full of fear," he said. "And when we've lost everything, it can feel like our faith is the one thing we have to hold onto."

During a time of crisis, Guttenberg said it’s important to "rely on anything that you believe in."

"If you believe in your mom and dad, you rely on them, your brothers and sisters, your friends, your family, God, the universe."

Above all, he added, "Just remember, you’re not alone. God is always with you. Jesus is always with you. You’ve got to hang onto that."

During times of hardship, it’s important to recognize the good things that are still in your life, Pastor Bradley said.

"It’s easy to be consumed with what you no longer have," he told Fox News Digital.

"You need to be intentional to take inventory of the blessings in your life. For example, you might lose a home or business, but you still have family."

This mindset will help you keep a healthy perspective and protect gratitude, Bradley added.

There is a two-word phrase that the environmental activists who set many of our federal and state policies around forestry do not seem to know. That phrase is "unintended consequences," and as much of Los Angeles burns this week, those consequences have been deadly. 

These expert officials are supposed to be saving the planet, not making wide, populated swaths of it catch fire, and yet, incredibly, it looks like that is exactly what led to the horrors in California this week.

GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT, NOT CLIMATE CHANGE, IS TO BLAME FOR CALIFORNIA'S DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES

For example, experts have warned for years that federal and state restrictions on controlled burns to mitigate fires are creating a tinderbox, not just in California, but in Canada, as residents of the Northeast U.S. who sucked down wildfire smoke last year learned.

Here is how former California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore puts it, "The nature of the wildfire problem changes a little bit from north to south… In both cases, you have the issue of air quality management districts that are under both federal and state mandate to clean up the air. That makes it difficult to have prescribed burns with the sort of frequency that needs to happen to be able to reduce the fuel load."

In other words, the environmentalist blinkered attitude that smoke is bad for the air, and hence must be stopped at all costs, made the forests vastly more combustible and set the stage for thousands of homes and businesses to burn to the ground.

Likewise, the failure of the water supply in Los Angeles, which led to scenes of fire hydrants running dry that looked like they could have been out of the movie "Chinatown," are the result of green utopianism.

Ninety-five percent of California’s water flows into the Pacific, which the last time I checked, isn’t exactly running out of water itself. So why, you may ask, is this precious resource literally pissed away into the ocean? To protect fish, including the Delta Smelt, the population of which has been on the brink of extinction for years. 

No, I’m serious. Environmental regulations require the state to flush water into the sea after major snowfalls, even while aqueducts and eventually fire trucks grow dry as dead leaves. It is a policy that baffles the sensible mind, but makes sense to environmentalists.

Much like we saw with hysterical COVID activists, these fanatical environmental regulators have no ability to grapple with legitimate competing interests. Once they decide to clean the air, they will damn well clean the air, even if it means burning down the forest, which has the opposite effect of cleaning the air.

It doesn’t matter if people go homeless and neighborhoods turn to cinders, because the environmentalists have their heart in the right place, and are earnestly focused on big, important planetary threats, not a home or two on fire.

These are the same people, mind you, who will blame the entire event, the fire, the wind, everything, on climate change. I'm surprised they haven’t used climate alarmism to somehow explain why Mayor Karen Bass was in Ghana while her city burned and refuses to answer questions about it.

The tragedy in California this week has its roots in decades of institutional capture in our universities and regulatory agencies by climate alarmists. The most absurd and sensational claims about climate change are met with gasps and promises of more money in our halls of power.

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That has to change. It is too kind to call environmental regulators myopic. At least myopia offers a narrow range of vision. These people just seem blind, and after their predictions fail to come to fruition, year after year, decade after decade, they just keep making them.

It has been seven years since Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez assured us the earth only had 12 years left to address the climate. What? Are we down to five now?

Incoming President Donald Trump needs to ensure that everyone involved in the federal climate and environmental policies of his administration is capable of understanding unintended consequences and legitimate competing interests. 

California has made a huge sacrifice at the altar of climate alarmism this week. People’s lives and homes were destroyed in fealty to the all-powerful preservation of the environment. It backfired badly, and if we don’t change course, it will not be the last time this happens. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE DAVID MARCUS 

An Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people, was shot down by a Russian air defense system, Reuters reported Thursday.

The report cited four sources in Azerbaijan familiar with the investigation into the crash. One of the sources said preliminary results showed the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system, and its communications were paralyzed by electronic warfare systems on the approach into Grozny, Reuters reported. 

"No one claims that it was done on purpose," the source told Reuters. "However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft."

Officials in Russia and Kazakhstan have remained tight-lipped after the Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau with dozens of souls aboard.

RUSSIA BEING BLAMED FOR AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES PLANE THAT CRASHED HUNDREDS OF MILES OFF COURSE, KILLING DOZENS

A Ukrainian national security official has blamed Russian air defense fire for the deadly crash, which killed 38 people on Christmas Day. 

The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, according to Kazakh authorities. It had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Twenty-nine people survived. 

Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. 

Officials did not immediately explain why the plane had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut down airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane's flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the cause of the crash is under investigation. He told reporters that "it would be wrong to make hypotheses before investigators make their verdict," the Associated Press reported. 

Kazakhstan’s parliamentary Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev also warned against rushing to conclusions based on pictures of the plane’s fragments, describing the allegations of air defense fire as unfounded and "unethical."

Other officials in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have likewise declined to comment on the cause of the crash and pointed to the ongoing investigations for answers, according to the AP.

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Earlier, Ukrainian national security official Andriy Kovalenko blamed a "Russian air-defense system" for the crash in an X post on Wednesday.

"However, admitting this is inconvenient for everyone, so efforts will be made to cover it up, even the holes in the remaining parts of the aircraft," Kovalenko claimed. 

Aviation-security firm Osprey Flight Solutions also said the flight was "likely shot down by a Russian military air-defense sytem," the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night.

"Video of the wreckage and the circumstances around the airspace security environment in southwest Russia indicates the possibility the aircraft was hit by some form of antiaircraft fire," Matt Borie, Osprey's chief intelligence officer, said in an interview.

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Russia's aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning on Thursday for the 38 victims of the plane crash. National flags were lowered across the country, traffic stopped at noon and signals were sounded from ships and trains as the people observed a nationwide moment of silence, the AP reported.

"We will never forget the beloved people we lost in the crash of the ‘Embraer-190’ aircraft," Azerbaijan Airlines said in a statement Thursday. "This loss left a deep wound in the heart of an entire community. It reminds us to be more compassionate and connected to one another." 

"May the souls of those who tragically lost their lives rest in peace, and may their memory live on forever."