Official: Illegal campfire sparked deadly wildfire

Official: Illegal campfire sparked deadly wildfire

SAN FRANCISCO

A fire official says a deadly wildfire that continues to spread near California’s scenic Big Sur was started by an illegal camp fire.

Fire information officer Deborah McClain said Tuesday that investigators determined the blaze started July 22 in an area of Garapata Park where campfires are prohibited.

McClain says officials are still trying to determine who started the campfire and are asking for information from campers who were in the area before the blaze charred 67 square miles and destroyed 57 homes. A bulldozer operator working the fire lines was killed last week in a rollover accident in steep, forested ridges.

Seoul: N. Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the sea

SEOUL, South Korea

South Korea’s military says North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the sea.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was launched toward the waters off the North’s east coast.

North Korea routinely conducts missile and other weapons tests, but Wednesday’s launch came after North Korea made angry threats against a U.S. plan to deploy an advanced missile defense system in South Korea by the end of next year.

Earlier this month, North Korea fired three ballistic missiles into the sea.

Libertarians appeal ballot-access case

COLUMBUS

Ohio Libertarians are turning to the U.S. Supreme Court in a long-running dispute over the party’s access to the ballot.

The Libertarian Party of Ohio has had few successes in its case. The group sued Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted, alleging a member of his staff and others were part of a scheme to selectively enforce the state’s election law in violation of the Libertarians’ constitutional rights.

The party also claimed Ohio’s rules for minor political parties violate its equal protection rights by denying Libertarians the chance to participate in a primary election. A three-judge panel of the federal appeals court rejected the party’s challenge Friday.

Mental exam ordered for suspect in homeless killings

SAN DIEGO

A mental evaluation has been ordered for a man charged with brutal attacks that killed three homeless men in San Diego and badly injured two others.

KFMB-TV says the competency exam for Jon Guerrero was ordered Tuesday after his public defender said the 39-year-old was severely mentally ill and might not understand the charges against him.

Guerrero has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He has a history of arrests and once was sent to a state mental hospital.

He’s charged with murder and attempted murder in a series of attacks this month on sleeping homeless men. The men were set afire or had railroad spikes driven into their bodies.

Associated Press