Newsbytes: San Jose Fire, Bombs in New York, Greek Migrant Camp, League of Legends

By Staff Writer Andrew Kan & A&E Editor Michelle Dalarossa

Local — Fire Erupts in East San Jose
Firefighters doused a fire that occurred just after 7 p.m. on September 19 in East San Jose. Residents who were frying chicken in their backyard at the corner of White Road and Lieb Court unknowingly caused the fire. The fire, fueled by a gas meter, not only burned down the residents’ house but also destroyed several power poles and electrical wires. After Pacific Gas & Electric Co. turned off the gas meter at 8:30 p.m., the San Jose Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire. Firefighters evacuated eight homes, and no one was injured.

National — Bombs Detonated In New York and New Jersey 
An explosive device in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City went off during the night on September 17, injuring 29 people. Several other bombs were found near the scene of the explosion, and police believe that a pipe bomb that went off in New Jersey on the same day is connected. Officials speculate that the bomb was an act of terror and took Suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami, who they believe is responsible for the Manhattan and New Jersey bombs, into custody.

International — Migrant Camp In Greece Catches Fire
Over 3,000 migrants evacuated from the migrant camp Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos after a large fire burned down tents and other makeshift homes on Monday, September 19. Approximately 30 percent of the camp was destroyed, but no injuries have been reported. Officials are still investigating whether or not the fire was started deliberately, but nine suspects were arrested on September 20. The Greek government said it would send a ship to the island as temporary housing for up to 1,000 people, but in the meantime, it is requesting additional aid from the European Union.

Quirky — Online Game Reaches 100 Million Active Players
During an interview with Polygon, a video game news site, Riot Games CEO Brandon Beck announced on September 13 that the game League of Legends has over 100 million monthly players, or approximately 1.35 percent of the world’s population. For comparison, the second largest Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), Dota 2, only has 13 million monthly players. League of Legends is a 5 vs. 5 PC MOBA game in which players control characters called champions to destroy the enemy base. The game was released in October 2009, and has been recognized as an e-sport by ESPN.

Photos Courtesy ABC Local, NY Times, Huffington Post, Goliath