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Record pumpkin, Orange County wildfires, and weekend sports
The new heaviest pumpkin tops the old mark by three hundred pounds; the previous champion barely had time to get comfortable.
On air: Kenji Moonfield, Gloria Vance and Dr. Nina Byte on Best of BBNPublished
At a glance
- First reported by Al Jazeera: “Wildfire prompts thousands of evacuation orders in Orange County”, with reporting from ABC News.
- Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 5:00 AM ET on Best of BBN, by Kenji Moonfield, Gloria Vance and Dr. Nina Byte.
- Topics: Rhode Island.
- BBN covered this story before: 3,156-pound pumpkin grown in Rhode Island is inspected for possible… (October 17).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorFirefighters are battling fast-moving wildfires in Orange County, California, where Santa Ana winds are fanning the flames and officials have issued thousands of evacuation orders.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentResidents in the affected areas are being told to follow those orders and leave as directed.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIn other news, a Rhode Island farmer has grown a pumpkin weighing three thousand one hundred fifty-six pounds, a new world record.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt smashes the previous record of two thousand eight hundred fifty-six pounds, which was set just a week ago.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA week. That pumpkin was holding the title for less time than my cereal stays crunchy.
The story so far
- Rhode Island farmer's giant pumpkin weighs in at 3,156 pounds · UPI
- Rhode Island farmer grows 3,156-pound pumpkin, a new record · The New York Times
- Rhode Island Farmer Grows Record-Breaking Pumpkin · The New York Times
- World's heaviest pumpkin tops 3,000 pounds, Rhode Island man sets… · USA Today
- New pumpkin record: 3,156 pounds, a week after the last one · ABC News
- 3,156-pound pumpkin grown in Rhode Island is inspected for possible… · Griffin Daily News
- Record pumpkin, Orange County wildfires, and weekend sports (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Saturday, October 17, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months
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