Firebomber Publications Blog

2012-01-28T16:53:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 012812

The tricky topic of maintaining Southern California's Highway 39, which provides firefighters with access to the Angeles National Forest during forest fires, leads off wildfire news today (1); meanwhile, Red Flag warnings remain in place across Orange County (2); and US Forest Service plans to conduct numerous controlled burns around Lake Tahoe, California, next week (3). Now that the details on Arizona's landmark Four Forest Restoration Initiative are in place, it's up to US Forest Service to do their part to get the wildfire prevention program rolling (4); but facing a potential catastrophe due to acres of beetle-killed trees, Brownsville Volunteer Fire Department in South Dakota is considering establishing a fire protection fee before they go bankrupt (5). Despite the fact there's been snowfall in the northern part of Missouri, milder temperatures will lead to a heightened wildfire danger later this weekend (6); while FEMA has provided nearly $75,000 to Freetown, Massachusetts, to help with the purchase of a new forest patrol vehicle (7). A 20-acre wildfire was burning out of control in Clay County, according to Florida Forest Service (8); but light rainfall assisted firefighters battling a 150-acre wildfire outside of Ormond Beach (9). In Canada, a controversial logging plan intended to create fire breaks to protect Bragg Creek, Alberta, from wildfires was the topic of discussion at a meeting this week (10); while private forest owners in the African nation of Uganda estimate that they lost 1.5 billion shillings (about $600,000) worth of timber in recent wildfires in Hoima district (11). A 50-hectare bushfire was reported on Mount Beckworth near Clunes in Victoria, Australia (12); the following article chronicling some of the missteps which have hobbled recovery for Black Saturday survivors (13). Numerous lightning-sparked bushfires were reported across Western Australia (14); while residents of Roleystone and Kelmscott reflected on the approaching anniversary of a bushfire that razed 72 homes in their neighborhoods (15). The Tasmanian Fire Service reported bushfires outside of Powranna and George Town (16). And finally, kids in Tempe, Arizona, will be learning how to exercise like a firefighter next week!

(1) Caltrans wants to abandon cliff-hanging Highway 39

(2) High winds raise wildfire danger

(3) Controlled burns may bring smoky conditions in Lake Tahoe

(4) U.S. must clear step to launch forest project

(5) Brownsville Fire Dept. looks to establish tax district

(6) Chilly and damp tonight, wildfire danger Saturday

(7) Grant will help replace Freetown fire apparatus

(8) Crews battle Clay County brush fire

(9) Rain small help to wildfire

(10) Big turnout for Bragg Creek meeting

(11) Fire destroys 300 acres of forests in Hoima

(12) Fire crews battle bushfire around Waubra

(13) Roadblocks to recovery for Black Saturday bushfire survivors

(14) Firefighters tackle lightning blazes

(15) Year of living in fear

(16) North Tas bushfire situation

(17) Kids: Get fit with firefighters

2012-01-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 012712

Santa Ana winds will gain strength overnight, increasing the wildfire danger across Southern California this weekend (1). An Arizona state senator, fed up with federal missteps in managing their forests, is arguing that the state should take over responsibility for wildfire mitigation in national forests (2); while firefighters from Sonora, Mexico, are receiving wildfire training in Nogales (3). Having already suffered $1.8 million in damages from wildfires, officials in Edmond, Oklahoma, are advising homeowners to be Firewise this winter (4); and in the Texas Panhandle, National Ranching Heritage Center will be hosting a panel on prescribed burns and wildfires Saturday (5). Firefighters are considering setting wildfires on between 900 and 1,500 acres in Pennsylvania's Poconos to rejuvenate the area (6); while the New York Times weighs in on the Department of Agriculture's new blueprint for America's forests (7). Florida Forest Service is warning homeowners about the wildfire danger posed by burning debris this winter (8); something echoed by officials at the Withlacoochee Forestry Center (9); and emphasized by a 14-acre wildfire that briefly threatened homes in Lehigh Acres on Thursday (10); as well as the 110-acre Bennett Swamp Fire near Ormond Beach (11); and a 15-acre blaze near Leisure Lakes (12). As many other countries have discovered, education is key to preventing wildfires in Israel, a theme repeated at the 'Climate Change and Forest Fires in the Mediterranean Basin' conference (13); and an Israeli fire chief will be speaking in Staten Island, New York, in February on the topic of the devastating wildfire which ripped through Carmel Forest near Haifa in 2010 (14). Farmers in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana lost dozens of bags of grain to bushfires believed to have been set by hunters (15). A wind-driven wildfire blazed across Sichuan province in southwest China (16); even as 3,000 firefighters continued to grapple with another blaze outside of Lijiang, in Yunnan province (17). Approximately 10 ha of trees were destroyed by a wildfire sparked by fireworks in Pangasinan, Philippines (18). The mayor of Murrindindi, Victoria, asked the Australian Prime Minister to stop dwelling on the Black Saturday disaster because it was hampering recovery in bushfire-hit towns (19); while Crime Stoppers Victoria used a traveling roadshow to educate residents of Healesville about how to spot bushfire arsonists (20). Quick work by firefighters contained a small bushfire burning near Ludlow, Western Australia (21); even as firefighters were mopping up bushfires outside of Gracetown and Busselton (22); but tourists attempting to leave Gascoyne because of an oncoming cyclone have their path blocked by bushfires burning near the main highway (23). And finally, firefighters in Massachusetts had an unusual extrication to perform: getting a youngster's hand out of a vending machine!

(1) WILDFIRE WARNING: Fierce winds, low humidity hit SoCal

(2) Lawmaker: In face of fire threat, state, counties deserve sovereignty over forests

(3) Sonoran firefighters get U.S. training

(4) Firefighters urge Edmond residents to prepare for wildfire season

(5) Panel schedules discussion of prescribed burns and wildfires

(6) Bethlehem water agency considers controlled burns

(7) How to Manage U.S. Forests, Version 3.1

(8) Residents urged to be cautious while burning trash, debris this winter

(9) Forestry Center warns of high wildfire risk

(10) Controlled burns help to control brush fires

(11) Firefighters work to knock down smoke on State Road 40 near Ormond Beach

(12) Wildfire contained in Leisure Lakes

(13) 'Education a vital tool in fire prevention'

(14) Israeli fire chief to speak at Staten Island's Congregation B' nai Israel

(15) Farmers’ toil erased by Bushfire

(16) Hundreds Battle Second Forest Fire in SW China

(17) Forest fire continues to burn in China

(18) Fire hits forest in Pangasinan

(19) Fire-hit towns try to shed the past

(20) Fire show at Queen's Park

(21) Quick response contains Ruabon fire

(22) Firefighters mop up south-west bushfires

(23) Cyclone, bushfires threaten WA

(24) Mass. firefighters rescue girl stuck in machine

2012-01-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 012612

The Southern California arsonist who started 2003's Old Fire in San Bernardino County is considering changing his plea (1); but fire chiefs in Santa Barbara County are concerned that California's new $150 fire fee for homes in State Responsibility Areas (which include 20,000 in that county) may not fund fire protection (2); and a new study by the Ecological Society of America points to car and industrial emissions as a factor in the expansion of invasive grasses that fuel wildfires across the California deserts (3); while the next article takes a closer look at CAL FIRE's growing overtime pay problem (4). In the aftermath of a 1,300-acre wildfire in Grant County, New Mexico, fire officials reminded residents of that state of the high fire danger (5); and public input is being sought in a series of Community Wildfire Protection Plan meetings in Mesa County, Colorado (6). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Snyder, President of Montana-based air-tanker giant Neptune Aviation, comments on the US Forest Service's request that their aircraft be ready for an early fire season in the following press release (7). As swamp fires continue to smolder outside of New Orleans, Louisiana, the next article takes a look at the persistence of these wildfires (8); while in Washington, DC, the Secretary of Agriculture unveiled new forest rules which will dictate how 193 million acres of US forest land will be protected and utilized (9). A total of 2,500 firefighters, police officers, and soldiers are battling a 45-hectare wildfire burning in southwest China's Yunnan Province (10). A bushfire was reported in the Shire of Irwin, Western Australia (11); and another was apparently sparked by lightning near Gingin (12); but although firefighters have finally corralled a bushfire burning just outside the City of Wanneroo, multiple bushfire warnings remain in place elsewhere in the state (13). And finally, our last article asks the question: can massive wildfires make big government attractive?

(1) Man charged in Old fire may change plea related to 2003 blaze

(2) Fire Chiefs Seeing Red

(3) Car emissions may fuel desert forest fires

(4) Firefighter overtime in California so abundant it is hurting management ranks

(5) Officials warn of high wildfire danger in southwest New Mexico

(6) Public Opinion Encouraged in Countywide Wildfire Planning Meetings

(7) Neptune Aviation Accelerates Air Tanker Readiness For Predicted Early 2012 Wildland Fire Season

(8) Swampy fires festering on New Orleans' edge may take months to lay low

(9) APNewsBreak: US to unveil new forest rules

(10) 2,500 Battling Mountain Forest Fire in SW China

(11) Bushfire advice for Arrowsmith, affecting Brand Highway and Indian Ocean Drive

(12) Bushfire Advice after lightning strikes start fire near Gingin

(13) Watch alert on fires

(14) Why Climate Change Will Make You Love Big Government

2012-01-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 012512

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Eversole, Executive Director of the American Helicopter Services and Aerial Firefighting Association, commented on the projected early start to the wildfire season due to unusually low rainfall totals across the US this year (1). At the Tangent Link Aerial Firefighting Conference and Exhibition, in Sacramento, California, Canadian air-tanker purveyor Conair announced that it will be marketing the AVRO RJ85 jet aircraft as the next generation heavy air-tanker (2); while officials in Clackamas County, Oregon, will be hosting a meeting to discuss their Community Wildfire Protection Plan in February (3). A homeowner has admitted he may have started the massive Reno, Nevada, wildfire which destroyed over two dozen homes last week (4); and a meeting will be held tomorrow in Arizona's Prescott Fire Center to provide information for vendors hoping to work with US Forest Service during the 2012 fire season (5). Scientists from USDA's Agricultural Research Services in Utah revealed that Kochia prostrata, a nutritious forage crop, is also wildfire resistant (6); while Texas Forest Service awarded $10,000 to Liberty County to help in preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (7). An Op-Ed piece from Montana discusses wildfires in Glacier National Park (8). Although Arkansas's governor agreed to sign a bill which would increase forest owner taxes as a means to reinstate 36 forestry jobs, he doubted that it would pass the Legislature (9); but the value of controlled burns in reducing out-of-control wildfires was discussed by firefighters who set a 1,700 acre blaze in Pinnacle Mountain State Park (10). US Forest Service plans to conduct 1,200 acres worth of controlled burns in North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest (11); while an arson investigator has been dispatched to determine the cause of a 20-hectare bushfire burning near Te Kao, New Zealand (12). An Op-Ed piece rails at Australian scientists for blaming Victorian native forest logging for worsening bushfires (13); but people recognized for heroic deeds during the Black Saturday bushfires will receive commendations from Australia's Prime Minister during Australia Day ceremonies in Canberra on Thursday (14). A bushfire cut off access to Gracetown, Western Australia, yesterday, threatening homes (15); even as a 6-hectare bushfire burning near Ludlow was contained (16); while fire alerts remained in place in the southwest (17); but in the aftermath of major bushfires in Gascoyne, landowners are adding up the losses (18); nevertheless, the government refuses to declare the area a disaster zone, denying emergency funding to pastoralists hard hit by the blazes (19). And finally, as the saying goes, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned", in this case of a firefighting job!

(1) Aerial Firefighters Gearing Up For The 2012 Wildland Forest Fire Season

(2) Conair and Falko Sign AVRO RJ85 Airtanker Marketing Agreement

(3) County to host meeting on wildfire management plan progress

(4) Nevada man admits to sparking Reno wildfire

(5) Forest Service meeting Thursday to help fire vendors

(6) Finding new forages for rangeland cattle

(7) County receives $10,000 from state for wildfire prevention

(8) Worrying about weather, floods and fires

(9) Beebe says he’d sign forest tax hike but doubts it would pass

(10) Controlled burns prevent wildfires

(11) Forest Service to Conduct Prescribed Burn on Bearpen Mountain

(12) UPDATED: Investigator on way to Far North fire

(13) Logging and bushfires

(14) Disaster heroes to be recognised

(15) Bushfire cuts off Gracetown, threatens homes

(16) Ludlow bushfire contained

(17) SW remains on fire alert

(18) Landowner takes 'big hit' from bushfires

(19) Call to declare Gascoyne disaster zone rejected

(20) Woman To Sue City Of Carlsbad Over Firefighting Job

2012-01-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 012412

In Texas, the House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee is exploring how much damage has been done to the tourist trade by damage from the 2011 wildfires (1); but as the South Dakota Division of Wildland Fire Suppression fire chief retired on Monday, he looked back on a 36-year career in the fire service (2). The Arkansas legislature is taking a closer look at planned cuts which eliminated 36 jobs from the Arkansas Forestry Division (3). In Africa, Gambia's Anti-Bush Fire Campaign Committee has successfully completed a week of training in the West Coast Region (4); but forest fire activity in South Africa's Western Cape in 2005 may have an impact on a forestry operation in the area (5). A 20-hectare bushfire burning near Te Kao, New Zealand, drew the attention of a pair of firefighting helicopters as well as firefighters on the ground (6). With the official commencement of the bushfire season in Victoria, Australia, residents are advised to be on the lookout for bushfire arsonists as part of the Crime Stoppers program (7); however, bushfire survivors denounced graphic bushfire warning commercials aired by the state government (8); nevertheless, an editorial cites the importance of a bushfire escape plan (9); while hundreds of thousands of Victorians may be in the dark as a new power blackout plan to better control bushfires is put into place (10). A study from New South Wales shows that bushfires are critical to the ecosystem supporting dry sclerophyll forests (11). A 50-hectare bushfire burning near the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River in Western Australia has been contained (12); and a 10-hectare bushfire burning near Boyanup is now under control (13); but Chidlow and Mundaring residents had to flee as a bushfire threatened their homes (14). And finally, just like their counterparts in the military who toss a grenade into a room before entering, firefighters in Saskatchewan, Canada, will be using a new high-tech firefighting grenade to reduce fire temperatures in a room by up to 700°!

(1) Drought, wildfires take toll on Texas tourism

(2) Wildland fire suppression division chief retires

(3) Lawmakers eye restoring firefighter positions at forestry agency

(4) Gambia: Anti-Bush Fire Campaign Ends in WCR

(5) Timber supply hurt by fire

(6) Crews continue to fight Far North fire

(7) Bushfire season sparks arson alert

(8) Grief flares with bushfire ads

(9) Bushfire escape plan crucial

(10) Blackout trigger primed

(11) Planned burning can't replace bushfires

(12) Bushfire information for Gracetown

(13) Bushfire under control at Boyanup

(14) Chidlow residents flee bushfire

(15) New firefighting tool introduced

2012-01-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 012312

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, Past-President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a call for papers for an upcoming symposium on model performance in fire prevention this coming May (1); while Mussey Grade Road Alliance is asking for a public hearing on San Diego Gas & Electric's plan to bill customers for 2007 wildfire losses in Southern California (2). Researchers at the US Forest Service's Agricultural Research Service in Burns, Oregon, are studying best practices in reseeding arid rangeland in the western US after wildfires (3); but environmentalists are clashing with folks in the town of Darrington, Washington, over restoration of a historic fire lookout tower (4). A 3,200-acre wildfire which blazed through Reno's outskirts, destroying 29 homes in the process, has finally been contained (5); FEMA agreeing to pay 75% of the fire suppression bill (6); but an editorial says that wildfire is a wake-up call for Eastern Arizona (7). Fire crews were keeping an eye on a one-acre wildfire burning southwest of Colorado Springs on Sunday (8); while the thinner-than-average snowfall already has fire officials in Glenwood Springs thinking about wildfires (9). A 40-acre wildfire was reported in Norman, Oklahoma, on Sunday (10); and FEMA's Assistance to Firefighter Grants program awarded $14,000 to Massachusetts forest wardens, allowing them to purchase a much-needed brush truck (11); while an article from New Jersey takes a look at the interaction between forest destruction through wildfires and eventual regrowth (12). Florida Forest Service announced that a wildfire which burned over 427 acres in Lafayette County is now 100% contained (13); meanwhile, a $1,000 reward is being offered for information about suspicious wildfires that have been cropping up in Washington County (14). A 30-acre wildfire that broke out on Maui, Hawaii, has been contained (15); but officials in Chile fear that it could take 80 years for picturesque Torres del Paine National Park to recover from the ravages of recent wildfires (16). The cost of suppressing a 350-hectare bushfire in New Zealand has been pegged at $650,000 (17); while a contingent of visiting US firefighters provided some tips on rural firefighting to Department of Conservation personnel (18). In the wake of Victoria, Australia's, admission that it had not reached its vegetation removal goal, dozens of towns may be in jeopardy from bushfires (19); and with half the bushfires in that state being deliberately set, fire officials warned homeowners in Maroondah and the Yarra Ranges to be on the alert (20); even as the Bushfire Response Minister planned to cut several bushfire building advisor positions deemed to be redundant (21). A bushfire was reported near Chidlow, east of Perth, Western Australia (22); and seven lightning-sparked bushfires have converged into one complex in the Gascoyne region (23); while a rugby team is helping raise funds for Margaret River after bushfires ravaged the town (24). In an Op-Ed piece, a Professor of Environmental Change Biology at the University of Tasmania ponders the possibility that Hobart could be the scene of a future bushfire disaster (25). And finally, a new study showed an unexpected consequence of Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires: an increase in domestic violence!

(1) National Symposium on Model Performance in Fire Prevention

(2) Group Wants Public Hearings On SDG&E Wildfire Costs

(3) Helping rangelands recover from fire damage

(4) The logging town of Darrington, Wash., fights to save a fire lookout

(5) Reno wildfire that destroyed 29 homes contained

(6) FEMA authorizes funds for Washoe Fire

(7) Be safe and avoid starting wildfires

(8) Crews Monitoring Small Wildfire

(9) Getting prepared for the upcoming wildfire season

(10) Wildfire contained in Norman; firefighters battled high winds, dry vegetation

(11) Forest wardens will use $14K grant on equipment for brush fire truck

(12) Opinion: Good stewards of our forests take cues from Mother Nature

(13) L.A. Bennett Wildfire now 100 percent contained

(14) Authorities Seek Information on ‘Suspicious' Sunny Hills Wildfires

(15) UPDATE: Kahikinui Brush Fire Burns 30 Acres, 100% Contained

(16) Recovery from Forest Fire Could Take 80 Years

(17) Horeke fire costs soar to $650,000

(18) US fire crew here to learn

(19) State fails to meet fire goal

(20) Bushfire season sparks arson alert

(21) State cuts funds for post bushfire building advisers

(22) Residents warned of fire east of Perth

(23) Gascoyne fire breaks containment lines

(24) Bushfire damage hits home for Force

(25) Will climate change increase bushfires? Not knowing is no excuse for not talking

(26) Black Saturday caused increase in domestic violence, research finds

2012-01-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 012012

A wind-driven wildfire near Reno, Nevada, scorched 3,900 acres, destroying 26 homes, and forcing the evacuation of 2,000 people (1); but firefighters from California who headed over to Nevada to help were turned away (2); and the wildfire forced Vice President Biden to cut his speech short (3); while PETA offered useful tips for safeguarding animals impacted by the wildfires (4). As firefighters braced for wildfires in the southwestern part of the state, Oklahoma Forestry Services reflected on the 1,745 wildfires it responded to in 2011 (5); the next story discussing how the American Red Cross helped people in that state cope with wildfires in 2011 (6). A photo spread of 40 pictures chronicles the devastation wrought by the Texas wildfires in 2011 (7); where, in addition to money from FEMA, people are also receiving $31 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help with rebuilding (8). Firefighters plan to burn 35,000 acres in Florida's John M. Bethea State Forest and Osceola National Forest (9); but smoke from a wildfire in Lake County forced closure of State Road 46 (10); while a black bear injured in the blaze has gone into hibernation, which will help heal his burned feet (11). After a spate of forest fires escalating tensions between the government of Chile and the indigenous Mapuche Indians, the tug-of-war between indigenous rights and corporate greed was forced into the spotlight (12); but in Indonesia, scientists discovered that Miller's Grizzled Langur, a species of monkey which was thought to be extinct after its habitat had been devastated by wildfires, has simply moved to a new location (13). Australian power utility SP AusNet has decided not to invoke a power shutdown safeguard requested by Victoria's Powerline Bushfire Safety Taskforce (14); while Tasmania Fire Service contained a bushfire that threatened homes near Evandale (15). And finally, we have a mystery on our hands: did a 3,500-year-old cypress tree in Florida spontaneously combust?

(1) 26 homes lost in Reno fire and 2,000 evacuated

(2) Local firefighting team headed for Nevada wildfire turning around

(3) Reno wildfire forces Vice President Joe Biden to cut short appearance

(4) PETA offers urgent information for safeguarding animals during wildfire

(5) Oklahoma Forestry Services battled 1,745 fires in 2011

(6) American Red Cross responded to more than 150 wildfires

(7) Texas wildfires

(8) Texas gets more than $31M HUD grant for wildfires recovery, bulk of money for Bastrop County

(9) Wildfires pose threat this season

(10) Smoke from Lake County wildfires causes accidents

(11) Bear injured in wildfire recovering

(12) Forest fires in Chile stoke tensions over indigenous land rights

(13) Monkey long believed extinct found in Indonesia

(14) Change of power on bushfire-alert days

(15) Evandale bushfire contained

(16) Did the oldest tree east of the Mississippi spontaneously combust?

2012-01-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011912

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, former President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a reminder about their upcoming webinar on the latest research from Joint Fire Science Project funded programs (1). In the wake of an agreement between CAL FIRE and the US Forest Service, CAL FIRE will be beefing up its assets in Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest next year (2); but a small wildfire was reported near Manresa State Park campground along the Central Coast yesterday (3); while sealed documents pertaining to a 2007 wildfire in Plumas County are at the center of a court battle in which the US government is claiming private parties owe them more than $700 million (4); and US Forest Service will be conducting controlled burns on 123 acres in South Lake Tahoe (5); while Six Rivers National Forest will be holding orientation for would-be wildland firefighters in the near future (6). National Weather Service forecasters fear that 2012 could be a repeat of 2011 in Arizona, which had its worst fire season ever last year (7); even as firefighters in the Coconino National Forest plan to conduct controlled burns today (8); while Coronado National Forest officials intend to burn about 3,100 acres beginning in February (9). As New Mexico faces another bad fire season, officials from US Forest Service Southwestern Region will be holding meetings at which contractors can learn how to work with the Forest Service on future wildfires (10). Airmen from Colorado's 302nd Airlift Wing remarked on the difficult fire season they had in 2011, hoping that 2012 will be a little quieter (11); where AmeriCorps is working with fire officials to help thin vegetation in Black Forest Regional Park ahead of fire season (12). The next article looks at the plight of volunteer fire departments across Texas, who are seeing the $25 million 2011 state grant budget slashed to only $7 million for 2012 (13); something that will not be well received by cash-strapped East Texas volunteers (14); but the Texas Forest Service is using the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System to augment the number of wildland fire experts across the state (15); while two former volunteer firefighters have been indicted for setting at least three wildfires near Corpus Christi (16). In Missouri, Redings Mill Fire Protection District earned national recognition for a second year in a row from the National Firewise Communities Program for its wildfire preparedness (17). Florida Department of Forestry announced that next week is Prescribed Fire Awareness Week (18); even as firefighters in Volusia County battled a baker's dozen of wildfires, smoke from a 110-acre swamp fire temporarily closed State Route 40 (19); and dry conditions didn't look like they would help the situation in Brevard County anytime soon, either (20); while Florida Fish and Wildlife officials are searching for a badly-burned black bear caught on video near a wildfire burning in Sorrento (21); and a Firewise workshop will take place in Jackson County tonight to help homeowners learn how to better protect their homes from wildfires (22). US Forest Service is in the process of training wildland firefighting brigades for Brazil's Amazon rainforests (23). With hunters and herdsmen setting numerous bushfires in the African nation of Ghana, fire officials are working with police to reduce incidents in the Central Region (24); and firefighters were assisted by helicopters in battling wildfires in South Africa's Western Cape (25). Firefighters battled wildfires which scorched hundreds of acres on the Pacific island of Saipan near Kannat Tabla (26). Victoria's premier reiterated his warning against bushfire complacency, since the Australian bushfire season has 10 more weeks to go (27); while people living in rural areas are being told to prepare for power blackouts during high bushfire danger periods (28); while a Bendigo police officer is set to receive a National Emergency Medal for his work during the Black Saturday bushfires (29). Firefighters were able to contain a bushfire burning in Perth, Western Australia's, northern suburbs (30); while FESA arson inspectors are looking for clues as to who was lighting bushfires in the vicinity of Rockingham yesterday (31). And finally, firefighters in El Cerrito, California, provided a new meaning to the term "steeple-chase"!

(1) Hot off the Press: The Latest Research from the Joint Fire Science Program

(2) Cal Fire Adding Engines, Firefighters

(3) Wildfire doused near Manresa State Park Campground

(4) Sacramento federal judge to decide whether to seal Moonlight fire documents

(5) Prescribed fires planned in Angora area and West Shore

(6) Wildland fire academy orientation next month

(7) Dry La Nina winter could bring another big wildfire season

(8) Slash pile burns on forest near Flagstaff today

(9) Lyle Canyon prescribed fire in Huachuca Mountains to begin February 2012

(10) Officials prepare for busy fire season

(11) 302nd airmen say 2011 was busiest firefighting season

(12) AmeriCorps provides mitigation in Black Forest

(13) Epic Year of Wild Fires End, $18M Slashed from Volunteer Fire Fighter Budget

(14) Equipment-strapped East Texas Volunteer firefighters face uncertain drought and wildfire season

(15) City to lead wildland firefighting efforts

(16) Ingleside firefighters indicted on arson charges

(17) Redings Mill Fire earns national recognition for wildfire preparedness

(18) Next Week is Prescribed Fire Awareness Week

(19) Smoke from swamp fire west of Ormond closes S.R. 40 temporarily

(20) More dry weather increases fire danger

(21) Wildlife officials searching for bear injured in wildfire

(22) Compass Lake in the Hills Hosts Jackson County “Firewise” Workshop Tonight

(23) US Forest Service Trains Fire Brigades in the Brazilian Amazon

(24) Winneba Fire service launches anti-bush fire campaign

(25) Wildfires rage in Western Cape

(26) Bush fire hits Kannat Tabla mountain anew

(27) Premier warns against bushfire complacency

(28) Vital to be ready for a blackout

(29) Black Saturday efforts result in medal honour

(30) Clarkson bushfire now contained

(31) Authorities suspect arson in bushfires

(32) Firefighters subdue man who climbed El Cerrito church bell tower

2012-01-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011812

Southern California mountain dwellers are receiving warnings from US Forest Service about the wildfire danger due to low precipitation so far this winter (1); while the US Department of Agriculture will be spending millions to help communities hard hit by wildfires in the southwestern part of the US in 2011 (2). The federal government has recovered $270,000 in suppression costs from a company whose equipment apparently started a 13,000-acre wildfire on the grounds of Idaho National Laboratory last year (3). A Texas resident has received additional charges over a 25,000-acre wildfire that burned in the Panhandle in 2011 (4); and Texas Forest Service provided an after-action report to lawmakers about the massive wildfires that raged through that state in 2011 (5); while FEMA will be conducting follow-up phone calls to Texans who've applied for some of the $13.5 million meted out in recovery efforts (6). A fisheries biologist will be giving a talk in Hamilton, Montana, about how wildfires in 2000 actually benefited trout (7); the next article providing a closer look at the new president of the International Association of Wildland Fire (8); while $15,000 will be donated to the Montana Horse Sanctuary by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to help feed animals impacted by an 18,000-acre wildfire that devastated the Blackfeet Indian Reservation (9). A wildfire in Lafayette County, Florida, has grown to 300 acres in size (10); and firefighters are battling a 15-acre wildfire near Sorrento, as well as another three-acre blaze outside of Port St. John (11); while fire officials released a statement in regards to the destruction of a 3,500-year-old cypress tree destroyed by wildfire in Seminole County (12). Hillsborough County, Florida, is conducting controlled burns at the county's parks (13); but the Caloosahatchee Forestry Center is concerned about being able to continue their controlled burn program as a $250,000 federal fund runs out (14). Two researchers from University of California Irvine’s Department of Earth System Science have revealed that tiny changes in water temperature can forecast South America's wildfire season (15); followed by a story that gauges the impact of forest fires on Brazil's Amazon rain forests (16). A wind-driven wildfire killed two and injured three in Nakapiripirit, Uganda (17); while in China, where 2% of the forests burn each year, Guangdong province has unveiled a new high-tech wildfire detection system that can report a wildfire within less than five minutes of its ignition, then monitor the blaze via aerial drones (18). Australian Capital Territory's government is calling for ideas on how to commemorate the 10th anniversary of a bushfire which burned through Canberra in 2003 (19); even as reconstruction of hundreds of homes destroyed in the fire nears completion (20). With the Australian Institute of Criminology indicating that $1.6 billion in bushfire damage is done each year, Crime Stoppers Victoria’s Bushfire Arson team is stepping up its warnings to residents to be vigilant for bushfire arsonists (21); where Australian cell phone provider Telstra is being pressured by local officials to put up more cell towers, thereby improving communications during future bushfires (22). Although it's been a quiet bushfire season in Port Stephens, New South Wales, fire officials warned residents not to become complacent (23). Country Fire Service issued an alert about a bushfire in the McLaren Flats region of South Australia's Adelaide Hills (24); while the advantages of controlled burns versus vegetation clearance is discussed by CFS's Manager of Prevention Services in an audio segment (25). Losses from a 400,000-hectare bushfire that is burning in Gascoyne have prompted Western Australia's Pastoralists and Graziers Association to appeal for a disaster declaration from the state government so that they can receive compensation (26); while bushfire claims were among the natural disasters which impacted Wesfarmers Insurance's bottom line (27). And finally, firefighters in Dallas, Texas, have been slapped with a $5,000 lawsuit after extricating a pair of Yorkie pups from the trunk of a car!

(1) Weather leads to fire danger

(2) USDA announces $308 million in aid to states

(3) Federal prosecutors recover $270,000 from Idaho company for costs of battling 2010 wildfire

(4) Texas man faces more charges for Panhandle wildfire

(5) Lessons from the fire line for Texas lawmakers

(6) Wildfire victims to get follow-up phone calls from FEMA

(7) Study looks at fish recovery after forest fires

(8) Stevensville's Dan Bailey named head of wildland firefighters’ group

(9) ASPCA Donates Funds to Feed Horses Impacted by Wildfires

(10) L.A. Bennett Wildfire in Lafayette now up to 300 acres

(11) New brush fires threatening homes near Sorrento, Port St. John

(12) Seminole County Fire Department and the State of Florida Forest Service Senator Tree Fire

(13) Season Brings Increased Prescribed Burns To Westchase Area

(14) Controlled burn a concern

(15) Sea temperature changes can forecast South American wildfires, study finds

(16) Amazonia: What's Happening to the World's Biggest Rain Forest?

(17) Uganda: Wildfire Kills Two, Injures Three in Nakapiripirit

(18) China pilots wildfire detection sensor network

(19) How should we remember the 2003 Bushfires?

(20) Bushfire rebuild nears completion

(21) Public urged to keep eye out for arsonists

(22) Blackwood Telstra tower: Moorabool mayor says honour promise

(23) Quiet bushfire season in Port but...

(24) Bushfire warning for McLaren Flat in Adelaide Hills

(25) Clearing vegetation in bushfire prone areas....how much is enough?

(26) Bushfire emergency zone

(27) Wesfarmers insurance arm also hit by disasters

(28) Dallas firefighters rescue dogs from car trunk

2012-01-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011712

California's controversial $150 fire fee continues to draw flak, this time from two lawmakers in the northern part of the state (1); while firefighters battled a 40-acre wildfire outside of Concord yesterday (2). A retrospective on Oregon fire lookout towers is provided by the next article (3); followed by one about efforts by Arizona's Coronado National Forest to revamp areas ravaged by wildfires in 2011 (4). A 681-acre wildfire was reported in Hockley County, Texas, yesterday (5); and a man was arrested for accidentally sparking a wildfire which destroyed 37 homes in Potter County last February (6); even as Texas wildfire survivors receive some of the $12.6 million in FEMA grants, many asking how best to use the money (7). Kestrel Meters touted the superior features of their wind and weather meters for wildfire use in a press release from Michigan (8); something they probably could have used in Harrison County, Mississippi, where wildfires scorched 150 acres (9). A blanket of wildfire smoke from eight blazes is covering Volusia County, Florida (10); and wildfire activity kept firefighters busy in Orange County as well (11). To better prevent bushfires in the African nation of Ghana, village chieftains are being summoned to swear allegiance to the Paramount Chief in the Santrokofi Traditional Area (12). Researchers at Australian National University unveiled a new study which showed that clearing vegetation 40 m away from structures greatly increased survivability of homes during Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires (13); and although a community leader in Strathewen feels that the state government's $750 million bushfire plan is a good start, more needs to be done (14); but homeowners in Whittlesea who have rebuilt homes which were destroyed in the Black Saturday bushfires may be unable to insure them (15); while Crime Stoppers works to prevent future arson bushfires in that state (16); even as the community of Blackwood unveiled its bushfire evacuation plan (17). New South Wales' Rural Fire Service formulated a bushfire plan to deal with future blazes in the Warrumbungle and Gilgandra areas (18); but nearly 200 Country Fire Service firefighters battled to keep a bushfire out of Wilmington, South Australia, yesterday (19). Several roads around Shoalwater, Western Australia, were closed due to a bushfire (20); while the Tasmanian Fire Service issued a burn ban, law enforcement officials announcing that they will be alert for bushfire arsonists (21). And finally, the National Volunteer Fire Council has determined that firefighters across the US have a weighty problem to deal with!

(1) North state lawmakers seek to repeal fire fee

(2) UPDATE: Firefighters Extinguish 40-acre Blaze on Bailey Road

(3) Oregon Trails: View From the Top

(4) National Forest revamps picnic area, eyes cabin replacement

(5) Wildfire stretches across 681 acres west of Levelland on Monday afternoon

(6) Charges filed in huge February wildfire

(7) Wildfire survivors have choices with recovery grants

(8) Kestrelmeters.com Sells Kestrel Wind Speed Meters for Fire Fighting

(9) Blazes torch 150 acres in Harrison County

(10) Volusia travelers have smoky morning commute

(11) Fire crews contain Orange Co. wildfire

(12) Anti bush fire campaign: Summons for sub-chiefs urged

(13) Give trees the chop to save homes in bushfire-prone areas

(14) HAVE YOUR SAY: Fire action not enough for Strathewen community leader

(15) Post-bushfire homes left uninsured

(16) New campaign looks to quell arsonists

(17) Blackwood ready for bushfire season

(18) Bushfire plan to mitigate Newell Highway risk

(19) Bushfire threatens Wilmington

(20) Shoalwater fire under control

(21) Police tough on fire danger

(22) NVFC: Obesity high among firefighters

2012-01-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011612

US Forest Service officials praised the efforts of 400 firefighters plus 30 engines in battling a 10-acre wildfire in Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest over the weekend (1); but San Diego Gas & Electric is appealing to the California Public Utilities Commission for permission to charge ratepayers for wildfires caused by its own transmission lines! (2) US Forest Service has determined that a 398-acre wildfire in Arizona's Patagonia Mountains in 2011 was started by a grinder (3); while in Colorado, numerous agencies came together to draft the Grand Lake Fire Protection District's Community Wildfire Protection Plan (4). Firefighters in Potter and Randall Counties, Texas, are concerned about replacing equipment worn out battling wildfires in 2011 (5); while firefighters in Wichita Falls issued a wildfire advisory for the region (6). Numerous firefighters were assisted by two helicopters in battling a 100-acre wildfire in Gallatin County, Montana, over the weekend (7). Firefighters in Colleton County, South Carolina, battled numerous wildfires on Sunday, including some that began as debris burns (8); and the Army base of Fort Jackson lit one of their own (9). Florida Forest Service upgraded the size of a wildfire that has been smoldering in Putnam County since Thanksgiving to 850 acres (10); while firefighters in Volusia County kept a close eye on several wildfires, including one that burned 10 acres in the vicinity of the Tomoka Wildlife Management area (11); and although a 90-acre wildfire burning in Deltona is under control, thick smoke is still reducing visibility (12); but as $500,000 in federal funds is on schedule to run out in June, Florida Forest Service hopes that the state will step in to fund wildfire mitigation programs themselves (13). Australian Pump Industries touted their line of pumps, which could be used to protect property from bushfires in what's shaping up to be a bad fire season (14). Despite numerous days of cool temperatures, Victorians were warned about the extreme fire danger their state faces (15); where a lost hiker's signal fire turned into a 12-hectare bushfire on Mount Bogong (16). A lack of rain along New South Wales' southern coast elicited a grim prediction about bushfires from Rural Fire Service officials (17); and a total of 1,300 landowners have failed to comply with South Australia's fire fuel clearance edicts (18). Two young women who were badly burned in a Western Australian bushfire last year discuss their long rehabilitation in the next article (19); while the state capital of Perth is receiving numerous visitations from cockatoos starved out by, among other things, bushfire-damaged habitat (20). And finally, a wildfire in a Florida park claimed a very old victim: a 3,500-year-old cypress tree!

(1) Firefighters did 'heck of job' containing blaze near Crestline

(2) SDG&E Wants Ratepayers To Pay For Costs Of Wildfires, Retroactive To ‘07

(3) Report Suggests Arizona Wildfire Started Accidentally

(4) Grand Lake to update Community Wildfire Protection Plan

(5) Potter, Randall spent $1.1M

(6) Under Wildfire Advisory Firefighters Responding to House Fires

(7) Manhattan Wildfire Aftermath: Resident's Property Destroyed

(8) Fires spread Sunday, keeping Colleton Co. firefighters busy

(9) Smoke is from fires in controlled burn at Fort Jackson

(10) Hawthorne-area fire larger than previously thought

(11) Firefighters monitor hot spots after Volusia Co. wildfire threatens homes

(12) Smoky skies this morning, Deltona blaze under control

(13) Wildfire prevention funds in jeopardy

(14) Aussie Fire Chief fire fighting pumps protect property against bush fires

(15) Victorians warned of growing bushfire risk

(16) Crews battle bushfire lit by lost hiker

(17) Scant rain pushes up bushfire danger

(18) Defiant residents won't clear fire fuel

(19) Marathon burn victims speak with each other

(20) Starved cockatoos forced out of south-west

(21) Firefighters say 3,500-year-old cypress tree catches fire, collapses in central Florida park

2012-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011412

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, Past-President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along an invitation to a webinar that will deal with the issue of soil water repellency, something which can a problem after a wildfire (1). Hikers in the San Gabriel Mountains, burned by Southern California's Station Fire in 2010, comment on the return of life to the moonscape-like region (2); and heightened fire danger has prompted officials to restrict open fires in the San Bernardino National Forest this weekend (3); video footage of wildfires in Southern California's Inland Empire is provided by the next article (4); while Tangent Link sent along the schedule for their upcoming aerial firefighting conference, set to kick off 1/25 in Sacramento (5); even as the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit plans to conduct controlled burns on about 10,000 acres along the southern part of that lake (6). Washington state's Department of Natural Resources has begun hiring seasonal wildland firefighters (7); but a volunteer fire chief is suing a New Mexican county over false arrest during a wildfire (8). Firefighters battled a wildfire in Bell County, Texas, that was burning on the grounds of a Girl Scout camp Friday (9); where an embattled power utility which has already paid out $6 million for wildfires begun by its equipment in 2009, and may have to pay more for fires from 2011 (10); but better wildfire education of homeowners in Austin following the blazes of summer was discussed at a public safety meeting Friday night (11); one neighborhood taking matters into their own hands by clearing excess vegetation from greenbelts (12); and Helicopter Association International sent along a reminder about their upcoming conference in Dallas in February (13). A wildfire burned around 100 acres in Montana's Sweet Grass County Friday (14); and a pilot from Nebraska looked back on a fulfilling career which included almost 800 hours of wildfire missions (15). Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources has been battling a rare winter peat fire in Polk County (16); while Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is advising property owners who have blowdown debris on their land to burn it now rather than waiting until the traditional spring burning period due to the wildfire danger (17). Escambia Fire Rescue and the Florida Division of Forestry fought a pitched battle to save thousands of dollars worth of hay from a wildfire (18); and a five-acre wildfire was reported in Santa Rosa County as well (19); but firefighters brought containment on a 115-acre wildfire burning near Daytona Beach to 75% Friday night (20). Two wildfires were reported in India: the latest in a series of blazes which may have been deliberately set on the Kadamba plateau (21); and another in Vagamon which forced the evacuation of some tourists (22). Critics took aim at Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation in regards to out-of-control prescribed burns that have scorched thousands of hectares of land in recent months (23). And finally, we have a look back at some of the horrific bushfires which have burned through Victoria, Australia, including those of 1939 which led to the founding of Country Fire Authority, currently one of the largest volunteer fire organizations in the world!

(1) EGU 2012 Session SSS5.17: Soil water repellency from nano-scale to eco-system scale: mechanisms and consequences

(2) A Hike Reveals Renewal From the Fires at Windy Gap

(3) Elevated fire danger prompts restrictions

(4) Red-flag warning in effect in SoCal; fires erupt in IE

(5) Aerial Firefighting International Airshow & Conference

(6) Massive South Shore fuels reduction project approved

(7) Seasonal Wildland Firefighters Wanted

(8) Fire chief sues county over wildfire dispute

(9) Bell County: Wildfire Breaks Out At Area Girl Scout Camp

(10) 2009 Bastrop wildfire lawsuit 'resolved'; more people join suit in 2011 blaze

(11) Occupy Austin Costs, Wildfires Discussed at Public Safety Meeting

(12) Neighborhood clears dead vegetation to reduce wildfires

(13) Heli-Expo 2012

(14) Wildfire burns in Sweet Grass County

(15) Olson has about 800 hours fighting wildland blazes

(16) Firefighters face challenging task when fighting peat fires

(17) Wisconsin DNR says to burn windstorm debris now

(18) Firefighters Battle Brush Fire, Thousands Worth Of Hay Destroyed

(19) Forest fire threatens homes in Navarre

(20) UPDATE: Daytona Beach battling brush fire

(21) Burnt forests on Kadamba plateau spark concern

(22) Fire breaks out in Vagamon

(23) DEC in the firing line

(24) Dark chapters burnt in our memories

2012-01-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011312

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag warning for much of Southern California as Santa Ana winds heat up the area (1); and Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rich Brooks, a reporter for the San Bernardino Press-Enterprise, provided updates on a 15-acre wildfire which has closed parts of Highway 18 in the San Bernardino Mountains (2); but with 73,000 homes residing on State Responsibility Area lands in San Diego County, some residents are concerned about the new $150 state wildfire fee (3); and after responding to 55 wildfires so far this month, compared to three in January of 2011, CAL FIRE is bracing for a very bad wildfire season (4). The California Public Utilities Commission has unveiled new powerline safety rules aimed at preventing wildfires (5); something which Nevada officials are examining closely after a few powerline fires of their own (6); while Nevada Division of Forestry fought to replace invasive cheatgrass with native species in order to reduce the wildfire danger in Douglas County (7). Scientists are warning that weather conditions which led to an 80,000-acre wildfire in New Mexico's Valles Caldera National Preserve in 2011 could persist into 2012 (8); while Idaho's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved $4 million to support wildland firefighting on state lands in 2012 (9); but after a $4 million shortfall in Arkansas Forestry Commission's budget led to the layoff of 36 firefighters, the governor has called for an investigation (10). Forestry officials in the UK have begun planting 60,000 trees in wildfire-ravaged Swinley Forest in Berkshire (11). The next article chronicles the efforts of Ghana's National Disaster Management Organization to reduce wildfire activity in that African nation (12); even as officials in Gambia were addressing similar issues (13). The Victorian government has reached an accord with Australia's largest cell phone provider allowing fire officials to issue bushfire alerts via text messaging beginning next December (14); where a bushfire scorched over 150 ha near Corop yesterday (15). Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service firefighters hoped that a shift in the wind would help them with their battle against a 19,000-hectare bushfire burning on Moreton Island (16); and a 500-hectare blaze threatened homes near Gladstone (17). Rural Fire Service officials in Clarence Valley, New South Wales, remarked on the quiet bushfire season so far (18); but energy utility Ausgrid fears that vandals may have started a bushfire near Lake Macquarie by throwing wire over power lines (19). Various groups are pulling together to provide bushfire relief for people in Margaret River, Western Australia, following devastating bushfires late last year (20). And finally, the next time you get ready to go to an incident, make sure somebody hasn't changed the locks on the firehouse!

(1) Warm today; red-flag warning for mountains

(2) UPDATE: Fire-troubled Hwy. 18 to reopen by 10 a.m.

(3) Residents in Wildfire-Ravaged Neighborhood Split on Fire Protection Fee

(4) Wildfire Season Could Be Worst Yet

(5) PUC OKs new power-line rules for wildfire safety

(6) California adopts new wildfire-prevention rules

(7) Seeding now to reduce fire risk later

(8) Severe drought may cause wildfires

(9) Lawmakers approve firefighting bill on state lands

(10) Beebe calls for audit of Forestry Commission

(11) Trees planted after forest fires

(12) NADMO steps up fight to stop wildfires

(13) Gambia: Niani District Authority Holds AGM

(14) Bushfire alerts extended next year

(15) Wildfire burns through 150 hectares at Corop

(16) Moreton Island bushfire still burning

(17) Central Qld residents on bushfire alert

(18) Relaxed but on alert

(19) Bushfire sparked by vandalism

(20) Support stepped up after bushfires

(21) Brooklyn, Illinois firefighters locked out of fire house

2012-01-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011212

A profile of the arsonist mindset is provided by our first article today (1); while the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has approved a $150 fee on property owners with structures on 31,000,000 acres of State Responsibility Areas (2). Texas Agri-Life Extension Service will be hosting a wildfire preparedness seminar at the end of this month in Kerrville (3); even as the next article reiterates the threat to suburban communities in that state, where fire officials are inviting people to build "firewise" communities (4); and nearly 2 dozen ranchers will be receiving $1,000 vouchers to help with fence rebuilding costs in areas hard-hit by wildfires this summer around Bastrop County (5); but Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is the latest power utility to be pulled into court over wildfires sparked by their equipment, this time in Bastrop County in 2009 (6). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ed Kleiman, Corporate Wildland Operations Coordinator for Florida-based GelTech Solutions, sent along a press release detailing how their firefighting gel protected a home in the path of a Montana wildfire last week (7); the following item including a video interview with a Black Eagle Fire Department spokesman discussing the incident (8); and an article that takes a closer look at dwindling federal money from Secure Rural Schools funds allocated to Missoula County for wildfire prevention (9). In Washington DC, the Federal Wildland Fire Service Association complained that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee made light of the destruction done by wildfires in 2011 by organizing an office pool to see who could guess how many acres burned (10). Having successfully fended off numerous forest fires, officials in Indonesia's Kutai National Park now face an even bigger threat from land developers (11); while critics complained that Victoria, Australia's, Powerline Bushfire Safety Taskforce is lacking $250 million in federal funds needed to implement bushfire plans (12). An Erickson Air-Crane helicopter was called in to assist firefighters in New South Wales in bringing a 75-hectare bushfire under control (13); where police have arrested a man charged with starting at 19-hectare bushfire in the Blue Mountains last October (14); and Rural Fire Service Northern Tablelands reported that Bruxner Highway was briefly closed by a 100-hectare bushfire yesterday as a 260-hectare bushfire continued to burn in Dthinna Dthinnawan National Park (15). Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has evacuated hundreds more campers on Moreton Island due to an ongoing bushfire that has already burned 3,000 ha (16); while a South Australia veterinarian has set up a new organization that aims to rescue fleeing pets and native animals during bushfires (17). A 300,000-hectare bushfire which is burning near Gascoyne, Western Australia, continues to pose a threat to homesteads in the area (18). And finally, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters averted a cat-astrophe when they freed a kitty trapped inside a car's engine compartment!

(1) Arson: Intentional Wildfires, Negligence, Insurance Fraud and Murder for Hire

(2) FIRES: State board approves revised fees

(3) Wildfire Preparedness Seminar set for Jan. 30 in Kerrville

(4) Texas communities face new wildfire threats

(5) Vouchers help rebuild fences in Bastrop

(6) Trial over 2009 Bastrop fire begins; utility accused of negligence

(7) FireIce Protects Montana Homes From Wildfire

(8) Montana firefighters add another tool to their arsenal

(9) Missoula County taking comment on funds to reduce wildfire hazards

(10) Congressional wildfire ‘office pool’ angers firefighters

(11) For Kutai Forest, Not Your Typical Threat

(12) Bushfire changes await funds

(13) Bushfire believed to started with burnt-out car

(14) Man charged over Blue Mountains bushfire

(15) Bushfire closes Bruxner Highway

(16) Campers flee as Moreton Island bushfire rages into second week

(17) Vet's pet fire rescue plan

(18) Gascoyne Bushfire - January 2012

(19) Firefighters Remove Cat From Car Engine

2012-01-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011112

An unusually dry winter in California's Sierra Nevada mountains is impacting US Forest Service's attempts to conduct prescribed burns (1); while an alert volunteer firefighter nabbed a wildfire arsonist who was lighting grass fires north of Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento yesterday (2); but the ongoing dispute between a Plumas County logger and the US Forest Service over salvage timber is chronicled by the next article (3). FEMA will contribute $3 million to Colorado communities hard hit by two wildfires in 2010 (4). Central Texas is slowly recovering from the bushfires of 2011 (5); while the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge has reopened after a 13,000-acre wildfire earlier this month (6); and RiskMeter.com, an insurance tool that can provide real-time natural hazard risk reports, now has information on Texas wildfire danger in regards to property (7). A Missouri Department of Conservation official commented on the importance of wildfires in that state (8). Low rainfall in Florida is stirring fears within the firefighting community that wildfires may get into inaccessible places (9); and smoke from a Putnam County wildfire forced officials to keep an elementary school closed for another day (10); while Florida-based firefighting gel producer GelTech Solutions announced the appointment of a former Miami-Dade Fire Chief to their Board of Directors (11). Extremely dry conditions continue to force fire officials in Alberta, Canada, to issue wildfire warnings even though it's the dead of winter (12); while the Forest Ranger Corps of Cuba announced the activation of a new forest fire monitoring center which will use satellite imagery to enhance response to wildfires on that Caribbean island (13). Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection will be holding a conference to discuss the impact of climate change and forest fires in the Mediterranean basin towards the end of this month (14); and the West Coast Region Anti-Bush Fire Committee has embarked on a campaign to reduce wildfires in the African nation of Gambia (15). The benefits of preparing for Australian bushfires is touted by Victoria's CFA Community Fireguard groups in the next article (16); something Country Fire Authority hopes the folks in Macedon will take note of (17). The Australian Early Warning Network issued high bushfire danger alerts for parts of Queensland (18); and as temperatures soar in Brisbane, fire officials are on the lookout for bushfires (19). A bushfire in a nearby national park forced evacuation of 100 homes in southwest Sydney, New South Wales, last night (20); even as Erickson Air-Crane helicopters swung into action battling a bushfire near Munmorah Power Station (21); and other firefighting helicopters were standing by elsewhere in the state (22); while Forests NSW warned forest visitors to be careful about the fire danger (23); all of which may finally shock citizens out of their bushfire complacency (24). ESRI Australia discusses how South Australia’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources is using GIS technology in its fire management plan (25); while a 286,000-hectare bushfire is still burning in the northern part of Western Australia (26). And finally, despite having extinguished the Bastrop County wildfires, secured FEMA funding, and fought their way through bureaucratic red tape to begin cleanup, Texas officials now face a new challenge: the Houston toad!

(1) Dry winter changes strategy for controlled burns in Sierra

(2) Volunteer Firefighter Stops Arsonist

(3) Forest Service stands its ground in dispute with Greenville logger

(4) Feds Reimburse Colorado For Firefighting Costs

(5) Central Texas Forest Struggles to Recover from Fires

(6) McFaddin Refuge re-opened after wildfire

(7) RiskMeter.com Adds Texas Wildfire Report to Service

(8) MDC: Wildfires: The good, bad in recent history

(9) Drought drops area lakes to record lows

(10) Smoke keeps Putnam school closed another day

(11) GelTech Solutions, Inc. Appoints Michael C. Becker to Its Board of Directors

(12) Alberta residents on alert for bizarre winter wildfires

(13) Cuba Activates New Center to Monitor Forest Fire

(14) Conference on Climate Change and Forest Fires in the Mediterranean Basin: January 24-26, 2012

(15) Gambia: WCR Anti-Bushfire Campaign Underway

(16) Emu Creek residents join forces to prepare for bushfire

(17) Stay on top of bushfire safety

(18) Region goes on bushfire high alert

(19) Brisbane faces another scorcher as temperatures soar across Queensland

(20) Bushfires flare as Sydney's summer begins

(21) Bushfire on the Central Coast threatens power station

(22) Water-bombing chopper on standby as temps rise

(23) Forest harvest prompts fire and safety warning

(24) Fire chief worries cool, wet summer has dampened bushfire vigilance

(25) GIS sparks Cape Gantheaume fire management plan

(26) Bushfire still threatening WA's north

(27) Bastrop wildfire cleanup halted by this little guy

2012-01-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011012

Helicopters assisted firefighters on the ground in knocking down a 25-acre wildfire in the Southern California seaside community of Rancho Palos Verdes last night (1); while a 14-acre wildfire burning north of the mountain community of Idyllwild is now 95% contained (2); even as US Forest Service’s Predictive Services Group is projecting a heightened wildfire danger for Orange County this winter due to the unusually dry conditions throughout the region (3); and Wildfire NOTD subscriber Thomas Turner, Chairman of the Fire Technology Department at Victor Valley College, sent along a flyer about an upcoming wildfire class on their Southern California campus (4). With the majority of Washington state's firefighters coming from the volunteer ranks, the state government kicked off volunteer firefighter recognition week to pay them tribute (5). A school in Summit, Colorado, is teaching students about the ecological importance of forest fires (6); but fearing that 2012 could be a repeat of 2002, when the Hayman Fire scorched 138,000 acres, that state is suffering through a snow shortage which could lead to a very bad wildfire season (7). Fire departments in Potter and Randall Counties, Texas, will be able to apply for FEMA funds to help with expenses incurred in their fight against wildfires in 2011 (8); and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has awarded $80,000 to over 50 volunteer fire departments that protect the state from forest fires (9). A 50-acre wildfire burning in Florida's Apalachicola National Forest prompted officials to issue smoke advisories to motorists (10); even as Florida Forest Service arson investigators were checking out the origins of two wildfires that ignited in Lehigh Acres on Monday (11). Burn Area Emergency Recovery efforts by Chile's National Forestry Corporation in Torres del Paine National Park is the focus of the next article (12); while rainfall assisted firefighters in Argentina's Chubut Province in extinguishing a 3,500-ha wildfire (13). Four helicopters joined firefighters on the ground battling a wildfire burning on South Africa's Western Cape (14); and a 1-hectare bushfire which burned near Fiordland, New Zealand, may have been caused by a campfire (15). In Australia, Abbotsford has earned the dubious distinction of being Melbourne, Victoria's, most bushfire-prone suburb (16); and the nearby community of Kew is not doing much better (17); while police are mobilizing residents of Northern Grampians Shire and Ararat Rural City in efforts to catch bushfire arsonists as part of the Operation Firesetter campaign (18). Firefighters were able to throw containment lines around a 50-hectare bushfire burning near Bundaberg, Queensland (19). And finally, an airborne commando from the 82nd Airborne Division who has fought the Taliban is looking to take on a new adversary as a smokejumper!

(1) Firefighters knock down Rancho Palos Verdes brush fire

(2) UPDATE: Lawler Fire Near Idyllwild 95 Percent Contained

(3) Dry start for 2012 could raise fire risk

(4) Hired Equipment Operator Fireline Safety Awareness

(5) State of Washington Kicks Off Volunteer Firefighter Recognition Week

(6) Teaching fire … with fire

(7) Colorado Sees Worst Snow Drought Since Early 1980s, Foreshadowing Water Shortages And Potential Wildfires

(8) Potter, Randall now able to recover some wildfire costs

(9) Grants Awarded To Volunteer Fire Departments

(10) Wildfire near Liberty County causing smoke advisory

(11) Two wildfires in Lehigh called suspicious

(12) Chile preparing forest restoration plan for ravaged areas of Torres del Paine Park

(13) Chubut fires tamed by overnight rainfall

(14) Firefighters battle Tulbagh blaze

(15) Campfire blamed for Fiordland bushfire

(16) Abbotsford named inner-Melbourne's most bushfire-prone suburb

(17) YOUR SAY: Kew put on fire alert

(18) Police campaign to stop arsonists

(19) Fire crews hope to contain bushfire near Bundaberg

(20) After military service, Andre Camacho gung-ho to be a firefighter

2012-01-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010912

Firefighters in the Southern California community of Hesperia are investigating a 20-acre wildfire that broke out over the weekend (1); and firefighters expected to have a 15-acre wildfire burning near Idyllwild fully contained today (2); while Tangent Link sent along a reminder about their upcoming aerial firefighting conference in Sacramento towards the end of this month (3); even as a dispute heats up between US Forest Service and a logger in Plumas County over salvage logging in the area of a 65,000-acre wildfire (4). The Arizona Cattle Growers Association is calling for a moratorium on the National Environmental Policy Act to allow loggers and cattlemen to thin overgrown forests and prevent catastrophic wildfires like the ones in 2011 (5); this as officials at the Southwest Coordination Center predicted another bad fire season for that state's southeastern corner (6). Cuts in state grants cost volunteer fire departments $18 million in 2011, despite epic wildfires, according to the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas (7). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Kevin Ryan, a Research Forest Ecologist at USFS Fire Sciences Lab in Missoula, Montana, sent along an announcement about some leadership changes at the International Association of Wildland Fire (8). A gas line was detonated by a wildfire burning in Floyd County, Kentucky, on Saturday evening (9); and smoke from a nearby wildfire forced closure of an elementary school in Putnam County, Florida (10); the next article providing some video footage from the fire line (11). Alberta Sustainable Resource Development officials warned residents of that province of the ongoing wildfire danger due to warm temperatures and wind (12); while the land battle which has sparked numerous wildfires in Chile has escalated to arson attacks on the home of the chief of the Mapuche Indians (13). A trio of helicopter air-tankers was called in to assist firefighters on the ground battling a bushfire in Central Otago, New Zealand (14). Victoria, Australia's, Bushfire Response Minister expounded on the virtues of two Erickson Air-Crane helicopters which the state has leased to fight bushfires this season (15); but despite the bushfire danger in that state over Christmas, Department of Sustainability and Environment memos show that fire officers were allowed to take time off (16); while firefighters worked fast to quell a bus fire in the Dandenong Ranges which they feared would spark a bushfire (17); and wet weather combined with reduced wind to help firefighters corral an 8,400-hectare bushfire burning in the Flinders Ranges (18); but although Energy Safe Victoria has always had authority to cut power during periods of high bushfire danger, the state government assured customers that this would be a tactic of last resort (19). Bushfire activity in Queensland is the topic of the next article (20). A bushfire which breached containment north of Perth, Western Australia, forced closure of the North West Coastal Highway (21); and people living near Kennedy Range National Park are on heightened bushfire alert after warnings by officials about the fire danger (22). The Tasmania Fire Service is keeping a close eye on the weather to determine how bad the bushfire season is going to be (23). And finally, a firefighter's skills came in handy when the fire he had to battle was at his own business!

(1) Hesperia wildfire cause being investigated

(2) UPDATE: Containment of Idyllwild fire expected Monday

(3) Aerial Firefighting 2012, Airshow and Conference, Sacramento, 25th-26th January 2012

(4) Logger and Forest Service official to meet today on logger's claims against the government

(5) Pima backs cattle growers' forest preservation plan

(6) Arizona's wildfire risk is rising

(7) Despite stress of wildfires, state funding to volunteer fire departments fell 72 percent

(8) IAWF Leadership Changes for 2012

(9) Forest fire caused an explosion in Floyd County

(10) Wildfire smoke closes Putnam Co. school

(11) RAW VIDEO: Wildfires in Putnam County

(12) Albertans advised to be on alert for wildfires

(13) Chile: Mapuche chief’s house gutted in suspected arson attack

(14) Firefighters put out large Central Otago scrub fire

(15) Elvis at the ready

(16) Fire staff take a break for the holidays

(17) Bus blaze sparks bushfire fear

(18) Fire contained but battle continues

(19) Bushfire power cuts a ‘last resort’

(20) Bushfire on Moreton Island still active, grassfire near Stanthorpe

(21) Bushfire threatens Carnarvon properties

(22) Bushfire warnings remain for Carnarvon fire

(23) Preparing for bushfires

(24) Aledo firefighter saves his business from burning down

2012-01-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010712

As Nevada continues to experience an unusually dry winter, wildfire warnings had been issued for some areas (1); and fire officials are predicting another bad fire season in 2012 for parts of Arizona (2); while New Mexico's Gila National Forest sent out reminders about their wildland firefighting courses, set to commence in Truth or Consequences next week (3). As drought conditions worsen the wildfire danger across the state, fire officials unveiled the Texas Forest Service Command Center in the city of Merkel (4); something which may come in handy, considering the current wildfire danger (5); while a Texas Congressman took credit for getting federal aid to help that state with wildfires in 2011 (6). In Illinois, Park Forest Fire Department is asking for the public's help in determining the cause of a suspicious wildfire that burned in the Central Park Wetlands (7); but Savannah Rural Fire District in Missouri was pleased with their new off-road vehicle, which can tackle tough wildfires in rural areas (8). Firefighters in Freetown, Massachusetts, received a state grant that will help pay for hoses to deal with forest fires of the future (9); while an abandoned house fire spawned a dozen wildfires in Yonkers, New York, injuring two firefighters (10); and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service performed their annual prescribed burn program on 80 acres of the New Jersey Forest Education Resource Center (11). Virginia Department of Forestry reported a 6-acre wildfire in Amherst County (12); while US Forest Service plans to conduct controlled burns on 33 acres of North Carolina's Bent Creek Experimental Forest over the next three months (13); and in South Carolina, where 96% of wildfires are caused by humans, fire officials are looking at a very active winter fire season (14). National Park Service firefighters are attempting to contain a wildfire burning on Cumberland Island, Georgia, with a network of trenches (15); but Florida Forest Service is expecting a busy winter wildfire season due to dry conditions throughout the state (16). Even chilly Saskatchewan, Canada, is seeing wildfire activity, the first ever recorded in January (17); and an article from Ontario looks back on the summer of fire, in which thousands of members of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation were evacuated (18). Chile's government has focused blame for wildfires that killed seven people on the Mapuche Indians, a group which has long struggled to regain ownership of ancestral lands (19); while the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a call for papers for the upcoming European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna, Austria (20). Even members of Victoria, Australia's, bushfire task force have slammed a $750 million plan by the state government to deal with the threat from power lines (21); but providential rainfall is assisting firefighters in Queensland battling bushfires that have burned 1,300 ha on Moreton Island (22). Although storms are wreaking havoc in parts of South Australia, rainfall is helping to squelch an 8,000-hectare bushfire in the north (23). And finally, straight out of science fiction, a Detroit firefighter who was injured at a fire will be using a robotic exoskeleton to help him get around!

(1) Really? A Winter Wildfire Alert? Really...

(2) Arizona’s wildfire risk is rising

(3) Train to be a wildland firefighter at T or C course

(4) Texas Forest Service Command Center Ready For Fire Season

(5) Winter Weather Special: Wildfire Threat Still Lingers

(6) Rep. Canseco says it is federal “duty” to spend money on Texas wildfires

(7) Park Forest Fire Department Seeks Help From Public Re: 'Suspicious' Central Park Wetlands Fire

(8) Savannah gets unique firefighting truck

(9) Freetown Fire Department receives state grant for forestry hoses

(10) Firefighters battle house, brush fires

(11) NJ Forest Fire Service Performs Prescribed Burn in Jackson

(12) Wildfire consumes six acres in Amherst County

(13) Forest Service to conduct another prescribed burn this winter at Bent Creek

(14) Joint Base says fire was intentionally set

(15) Cumberland Island wildfire surrounded by trenches

(16) Looks like it could be a big wildfire season

(17) Saskatchewan’s January wildfire

(18) Forest Fires

(19) Chile blames wildfires that killed 7 firefighters on “terror” campaign by Mapuche Indians

(20) Call for Papers - 2012 EGU Fire in the Earth System

(21) Fire plans slammed as cheap and retrograde

(22) Rain subdues Queensland bushfire

(23) Bushfires eased as storms lash SA

(24) Detroit firefighter using new device in therapy

2012-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010612

Fire officials hope to begin controlled burns in and around California's Sequoia National Forest on Monday, weather permitting (1); even as the deadline for Texas wildfire survivors to apply for FEMA grants approaches, the agency estimating that it has disbursed $36 million so far (2). Firefighters have managed to bring containment on wildfires that have scorched 18,000 acres on Montana's Blackfeet Reservation to 85% (3); but Park Forest, Illinois', Central Park Wetlands caught fire late Thursday night (4). The next article revisits Arkansas Forestry Commission’s decision to cut 36 firefighters due to budget shortfalls (5); while the one which follows takes a closer look at the newly-formed New York Firewise Council, which aims to help with reduce the wildfire danger in Upstate New York (6). A wildfire burning on the grounds of Georgia's Camp Lejeune has been contained on three sides after burning 1,500 acres (7). Officials in Florida reminded residents of the winter wildfire danger caused by dry, windy conditions (8); something emphasized by a 750-acre wildfire burning in West Putnam County (9). Claiming that "radical indigenous groups" have sparked some of Chile's wildfires, their president invoked anti-terror legislation (10); even as accusations that a visitor from Israel sparked the massive wildfire in Torres del Paine National Park have spawned numerous anti-Jewish comments on Chilean websites (11). Heading to Australia, Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment got a black eye after procuring over 100 utility vehicles which were unsuitable for off-road bushfire firefighting (12). South Australia's Country Fire Service fought to protect a Flinders Ranges town from an 8,500-hectare bushfire (13); while Western Australia's Fire and Emergency Services Authority has issued bushfire warnings as well as smoke alerts for the Nullabor Plain region (14). And finally, a Marion County, Texas, family who lost their home in wildfires four months ago is celebrating their new one, courtesy of FEMA!

(1) Prescribed burns on calendar in national forest

(2) Wildfire Assistance: $36 Million And Counting, For Now

(3) Firefighters Make Progress On Browning Fires

(4) Park Forest's Central Park Wetlands On Fire

(5) Forestry Fire Units To Suffer

(6) Firewise: Getting Serious About Forest Fires in New York

(7) UPDATE: Wildfire contained on three sides

(8) Florida warns that despite cold weather, wildfire danger is up

(9) West Putnam brush fire flares up again

(10) Chile invokes terror law for 'criminal' wildfire

(11) Chile forest fire arrest revives old anti-Jewish theories

(12) Firefighting bungle wastes millions

(13) Strong winds forecast as fire burns 8500ha

(14) Alert issued for Gidgegannup bushfire

(15) Wildfire victims show off new home

2012-01-05T11:14:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010512

An Op-Ed piece from Nevada points out the importance of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (1); and New Mexico's Gila National Forest is looking for a few good firefighters (2); while Idaho Panhandle National Forests has unveiled its plans for the future for public comment (3). The Texas Farm Service Agency is providing emergency loans to agricultural operations in the Panhandle that suffered losses from wildfires earlier this year (4); even as communities across Central Texas struggled to recover from the damage done in their area (5); but smoke from marsh fires in the southeastern part of the state is being blamed for a 50-car pileup caused by poor visibility (6). A NASA photo provides a striking overview of Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park as it recovers from wildfires that scorched 793,000 acres in 1988 (7); while hundreds of people were forced to evacuate as wildfires on Montana's Blackfeet Indian Reservation blazed through 16,000 acres, damaging or destroying several structures in their path (8). A 700-acre wildfire was reported on the grounds of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina (9); and the National Park Service reported a 45-acre wildfire burning on Georgia's Cumberland Island (10). Dry, windy conditions stoked wildfires which destroyed homes in Alberta, Canada (11); but one blaze which destroyed two structures near Fort Macleod appears to be under control now (12). A wildfire has burned over 400 ha in Argentina's Chuchut mountain range (13); where an Argentinian air-tanker pilot barely survived the crash of his aircraft while fighting the fire (14); the following article taking a look at the ecological damage done to Chile's Torres del Paine National Park by current wildfires (15). More details on a 50-hectare bushfire which burned through Wanaka, New Zealand, yesterday are provided by the next article (16). In Australia, Country Fire Authority put an Erickson AirCrane to work battling bushfires in Grampians National Park (17); but despite the fact three years have passed since the Black Saturday bushfires, communities around Geelong still lack bushfire safe havens (18). A bushfire burning on Queensland's Moreton Island was threatening the town of Bulwer (19); and fire authorities feel that it will continue to burn into the foreseeable future (20). A 2,500-hectare bushfire burning near Woolundunga, South Australia, is under close observation by fire crews (21); where police are keeping an eye out for a serial arsonist who set at least three blazes in that state (22). Firefighters in Western Australia have contained a bushfire near Perth airport (23); while lightning is being blamed for a new rash of bushfires near Nannup (24); where fire agencies are still under scrutiny after numerous homes have been lost in recent bushfires (25). Aurora Energy may emulate other electricity utilities by blacking out parts of Tasmania facing extreme bushfire danger (26). And finally, the next time you arrive at an incident, make sure that fire hydrant is the real thing!

(1) Spread this like wildfire

(2) Gila National Forest recruiting for 2012

(3) Forest plan is released

(4) Emergency loans save farmers and ranchers from wildfire damage

(5) Four months after Central Texas wildfires recovery continues

(6) 50 Vehicles Collide Along Texas Highway

(7) How Yellowstone Recovers from Forest Fires

(8) Wildfires on Blackfeet Res. force evacuations

(9) Firefighters battling 700 acre wildfire at Camp Lejeune

(10) Crews battle fire on Cumberland Island

(11) Wildfires level rural homes; wind causes havoc in Calgary

(12) Wildfire disaster averted

(13) Wildfire consumes over 400ha along Chubut mountain chain

(14) Argentina fire pilot survives crash

(15) Wildfires threaten Patagonia’s biodiversity

(16) Terrified Residents Flee Homes As Wanaka Bush Fire

(17) Ballarat air crane called to Grampians fire

(18) Still no safe havens for towns at high risk of bushfires

(19) Moreton Island bushfire advances on township

(20) Bushfire to burn 'for some time'

(21) Crews continue watch over Woolundunga bushfire

(22) Bushfire in Flinders Range out of control

(23) Firefighters contain Australian bushfires

(24) Lightning starts bushfires near Nannup

(25) WA's firefighting capabilities still under scrutiny

(26) Blackout plan to reduce bushfire threat

(27) Mass. Firefighters Discover Hydrant is Fake

2012-01-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010412

With precipitation at only 19% of normal for this time of year, California faces an increased danger from wildfires statewide (2); and Tangent Link sent along an invitation to their upcoming aerial firefighting conference which takes place in Sacramento towards the end of this month (2). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along an invitation on an upcoming webinar that looks at human performance in wildfire-fighting leadership as a prelude to the upcoming Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference due to begin in Seattle, Washington, on April 17th (3); while an associate professor of economics at the University of Nevada takes a look at the economic impact of wildfires, with particular focus on who ultimately pays the bill (4). As marshland caught fire outside of Beaumont yesterday, Texas Forest Service reiterated the increased danger posed by wildfires during the winter months (5); something emphasized by a 10,000-acre wildfire burning near Port Arthur which has covered Galveston County in thick smoke (6); smoke blanketing Houston as well (7); where officials unveiled their new Community Wildfire Protection Plan, joining 15 other counties and 57 communities across the state which have implemented similar plans (8). Chile has reopened Torres del Paine National Park despite the fact that nearly half the park was scorched by recent wildfires (9); some striking photos from the firelines provided by the next item (10); even as police began to investigate several suspicious blazes (11). Homeowners in Wanaka, New Zealand, were evacuated due to a bushfire burning on Mount Iron (12). Firefighters in Victoria battled an 80-hectare bushfire burning near the South Australian border (13); while dozens of firefighters assisted by air-tankers battled a small blaze near Port Augusta, South Australia (14); and as Country Fire Service firefighters roped in a bushfire burning at McLaren Vale, residents were advised that the bushfire threat had eased (15). Rural Fire Service warned homeowners in Hunter Valley, New South Wales, to be prepared for more bushfires despite mild conditions (16). Officials in Queensland are comparing fuel conditions today with those in 2009, when nearly 4,500 bushfires erupted across the state (17); even as campers had to evacuate a campground on Moreton Island due to a 100-hectare bushfire (18). Bushfires NT firefighters are working at a fever pace to head off a bushfire which is only one kilometer away from Northern Territory's Ross River Resort (19). Lightning sparked bushfires near Perth, Western Australia, as a storm front moved through the area (20); while firefighters grappled with another fire burning near the airport that injured one firefighter (21). As Forestry Tasmania lays off firefighters, there is real concern about the impact this will have on the prosecution of future bushfires in that state (22). And finally, firefighters in Austria ran into a deadly hazard while battling a structure fire: a covey of poisonous snakes!

(1) Dry winter poses fire hazard

(2) Aerial Firefighting International Airshow & Conference

(3) Human Performance and Risk Management

(4) Rollins, UNR: The economics of wildfires -- how do we minimize the cost, and who foots the bill?

(5) Beaumont Fires Show That Danger Persists

(6) Smoke blankets county from 10,000 acre wildfire

(7) Smoke from Jefferson County wildfire blows through parts of Houston

(8) New plan aims to prevent wildfires in county

(9) Chilean park hit by wildfire reopens

(10) Chile battles forest fires - in pictures

(11) Chile police investigate 'intentional' forest fires

(12) Bush fire forces families from their homes

(13) Wildfires in Victoria's west

(14) Firefighters battle bush blazes near Port Augusta and Mclaren Vale

(15) Bushfire at McLaren Vale now reduced threat

(16) RFS warns community to be prepared

(17) Conditions spark bushfire concerns

(18) Campers flee bushfire on Moreton Island

(19) Firefighters battle to defend Ross River Resort

(20) Wild weather starts fires and lifts roofs

(21) Firefighters continue to battle Perth fire

(22) Libs fear bushfire threat from peace deal

(23) Snakes scare Austria firefighters into retreat

2012-01-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010312

Arizonans are worried that cuts to the Hazardous Fuel Reduction Program by politicians in Washington DC could prove expensive in the future (1). A wildfire was reported in the Texas Panhandle's Swisher County yesterday (2); and several hundred acres in southeastern Texas were scorched by marsh fires as well (3); but although firefighters in San Angelo County have received compensation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover costs associated with wildfires in 2011, compensation for the largest fire are still under consideration (4). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Snyder, President of Montana-based Neptune Aviation, commented on their commitment towards replacing their aging P-2V aircraft with BAE-146 jet-tankers (5); while high winds prompted officials in Missouri and eastern Kansas to issue wildfire alerts (6); and despite the fact that the daytime high is anticipated to be 38°F, cities in Central Alabama are on wildfire alert (7). Firefighters in the South American nation of Chile have squelched 18 wildfires, but two dozen remain active (8); one of which was apparently started, ironically, by an eco-conscious Israeli tourist (9); the disaster blowing back onto Chile's president (10). In order to reduce the incidence of forest fires in the African nation of Malawi, the government proposed several ideas which tribal leaders could implement (11); while India's Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is putting measures in place to deal with the expected wildfires of summer (12). In Australia, a man accused of setting 17 bushfires in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges has asked that his name not be released due to fears for his safety (13); where people living in more remote parts of that state may find the power turned off more frequently due to the bushfire danger this summer (14). Rainfall helped to keep fuels moist in New South Wales over the holidays, reducing the number of bushfire calls for Rural Fire Service firefighters (15); but the elevated bushfire danger due to soaring temperatures in that state prompted fire officials to warn residents of the situation (16). Farmers in South Australia battled bushfires over the holidays, the likes of which they had not seen since 1994 (17); and although firefighters from Country Fire Service have brought a bushfire in the Flinders Ranges under control (18); a BBC video shows there's still a few others to deal with (19); even as business owners on the Fleurieu Peninsula are urging the government to impose a power-outage early warning system after power was abruptly cut due to the bushfire danger (20). Bushfire activity in Western Australia is the topic of the next item (21); where, although the Margaret River region was hard hit by bushfires in 2011, wineries still did a good deal of business over the holidays (22). As if the Tasmanian Fire Service didn't already have enough to deal with, arsonists apparently lit some of the blazes that broke out across the state (23). And finally, despite the damage done to Siberia's Amur Leopard habitat, zoos in the UK are giving them a fighting chance to repopulate the region!

(1) Cuts to forest-fire program could be expensive down the road

(2) Swisher authorities investigate wildfire

(3) Wildfires Burn In Texas Marshes

(4) County firefighters receive FEMA funds

(5) Update 2011: New Neptune jet wins interim contract to fight fires

(6) Winds raise risk of wildfires

(7) Metro Birmingham forecast: Continued cold with high wildfire threat

(8) Chilean forces still battling two dozen forest fires

(9) Chile wildfire started by eco-conscious tourist

(10) Response to fires hurts unpopular Pinera

(11) Southern Africa: Malawi Traditional Leaders Step Up to Help Fight Forest Fires

(12) Forest staff take steps to avoid fire

(13) Name of alleged Vic arsonist suppressed

(14) Fire-prone areas face power cuts

(15) Quiet start to fire season

(16) S-E on fire alert as temperatures soar

(17) Farmer worries over bushfires in SA

(18) Quorn bushfire under control

(19) Bush fires stretch emergency crews to the limit

(20) Fleurieu wants power outage warning

(21) Firefighters battle a number of blazes

(22) Visitors flock to Margaret River and wineries

(23) Crews battle fire bug blaze

(24) UK zoos assist endangered leopards

2012-01-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010212

In another complication for fighting wildfires in California, a federal judge has mandated that four federal agencies must take greater care in regards to endangered species impacted by their firefighting efforts (1); while a wildfire scorched 35 to 40 acres on the outskirts of Carson City, Nevada, over the weekend (2); and officials from Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests will meet with property owners to discuss a thinning project on January 4th (3). The fire danger which exists across the southern United States is examined by the next article (4); with firefighters in Berryhill, Oklahoma, having a tough fight on their hands getting at a wildfire burning in rough terrain (5). Residents of 48 additional Texas counties will be able to sign up for federal funds to help replace fences destroyed by wildfires in 2011 (6); but despite the damage done by wildfires to Martin Creek Lake State Park in 2011, East Texans are adapting (7). The National Weather Service ranked wildfire danger in Alabama to be "high", this after 58 wildfires have blazed through the state in the past month (8). As 2012 begins, Canadians look back at the devastating wildfire which scorched neighborhoods in Slave Lake, Alberta (9); even as a trio of wildfires scorched 23,000 hectares in the South American nation of Chile, destroying over 100 homes and a wood pulp factory, killing one elderly man who refused to evacuate (10). More details on Turkey's wildfire campaign against Greece in the 1990s is provided by the next article (11). Heading Down Under, a man has been charged with setting 17 bushfires in Melbourne, Victoria's, Dandenong Ranges in 2011 (12); where police remained on the lookout for bushfire arsonists as part of Operation Firesetter (13); while Country Fire Authority called in air support to help battle a small grass fire on the outskirts of Geelong (14). A flare lit to celebrate New Year's apparently sparked a 40-hectare bushfire near Robe, South Australia, as temperatures soared to the highest seen in over a century (15); and fearing that power lines could spark bushfires, utility companies in South Australia cut power in some regions as temperatures soared (16); followed by an update on bushfire activity in Northern Territory (17). Western Australia's Emergency Services Minister has been called upon to intervene in a case regarding an ex-gratia payment to a bushfire volunteer (18); while Fire and Emergency Services Authority brought a bushfire burning north of Perth under control (19); but elsewhere in the state some blazes continue to burn out of control, as the next two articles show (20)(21). And finally, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is on the lookout for a convict firefighter who hijacked a fire engine!

(1) Protective Efforts Still Needed for CA Forest Plan

(2) Crews battle wildfire in Carson City

(3) Forest Service to host Wallow Fire recovery meeting Jan. 4

(4) Wildfires a concern from New Mexico to S.C.

(5) Firefighters in Berryhill contain grass fire near Chandler Park; fire in rough terrain

(6) USDA opens Wildfire Assistance sign-up to 48 additional counties despite program funding backlog

(7) East Texans kick off 2012 with nature walk

(8) Weather Service: Risk of wildfires high in Alabama

(9) Wildfire turned Slave Lake neighbourhoods into infernos

(10) Chile battles 3 huge forest fires; 1 killed

(11) Greek, Turkish agents met in wake of forest fires

(12) Melbourne man starts bushfires

(13) Ballarat police hunt for arsonists

(14) Air support needed to attack grass fire

(15) New Year's flare blamed for bushfire

(16) Power cut as bushfire risk soars

(17) Flood threat remains as bushfire contained

(18) MLA on Pam’s case

(19) Bushfire near Two Rocks under control

(20) Yalgoo community and Kalgoorlie residents on alert as fires rage

(21) Heat spurs bushfire risk

(22) Inmate uses firefighting job to escape

2011-12-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 123011

US Forest Service and Texas Forest Service have teamed up to create fire breaks in neighborhoods around Sam Houston National Forest (1); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along an article with the following comments:

Michael, below is an interesting recent media article concerning one major valley region in western Montana that has been very divided over the years in tackling WUI mapping. There are strong feelings on both sides of the issue and the politicians have decided to “take no action” rather than be decisive one direction or another. This whole valley was literally “on fire” during 2000 all the way down toward McCall, ID, where I was operating the Fire Behavior Service Center - Chuck (2).

The retiring Supervisor of Minnesota's Superior National Forest reflects on 15 years in that job, which included the massive wildfires that blazed through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness this summer (3). A wind-driven wildfire that has raced across Chile's Torres del Paine National Park has scorched 5,700 ha so far (4); and Sweden's Civil Contingencies Authority has compiled a list of top threats to that European nation, which includes forest fires (5). A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences takes a look at the human impact on wildfires on the African continent (6); where young people in Ghana are being targeted by a bushfire prevention campaign (7). Despite a good deal of publicity, Fire Ready Victoria meetings were attended by only a score of Australians in December (8); while Western Australia has acquired the services of an Erickson Air Crane S-64 as part of a $12.8 million package of improvements to firefighting in that state (9). And finally, Tucson, Arizona, is locked in mortal combat with the US Department of Agriculture over repairs to a critical waterline damaged in this summer's wildfires!

(1) U.S. Forest Service working with Texas Forest Service to create fire breaks around neighborhoods

(2) County commissioners decline to act on WUI

(3) Retiring forestry service supervisor leaves legacy of strong stewardship

(4) Large forest fire razing Chilean National Park Forces Evacuations

(5) Disasters, disease top list of threats to Sweden

(6) Model unlocks human impact on Africa's fire regimes

(7) Youths of Nkoranza North District to prevent bushfires

(8) Information ahead of bushfire season

(9) Helicopter to aid WA firefighters

(10) The Town Too Tough to Die Sues the USA

2011-12-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 122911

With the closure of Camarillo's Ventura Youth Correctional Facility, only one youth correctional facility equipped to train wildland firefighters will remain in California (1); while authorities are trying to determine whether a homeless woman found dead in a Bakersfield encampment is the same one who accidentally started a massive wildfire in the Sequoia National Forest in 2002 (2); and Siskiyou County's Hazard Mitigation Plan is intended to prepare that Northern California county for disasters of the future, including wildfires (3). Prescribed burns by US Forest Service and Flagstaff Fire Department in and around the Coconino National Forest are planned for today (4); while a plan to reduce fuel load in Arizona's Apache Sitgreaves National Forest will be the topic of discussion at a town hall meeting (5). The impact of wildfires on West Texas this year is examined in the next article (6); followed by an article from Forbes Magazine that profiles Texas Wildfire Relief, a charity which supports volunteer firefighters in a state in which 80% of the firefighters are volunteers (7); and another that chronicles how changes in land use across that state influenced the massive wildfires experienced in 2011 (8). The next article takes a look back at wildfires in Montana this past year (9); followed by a study being done in Virginia to seek better ways to protect homes from wildfires in the Central Shenandoah Valley (10). An Argentine holiday tradition of launching sky lanterns on New Year's has been banned in Córdoba province due to the danger of wildfires in that South American nation (11). In Australia, a $500 million plan being proposed by the Victorian Government would require power companies to install remote control devices to shut off electricity on high bushfire danger days (12); even as opposition politicians blamed the government for not implementing all 67 of the Royal Bushfire Commission recommendations (13). Bushfires NT firefighters struggling to contain a 2,000 km² bushfire sparked by lightning near Alice Springs are becoming exasperated as arson bushfires keep cropping up (14); and Country Fire Service reported a bushfire burning north of Adelaide, South Australia, outside the community of Willaloo (15). Despite the fact that two controlled burns have become devastating bushfires in the recent past, Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation plans to conduct a new 2,500-hectare burn in the Mount Franklin National Park (16). And finally, a New Zealand firefighter received a fire call for a familiar address - his own home!

(1) Calif. juvenile offender firefighting camp closing

(2) Homeless woman found dead believed to be same person who started massive 2002 wildfire

(3) Prepping for disaster

(4) Prescribed fires planned around Flagstaff today

(5) Eastern Ariz. forest plans for wildfire recovery

(6) 2011 Top Stories: Standing up to Wildfires

(7) 12 Days of Charitable Giving: Texas Wildfire Relief

(8) From the Ground Up - Wildfires

(9) MT returning heroes, fire season place in Top 2011 stories

(10) Va initiative to study fire risk of living near woodlands, develop practices to protect homes

(11) Holiday tradition banned in Argentina after aerostatic paper balloons cause house fires

(12) Bushfire blackout scheme for high risk days

(13) Opposition slams plan funding

(14) Arson anger

(15) Bushfire burns north of Adelaide

(16) DEC pushes on with prescribed burns

(17) Firefighter called to fire at own home