WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 052113

With the approach of wildfire season, a cat-lover talks about ways to keep your felines safe (1). Southern California Edison has agreed to pay out $37 million in regards to a 2007 wildfire in Malibu Canyon that burned 3,836 acres and destroyed or damaged dozens of structures and vehicles (2); current conditions prompting the Los Padres National Forest to impose Level III fire restrictions (3); and as part of the preparations for wildfire season, a BAE 146 air-tanker arrived at the Santa Maria Air Attack Base (4); fire crews bringing a 4,346-acre outside of Frazier Park to 90% containment (5); and a 91-acre wildfire south of Yosemite National Park has been brought to 80% containment (6); but for those who want a weekly update on wildfire activity in California, CAL FIRE provides The Fire Situation Report via YouTube (7). Firefighters in Arizona have the 3,800-acre Soldier Basin Fire 8% contained (8); even as most national forests in that state prepare to invoke fire restrictions tomorrow (9). New Mexico's Carson National Forest enacted Stage One fire restrictions today (10); and the ongoing drought increased the fire danger in Cibola County (11). Some legal wrangling over the compensation of people impacted by Colorado's Roatcap Fire is delaying a plea deal (12); the next article touching on the need for an evacuation readiness plan (13). The wildfire situation in North Dakota is summarized in the next article (14); while a Florida Forest Service firefighter who rescued two fellow firefighters from a wildfire in the Ocala National Forest won the 2012 Firefighter of the Year Award (15). Russia, the third largest wheat exporter in the world, faces a dangerous summer of wildfires that could severely impact grain crops, according to the Federal Hydrometeorological Centre (16). And finally, physicists are asking an interesting question: could magnetic domain reversal explain how wildfires spread?

(1) Wildfire Season Approaches: Keep Your Cat Safe

(2) Edison agrees to pay $37 million in 2007 wildfire

(3) Los Padres Nat'l Forest fire restrictions to be 'rigorously enforced'

(4) New Tanker Added to Firefighting Fleet in Santa Maria

(5) Frazier Park wildfire 90 percent contained

(6) Wildfire near Yosemite is 80 percent contained

(7) WILDFIRES: Cal Fire’s weekly videos update what’s burning

(8) Soldier Basin Wildfire, east of Nogales, at 3,800 acres

(9) Fire restrictions start Wednesday in most forests

(10) Carson National Forest enacts fire restrictions May 21

(11) Milan: Drought Heightens Fear of Wildfires

(12) Plea deal offered over southwest Colorado wildfire

(13) Wildfires may bring fast evacuations

(14) Weekly DNR Enforcement Report: Spring Fishing, Wildfires Etc.

(15) Florida Forest Service's Roy Cribb wins Firefighter of the Year Award

(16) Russia’s grain regions at high risk of wildfires

(17) Flipping spins spread like wildfire

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 052013

A summary of wildfire activity in Southern California is up first today (1); followed by an article by Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rich Brooks, a Reporter for the Riverside Press-Enterprise, discussing the USFS leadership's obsession with buying C-130s to replace the aging US air-tanker fleet with Wildfire NOTD subscriber Walt Darran, Chairman of the Associated Aerial Firefighters (2); firefighters quickly dousing a two-alarm wildfire in Oakland's Joaquin Miller Park Sunday (3); while authorities in Contra Costa County took a woman into custody on suspicion of sparking a four-acre wildfire that threatened homes (4); but a FEMA grant could fund removal of 85,000 trees in the East Bay hills in efforts to mitigate the risk of wildfires (5); authorities in Madera County stating that a 91-acre wildfire south of Yosemite National Park has destroyed one home and several outbuildings (6); the next article revisiting the vital contribution 4,000 inmate firefighters make to fire crews in the Golden State (7). A 300-acre wildfire could be seen burning on Arizona's Picacho Peak (8); and a 2,000-acre blaze is churning through the Coronado National Forest near Nogales (9); a pair of suspicious wildfires outside of Flagstaff sparking a search for arsonists (10). A Colorado native provides several safety tips for people enjoying the outdoors to avoid sparking wildfires (11); while a wildfire in Wildridge provided an opportunity for fire officials to speak about steps homeowners could take to protect themselves from future blazes (12); Fremont County reporting that lightning strikes ignited two wildfires (13). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Mikel Robinson, Executive Director of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a reminder about their Large Wildland Fires conference, which will take place in Missoula, Montana, next year (14). In South Dakota, homeowners in the community of Boulder Canyon received some pointers from fire officials on how to protect their property from wildfires (15); but some cabin owners in Wisconsin got a graphic demonstration of the importance of defensible space last week when the Germann Road fire blazed through the state (16). In British Columbia, Canada, few wildfires were reported in the Interior by the Kamloops Fire Centre despite increased crowds due to the Victoria Day weekend (17); and two years on, the next article provides a look back on Bracknell, UK's, Swinley Forest fire, the largest in southeastern Britain since World War Two (18). Russia's Siberian Federal District currently has 27 forest fires covering over 2,500 ha (19). Pakistan's Capital Development Authority is preparing for wildfires in Islamabad's Margalla Hills National Park this summer (20); but adequate funding is being cited as having reduced the number of major forest fires in India's Sanjay Gandhi National Park (21). Authorities from the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducted wildfire awareness training at San Jose, La Libertad in Negros Oriental (22); even as a 40-hectare wildfire near Dungun, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo (23). Heading to Australia, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service has implemented "Operation Cool Burn" guidelines aimed at preparing fire-prone areas for bushfire season (24); while plans for redevelopment in Mitcham, South Australia, include adding a bushfire and natural disaster education center to the Blackwood Library (25). And finally, firefighters from Parma, Ohio, performed a tricky extrication: getting a deer out of a trench!

(1) Crews gain on wildfires in Castaic, Los Padres National Forest (Map)

(2) AIR TANKERS: After a decade, still stuck with antiques

(3) Firefighters extinguish Oakland hills brushfire

(4) Police: Concord Woman Suspected of Sparking Wildfire

(5) UC Berkeley among applicants for tree-cutting grant to mitigate wildfires

(6) Wildfire near Yosemite destroys home, buildings

(7) Inmates crucial in fighting wildfires

(8) Wildfire burning north of Picacho

(9) Arizona wildfire near Nogales grows to about 2,000 acres

(10) PD: 2 Flagstaff wildfires intentionally set

(11) Prevent Wildfires With These 5 Important Tips

(12) Wildfire in Wildridge is quickly contained

(13) Lightning causes two wildfires off Highway 9

(14) Large Wildland Fires: Social, Political & Ecological Effects

(15) Fire officials help protect homeowners against wild fires

(16) Creating 'defensible space' can be key to homes surviving wildfires

(17) Slow weekend for forest fires

(18) Swinley Forest: Two years on from devastating forest fire

(19) Forest fires in Siberia shrink six-fold within three days

(20) Summer side-effects: CDA bracing for forest fires on the Margallas

(21) Fewer forest fires in national park this year, officials say

(22) DENR-7 conducts training on forest fire prevention

(23) Forest fire razes 40 hectares in Dungun

(24) Firefighters get busy to prepare for next bushfire season

(25) Mitcham Council plans for disaster education centre as part of Blackwood Library redevelopment

(26) Parma firefighters rescue deer trapped in trench

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051813

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Walt Darran, Chairman of the Associated Aerial Firefighters, sounds off about the air-tanker situation in the United States in our first article today (1); a USA Today video segment showing firefighters in the Southwest preparing for what could be a challenging wildfire season (2). An update on two Southern California wildfires is provided by the next article (3); the one which follows providing more details on the 575-acre blaze near Castaic (4); the impact of California's Public Safety Realignment Act on inmate firefighting crews being revisited by an article from the San Diego Union-Tribune (5); a press release from the US Forest Service showing how military vets are working with the California Conservation Corps to learn the ropes of wildland firefighting (6). An article from Nevada takes a closer look at "firescaping" to defend a home from wildfires (7). A summary of wildfire activity in Arizona, where 1,400 acres have gone up in smoke, is provided by the next article (8); while the C-27J Spartan, which has been touted by Congress as a potential air-tanker, is in the news again, this time in regards to having newly-built aircraft being sent directly to the boneyard at Arizona's Davis-Montham Air Force Base (9). Colorado Springs Fire Department drilled with residents to prepare for wildfire season with last year's devastating Waldo Canyon Fire in their collective thoughts (10); but with the signing of the new Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program, Colorado's fire agencies will have more resources available to help them prepare (11). A wildfire was reported near Kuna, Idaho (12); the Bureau of Land Management’s Twin Falls District Office reporting a 9% decrease in available funding to fight wildfires this season, resulting in the elimination of 12 seasonal firefighter positions and a reduction of engine crews from five to four personnel (13); while a former firefighter who admitted setting wildfires in Boise County is being evaluated for early release from prison (14). Over two dozen students got a taste of wildfire management at a Texas Forest Service training session in Hudson, Texas (15). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Mead Gruver, a Reporter for the Associated Press, interviewed Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Snyder, Chief of Operations for Montana-based Neptune Aviation, about a formal protest lodged by the company over air-tanker contract awards from US Forest Service that excluded some of their aircraft, something which concerns Colorado's US Senator Mark Udall (16); while a structure-wrapping team in the Bitterroot National Forest got a few pointers on how to protect historic buildings from wildfires (17); even as a bill passed by the Legislature created a new wildlife suppression budget account (18); which, hopefully, won't be needed this weekend due to cooler temperatures and light showers (19). Menahga, Minnesota's, Green Valley Fire, which destroyed over 50 structures, is now 80% contained (20); but a family from Minnesota lamented the loss of their cabin in Wisconsin's wildfires (21). Rangers from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation reported an eight-acre wildfire near Warrensburg (22). A letter to the editor of British Columbia, Canada's, Victoria Times Colonist argues in favor of an air-tanker contract for the massive Martin Mars flying boats (23); even as a 20-hectare wildfire was reported outside of Whitecourt, Alberta (24); however it appears that some overeager would-be firefighters have started a number of blazes in Saskatchewan themselves (25). As winter approaches Down Under, 800 tons of firewood is being made available to bushfire survivors in Tasmania (26). And finally, a parade of firefighting history will make its way through Corvallis, Montana, next month!

(1) Stalled Air Tankers

(2) Firefighters train for a ferocious wildfire season

(3) 2 stubborn wildfires persist after week full of blazes off I-5 north of Los Angeles

(4) Castaic blaze grows to 575 acres but firefighters gaining control

(5) Inmate firefighting program at risk

(6) Military Veterans Trained in Firefighting Techniques through Forest Service and California Conservation Corps

(7) Landscaping for wildfire defense

(8) Wildfires around Arizona cover over 1,400 acres

(9) C-27J Reemerges Despite AF’s Boneyard Plans

(10) Firefighters, residents train for the worst in Colorado Springs' Skyway neighborhood

(11) New Law Helps Protect Homes From Wildfire

(12) Crews responding to wildfire in Kuna

(13) Fewer Resources for Wildfire Season

(14) Firefighter who started Karney Fire gets six-month rider

(15) Students participate wildfire management training

(16) Udall tells Forest Service to override air tanker protest

(17) All wrapped up: Group learns methods for protecting historic buildings from wildfire

(18) Viewpoint: Bill creates new wildfire suppression fund

(19) Cool temps, light showers aid firefighting efforts

(20) Menahga Wildfire Now 80 Percent Contained

(21) St. Paul family mourns loss of cabin in Wisconsin wildfire

(22) Fire consumes 8 acres of forest in Warrensburg

(23) Huge wildfires require large-capacity air tankers

(24) Crews battle wildfire near Whitecourt

(25) Some wildfires started by would-be firefighters, investigator says

(26) More free firewood delivered to bushfire victims

(27) Parade of history planned for Corvallis firefighter gathering

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051713

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Mikel Robinson, Executive Director of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a notice that nominations for their Ember Award will close by the end of this month (1). Although cooler weather was helping firefighters battling Southern California's 4,100-acre Grand Fire, the fire is still only 35% contained (2); while CAL FIRE mounted a furious assault on the ground and in the air against a 10-acre wildfire in San Diego's East County Thursday (3); firefighters and air-tankers also bringing a 31-acre wildfire outside of Coachella to 90% containment (4). Residents of Summit County, Colorado, were advised to prepare their property for fire season at a Wednesday Forest Health Task Force meeting (5); while Berthoud Fire Protection District scored a new fire engine from the state to help defend Northern Colorado from wildfires (6). A 349-acre wildfire burning in Montana's Rumsey Gulch that destroyed five homes is now 90% contained (7); but a former volunteer firefighter from Helena was charged with setting a dozen wildfires (8). The promise of rain may help dampen Northern Minnesota's 7,100-acre Green Valley Fire, which is now 65% contained (9); where helicopters used thermal imaging equipment to find hotspots (10); the Salvation Army doing its part to help crews on the firelines (11). Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources indicated that they will not charge a logging company deemed responsible for an 8,131-acre wildfire that destroyed 17 homes (12); a power equipment company in Charlotte, Vermont, offering its wares to help people prepare for wildfire season (13); while Connecticut's Department of Environmental Protection, which typically sees 1,300 acres go up in smoke each year, issued forest fire warnings across the state (14). A car's exhaust system may have sparked several wildfires in Mitchell County, North Carolina (15); and Florida Forest Service fire crews grappled with a five-acre wildfire north of Lakeland that forced closure of the Gator Creek Reserve (16). Residents of Nordegg, Alberta, are being allowed to return home five days after being evacuated by Canadian authorities due to a wildfire (17); but following a fire season that saw 59 wildfires burn 83,554 ha last year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is keeping a close eye on the North Slave area this year (18). Mexico's Forest Institute of Quintana Roo reported that six wildfires on the Yucatán Peninsula have burned 1,900 ha (19). A Baptist minister discusses the phenomenon of Australia's bushfires in the next item (20); while Tasmania's Bushfire Appeal Distribution Committee will be disbursing $2.6 million from its $9 million fund, retaining $1.5 million for the long-term needs of bushfire survivors (21). And finally, Smokey Bear has a new message according to an environmental activist opposed to fracking: only you can prevent faucet fires!

(1) Ember Award for Excellence in Wildland Fire Science

(2) Grand Fire Burns 4,100 Acres; 35% Contained

(3) Brush fire in East County quickly doused

(4) Brush fire in Coachella consumes 31 acres

(5) Residents urged to prepare for fire threat

(6) Berthoud, state team up on wildfires

(7) Forest Service says Rumsey Gulch fire about 90 percent contained

(8) Helena-area man charged with arson in connection with multiple wildfires

(9) Wildfires getting contained in northern Minnesota, and rain's on the way

(10) Helicopter searches for wildfire hotspots in northern MN

(11) Salvation Army helping those who are battling wildfires

(12) Wisconsin wildfire started by logging operations

(13) Unusually Dangerous Wildfire Season Requires Extra Precautions

(14) High forest fire warning issued

(15) Mitchell County Wildfires

(16) Wildfire Forces Closing of Gator Creek Reserve

(17) Nordegg evacuation order lifted after forest fire

(18) North Slave 'area to watch' for forest fires

(19) Forest fires remain active in Quintana Roo

(20) Australia's bushfire hell and the destruction of a home

(21) Bushfire funding test

(22) Smokey the Bear Recruited to Fight Fracking: Forest Service Not Amused

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051613

A 3,500-acre wildfire burning in Southern California's Los Padres National Forest is now 15% contained (1); in the meantime, the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing was busy training at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in Port Hueneme with its MAFFS-equipped C-130s (2). A resident of Peoria, Arizona, faces jail time and a hefty fine for starting a 5,220-acre wildfire in the Tonto National Forest last August (3); even as Tucson Fire Department makes preparations for upwards of 1,200-1,400 urban wildfires this summer (4). Fire restrictions have been put in place in New Mexico's Gila National Forest and the area around Silver City (5); but the impact of the beetle epidemic on Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest is examined by the next article (6). A teenager has been arrested for starting multiple wildfires in Montana's Lewis and Clark County (7). Details on the battle against a 7,100-acre wildfire near Menahga, Minnesota, are provided by the next article (8); a USA Today video segment showing how property owners responded to the devastation wrought by the fire (9); the next item providing some photos from the firelines (10). The largest wildfire Wisconsin has seen in the last 33 years has scorched 9,000 acres and destroyed nearly 50 structures (11); prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency in Bayfield and Douglas Counties (12); even as the National Guard provided aerial support to firefighters on the ground (13); Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources finally declaring the blaze contained as the governor began touring the devastated areas (14); firefighters shifting to mop-up operations on stumps, snags, and brush piles (15); while some evacuees are being allowed to return home (16). North Carolina Forest Service reported that a wildfire scorched between 10 and 20 acres in Wilson County (17); and an 80-acre wildfire in Santa Rosa County, Florida, is now 75% contained (18). With all of their wildfires under control, the Canadian province of Manitoba is hoping that weekend rainstorms will further reduce the wildfire danger (19); while more details on the US-sponsored Forest Fire Detection and Monitoring System in the Himalayan nation of Nepal, which has seen more than 1,000 wildfires since March and saw 239,000 ha go up in smoke from 2009-2010, is provided by the next article (20). In Australia, the Victorian Association of Forest Industries was disappointed that bushfire damage forced VicForests to reduce tree harvesting estimates by 25% (21); but 80 plaintiffs have opted out of a class action suit triggered by a 2005 bushfire on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula (22). A radio segment touches on lessons learned from Tasmania's January bushfires (23); but people impacted by those bushfires will not have to pay taxes on their disaster-relief payments (24). And finally, Alpharetta, Georgia, firefighters received PETA's Compassionate Fire Department Award for saving several ducklings trapped in a storm drain!

(1) Fire burns 3,500 acres in Calif. national forest

(2) As Kern County Blaze Roars Annual Aerial Firefighter Training Is Underway

(3) Bryan Teague Pleads Guilty to Starting 5,220-Acre Fire in Tonto Forest With Propane Tank; Faces Potential Jail Sentence

(4) Tucson Fire braces for urban wildfires this summer

(5) Silver City, Gila National Forest and BLM all implement Fire Restrictions

(6) Forest Service considers beetle epidemic options

(7) Helena man faces arson charges for wildfires

(8) Minnesota Wildfires: inside the Damage

(9) Community gathers as Minnesota wildfires rage

(10) Photo Gallery: Minnesota Wildfires

(11) Wisconsin wildfire’s wrath was swift, severe

(12) UPDATE: Gov. Walker Declares State of Emergency for Bayfield and Douglas Counties

(13) Wis. National Guard assists in containing wildfire

(14) UPDATE-5: Douglas Co. Wildfire Contained; Governor to Tour Damage

(15) Forest fire crews shift to mop up mode

(16) THE LATEST: Some people allowed back into homes after massive wildfire

(17) Wilson County wildfire scorches acres

(18) UPDATE: Santa Rosa County Wildfire 75 Percent Contained

(19) Weekend Rain to Ease Forest Fires

(20) US supports Nepalese system to detect forest fires

(21) VicForests reducing Ash forest harvest

(22) Dozens opt out of bushfire class action

(23) Lessons learnt from the Tasmanian bushfires

(24) Fire victims' tax win

(25) Alpharetta firefighters receive award from PETA after saving ducklings

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051513

A new study conducted at Japan Building Research Institute's Fire Research Wind Tunnel Facility by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology shows that terra-cotta and cement roofs are vulnerable to embers (1). San Diego County, California, faces an ominous fire danger according to a new study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Services (2); while a resident of Pacifica who does wildland firefighting with AmeriCorps, is profiled in the next article (3). Fire crews in Arizona's Prescott Valley dealt with two small wildfires yesterday (4); the wildfire outlook in northern Colorado being provided by the next article (5). Texas Forest Service announced that a 40-acre wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake is mostly contained now (6); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rick Hatton, CEO of 10 Tanker LLC, discusses his operation's move to Casper, Wyoming, in the next article (7). In Montana, Helena National Forest officials reported that a 100-acre wildfire was 10% contained (8); while a 350-acre wildfire near Philipsburg continued to challenge firefighters (9); the Flathead County Fire Manager reminding homeowners to create defensible space to better protect their property from wildfires (10). Wildfires in northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin have scorched 12,000 acres and destroyed numerous structures (11); the next item providing photos from the firelines (12); fire officials from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources investigating whether logging operations sparked an 8,700-acre blaze in Douglas County (13). Following a year in which Louisiana saw nearly 1,000 wildfires statewide, the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry feels that this will be a better year (14); and fire crews brought a small wildfire outside of Gulf Breeze, Florida, to 25% containment (15). Although evacuees from Lodgepole, Alberta, are being allowed to return home, they are on a two-hour notice to be evacuated again if a 1,200-hectare wildfire heads their way (16); but a 741-acre blaze near Nordegg is losing headway (17); while over a dozen wildfires are active in Saskatchewan at the moment (18). Heading to the Mediterranean, new wildfires were reported in Covilha, Portugal, and Santovenia del Monte, Spain, as well as Chambi, Tunisia (19); and the Federation of Community Forestry Users in Kathmandu, Nepal, is utilizing NASA satellites to provide timely intel on wildfires in all 75 districts of that Himalayan nation (20). Victoria, Australia's, planning Minister unveiled a new iPad application that will greatly improve bushfire safety (21); a Country Fire Authority family reflecting on a bushfire which blazed through Dereel in March (22). Busselton, Western Australia, will be hosting the Fire, Weather and Risk Workshop, a three-day event which keeps fire managers abreast of the latest developments in dealing with bushfires (23); this at a time when Department of Fire and Emergency Services is assessing the bushfire danger to holiday homes in the Perth region (24). And finally, FDNY had to come to the rescue of NYPD when a policeman attempted to retrieve a treed feline and got stuck in the tree himself!

(1) Terracotta and cement roofs vulnerable in wildfires, study finds

(2) New study outlines wildfire dangers facing Southern California area

(3) Chain-sawing, firefighting Pacifican finds life's path through AmeriCorp

(4) Local photo: Crews quell pair of local wildfires

(5) Grand County’s wildfire potential ranked at normal

(6) Wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake mostly contained

(7) One-of-a-kind air tanker operator lands in Casper

(8) Wildfire burning near Canyon Ferry

(9) Rumsey Gulch Forest Fire has Burned 350 Acres by Tuesday Afternoon

(10) Flathead officials look to residents to prevent wildfires

(11) Wildfires destroying homes, forcing evacuations in N. Minn., N. Wis.

(12) PHOTOS + INFO: Wildfires in Minnesota, NW Wisconsin Read more: Wildfires in Minnesota, NW

(13) UPDATE: Wildfire Started Near Logging Operations

(14) Wildfire risks less for Louisiana compared to other states

(15) Crews gaining ground on Gulf Breeze wildfire

(16) Lodgepole residents returning home

(17) Wildfire losing strength

(18) 14 wildfires burning in Saskatchewan

(19) EFFIS - Current Situation

(20) Nepal: Remote Sensing Forest Fire Detection

(21) App a world-first in bushfire safety

(22) Bent and blackened, but Dereel's spirit lives on after bushfires

(23) National forum tackles bushfire

(24) Busselton tops firies' hot property list

(25) Firefighters rescue cop rescuing a cat

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051413

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Eversole, Executive Director of the American Helicopter Services & Aerial Firefighting Association, sent along a press release which disputes the readiness of most of the air-tankers that won the US Forest Service's recent award of Next-Generation air-tanker contracts (1); US Forest Service Aviation Chief Tom Harbour responding that they will rely more on military aircraft in the interim (2); former US Forest Service Chief Mark Rey recommending more heavy air-tankers to reduce the incidence of wildfires across the US in a radio segment (3). A summary of wildfire activity in Southern California, where wildfires were burning near Lytle Creek and Lake Castaic, is provided by the next article (4); NASA satellite data prompting scientists at Jet Propulsion Laboratory to identify a "double jeopardy" wildfire danger posed by recent rainfall (5); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rick Halsey, Director of the Chaparral Institute, sending along a KPBS radio segment in which he discusses Governor Brown's recognition of California's need to adapt to changing climate conditions and wildland fire patterns (6); while the Lake County Fire Safe Council will be hosting a Wildfire Safety Expo in Kelseyville this Saturday (7); CAL FIRE's outlook for the state's wildfire season being examined by the next article (8). US Sen. Ron Wyden, concerned about the 2013 fire season in Oregon, is looking at ways to boost fire detection (9); and fire officials in Arizona are projecting an average fire season which, 20 years ago, would have been classified as anything but (10). New Mexico's Sierra Blanca Regional Airport will soon be home to two SEATs and a firefighting helicopter (11); and in anticipation of a busy fire season, Angel Fire Resort has established the Northern New Mexico Firefighter Fund to assist firefighters with the resources they need to fight wildfires (12). Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is showing signs of recovery in the Fern Lake Fire burn area (13); while fire officials will be hosting a Wildfire Preparation Workshop in Glade Park today (14). Texas Forest Service reported that a 100-acre wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake is now 25% contained (15); while fire officials in Austin are seeking public input at three weekly wildfire prevention meetings which begin tonight (16). The DC-10 has been forward-deployed to Wyoming's Casper/Natrona County International Airport in preparation for the summer wildfire season (17). The fire outlook for Western Montana is covered by the next article (18); a 200-acre wildfire near Philipsburg serving as a reminder of the fire season ahead (19). South Dakota State Wildland Fire is spinning up the Single Engine Air Tanker Base at Hot Springs for what is forecast to be a busy wildfire season (20). The National Weather Service says the eastern parts of Minnesota and Iowa could see pockets of wildfires tomorrow (21); and a pair of wildfires near Minnesota's Red Lake Reservation have already blazed across 1,200 acres (22). A National Fire Prevention and Education Team dispensed wildfire knowledge to property owners from Polk and Haralson counties, Georgia (23); but a late snowpack in Alaska bodes well for a late start to the wildfire season in the Last Frontier (24). The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has determined that disrupted fuel flow led to the crash of a firefighting helicopter outside of Lillooet, British Columbia, in 2010 (25); but evacuation orders have been lifted in Ashcroft due to the diminished danger posed by the 1,400-hectare Spatsum Creek wildfire (26). A pair of wildfires in West-Central Alberta continued to defy firefighters (27); while recommendations of a 237-page report on Alberta's Lesser Slave Lake wildfire of 2011 have been accepted by the provincial government (28); but nearly a dozen wildfires are currently active in Saskatchewan (29); Ontario reporting no new fire activity in their province (30); air-tankers helping to bring a wildfire near Glovertown, Newfoundland, to heel (31). In Europe, new wildfires were reported outside of Castanheira de Pera, Portugal, and Santovenia del Monte, Spain, while several others continued to burn in France and Romania (32); and the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus plans to raise public awareness and increase the efficiency of the fire department to reduce the number of wildfires this summer (33); even as record temperatures were reported in Moscow, Russia, spawning dozens of wildfires across the Central Federal District (34). South Australia's Bundaleer Forest is slowly recuperating from a 2,300-ha bushfire that blazed through the region three months ago (35). As the inquiry into Tasmania's January bushfires continues, some are complaining that communications problems hampered fire suppression efforts (36); while young people will be the focus of the first round of awards from the Tasmanian Bushfire Appeal (37); but the president of the Rebels Motorcycle Club had to appear in court on a charge of running a police roadblock during the Dunalley bushfire in January (38). And finally, despite the fact that a South Carolina couple lost everything when their Windsor Green condominium was destroyed in March's Carolina Forest Fire, their wedding still went ahead as planned!

(1) Aerial Firefighting Industry Disputes Near-Term Air Tanker Readiness

(2) Forest Service additions to aerial firefighting fleet remain uncertified

(3) How to Reduce Forest Fires and Keep Wood Supply Flowing

(4) Firefighters in SoCal are battling two wildfires

(5) Satellite images show 'double jeopardy' wildfire danger

(6) Adapting To The New Reality Of Increased Wildfire Danger

(7) Wildfire Safety Expo planned

(8) Could be a long, hot summer for firefighters

(9) Wyden concerned about firefighting resources for 2013

(10) New ‘Average’: Officials Say Wildfire Seasons Growing Worse

(11) Second fire-fighting plane to be stationed at airport

(12) Angel Fire establishes wildfire fund

(13) New life springs from ashes of Fern Lake fire

(14) Glade Park Fire Dept. Hosting Wildfire Preparation Workshop

(15) Wildfires Force Evacuations In Texas Community

(16) Wildfire prevention planners seek public input

(17) Massive Air Tanker Moving To Casper

(18) Early fire season likely in western Montana; 500 fewer on lines across U.S.

(19) Rumsey Gulch Fire, near Philipsburg, "running and gunning" late Monday

(20) Firefighters prepare Hot Springs SEAT base for season

(21) Pockets of Midwest run risk of wildfires

(22) Crews Battle Wildfires Near Red Lake Reservation

(23) Firefighters grow knowledge of wildfire prevention

(24) Wildfire Season Expected To Start Later Than Normal

(25) Disrupted fuel flow likely led to 2010 firefighting helicopter crash

(26) Evacuation order lifted as wildfire spares homes near Ashcroft

(27) Persistent forest fires still burning in Nordegg and Lodgepole

(28) Province accepts all recommendations from review of 2011 Slave Lake wildfires

(29) 10 wildfires burning in Saskatchewan

(30) Forest fire report: Monday update

(31) Forest Fire Near Terra Nova River

(32) EFFIS - Current Situation

(33) Forest fire warning ahead of long, hot summer

(34) Officials Gear Up for Wildfires Amid Record Temperatures

(35) Bundaleer Forest recuperates from bushfire

(36) Communications a problem in Tasmanian bushfires

(37) Youth to benefit from bushfire funding

(38) Bikie boss denies running bushfire roadblock

(39) After fire destroys home, couple marries with nothing but each other