WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 111009

We lead off wildfire news today with an announcement from Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Freeman, sent along by Kristina Hajjar, Director of Communications for the department, about the importance of wildfire preparation by residents of the county; something that may be of increased importance to foothill residents near the Angeles National Forest as the next article shows: the Station Fire may be down, but it's not quite out! The US Forest Service used social media, in this case Twitter, for notifications for the first time on the Station Fire; and Orange County has implemented a new program to diminish wildfires in the area: OC Fire Watch. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department carried out some practice helicopter drops using night-vision goggles in canyon land last night; while the politics of wildfires have entered the California gubernatorial contest as Steve Poizner touted his success in retrieving $27 million for survivors of the 2007 San Diego wildfires. A letter to the editor of a Central California newspaper thanks volunteers who have kept an eye out for wildfires in their vicinity; but a wildfire is burning in Ohio's only national forest. Fire authorities in Missouri plan to carry out a number of controlled burns to improve the ecology of county parks in the area; however, firefighters in eastern Kentucky are evidently dealing with a number of arson fires. An out-of-control debris fire in Virginia may prove costly for the person who ignited it, due to a law that requires them to pay the suppression costs; even as arson investigators in Brevard County, Florida, are on the trail of a serial arsonist who has apparently lit a number of wildfires in the area. Australia's iconic koala bears may be facing extinction in as little as 30 years, in part due to rampant bushfires devastating their habitat. Arson investigators in Victoria are taking a look at a wildfire that burned in the Linton State Forest; but as Victoria reports high temperatures, fire agencies are defending their decision to light a control fire which breached its lines. Amid concerns from the building industry and pressure from the Royal Bushfire Commission, the Victorian government has reluctantly released interim bushfire bunker building standards. The harrowing experiences of a South Australia family during bushfires some months back are used as a cautionary tale by fire officials for homeowners to be prepared as bushfire season continues in that state; and firefighters had a small bushfire to deal with in Port Pirie. New South Wales is putting some teeth into its tougher bushfire arson policy by expanding the ranks of arson investigators. And finally, in a follow-up to yesterday's article about British firefighters rescuing a duck trapped in a pipe for six hours, we have another affirmation that no good deed goes unpunished, as a British taxpayers group derides the effort as a waste of taxpayer dollars!

Ready! Set! Go!

Station Fire still burning in Mt. Wilson root system, bringing out more firefighters [Updated]

Angeles Forest officials use Station Fire to fine tune Twitter policy

Orange County to Take Aggressive Approach in Preventing Major Wildfires

San Diego Firefighters Test Out Night Vision Goggles, Making Firefighting At Night Possible

Candidate for Governor Says he Helped Wildfire Victims Collect $27 Million

A big thanks to volunteers on the lookout for wildfires

Firefighters battle wildfire in Wayne National Forest

Prescribed burns to improve county parks

Forest fires burning across eastern Ky.

Debris fire burns 125 acres on Powell Mountain in Scott County

Two More Suspicious Wildfires In Brevard Co.

Australian koalas fast declining, researchers say

Grass fire near Linton dubbed suspicious

Fires raging as Victoria continues to swelter

Bid to make bunkers safe with interim standards

We will defend our home from bushfire again

Port Pirie bushfire contained

Fighting bushfire arson

Firefighters criticized for duck rescue

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 110909

As Wildfire News Of The Day returns, we lead off with a story about a resurrection: rising from the ashes of the 2007 Southern California wildfires that destroyed it, Malibu Presbyterian Church has finally been rebuilt. Budget cuts have snuffed out a hand crew from Orange County that was credited with yeoman work on the Freeway Complex last year, along with other fires in that region. Aviators from San Diego Fire-Rescue Department put their night flying skills to use in battling a blaze in Dell Cerro Saturday night, using night vision goggles to pilot their gel-dropping helicopters over the fire; while a fire consultant from San Diego discusses options for residents of that region during the remainder of the wildfire season. A 100-acre wildfire near Santa Maria was blamed on faulty power lines; followed by an article that provides some details on the continued push to thin vegetation in parts of California as advocated by the California Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention and Community Protection Act. Firefighters in Iowa had a small ravine wildfire to deal with; while unseasonably warm weather in Pennsylvania led to some small wildfires over the weekend. Tennessee fire officials have announced that their wildfire season has officially begun; something which is underscored by the following article from nearby Virginia; and echoed by another article from West Virginia. Firefighters in Florida had a daunting task putting out a wildfire by a phosphate pit over the weekend. A community in British Columbia will be receiving a substantial grant from the Canadian government to help with wildfire mitigation in their area. As southern China suffers through a drought, fire officials are warning everyone in the region about fire prevention. It appears that the DC-10 may be heading Down Under in the near future, as Victoria's government considers leasing the mammoth firefighting aircraft to fight bushfires; with testing to began in January amid concerns about where the aircraft would be based due to the need for a long runway; even as Opposition politicians and firefighter unions blast the government for not having availed themselves of such an aircraft prior to the Black Saturday bushfires. Despite official optimism, many commentators consider that it will be years before areas devastated by the Black Saturday bushfires are rebuilt; even as fire agencies in Victoria are bracing for an active bushfire season as one in Gippsland that ignited last week continues to burn; and probably will do so for a couple more days. The University of Melbourne has uncovered some revealing items from Victoria's past bushfires to compare with information on the Black Saturday bushfires. Harkening back to a devastating fire season over 30 years ago, authorities in Tasmania fear a repeat of the Black Tuesday bushfires; and as part of those preparations, bushfire refuges are being identified. Country Fire Service leadership is warning residents of South Australia that it's only a matter of time before that state has a massive bushfire and that they have to do their part to prepare. And finally, British firefighters added a new chapter to their Urban Search and Rescue book by retrieving a wayward duck trapped in a pipe for six hours!

After trial by wildfire, Malibu Presbyterian Church returns

Specialized Calif. wildfire teams hit by budget cuts

Del Cerro fire proves stubborn

Risky firefighting concept goes up in flames

Crews Battle Wildfire at Twitchell Dam

A push to thin forests to curb wildfires

Burlington firefighters put out brush fire

Weather cultivates Armstrong brush fires

TN enters wildfire season

Forest Fire Between Washington County, Virginia and Russell County

Beautiful Weather Has Increased Fire Threat

Alafia blaze under control, but phosphate pits challenge firefighters

McLeod delivers $1.23 M for jobs

Chinese vice premier stresses fire prevention efforts amid prolonged drought

State Government to lease multi-million dollar fire-fighting jet

Aussie state to get new firefighting jet

Water bomber could have saved lives

Bushfire rebuild still years away

Victoria on alert as bushfires break out

Battle to stop bushfire

New papers compare a history of fires

Tasmania facing 'major' bushfire threat

Bushfire campaign

Monster SA bushfire inevitable

Firefighters in six-hour rescue of pet duck

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 103109

Wildfire News Of The Day will be on hiatus all next week, returning on 11/9. The LA Times takes another look at mistakes made in the early hours of the Station Fire that allowed it to become a monster; even as TreePeople, along with actress Victoria Principal, are raising funds to help restore Angeles National Forest following the devastation of the fire. SDG&E and Cox Communications have agreed to pay out $17 million in settlements for wildfires started in San Diego County in 2007 by their equipment. A study published in Open Forest Science Journal argues that the Forest Service should not be clearing out dead trees that clutter forested areas, as told in an article from Arizona; but firefighters are once again planning a controlled burn in northern Arizona, where a previous burn that got out of control burned thousands of acres a few weeks ago. A program on FireWise landscaping will be conducted in a Texas community next week; while firefighters in Illinois will be conducting a controlled burn in a wetland area south of Chicago. Forest owners in Alberta, Canada, are asking the federal government to set controlled burns to halt the advance of the destructive bark beetle into their stands of timber. Citizens of the African nation of Ghana are lobbying for fire officials to form anti-bushfire committees as the dry season approaches. Firefighters in New Zealand battled a 200 acre blaze with some help from a helicopter air-tanker, as the next two articles show. A report from Victoria has revealed the pay raises for Country Fire Authority leadership in that state; and former heads of South Australia's Country Fire Service weigh in on the issue of appropriate firefighting aircraft for that region, with comments by Wildfire NOTD subscriber David Cant, the current CFS Aviation Services Manager. There is also a debate between Tasmanian fire chiefs past and present, over whether houses are 'blacklisted' by firefighters during bushfires.

Missed opportunities let Station fire become a disaster

Angeles Forest Fire Restoration, $25,000 Gift Kicks Off $250,000 Goal

Companies to pay $17M in San Diego wildfires case

Woodman, spare that snag

Four hundred acres to be ignited

Learning about wildfire awareness and landscape

County plans controlled burn of Elgin wetland area

Alberta forest industry wants Ottawa to take over front-line beetle fight

Chiefs should form anti-bushfire committees- Obeng-Forson

Firefighters battled scrub fire in Northland

Firefighters dampen blaze

Top brass enjoy big pay rises

Heat on CFS fireplan

TFS denies unofficial 'no-go' policy for high-risk bushfire areas

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 103009

We lead off wildfire news today with a correction on one of yesterday's articles about a bomb scare at a fire station. Wildfire News Of The Day reader Kristina Hajjar, Director of Communications at LA County FD, pointed out that the incident took place at an LAFD station, not an LA County station as I had indicated (oops!) A sheriff's deputy is under investigation for setting two illegal campfires in Washington state. Residents of Florida are being reminded to watch their debris burning as that state enters its wildfire season; even as firefighters in North Fort Myers are setting prescribed burns. With 73% of British Columbia's firefighters coming from the volunteer ranks, a shortfall in new recruits has the Canadian province worried; but with the order of four CL-415 aircraft from Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Canada, aircraft manufacturer Bombardier should be able to keep its doors open at least until 2011 on this one order alone! Greek politicians are finally clamping down on construction projects in areas burned by wildfires, something which had resulted in many suspicious fires on prime forested real estate in the past. Due to wildfires that destroyed 40% of their timber plantations, a pulp mill in the southern Africa nation of Swaziland has been forced to close. Southeast Asian nations, like Singapore, are hopeful that they will have less smoke to contend with now that Indonesia has pledged to cut wildfires by 20% per year. Heading Down Under, a fire captain from Victoria counsels for reason versus hysteria when deciding whether to evacuate areas during high bushfire danger; while a reporter from Victoria who lost everything in the Black Saturday bushfires has won a prestigious journalism award for his first-person account of the tragedy. As demand for bushfire bunkers has skyrocketed in Victoria, the Royal Bushfire Commission is pressing for building standards to be implemented quickly; and a group is trying to raise more funds for bushfire recovery in Victoria. In a follow-up to one of yesterday's stories, Victoria's premier will not merge that state's two firefighting agencies into one; but a New South Wales fire official fears that a merger of their rural and metropolitan fire agencies could alienate many of their volunteer firefighters. And finally, one of the beneficial side effects of wildfires in Southern California appears to be larger deer!

King County deputy is cited for illegal fires

Wildfire Concerns

Prescribed burn began at 10 a.m. today in North Fort Myers

B.C. fire services struggle to attract volunteers

Good News at Bombardier

Draft law on Greece's fire-ravaged regions of east Attica unveiled

Sappi closes Usutu

Indonesia to cut forest fires by 20% yearly

Fire captain warns bushfire 'hysteria' may cost lives

Tale of courage amid fires takes top News Award

Bushfire bunker standards 'needed fast'

Bushfire group seeks recovery funds

Brumby won't merge firefighting services

Fire merger could alienate volunteers

Wildfires responsible for bigger deer?

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 102909

In wildfire news, a small wildfire broke out near homes in the Hollywood Hills yesterday; but as a writer, you just never know where your work may end up - in this case someone who survived the 2007 wildfires in San Diego County had her submission included in the latest 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' book! An Op-Ed piece from Santa Cruz discusses the pros and cons of controlled burns; followed by another from the same paper that discusses how CAL FIRE's decision to delay releasing seasonal firefighters will increase the strain on a fire budget that is already nearly spent and the fiscal year is only halfway done! The role of ham operators in providing information during the Loma Fire is revealed in the next article. Power utilities in California, burned by recent lawsuits and insurance costs, are lobbying the Public Utilities Commission to allow them to increase rates to cover rising insurance costs. Anti-logging activists in Oregon have won another court battle in a salvage logging case within the burn area of the Biscuit Fire; but a controversial grant of $2.8 million has been awarded to the US Forest Service for work in Washington DC, despite several complaints from Western states that the money could be better used in preventing wildfires west of the Mississippi. Trouble in paradise, as firefighters on the Hawaiian island of Maui have a 30-acre wildfire to deal with. One possible explanation for fires spotted burning in North Korea in mid-October may be that farmers were burning off some of their land rather than the earlier explanation that it was massive forest fires. Indonesia is working with Australia to implement a satellite surveillance system that will help them better identify wildfires early. As we head south, a forested area on New Zealand's South Island is being scrutinized for its potential as a fire hazard. Citing waste and inefficiency as problems for the current two-tier arrangement in Victoria, Australia, the Royal Bushfire Commission is recommending that Country Fire Authority and the Department of Sustainability and Environment be combined into one agency; something which may be reflected in the next article about fire spotters in Victoria who complain that they don't have binoculars and other necessary tools with which to perform their duties due to a lack of funds. An article underscores the importance of timely and accurate information on bushfires in Victoria. Whereas most of the focus in bushfire recovery stories has been on homeowners, the next one focuses on businesses trying to recover from the Black Saturday bushfires; even as residents of the Yarra Valley are considering various locations as bushfire refuges. Psychologists stress the need for the right mindset for civilians dealing with bushfires, such as the recent ones in Queensland. Fire agencies in South Australia fear that residents have become complacent, leaving them unprepared for the bushfire season; but an editorial leaves no doubt as to the danger. Firefighters in Tasmania are learning survival techniques in the event they are trapped in burnovers. And finally, beware of visitors bearing gifts, as one Los Angeles County fire station crew found out when someone appeared with what looked to be a bomb!

Small fire burning near homes in Hollywood Hills

Author relives 2007 wildfire evacuation in 'Chicken Soup' book

As We See It: Fire and rain: Controlled burns can benefit forest and fire management

Loma Fire prompts state to increase California's firefighter staffing

Santa Cruz County Hams Called to Assist During Wildfires

Utilities: Wildfire insurance costs killing us

Court backs those who protested salvage logging after Biscuit fire

Funds for D.C. wildfires rebuked, then restored

Maui firefighters contain Lahaina brush fire

North Korea may be burning farmland

Online forest fire monitoring system launched in Indonesia

Naseby forest fire hazard reassessed

Commission considers single fire agency

Crews lack firefighting equipment

Fires leave little room for error

Business struggle to recover from February bushfires

Shelters a place of last resort in bushfire-prone Yarra Valley

Preparing Psychologically For Bushfires: Resources For The Public, Australia

Residents unprepared for fires

Editorial: Pay attention to warnings on fire risk

Vic Bushfires Help Develop New Firefighter Training

Eagle Rock fire station evacuated

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 102809

Fire departments around the San Diego area are beefing up their reserves as windy weather arrives in our first wildfire article today. CAL FIRE officials explain why controlled burn risks are outweighed by the benefits; even as firefighters continued to mop up the wildfire which destroyed a trailer and two outbuildings, and forced the evacuation of nearly 100 homes. As in show business, timing is everything in aerial firefighting, as an article about an air-tanker that was scheduled to depart Medford, Oregon, on the day wildfires broke out underscores. Plans to thin vegetation in New Mexico are themselves being thinned; while a large wildfire burning near Arizona's world-famous Kitt Peak observatories is not currently threatening any structures. Some pointers on means to retard the spread of bark beetles (thereby reducing the fire danger from beetle-killed trees) comes to us from Colorado; and federal government officials are discussing forestry jobs in Missoula, Montana, as the next article shows. A man accused of starting a debris fire that eventually consumed 76 homes and damaged 100 others in South Carolina earlier this year will have to pay a fine of $732; even as Florida fire agencies are advising residents that wildfire prevention measures need to be implemented year-round. A forthcoming article in The American Naturalist provides some insight into how trees in savanna areas help promote wildfires to keep the stands healthy. Bombardier announced that they will be selling four CL-415 aircraft to the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador. An Israeli study shows how a hyperspectral remote sensor network can detect toxic runoff from burn areas following wildfires (something that would probably be useful in parts of Southern California affected by runoff from the Station fire debris). The next article takes a look at the wildfire situation in the African nation of Uganda. Chinese firefighters had a blaze to deal with along the Taiwan Strait; and forest rangers in Vietnam got more than they bargained for when they tried to interfere with some illegal loggers in the Central Highlands! Heading Down Under, an Australian wildfire expert is advising Victoria to burn off 12 to 14% of their vegetation, as opposed to the 1% that they currently plan to burn. Poor communications have once again been blamed for much of the grief caused by the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria; and communications problems could plague police and firefighters in that state again, not to mention the danger to civilians because the national fire warning system is about a month behind schedule. The Royal Bushfire Commission is probing why firefighters were not told of an imminent wind change until an hour after aircraft had received the warning during Black Saturday; while a pair of fire spotters who had a panoramic view of the Black Saturday bushfires recount what they saw in words and photos. And finally, a New York State firefighter found a unique way to propose to his girlfriend - and it was no accident!

REGION: Firefighting staff increased during dry, windy weather

Benefit of controlled burns outweighs risk, firefighters say

Crews mop up fully contained Santa Cruz wildfire

Air tanker was set to leave on day of fires

Forest restoration project reduced

Wildfire south of Kitt Peak burns on

Wildfire protection and beetle control committees to meet Nov. 9

Talking about trees: Tester discusses forest, jobs bill in Missoula

Man pleads guilty for burn that became SC wildfire

Wildfire Prevention Important Year Round

Trees facilitate wildfires as a way to protect their habitat

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Upgrades its Firefighting Capability-Orders Four Bombardier 415 Amphibious Aircraft

Sensing our Planet’s Disasters from Space

Bush fires: An environment threat to Moyo

Xiamen forest fire stamped out

Loggers kill forest ranger in Vietnam

Fire experts call for more early burn-offs

Bendigo controllers unable to contact fire crews

National fire warning system not ready

Commission told of Churchill wind change discrepancy

GALLERY: Bird’s-eye view of Black Saturday

CAPTION THIS: Firefighter stages mock accident for marriage proposal

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 102709

Red flag warnings in San Diego County, California, are the topic of our first wildfire story today; but CAL FIRE will begin investigation into whether the Loma Fire in Central California was caused by embers left over from debris burned by CAL FIRE several days before. Hollister Air Attack Base has had an additional pair of S-2T air-tankers stationed there during the Loma Fire; and the same meteorological event causing red flag warnings in Southern California will be doing so in southern Nevada as well. Eastern red cedar trees are considered to be a fire hazard that needs to be addressed by firefighters in Oklahoma; but, having suffered through a devastating wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, politicians are focusing on public safety this election. A study takes a look at the Positive Indian Ocean Dipole (PIOD) effect on bushfires in Australia; followed by a laundry list of preparations in Victoria as bushfire season officially begins. As part of the overhaul of Victoria's bushfire strategy, the head of Country Fire Authority will be legally responsible for getting word out about the bushfire danger to civilians; followed by a story about the terrifying flight of one woman during the Black Saturday bushfires that was recounted for the Royal Bushfire Commission in Victoria. Another bushfire auto donation scam in Victoria has been exposed. A summary of the wildfire situation in Queensland includes some details on political mudslinging taking place in Parliament; even as a quartet of Queensland park rangers are on the hot seat as investigators delve into why they refused to fight a bushfire. A bushfire that has burned several hundred acres in Western Australia has been contained. And finally, although they normally remain at airfields to help with firefighting on aircraft, Australian Airport Rescue Firefighters (ARFFs) have been seeing some action as an important backup to bushfire firefighters as well (so the next time you have a bushfire, remember to invite an ARFF to the party!)

Experts say expected winds won't pose a major fire risk

Cal Fire official confirms that crews were burning brush in Loma fire area last week

Extra aircraft stationed in Hollister for Loma Fire

High wind and wildfire warnings issued for Las Vegas

Control of Eastern red cedar trees urged to better control wildfires

Public safety tops concerns of candidates in North Myrtle Beach

Link established between Aussie bushfires and Indian Ocean conditions

Warnings for bushfire season

CFA head will issue public bushfire warnings under new emergency management structure

Woman tells of fear fleeing fire

Ringwood man faces court on bushfire fund fraud claims

MPs trade blows over bushfire management

Park rangers grilled for failing to fight bushfires

Prevelly bushfire contained

Aviation Fire Fighters In Australia Give Bushfire Assistance