WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 112808

First up in the news today, a story submitted by Rick Fisher of the San Diego Regional Fire Safety Forum about fellow member Rick Halsey, who is featured in an LA Times article discussing his favorite topic: chaparral. Another story from the LA Times details the impact of the wildfires on a Sylmar family, and one from North County Times highlights the fact that there was no major flooding or landslides from the recent rain. Two stories from the Orange County Register: the first underscores a victory for some stay-and-defend homeowners; the second tells how a firefighter launched a new business ember-proofing homes. Firefighters are doing some controlled burns up by Big Bear, while monks are searching for a new home after their monastery was destroyed by the Tea Fire. US Forest Service is working out a plan to keep forested areas in the Black Hills of South Dakota healthy, but mountain pine beetles are playing havoc with forest revenue in Alberta, Canada. An article out of Italy discusses the use of military pilots for firefighting duties (apologies for the poor translation). Heading to Australia, residents of West Australia are being warned to take bushfires seriously despite recent rain, while firefighters in South Australia extinguished a blaze that threatened a homestead, and fire authorities in New South Wales identified areas in extreme danger from bushfires. Finally, although firefighters sometimes refer to fighting wildfires as 'slaying the dragon', some real dragons are in trouble due to wildfires in Indonesia.

All he's saying is give brush a chance

A family becomes collateral damage from the Sylmar wildfire

Southern California soaked but stable in storm

Do-it-yourself firefighters celebrate intact homes

Ember hazard in wildfires fuels entrepreneurial spirit

Winter Pile Burning under way on the San Bernardino National Forest

Monks are left homeless after Santa Barbara wildfire

Forest Service updates Commission on fire plan

Alberta’s forests being chewed up by soft markets and voracious pine beetles

Also pilots of the Italian Air Force (AMI) employed in firefighting

Bushfire alert as rain fuels tinder build-up

Hallett blaze now contained

Far south coast named bushfire 'hot spot'

Vanishing dragons