WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 070708
Lots of wildfire news items today, leading off with two incendiary articles about USFS problems handling the current crop of fires around California. And there is concern about California running out of resources just as the heat goes up this week, along with other dire predictions on the fire season ahead. Edison is worried about damage to their power lines and Archaeologists are also concerned about the loss of historical sites to raging wildfires. Fires in Turkey and Greece have also caused those countries problems.
But amid all the bad news, hundreds of National Guard firefighters have completed their training and are beginning to relieve exhausted firefighters on the firelines while more help is on the way from British Columbia. Both the DC-10 and the Martin Mars continue to weigh in with tremendous effect statewide. Technology is also being harnessed by incident commanders, as an article on satellite mapping shows.
California Fire Stats:
There are 1005 State Responsibility Areas Fires, 807 are contained.
80% of fires in State Responsibility Area are contained.
There are 776 Federal Responsibility Area Fires, 643 are contained.
83% of fires Federal Responsibility Area are contained.
Total State and Federal California Fires: 1,781
Total Contained: 1,450
81% of Fires in California Contained
Total Active Fires: 331
48 Fires Unstaffed (meaning there are no firefighters/apparatus left to send to these!)
Per the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), 40 states have provided assets or personnel to assist California with fire fighting operations since the fires began on June 21, 2008.
There are currently 27 complexes that are actively threatening life and property.
To date, a total of 558,738 acres burned. Currently there are 20,382 personnel assigned, 109 total rotary aircraft, and 8 fixed wing aircraft. Other resources include: 151 Strike Teams/Task Forces, 1,623 engines, 314 dozers, 481 hand crews, 461 water tenders and 4,107 overhead. 190 firefighter injuries reported.
Property threatened or destroyed includes: 9,427 residences threatened, 5 residences damaged, and 36 residences destroyed. There are 410 commercial properties threatened, 0 (zero) commercial properties damaged, and 1 (one) commercial property destroyed. 1,787 outbuildings threatened, 1 (one) outbuilding damaged, and 50 outbuildings destroyed.
Wildfire News Items:
Preparedness under fire: Federal firefighting system understaffed, report shows
The Collapse of Federal Firefighting in California
California wildfires strain state's resources
Tired firefighters battle 330 Calif. wildfires
Hotter weather may bring ugly week for firefighters
Fires Pose Risks For Archaeological Sites
California Wildfires Threaten SCE Power Lines
Officials predict longer and stronger fire season
At root of most wildfires, by far: People
Two killed in forest fire in southern Turkey
Wildfires in several spots in southern Greece mostly under control
Success reported against Calif. wildfires
Weather helps crews battling Calif's biggest fire
National Guard Join CA Firefighting Efforts
Satellites Keep an Eye on Wildfires Around the World
Oroville Water for Firefighting Plane
DC-10 Air Tanker Joins Effort to Contain Big Sur Fire At Pico Blanco
With Pride, Californians Step Up to Fight Fires
Lots of wildfire news items today, leading off with two incendiary articles about USFS problems handling the current crop of fires around California. And there is concern about California running out of resources just as the heat goes up this week, along with other dire predictions on the fire season ahead. Edison is worried about damage to their power lines and Archaeologists are also concerned about the loss of historical sites to raging wildfires. Fires in Turkey and Greece have also caused those countries problems.
But amid all the bad news, hundreds of National Guard firefighters have completed their training and are beginning to relieve exhausted firefighters on the firelines while more help is on the way from British Columbia. Both the DC-10 and the Martin Mars continue to weigh in with tremendous effect statewide. Technology is also being harnessed by incident commanders, as an article on satellite mapping shows.
California Fire Stats:
There are 1005 State Responsibility Areas Fires, 807 are contained.
80% of fires in State Responsibility Area are contained.
There are 776 Federal Responsibility Area Fires, 643 are contained.
83% of fires Federal Responsibility Area are contained.
Total State and Federal California Fires: 1,781
Total Contained: 1,450
81% of Fires in California Contained
Total Active Fires: 331
48 Fires Unstaffed (meaning there are no firefighters/apparatus left to send to these!)
Per the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), 40 states have provided assets or personnel to assist California with fire fighting operations since the fires began on June 21, 2008.
There are currently 27 complexes that are actively threatening life and property.
To date, a total of 558,738 acres burned. Currently there are 20,382 personnel assigned, 109 total rotary aircraft, and 8 fixed wing aircraft. Other resources include: 151 Strike Teams/Task Forces, 1,623 engines, 314 dozers, 481 hand crews, 461 water tenders and 4,107 overhead. 190 firefighter injuries reported.
Property threatened or destroyed includes: 9,427 residences threatened, 5 residences damaged, and 36 residences destroyed. There are 410 commercial properties threatened, 0 (zero) commercial properties damaged, and 1 (one) commercial property destroyed. 1,787 outbuildings threatened, 1 (one) outbuilding damaged, and 50 outbuildings destroyed.
Wildfire News Items:
Preparedness under fire: Federal firefighting system understaffed, report shows
The Collapse of Federal Firefighting in California
California wildfires strain state's resources
Tired firefighters battle 330 Calif. wildfires
Hotter weather may bring ugly week for firefighters
Fires Pose Risks For Archaeological Sites
California Wildfires Threaten SCE Power Lines
Officials predict longer and stronger fire season
At root of most wildfires, by far: People
Two killed in forest fire in southern Turkey
Wildfires in several spots in southern Greece mostly under control
Success reported against Calif. wildfires
Weather helps crews battling Calif's biggest fire
National Guard Join CA Firefighting Efforts
Satellites Keep an Eye on Wildfires Around the World
Oroville Water for Firefighting Plane
DC-10 Air Tanker Joins Effort to Contain Big Sur Fire At Pico Blanco
With Pride, Californians Step Up to Fight Fires
Labels: air-tankers, Big Sur, California, firefighters, forest fires, Martin Mars, National Guard, wildfires
posted by Michael Archer @ 12:41 PM
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