WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091508

Today's wildfire news is a tale of two hemispheres: as the fire season winds down in the Northern Hemisphere, fires are multiplying in the Southern Hemisphere (but of course, the Santa Anas have yet to blow in Southern California, so our fire season is far from over). There were a number of stories about preventative measures being taken around the US, beginning with one from San Diego about a contractor doing brush clearance, followed by an interesting multi-media presentation from Alaska, a meeting notice from Corvallis (Oregon), homeowners in Maine being urged to clear defensible space around their homes by the next article, yet another from Florida detailing how Firewise grants will help their community to prepare for future wildfires, an op-ed piece from Montana discussing how homes are being prepped for future wildfires there, and even one from Canada where preventative measures are being implemented around Prince George. But though the fires are reduced in number, some are still spreading, such as the Middle Fork Fire in Oregon, as recounted by the next two stories, and the North Fork Fire near Fresno, as detailed by the two following articles. USFS may be in for a world of hurt financially as insurance companies bring a $7 million lawsuit against it in regards to the Hayman Fire. Moving overseas, the Europeans are planning an audacious program called SCIER (Sensor and Computing Infrastructure for Environmental Risks) which uses advanced technology to identify environmental threats that could spawn wildfires and other natural disasters ahead of time, which I'm sure will be a hit at the Aerial Firefighting Conference in Athens next month. And speaking of Athens, they had another wildfire on the outskirts this weekend. Western Australia is doing some pre-emptive work of its own, clearing out vegetation with controlled burns two months ahead of the bushfire season there. Samoa, South Africa, and Algeria also had some problems with wildfires over the weekend, the one in Algeria causing over 22,000 acres of damage. And finally, as fire managers in Saskatchewan look back on a busy fire year, the mountain pine beetle plague has become a political hot potato in Canada, with politicians throwing accusations about the situation back and forth across the aisle in Parliament.

Chipping service offered for brush cleared around homes

Wildfire mitigation in Eagle River

Editorial: Talk now about rural fire protection (Sept. 15)

Forest Service urges owners to clear space near woodland homes

County Lands Grant To Reduce Wild Fires

Gazette Opinion: New strategies needed to control wildfire risks

Crew working to lessen Pidherny fire risk

Wildfire Growing Quickly

Fire near Prospect grows to 4,600 acres

North Fork Cascadel Fire About 50% Contained

Cascadel Fire: Saturday Update

Woman Who Started Wildfire Says It Was Symbolic

When disaster strikes

Blaze in Afidnes

DEC acts early to control bushfires

High winds hamper firefighting efforts in Samoa

Blazes still keeping firemen busy

Fires destroy 10 000ha

Looking Back on a Busy Year for Forest Fires

Liberals pledge $250M to battle beetles