WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 111708

As the wildfires in Southern California dwindle and expire, there are a number of stories about the fight and the aftermath, starting with two offerings of raw video recorded by NBC during the fight in Sylmar. A tenacious tennis coach successfully defended her home in Valencia (with a little help from the Super Scoopers), and a story from the North County Times revisits Lake Elsinore's plans to host the Martin Mars if USFS agrees to put them on their list of assets. Three stories out of the LA Times cover the fires: Cal Fire's Ray Chaney estimating that they were getting a handle on the fires, an article highlighting mobile home losses and the need for tougher building standards in that industry, and details on the huge force of over 4,000 firefighters in Irvine preparing to invest the Freeway Fire. Nevada is gearing up to send firefighters to California if need be. NPR presents a short segment covering the wildfires in the next item, and articles from UPI and Associated Press provide updates on the fires in the area. In San Bernardino, several incidents with people in the wrong place at the wrong time raised fears of arsonists starting fires, while investigators in Central California were still uncertain as to whether arsonists caused their summer fires. FEMA has announced that it will cover their customary 75% of suppression costs (leaving state and local governments responsible for the remaining cost), and Colorado State University has rewritten the book for firefighters, covering everything from fuels management to suppression. It sounds like Colorado firefighters may get to use this manual sooner than expected, as a wildfire breaks out in Phantom Canyon, while Arizona firefighters were busy this weekend with their own wildfires. NASA satellites provide some incredible shots of the California wildfires via a link from the next article. In Lebanon, the UN is teaming up with Lebanese organizations to replant fire-ravaged areas while also creating better fire abatement policies. A study from Australia seems to debunk the theory that a warmer climate will cause more outgassing of CO2 from the soil. New South Wales, Australia, is happy to get some more aerial firefighting help, but the long arm of the law reached out and nabbed a firefighter from NSW who was tracked electronically to ignition points of several fires in that state.

Structures Destroyed in Sylmar Wildfire (RAW)

More Raw Ground Video: Sylmar Wildfire

Valencia tennis coach saves her home

LAKE ELSINORE: Forest Service checking out Canadian firefighting plane

Sunday 'very good' for firefighters

Fire losses may prompt tougher building codes for mobile homes

Sayre, Freeway Complex fires 40% contained; Tea fire 90% contained

Nevada firefighters prepared to head to So. Cal.

Winds Die Down, Wildfires Still Burning in S. Calif.

Firefighters catch break as winds subside

California firefighters make gains on fires

Police question three people after suspicious fire in SB

Investigators still without answers in most of this year's Santa Cruz County fires

FEMA funding to help California fight Tea Fire

Colorado State University Fire Scientists Develop Wildfire Management Playbook

15-Acre Wildfire Rages on in Phantom Canyon

Lightning Sparks Fire in Prescott National Forest

NASA Satellites Capture Images of Southern California Wildfires

Beirut, UN and NGO team up against forest fires

Soil May Release Less CO2 Than Expected

RFS backs firefighting chopper plans

Firefighter charged over NSW bushfires