WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 022709

The jury is out on the Esperanza Fire arson case at the moment; while Bombardier is reporting some rudder problems with the CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft. Oregon's forest owners see new funds becoming available as the federal government starts sharing the wealth; and Talladega National Forest in Alabama has been having problems with a serial arsonist setting forest fires. Another forestry school, this time in Arizona, has published a report similar to the one from Berkeley about parallels between Australia's fires and the situation in the western U.S. An article explains why Florida Department of Forestry burns up to 2 million acres a year on purpose; while a trio of articles tell of the battle against wildfires in Texas. A Dutch group that set test fires in Portugal to study soil erosion and water pollution after wildfires has reported on some interesting findings, something that could be useful for burn-area recovery efforts in Australia. A forensic team from Indonesia is assisting in identification of Australian bushfire victims as a way of saying 'thanks' for the times Australia has sent teams to help the Indonesians after disasters like the Bali nightclub bombing. An army of 3,000 firefighters, backed up by an air armada of helicopters and fixed-wing air-tankers (including at least one Erickson Air-crane) awaited developments as temperatures soared past the century mark again; but the lines firefighters labored to build over the past few days held, as the next story recounts. Smoke inhalation felled one firefighter during the Victoria bushfires; while arsonists are still busy in Australia. What a mess - expecting upwards of 80,000 tons of debris to be cleared from bushfire burn areas, the Australian government has hired a contractor to do the job.

Jury deliberates case of deadly Calif. wildfire

Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier Model CL-215-6B11 (CL-215T Variant) and CL-215-6B11 (CL-415 Variant) Airplanes

Foresters see thinning opportunity in stimulus money

Arson blamed in Ala. forest brush fires

Forestry Expert: Western U.S. Faces Similar Threat as Deadly Australian Wildfires

DOF fighting fire with fire

Discarded Cigarette Caused 1,000-Acre Wildfire

Fire scorches another 2,200-plus acres

Families Evacuate Amid Massive Wildfire

Experimental fire provides knowledge about damage after forest fires

Indonesians praised for bushfire response

Thousands flee new Australian fires threat

Australian firefighters keep blazes under control

Firefighter injured battling Victoria fires at Beaconsfield

Bushfire battle goes on as three fire areas are re-opened

Contractor appointed to bushfire clean-up