WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051909

Up first in wildfire news today, more than $50 million in supplemental spending money could be available to fight wildfires in the US; while some changes in a biomass bill making its way through Congress could have some benefits for forest products. A blaze on Santiago Peak in Southern California drew the attention of firefighting helicopters; but winds caused a control burn to flare up in Northern California's Plumas National Forest. Citing cost concerns, a Central California city council has decided to review a fire plan for 200 homes in the WUI; followed by a breakdown of specific project funding along the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California and Nevada. A wildfire in southern Arizona drew the attention of half-a-dozen heavy air-tankers. A wildlife refuge in Eastern Massachusetts is scheduled for some vegetation clearance ahead of potential wildfires. A benefit concert to help out people affected by the wildfire in South Carolina is being put together. Two stories from Canada today: fire authorities are reporting a spike in wildfires in Ontario province so far this year; and a lightning-caused wildfire in Alberta province was brought under control by firefighters. In Greece, where forest fires are often started by developers illegally trying to clear land for new housing developments, one forest official is trying something new - old Google maps to prove that housing is being built on forest land. A pair of wildfires in China's Heilongjiang Province have kept over 2,000 firefighters busy; while an airport on Indonesia's island of Sumatra was shut down due to the smoke from local wildfires. With the wildfire threat growing, the Indian government is asking for the help of local landowners in spotting wildfires in the picturesque state of Himachal Pradesh; four people were injured fighting a wildfire there; while another wind-driven wildfire in Kashmir consumed over 2 km of forested land in a matter of hours. Heading next to Australia, farmers are offering a low-cost fire prevention technique to the Royal Bushfire Commission: grazing livestock. The 'bushbunker', a chamber to help families ride out a bushfire, is showcased in the next item; followed by questions about what fire authorities told homeowners to do during a bushfire. Statistics on how bushfire relief funds are being spent is provided by the next article. It was the police department's turn on the Royal Bushfire Commission hot seat, as three articles show: police communications equipment is being blamed for some of the evacuation problems during the Black Saturday bushfires; police roadblocks erected during those fires have come under review by the commission; but authorities point out that they were not required to warn the public by any legal directive, a rule that may have been cited to deflect future lawsuits. And finally, add law enforcement to the list of duties for some Florida firefighters just back from fighting wildfires!

Supplemental Spending Bill and More Wildfire $

Bill Gives New Meaning to Biomass

Helicopters dip into Dove Canyon Lake to squelch remote fire

Winds Stoke Prescribed Burn in Plumas National Forest

Palo Alto City Council delays fire management plan for Palo Alto Foothills

Nearly $16 million in funds to target wildfires in Sierra Nevada

Fire in Bisbee closes highway, causes evacuations

Trees, brush will be cleared from Mashpee National wildlife refuge

Concert to raise money for wildfire victims

Number of flare-ups ahead of last year

Hornbeck forest fire covers 22 hectares

Greek forests turn to Google for post-fires protection

Two forest fires in same day in northeast China

Major Riau Airport Halted on Intensifying Forest Fires

Forest minister seeks help from ‘right-holders’ to prevent forest fires

4 sustain burns in forest fire

Forest fire in Kehmil

Grazing can cut risk: farmers

The Bushbunker: last resort bushfire protection

CFA gave my son false confidence, Black Saturday inquest hears

Millions spent on bushfire victims daily

Cop radios a 'major disability', bushfires royal commission hears

Bushfire inquiry: call for review of police roadblocks

No legal requirement to warn public of bushfire threat, commission told

St. Lucie firefighters catch purse-snatching suspect