WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 070809

A motorcyclist may have to pay for the suppression costs of a wildfire he caused in Cabazon, California; and firefighters battled a small blaze in Central California Tuesday afternoon. Lightning-sparked wildfires broke out in parts of Oregon; while aircraft gave firefighters a clearer picture of the blaze near Sisters overnight. Lightning sparked some wildfires in Washington state. Idaho is now officially into its fire season as temperatures rise; where fire agencies have determined that 75% of wildfires in Eastern Idaho are caused by campfires that get out of control. The worsening drought and increased wildfire danger in Texas is discussed next; followed by a story about the threat wildfires pose to cattle in that state. A wildfire that has already burned thousands of acres on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula is being monitored by wildfire officials; but there's trouble in paradise as a couple of new wildfires broke out near Honolulu, Hawaii. The Provincial Wildfire Coordination Centre in Kamloops, British Columbia, is showcased in the next article. Wildfires along the India-Pakistan border were once again detonating landmines. The next item discusses perceptions of a PR diversion Australian officials appear to be using to distract people from scrutiny of what happened during the Black Saturday bushfires. An evolutionary biologist blogs in the New York Times on her observations after a recent trip to Victoria's bushfire-ravaged areas. A raft of apparently bogus claims for bushfire relief funds is paying out money to people who may not have suffered any losses in the Black Saturday bushfires. Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is forecasting a bad fire season due to an overabundance of rain providing more fuel for bushfires. And lawyers are wrangling over radio records from the 2003 bushfires outside of Canberra, Australia.

Cabazon blaze caused by motorcycle, officials say

Mountain View, Sunnyvale firefighters knock down grass fire

Forest fire breaks out in Monroe

Infrared flight boosts Black Butte II Fire to 650 acres

Firefighters contain two new fires

Idaho wildfire season starts amid high temps

Campfires Source of 3 out of 4 Eastern Idaho Wildfires

Drought Fuels Growing Wildfire Threat

Cattle Ranchers Concerned About Wildfires

Wildfire in Kenai Refuge Growing

Firefighters battle wildfire in Waiawa, brush fire in Makakilo

Work Starts on Wildfire Coordination Centre

Forest fires trigger landmines

CFA's bushfire role lost in PR smokescreen

On Fire

Thousands untouched by fires claim cash handouts

Wet weather, lush growth fuel conditions for bushfires

Bushfire volunteers counter NSW evidence, court told