WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 031709
As the Esperanza Fire trial winds down, final arguments were presented to the jury (who deliberated for an hour, then went home); but an often-overlooked tax break may be the silver lining to the dark cloud of California homes destroyed by wildfires in 2008. Firefighters from around the US are boning up on wildland techniques in Arizona; while firefighters in Oklahoma City had to deal with grass fires within the city limits; and with over 5,000 acres burned by 27 wildfires in Texas over the past week, Texas Fire Service is warning that recent rains haven't abated the fire danger. Illinois firefighters are tackling a wildfire that is ravaging a natural preserve; but coal fires, a major cause of wildfires in the eastern part of Montana, are going to be engaged by fire authorities. An out-of-control control fire in Florida is being brought back under control. US Forest Service announced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which will spend millions in several states on tree thinning and other fire prevention projects; and the Vice President spoke to members of the IAFF about more funds to help buy equipment for firefighters across the US. Despite the fact it's still officially winter, a wildfire in Ontario, Canada, charred grass and forest areas; and, fanned by strong winds, a wildfire in Argentina threatens to spill over into Andean neighbor Chile. Wildfires are causing problems for Cape Town residents with respiratory problems as South African firefighters continue battling blazes there. Here's another one of those unintended consequences of wildfires - elephant incursions into Indian villages! Indian officials also honored two young firefighters killed fighting wildfires. In a rags-to-riches-to-ashes story, an Indian immigrant to Australia went from taxi driver to millionaire, then lost everything on Black Saturday. A couple of stories out of the royal commission hearings in Australia: survivors of the bushfires can now address the royal commission investigating the disaster; but as details of the hearings come out, communication problems have been shown to have plagued the evacuation of civilians on Black Saturday. A West Australia community may be forced to evacuate as bushfires near; and with 80,000 tons of debris to remove, the salvage operation in bushfire-ravaged Victoria state has begun. A pair of stories about differing opinions: an article from London's Financial Times discusses the political aspect of the global warming debate in Australia; while it's not just federal government officials doing finger pointing, as the next article demonstrates. Paraphrasing a quote from Mark Twain, the announced death of the Royal Australian Air Force's purchase of Global Hawk surveillance UAVs (an aircraft that could provide a valuable resource for mapping bushfires in the future) has been greatly exaggerated. An arsonist appears to be active in northwest Victoria; but with $10 million being put into the pot, a plan to attract tourists to the bushfire burn areas is underway. And finally, here's a call most firefighters wouldn't likely expect to receive!
Prosecutor: SoCal arson killer felt 'all powerful'
Wildfire victims may claim new federal tax relief
About 900 firefighters attending wildfire academy
Wildfires Break Out Across Metro
Fires Still Popping Up after Rain
Fire burns 25 percent of Orland Grassland
State to fight Mont. coal seam fires
Woods fire 80 percent contained near Camp Blanding
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces National Forest Stimulus Projects To Protect Public From Wildland Fires
Biden says administration will help firefighters
Firefighters battle brush blaze north of city
Forest Fire in Argentina Threatens Chile
S. Africa fires fuel air pollution in Cape Town
Blame forest fires for man-animal conflicts
CLP declares charred fire fighters as martyrs
Sikh Millionaire Hit Hard By Australian Bush Fires
Probe begins into Victorian bushfires
Warning system flawed
WA bushfire 'may threaten homes'
Bushfire-destroyed areas cleanup starts
Politics plagues Australian climate debate
Fire blame game on in Nillumbik
Global Hawk still in sights for RAAF
Arson squad probes 10 fires
Case dozer assisting with bushfire prevention
Mammoth tank keeps forest fireys flush
Tourism push for bushfire areas
El Paso firefighters rescue man trapped in dog food ingredient tank
As the Esperanza Fire trial winds down, final arguments were presented to the jury (who deliberated for an hour, then went home); but an often-overlooked tax break may be the silver lining to the dark cloud of California homes destroyed by wildfires in 2008. Firefighters from around the US are boning up on wildland techniques in Arizona; while firefighters in Oklahoma City had to deal with grass fires within the city limits; and with over 5,000 acres burned by 27 wildfires in Texas over the past week, Texas Fire Service is warning that recent rains haven't abated the fire danger. Illinois firefighters are tackling a wildfire that is ravaging a natural preserve; but coal fires, a major cause of wildfires in the eastern part of Montana, are going to be engaged by fire authorities. An out-of-control control fire in Florida is being brought back under control. US Forest Service announced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which will spend millions in several states on tree thinning and other fire prevention projects; and the Vice President spoke to members of the IAFF about more funds to help buy equipment for firefighters across the US. Despite the fact it's still officially winter, a wildfire in Ontario, Canada, charred grass and forest areas; and, fanned by strong winds, a wildfire in Argentina threatens to spill over into Andean neighbor Chile. Wildfires are causing problems for Cape Town residents with respiratory problems as South African firefighters continue battling blazes there. Here's another one of those unintended consequences of wildfires - elephant incursions into Indian villages! Indian officials also honored two young firefighters killed fighting wildfires. In a rags-to-riches-to-ashes story, an Indian immigrant to Australia went from taxi driver to millionaire, then lost everything on Black Saturday. A couple of stories out of the royal commission hearings in Australia: survivors of the bushfires can now address the royal commission investigating the disaster; but as details of the hearings come out, communication problems have been shown to have plagued the evacuation of civilians on Black Saturday. A West Australia community may be forced to evacuate as bushfires near; and with 80,000 tons of debris to remove, the salvage operation in bushfire-ravaged Victoria state has begun. A pair of stories about differing opinions: an article from London's Financial Times discusses the political aspect of the global warming debate in Australia; while it's not just federal government officials doing finger pointing, as the next article demonstrates. Paraphrasing a quote from Mark Twain, the announced death of the Royal Australian Air Force's purchase of Global Hawk surveillance UAVs (an aircraft that could provide a valuable resource for mapping bushfires in the future) has been greatly exaggerated. An arsonist appears to be active in northwest Victoria; but with $10 million being put into the pot, a plan to attract tourists to the bushfire burn areas is underway. And finally, here's a call most firefighters wouldn't likely expect to receive!
Prosecutor: SoCal arson killer felt 'all powerful'
Wildfire victims may claim new federal tax relief
About 900 firefighters attending wildfire academy
Wildfires Break Out Across Metro
Fires Still Popping Up after Rain
Fire burns 25 percent of Orland Grassland
State to fight Mont. coal seam fires
Woods fire 80 percent contained near Camp Blanding
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces National Forest Stimulus Projects To Protect Public From Wildland Fires
Biden says administration will help firefighters
Firefighters battle brush blaze north of city
Forest Fire in Argentina Threatens Chile
S. Africa fires fuel air pollution in Cape Town
Blame forest fires for man-animal conflicts
CLP declares charred fire fighters as martyrs
Sikh Millionaire Hit Hard By Australian Bush Fires
Probe begins into Victorian bushfires
Warning system flawed
WA bushfire 'may threaten homes'
Bushfire-destroyed areas cleanup starts
Politics plagues Australian climate debate
Fire blame game on in Nillumbik
Global Hawk still in sights for RAAF
Arson squad probes 10 fires
Case dozer assisting with bushfire prevention
Mammoth tank keeps forest fireys flush
Tourism push for bushfire areas
El Paso firefighters rescue man trapped in dog food ingredient tank
Labels: air-tankers, bushfires, firefighting, forest fires, wildfires
posted by Michael Archer @ 7:10 PM
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