WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 032609

San Diego County, California, adopted a controversial vegetation management plan that had been opposed by many environmentalists; while Orange County, California, is feeling the financial pinch, having to make severe cutbacks to wildland firefighting capability. Wildfires in Southern Arizona forced the evacuation of dozens of families; and firefighters from Oregon arrived home after fighting two battles in Australia: wildfires and figuring out the metric system! A Colorado botanical garden braces for their nightmare scenario; but the Wisconsin Supreme Court has increased the amount due to families burned out by a campground fire in 2003. Michigan, which has 10-12,000 wildfires a year, is warning residents that wildfire season is here again. Wildfires in Pennsylvania are still keeping firefighters busy; and firefighters in Volusia County, Florida, had some sizeable wildfires to contend with. The FLAME Act has cleared the House of Representatives with only three dissenting votes and now moves on to the Senate; while in Reno, the Institute for Business & Home Safety is advocating better methods for dealing with risk in the WUI. Aviation Week presented an article about how, as firefighting resources are stretched to the breaking point, commercial aircraft could fill the gap. In the Caribbean, Trinidad is grappling with overhauling their Agricultural Fire Laws to increase penalties for setting fires. Having mobilized over 4,500 personnel to deal with wildfires in Africa, Kenya is looking to the US and Australia for examples of how better to utilize firefighting resources. Even Ireland is having some problems with wildfires in County Kerry. Heading to Australia, a detailed plan for future bushfire mitigation in Australia is provided for debate by The Wilderness Society; but controversial bushfire photo tours in Victoria state are stirring up ire amongst people who live in the area. With only 300 case managers to handle over 4,000 hardship cases resulting from the Black Saturday bushfires, more help is needed. And finally, a Queensland academic argues that the Black Saturday bushfires could have been a 'pyro-jihad' by terrorists, a theory that has been largely rejected by the government.

County adopts brush-management plan to reduce wildfire threat

Money troubles cut into firefighting resources

S. Arizona wildfire burns home, families evacuated

Firefighter return to S. Oregon after battling Australian wildfires

Colorado River wildfire tense for Western Colorado Botanical Gardens staff

Supreme Court Doubles Damages for Wautoma Forest Fire

Officials warn of wildfire risk in area

Brush fires continue to consume area land

Brush Fire Spreads To 1,000 Acres In Volusia

House boosts funds to fight wildfires

IBHS Urges Community-Wide Approach to Reduce Wildfire Risk; Announces Regional Retrofit Guides to Help Property Owners Prepare

New Niche for Low-Cycle Regional Aircraft

Launch of the fire patrols

Blazes stretch services to limit

There are many ways to fight a fire

New plan for Victoria needed in wake of the bushfires

Victorians angered by bushfire photo tour

'Don't forget us': Marysville residents return to rebuild

Bushfire disaster could have been a 'forest jihad'