WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 042109

In our first wildfire story today, Bettina Boxall of the Los Angeles Times shares a Pulitzer Prize with Julie Cart for their wildfire series in that paper last year; and a California Firewise Council member provides useful tips for fire prevention during a year in which California expects a record drought (and attendant wildfires). An Op-Ed piece from Santa Maria, California, heaps scorn on the decision to shut down a local air tanker base. A small blaze broke out near Blythe, California, yesterday and was quickly extinguished. Firefighters in Arizona are gearing up to burn thousands of acres of vegetation in preparation for potential wildfires; but residents of Colorado are concerned about their power being shut off during days with high wildfire danger, similar to what San Diego Gas & Electric is trying to get approved in California. Homeowners in Washington State are reminded about protecting their homes for wildfires; while an insurance firm in Iowa has upped the bounty on an Oklahoma arsonist. Texas Forest Service is projecting severe wildfire conditions in the western and southern regions of that state; a first-hand account of what the Texas wildfires were like is provided in the next item; and the King Ranch, near Corpus Christi, Texas, has reported a wildfire burning across their land. Two stories out of Michigan: fire agencies are breathing a sigh of relief over much-needed rain quelling wildfires across the state; but a wildfire specialist educates Michigan readers on the continuing danger as Wildfire Prevention Week gets underway in that state. Smart fibers, once the realm of science fiction, have become a reality, with DuPont providing a form of Nomex which can expand to provide more insulation in high-temp environments, useful for both city and wildland firefighters. An agricultural fire got out of control in a Newfoundland, Canada, community; and an American family visiting St. Martin in the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean had to evacuate during a wildfire there. A heath fire in the UK has expanded to flame fronts up to two miles wide. The Victoria Farmers Federation and forestry groups are upset that they will not be allowed to testify at the bushfire hearings; while a $4 million fund has been setup to aid in facilities reconstruction in the bushfire burn areas, including fences around ranches. And finally, we end with two stories that turn conventional wisdom on its ear: a new study published in Ecological Monographs states that vegetation could cancel out climate change on frequency of wildfires in some areas; followed by one that adds another wrinkle to the fire prevention plan, as scientists in Australia are asserting that vegetation clearance would not have prevented the spread of the Black Saturday bushfires because organic material in the soil itself was on fire.

L.A. Times wins Pulitzer for wildfires series

My Turn: Get ready, fire season is almost here

Fire base decision a local threat

Wildfire near Blythe burns six acres

Forest officials plan prescribed burns this week

Will Your Power Be Shut off During A Wildfire?

Summer wildfire protection starts at home

Reward Offered In Wildfire Disaster Probe

Wildfire Danger Goes Back Up Tuesday In Parts Of Texas

Wildfire burn survivor recounts horror

King Ranch Fights Large Wildfire

Rains cure county's weekend wildfire problem

Mark Hansen: April 20 - 26 is Wildfire Prevention Week

DuPont Introduces Innovative Nomex On Demand To Better Protect Firefighters

Forest Fire Hits Harbour Grace

Firefighters battle heath blaze

Farmers denied a say at bushfire Royal Commission

Vic Govt announces bushfire recovery grants

Plants could override climate change effects on wildfires

Soil was alight on Black Saturday