Firebomber Publications Blog

Wildfire News Of The Day (the Firebomber Publications blog) provides comprehensive international wildfire news. Subscribers include over 10,000 personnel from fire agencies, contractors, and government entities on five continents. "BEST NEWSLETTER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY 32 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE" - San Diego Fire Department Chief Brian Fennessy.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 050609

Lots of wildfire news today, particularly from California, where CAL FIRE is advising homeowners how to prepare their property to withstand wildfires; followed by news of the fatal crash of a Marine Cobra helicopter in San Diego County that sparked a small wildfire. San Diego homeowners who suffered losses in the 2007 wildfires got good news and bad news: the good news is that a $900 million settlement with San Diego Gas & Electric looks imminent; the bad news is that their electric and gas rates will probably go up to pay back SDG&E for their doubled insurance rates as a result of the payout! A detailed description of the events in the first few hours of the Santa Barbara wildfire is provided in the next article; followed by two articles that provide some sense of the outside assets assisting with the blaze from LA County and from Riverside County. Some details on the millions of federal dollars coming to Southern California for wildfire prevention are provided in the next article; and the Ventura County Fire Chief reflects on current thinking about homeowners in the path of a wildfire. After weeks of back-and-forth over the availability of the Santa Maria, California, air-attack base, problems cropped up from an unexpected quarter: no retardant contract for reloading air-tankers, forcing them to fly much farther to reload in the critical early hours of the fire in Santa Barbara. Santa Clara County, California, is spurring homeowners to clear vegetation in advance of the fire season; while military and civilian firefighters are training in Arizona's mountains for the wildfire season, including exercises with several C-130 MAFFS-equipped aircraft. USA Today provides updated info on the wildfires raging in the southwestern US; as did an article from the Associated Press. After a wildfire burned 400 acres of the Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve near Moab, Utah, the facility is finally poised to reopen; but a small wildfire was sparked by a Maine power pole meter catching fire. Background info on the new head of the US Forest Service is provided next up; someone who has a lot on his plate, as the NIFC profiles four states in the US that are on the 'hot' list for wildfires. Citing historical fire data, a report details how climate change may be influencing wildfire severity, especially in the western US; but the US isn't the only place having wildfires: Mexican fire authorities announced the deaths of three firefighters, along with some detailed statistics on wildfires in that country. Fire agencies in British Columbia, Canada, are raising an alarm over what is projected to be a very bad fire season in that province; while wildfires continue to crop up in Alberta Province, one sparked by an ATV during a race, apparently; including one near Edmonton that has jumped a road and threatened homes as Canadian fire authorities scrambled aircraft to help deal with it. Lebanon's prime minister is proposing a wildfire plan for that Mediterranean country, underwritten by the European Union. A Country Fire Authority captain pleads innocent to starting any of the bushfires in Victoria as police continue their investigation; followed by comments from the former police commissioner on the denial. An investigative report looks over the status of Victoria's rehabilitation three months after the Black Saturday bushfires; followed by a breakdown of the bushfire mitigation funding by states. And as always happens when there's money to distribute, debate over how best to spend bushfire funds in Victoria is raging within the government right now.

CAL FIRE urges homeowners to prepare for wildfires now

Marines helicopter crashes in Calif.; 2 killed

Sempra settlement said near in 2007 wildfires

Fire spreads quickly in high winds

L.A. County firefighters helping fight Santa Barbara blaze

County fire department assisting with Santa Barbara blaze

State to get millions to fight wildfires

'Ready, Set, Go!' as wildfire threat fast approaches

Contract Glitch Blocks Air Tanker Drops

Wildfire Awareness Week gives wake-up call for LAH

Training for wildfire season under way in S. Arizona mountains

Wildfires threaten homes in Southern Calif., Ariz.

1,200 homes evacuated as S. Calif. wildfire grows

Nature preserve near Moab reopens after 2008 wildfire

Utility pole meter starts forest fire

Career conservationist picked to oversee Forest Service

Wildfires threaten four hotspot states

Wildfires Heat Up in the West

Three Die Fighting Fire in Southern Mexico

Pine beetle, snowpack, factors in forest fires

Forest and grass fires under control

Wildfires rage in Sturgeon County

Siniora unveils new national strategy to combat forest fires

CFA captain denies bushfire arson

Nixon surprised by volunteer's arson denial

Bushfire recovery slow 3 mths on

Commonwealth Provides Over $4 Million In Bushfire Mitigation

Budget bushfire funds poorly allocated: MP

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