WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 052709

First up in wildfire news today, Maureen Rootz of Firewise Communities passed along an item about nominations for the 2009 Firewise Leadership Awards. Residents of Big Bear, California, are being advised on how to properly defend their homes from wildfires by fire officials; while a 16-minute-long DVD on wildfire prevention will be distributed county-wide in San Diego, California. CAL FIRE firefighters had a slow-moving blaze near Lake Laguna in Southern California's Cleveland National Forest to contend with; and with California's fire season underway, the California Conservation Corps is looking to hire some additional personnel (who may be more important than in past fire seasons, if CAL FIRE cuts are implemented). The next article provides an interesting contrast between what happened during the Piute Fire up in California's Sequoia National Park region when the fire transitioned from choked, overgrown vegetation into thinned vegetation. Even though Oregon's wildfire season hasn't officially begun, firefighters got some early action at a small blaze near Bend; and a wildfire that started as a house fire burned across part of Washington state. The Broken Snowshoe Fire continues to advance on an Alaskan community, stirring concern among fire agencies there. An arson wildfire in New Brunswick, Canada, required quick work by firefighters to keep it away from a school; fire officials are concerned about a rash of wildfires in Yukon's capital of Whitehorse; and fire officials in Ontario province issued a wildfire update. Wildfires in India's Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh continue to ravage the area; but a forest fire along the India-Pakistan border is exposing firefighters to an additional hazard: exploding land mines! Emotional testimony and copious recriminations were the order of the day as the Royal Bushfire Commission hearings in Melbourne, Australia, continued. The national bushfire warning system approved by all the Australian state governments will not begin implementation until after the Royal Bushfire Commission hearings conclude; but a secret 2005 report detailing many of the emergency service limitations seen during the Black Saturday bushfires is just now seeing the light of day. The value of a bushfire bunker was revealed at bushfire hearings; but Australians living in bushfire-prone regions may soon see their insurance rates go up. A con artist who was selling cars donated for bushfire survivors was slammed with another series of charges. And finally, a former police horse has been recommended for a bravery medal following its actions during the Black Saturday bushfires.

2009 Firewise Leadership Awards Call For Nominations

Defend your territory

REGION: Wildfire prevention DVD to be hand-delivered to 400,000 homes

Crews Wait For Sun To Fight Fire In National Forest

Conservation Corps seeks young recruits

Valley Voices: Forests need care too

Firefighters: Small Wildfire Near Bend An Early-Season Lesson

Region’s first major wildfire burning north of Omak

McGrath wildfire tops 5,000 acres, 4 miles from town

No suspects after forest fire set

Careless people started wildfire on Whitehorse clay cliffs: officials

Forest fires today near Chapleau, Wawa

Forest fires rage as mercury soars in Himachal

Forest fire triggers over 5 mine blasts along LoC

Bushfire Commission: the policy of fight or flee

National bushfire warning signal delayed

'Secret report' detailed disaster response limitations, bushfire inquiry hears

Victorian bushfires survivor says bunker saved family in Clonbinane

Bushfires, share jitters could spark insurance premium rises

More charges laid over bushfire car scam

Hero horse recommended for bravery medal in Australia