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.

Monday, July 27, 2009

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072709

First up in Wildfire News Of The Day today, a look at a lookout tower in San Diego County, California; where volunteers fanned out across the county to distribute wildfire preparedness fliers to residents; and the City Council is considering a resolution supporting SDG&E's controversial plan to shut off power to backcountry areas during red-flag days! An article from Northern California asks whether firefighting helicopters have safety issues; but an Op-Ed from Ukiah underscores the importance of having air-tankers (including helicopters) close at hand during a wildfire. A wildfire in California's Stanislaus National Forest continues to burn; while a couple of wildfires in Eastern Oregon were evidently sparked by lightning. Firefighters quickly doused a small wildfire in Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday night; but a wildfire in Idaho was burning over the weekend. A snapshot of firefighters from other Canadian provinces helping fight wildfires in British Columbia is provided by the next article; and they're going to need them all, as more evacuations were caused by an out-of-control wildfire. An AT-802 air-tanker's crash on a Canadian lake in British Columbia was recorded in an amateur video. And speaking of videos, some interesting ones of firefighting from Italy last week were sent along by Riccardo Filippi, Director of Communications for AeroServices Group in Italy by way of Tony Morris of Wildfire Research Network; followed by a comprehensive look at the fire situation all across the Mediterranean, as summarized by the next three articles. And for those interested in up-to-date information on wildfires in Europe, this next article highlights their Fire Information System website. Several provinces in Thailand are choking through the smoke from wildfires in nearby Indonesia. Australian vintners are worried about the effects of bushfire smoke on their latest vintage. Australia's Telstra telephone company has unveiled its new portable cell tower (MEOW - Mobile Exchange On Wheels), similar to Verizon's COLT (Cell On Light Truck) and COW (Cell On Wheels) systems that are deployed to wildfires in the US; followed by a detailed look at this new contraption. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) is asking for feedback on vegetation clearance in Victoria; even as the DSE is projecting a grim bushfire season ahead. As if Victoria's Country Fire Authority hadn't already gotten beat up enough by outsiders, criticism of CFA leadership's conduct during the Black Saturday bushfires is coming from within their volunteer ranks, now! Adding insult to injury, the government is charging rent to people made homeless by the Victoria bushfires who have been forced to live in donated vans. And finally, firefighters in Seattle, Washington, had an entirely different type of USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) to perform when a wayward motorist stirred up some angry bees and needed rescuing!

PALOMAR MOUNTAIN: Restoration sparks renewed interest in fire lookouts

County's Wildfire Preparedness Campaign Goes Door to Door

San Diego Considers Backing SDG&E's Wildfire Power Shutoff Plan

Questions raised about firefighting helicopters' safety

In our opinion: The post-fire good news

Fire burns 200 acres near Mt. Knight

Forestry crews fight two wildfires in eastern Oregon

40 firefighters battle Phoenix brush fire

Andy Fire Continues To Burn

Firefighters nationwide lay hand battling B.C. flames

Evacuation order issued as wildfire burns out of control near Lillooet, B.C.

Footage reveals new details of airtanker crash

Sardinia burning, 2 dead

Fires in parts of Italy

Five held on suspicion of starting forest fires in Corsica

Mediterranean rim battles to contain wildfires

Italy: Arson suspected in wildfires as firefighters clear debris

Wildfire forces evacuations near Spain's capital

European Forest Fire Information System watching fires this summer

Thai provinces blanketed in thick smoke due to Indonesia's forest fires

All eyes on vintage '09

New portable phone exchange bolsters disaster recovery

Telstra builds a $200,000 mobile exchange

DSE seeks bushfire risk reduction input

'Worse ahead': Report predicts calamitous bushfire season

Brigades reveal Black Saturday blunders

Black Saturday bushfire victims forced to pay rent on caravans

Buzz off: Kent firefighters rescue woman from angry bees

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