WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 082709

First up in wildfire news today, an update on the wildfires burning in Southern California; followed by news about a wildfire in central California near Lake San Antonio that has topped 2000 acres burned and is about 15% contained. An out-of-control control fire that was started in Yosemite national Park has burned over 700 acres and is still expanding; but a small wildfire in northern California has been contained. A wildfire which burned through 16 square miles of Nevada wilderness is now contained, but not before destroying habitats frequented by sage grouse, desert bighorn sheep, and deer. A wildfire in Idaho has burned over 1,000 acres so far; and a pair of lightning-sparked wildfires is burning in Montana. After an outside review by West Virginia fire agencies agreed with Ohio fire agencies that the largest wildfire in Ohio's history was arson caused, environmentalists still refused to believe that conclusion. A Georgia utility company is helping to re-forest an area burned by massive wildfires last year. An update on a major wildfire burning in British Columbia, Canada, is provided by the next article. A British expatriate living in Spain may have accidentally caused a small wildfire while barbecuing. A firefighting pilot was killed when his plane crashed while battling blazes in Greece. New South Wales, Australia, is going to be a bit smoky for a while as firies conduct controlled burns of vegetation; while Queensland firefighters have eight of the area's 15 bushfires under control. Australia's recent winter heat wave toppled temperature records that had stood since World War II, and this is just the beginning of what is projected to be 10 year drought that could see similar temperatures in future winters, increasing the bushfire threat. And finally, it was a race against time as Oxnard, California, firefighters extricated an injured motorist from his truck seconds before a Metrolink train demolished it!

Firefighters battle 3 Calif. wildfires amid heat

South County wildfire consumes 2,000 acres

Yosemite burn out of control, forces evacuations

UPDATED: Mountain Gate fire contained

Nevada wildfire northeast of Reno contained

Fire torches more than 1,000 acres near Emmett

Fires burning in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Review: Shawnee wildfire an arson

Utility replants 500 acres burned by Ga. wildfire

Lava Canyon fire 33,815 hectares

British man in Palma arrested for starting a forest fire

Firefighting plane crashes in Greece, pilot dead

Calm urged over bushfire smoke

Firefighters battle to bring seven bushfires under control

Australia sweats through long, hot winter

Oxnard firefighters rescue man stuck on train tracks