WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 100109
Due to wildfires caused by power companies in Southern California forcing insurance companies to raise their rates for those utilities, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas, and PG&E have appealed to the California Public Utility Commission to allow them to raise rates for utility customers to pay the bill! It's going to be a hot, windy time in Southern California for the next 24 hours as the Santa Ana winds return, but it's expected to cool down after that, as the next two articles show. Good news and bad news for US Forest Service today: two construction companies are being ordered to pay over $36 million to the them to cover suppression costs, among other things, from a 2002 California wildfire which was started due to the negligence of construction workers; but USFS will have to go back to the drawing board on land use plans for the four national forests in Southern California after a judge sided with environmentalists on stopping development in these areas; and, bowing to intense public pressure, USFS has launched an investigation into the early air attack on the Station Fire. A small wildfire in Los Angeles' Griffith Park drew a large response yesterday, especially from firefighting helicopters; followed by a retrospective on the devastating Coyote Fire that burned above Santa Barbara in 1964. CAL FIRE managed to contain a couple of wildfires burning in Central California; and a wildfire which cropped up at the Vandenberg Air Force Base yesterday burned nearly 500 acres and caused fire officials to call in the DC-10, along with several other airtankers, to battle the blaze. A meeting about the Plumas National Forest divvied up responsibility for CAL FIRE and the US Forest Service; but a car sparked a small wildfire near Folsom. Due to less vegetation because of fires last year, the Los Padres Reservoir has actually seen an increase in water over the previous year. Our next article, from Oregon, takes a closer look at wildland use fires that are deliberately set by fire agencies. Rainy weather is signaling an end to Montana's wildfire season; while an unattended campfire has been identified by Canadian officials as the cause of a wildfire in Halifax, Nova Scotia, earlier this year that destroyed eight homes. In addition to a new bushfire warning system, Australian Capital Territory is also changing their mantra from "stay and defend" to "prepare, act, survive". A volunteer firefighter pleaded guilty to setting three arson fires last fire season in Victoria; followed by another look at the omissions from the "hot spot" list compiled by the Royal Bushfire Commission. As a reminder that the bushfire season has commenced, residents of New South Wales woke to find smoky skies yesterday; which is probably a good thing because fire authorities in that state say that residents need to be aware that they are facing the worst bushfire season in many years. Helicopters were active along Queensland's Gold Coast yesterday. And finally, some areas in Queensland that are in bushfire country may need to have a warning sign put up: "mind the bombs, mate!"
Public to pay for PG&E mistakes
REGION: Red flag warning in effect Thursday
Firefighters added because of winds, low humidity
Construction Firms Ordered To Pay Firefight Costs
Forest Service's wilderness plans scuttled by judge
Forest Service to probe LA wildfire response
Wildfire burns 5 acres in LA's Griffith Park
Coyote Fire: Sept 22-Oct 1, 1964
Fires in Roseville, Lincoln fully contained
Vandenberg Fire Update: 450 Acres Burned
CalFire, Forest Service swap in fire responsibilities leaves much of Plumas County
Grass Fire Burns Along Hwy 50 In Folsom
Last Summer's Wildfire Leads To Water Increase!
Wind fans Eagle Cap wildfire
Wet, wintry weather lightens the mood at western Montana fire camps
Unextinguished blaze sparked Halifax wildfire: DNR
'Prepare, act, survive': new bushfire plan for ACT
Volunteer firefighter pleads guilty to lighting fires
Yarra Valley towns left off government hotspot list
Bushfire smoke greets residents
Properties threatened as new bushfire ratings begin
Choppers help tackle Gold Coast blaze
Buried bomb risk worsened by bushfires: councillor
Due to wildfires caused by power companies in Southern California forcing insurance companies to raise their rates for those utilities, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas, and PG&E have appealed to the California Public Utility Commission to allow them to raise rates for utility customers to pay the bill! It's going to be a hot, windy time in Southern California for the next 24 hours as the Santa Ana winds return, but it's expected to cool down after that, as the next two articles show. Good news and bad news for US Forest Service today: two construction companies are being ordered to pay over $36 million to the them to cover suppression costs, among other things, from a 2002 California wildfire which was started due to the negligence of construction workers; but USFS will have to go back to the drawing board on land use plans for the four national forests in Southern California after a judge sided with environmentalists on stopping development in these areas; and, bowing to intense public pressure, USFS has launched an investigation into the early air attack on the Station Fire. A small wildfire in Los Angeles' Griffith Park drew a large response yesterday, especially from firefighting helicopters; followed by a retrospective on the devastating Coyote Fire that burned above Santa Barbara in 1964. CAL FIRE managed to contain a couple of wildfires burning in Central California; and a wildfire which cropped up at the Vandenberg Air Force Base yesterday burned nearly 500 acres and caused fire officials to call in the DC-10, along with several other airtankers, to battle the blaze. A meeting about the Plumas National Forest divvied up responsibility for CAL FIRE and the US Forest Service; but a car sparked a small wildfire near Folsom. Due to less vegetation because of fires last year, the Los Padres Reservoir has actually seen an increase in water over the previous year. Our next article, from Oregon, takes a closer look at wildland use fires that are deliberately set by fire agencies. Rainy weather is signaling an end to Montana's wildfire season; while an unattended campfire has been identified by Canadian officials as the cause of a wildfire in Halifax, Nova Scotia, earlier this year that destroyed eight homes. In addition to a new bushfire warning system, Australian Capital Territory is also changing their mantra from "stay and defend" to "prepare, act, survive". A volunteer firefighter pleaded guilty to setting three arson fires last fire season in Victoria; followed by another look at the omissions from the "hot spot" list compiled by the Royal Bushfire Commission. As a reminder that the bushfire season has commenced, residents of New South Wales woke to find smoky skies yesterday; which is probably a good thing because fire authorities in that state say that residents need to be aware that they are facing the worst bushfire season in many years. Helicopters were active along Queensland's Gold Coast yesterday. And finally, some areas in Queensland that are in bushfire country may need to have a warning sign put up: "mind the bombs, mate!"
Public to pay for PG&E mistakes
REGION: Red flag warning in effect Thursday
Firefighters added because of winds, low humidity
Construction Firms Ordered To Pay Firefight Costs
Forest Service's wilderness plans scuttled by judge
Forest Service to probe LA wildfire response
Wildfire burns 5 acres in LA's Griffith Park
Coyote Fire: Sept 22-Oct 1, 1964
Fires in Roseville, Lincoln fully contained
Vandenberg Fire Update: 450 Acres Burned
CalFire, Forest Service swap in fire responsibilities leaves much of Plumas County
Grass Fire Burns Along Hwy 50 In Folsom
Last Summer's Wildfire Leads To Water Increase!
Wind fans Eagle Cap wildfire
Wet, wintry weather lightens the mood at western Montana fire camps
Unextinguished blaze sparked Halifax wildfire: DNR
'Prepare, act, survive': new bushfire plan for ACT
Volunteer firefighter pleads guilty to lighting fires
Yarra Valley towns left off government hotspot list
Bushfire smoke greets residents
Properties threatened as new bushfire ratings begin
Choppers help tackle Gold Coast blaze
Buried bomb risk worsened by bushfires: councillor
Labels: air-tankers, bushfires, firefighting, forest fires, wildfire news, wildfire news of the day, wildfires
posted by Michael Archer @ 11:34 AM
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