WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 111009

We lead off wildfire news today with an announcement from Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Freeman, sent along by Kristina Hajjar, Director of Communications for the department, about the importance of wildfire preparation by residents of the county; something that may be of increased importance to foothill residents near the Angeles National Forest as the next article shows: the Station Fire may be down, but it's not quite out! The US Forest Service used social media, in this case Twitter, for notifications for the first time on the Station Fire; and Orange County has implemented a new program to diminish wildfires in the area: OC Fire Watch. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department carried out some practice helicopter drops using night-vision goggles in canyon land last night; while the politics of wildfires have entered the California gubernatorial contest as Steve Poizner touted his success in retrieving $27 million for survivors of the 2007 San Diego wildfires. A letter to the editor of a Central California newspaper thanks volunteers who have kept an eye out for wildfires in their vicinity; but a wildfire is burning in Ohio's only national forest. Fire authorities in Missouri plan to carry out a number of controlled burns to improve the ecology of county parks in the area; however, firefighters in eastern Kentucky are evidently dealing with a number of arson fires. An out-of-control debris fire in Virginia may prove costly for the person who ignited it, due to a law that requires them to pay the suppression costs; even as arson investigators in Brevard County, Florida, are on the trail of a serial arsonist who has apparently lit a number of wildfires in the area. Australia's iconic koala bears may be facing extinction in as little as 30 years, in part due to rampant bushfires devastating their habitat. Arson investigators in Victoria are taking a look at a wildfire that burned in the Linton State Forest; but as Victoria reports high temperatures, fire agencies are defending their decision to light a control fire which breached its lines. Amid concerns from the building industry and pressure from the Royal Bushfire Commission, the Victorian government has reluctantly released interim bushfire bunker building standards. The harrowing experiences of a South Australia family during bushfires some months back are used as a cautionary tale by fire officials for homeowners to be prepared as bushfire season continues in that state; and firefighters had a small bushfire to deal with in Port Pirie. New South Wales is putting some teeth into its tougher bushfire arson policy by expanding the ranks of arson investigators. And finally, in a follow-up to yesterday's article about British firefighters rescuing a duck trapped in a pipe for six hours, we have another affirmation that no good deed goes unpunished, as a British taxpayers group derides the effort as a waste of taxpayer dollars!

Ready! Set! Go!

Station Fire still burning in Mt. Wilson root system, bringing out more firefighters [Updated]

Angeles Forest officials use Station Fire to fine tune Twitter policy

Orange County to Take Aggressive Approach in Preventing Major Wildfires

San Diego Firefighters Test Out Night Vision Goggles, Making Firefighting At Night Possible

Candidate for Governor Says he Helped Wildfire Victims Collect $27 Million

A big thanks to volunteers on the lookout for wildfires

Firefighters battle wildfire in Wayne National Forest

Prescribed burns to improve county parks

Forest fires burning across eastern Ky.

Debris fire burns 125 acres on Powell Mountain in Scott County

Two More Suspicious Wildfires In Brevard Co.

Australian koalas fast declining, researchers say

Grass fire near Linton dubbed suspicious

Fires raging as Victoria continues to swelter

Bid to make bunkers safe with interim standards

We will defend our home from bushfire again

Port Pirie bushfire contained

Fighting bushfire arson

Firefighters criticized for duck rescue