WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 111409

In the first shots of what will likely be a heated debate over the Station Fire's prosecution, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich blasted the US Forest Service report that stated that they did everything that could be done in the early stages of that fire to control it, our first wildfire article today. An update on the mudslides in burn areas above La Cañada Flintridge is provided by an LA Times article; even as more fire weather is predicted for this weekend. Residents of central California are breathing a sigh of relief as CAL FIRE announces the end of wildfire season in the Bay Area and counties to the east of it; although areas that have already burned, even years ago, may still pose a hazard to visitors and residents alike. Investigators are still seeking an arsonist who set a 6,000 acre blaze in the Stanislaus National Forest; while a Northern California resident charged with starting the 1,200 acre Coffin Fire with a carelessly tossed cigarette pleaded no contest. Scientific American explores the use of goats to clear vegetation in wildfire-prone parts of California; and researchers in Nevada were awarded a grant of $3.2 million to study the effect of aerosols, including wildfire smoke, on climate change as revealed by ice cores; but firefighters in that state will be contributing to that smoky record by conducting controlled burns at the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge. Despite the onset of fall, Michigan's Upper Peninsula is still reporting a smattering of wildfires in tinder dry brush. Climate scientists and firefighters in Australia are warning that a Black Saturday bushfire could happen elsewhere on the continent during this current fire season; even as the government of Victoria has said that they will not provide transportation for the elderly or infirm to evacuate in the event of another bushfire, posing a dilemma for these people on how to evacuate safely. While temperatures in eastern Australian states climb past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), the bushfire danger has increased considerably; and in South Australia, Country Fire Service firefighters had their hands full with a number of bushfires yesterday as temperatures soared. And finally, the LA Times chronicles a solemn ceremony in Los Angeles today in which the granddaughters of a firefighter who perished in a blaze 70 years ago received a replacement Tribute Badge from LAFD for their grandfather's, the original having been badly damaged when their mobile home burned in the Sayre Fire in 2007.

Feds’ firefighting tactics under fire

Mudslide damages six homes, closes road in La Cañada Flintridge [Updated]

Fire weather forecast for Los Angeles and Ventura counties

Fire season to end Monday

Angora fire zone still has hazards despite clearing

Forest fire was caused by humans

Woman pleads no contest to starting Coffin Fire

No Kidding: Getting Goats to Graze on Tinder Puts a Damper on Fires

Nevada researcher gets grant to study ice cores

Burn Set For Pahranagat Refuge

Wildfires pop up in dry U.P. forests

Black Saturday fires 'could happen again'

Heat is on the old and the isolated

East coast swelters as heatwave continues

Blazes keep crews on high alert

Firefighters present family with tribute badge destroyed in a wildfire