WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 112309

Wildfire News Of The Day reader William Cleary, Advanced Systems Project Manager for PCADS (Precision Container Air Delivery System) at Boeing passed along another suggested change in format - double-spacing of articles - so we'll try that out today and see what everyone thinks.

In wildfire news today, residents of foothill communities affected by several wildfires that have burned within the past year or so are invited to a meeting in Sylmar tonight hosted by Los Angeles County Fire Department, LAFD, and law-enforcement agencies in the area (1). An Op-Ed piece from the Pasadena Star News sides with LA County Fire Chief Michael Freeman on the debate over whether to fly firefighting helicopters through the Angeles National Forest after dark (2); while CAL FIRE has sued five men for over $7 million to pay the suppression costs for the Corral Fire that burned in Malibu last year (3). Foresters attempting to rehabilitate burn areas are caught in a bit of a dilemma in Central California, for a local plant that stabilizes hillsides after fires also impedes tree seedling growth (4); and volunteers, along with a local Fire Safe Council, are helping to restore an area burned by wildfires in Northern California (5). Officials in communities in eastern Wyoming are focusing on wildfire prevention as a priority for community planning (6); while Smokey Bear's iconic mantra 'Only you can prevent forest fires' has undergone an alteration, according to an article from Florida (7). Implementation of recommended changes from a report prepared in 2004 are under scrutiny by critics in light of this year's wildfires in British Columbia, Canada (8); even as British researchers discuss their investigation of the impact of forest fires in the Amazon on climate change (9). Australia's National Aerial Firefighting Centre is preparing to evaluate Very Large Air Tankers (VLAT's) in Victoria (10); and while the Australian government is debating the best approach for emission standards nationwide, bushfires across the continent are further skewing the equation (11). Communities in bushfire-prone parts of Victoria will be eligible for grants of up to $20,000 to help with replanting in parkland (12); and in a follow-up to a story from September, the issue of that state being saddled with several dozen defective ultra-light tanker fire trucks is re-examined by the next article (13). Erickson's giant S-64 aircraft, dubbed 'Elvis' by Australians, is discussed in the next article (14); while improvements to Country Fire Authority's website will allow residents of Victoria to track bushfire danger in real-time by the middle of next year (15). A volunteer firefighter who claims that her brigade was not informed by Country Fire Authority of the danger of an approaching bushfire on Black Saturday felt that she was being coerced by an anonymous e-mail which she received shortly before testifying to the Royal Bushfire Commission (16). Country Fire Authority is reviewing proposed bushfire shelters in Victoria(17); and to better protect tourists touring parts of that state prone to bushfires, workshops are being promoted as a means of learning how to be more aware of the bushfire danger (18); while Victoria's government is providing some additional funds to local governments to help the elderly and infirm prepare for bushfires (19). Legal wrangling by family members of one truck driver killed when bushfires overran a Western Australia highway continues (20); and although not intended to fight fires directly, Tasmania's army reservists could provide valuable logistical support during bushfires (21). Switching our focus to New South Wales, cooler weather may help firefighters battling bushfires there (22); firefighters in northern New South Wales fear that they have at least one arsonist lighting bushfires (23); and as part of increased efforts to reduce bushfire danger, hidden cameras will be placed in high risk areas to identify suspicious individuals (24). And finally, in an ironic twist, an Erickson air-crane was delayed from arriving at a bushfire in that state due to, of all things, rain (25)!

(1) Another Mudslide Community Meeting Tonight

(2) Our View: Station Fire report:Give us some options

(3) California Blames Wildfire on 5 Men

(4) The Most Native Plant of All: Mountain Misery

(5) Restoring Concow

(6) Eastern Wyo. leaders focus on wildfire protection

(7) Smokey now says: 'Only you can prevent wildfires'

(8) Critic questions wildfire efforts

(9) Why the Amazon should quit smoking

(10) Australia prepares to test large air tanker for firefighting missions

(11) Bushfires burn as Australia prepares final ETS laws

(12) Bushfire garden grants

(13) Bungle hampers fire trucks

(14) Elvis on song to battle bushfires

(15) Fire danger scale to go online

(16) Volunteer firefighter blames 'discomfort' among CFA officers for email intimidation

(17) Warrandyte bushfire shelters still being reviewed

(18) Workshops held to prepare for bushfire season

(19) Govt announces health, bushfire funding for elderly

(20) Children of bushfire victim 'could still sue' after compensation

(21) Army Reserves train for bushfire season

(22) Australian Bushfire Fighters Aided by Cool Weather, Herald Says

(23) Arson suspected in bushfires

(24) Secret cameras in bush to nab arsonists

(25) Rain delays firefighting chopper