WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 120409

First up today, I received the following message from Patrick Ottenhoff of Washington, DC-based New Media Strategies yesterday:

I’m doing some work with My.AdCouncil.org and we’re promoting the 65 years of Smokey the Bear. It’s actually the longest-running public service announcement in history. To do this, we’ve designated a page for Wildfire Prevention and have some really interesting videos, images and social media at this link. If you’re interested, we’d love to have you post about it!

Many thanks!

Patrick Ottenhoff
New Media Strategies
pottenhoff@newmediastrategies.net

Elsewhere in the news, officials are concerned about debris flows from wildfire-scarred hillsides in Southern California as the first major rainstorm of the season approaches (1); while the inspector general for the US Department of Agriculture has concluded that the US Forest Service was not at fault for five federal firefighters killed fighting the Esperanza Fire (2). An insurance company provided some useful tips to homeowners living in wildfire-prone areas, particularly in California (3); and communities in Canada's Northwest Territories will be receiving federal funding to help reduce the wildfire threat (4). Heading Down Under, twelve lucky families will be getting new homes in Victoria to replace the originals, which were destroyed in the Black Saturday bushfires (5); but the head of a firefighters union decried the statement that a number of firefighters took unscheduled leaves on Black Saturday (6). The fate of a historic mountain tram system that was badly damaged in the Black Saturday bushfires is discussed in the next article (7); followed by an article about the virtues and shortcomings of Victoria's new bushfire alert system (8). South Australia will implement a full system test of their new bushfire and emergency warning system on Kangaroo Island next week (9). Firefighters in New South Wales had their hands full battling blazes that threatened a dozen farms yesterday (10); while in the aftermath of recent bushfires, farmers in that state need at least $1 million to help repair the damage (11). Firefighters in West Australia had wind-driven bushfires to deal with as they continued mopping up bushfires in Australia's wheat belt (12). And finally, a commentator in Aviation Week Magazine is advocating retrofitting more military helicopters to help fight wildfires (13).

(1) Storms forecast for fire-scarred Southern Calif

(2) Probe of deadly 2006 Esperanza Fire cites mistakes, but not misconduct

(3) Lack of Preparedness Puts Homeowners Living in Wildfire-Prone Areas at Risk

(4) Deh Cho forest fire reduction

(5) Donations allow bushfire rebuild

(6) Firefighters hit back on leave claims

(7) Fire again claims a mountain gem

(8) Victorians under threat from bushfires and other dangers to be alerted by text or call

(9) SA to trial bushfire warning system

(10) Farms threatened as blaze nears

(11) Relief sought for fire-hit farmers

(12) Bushfire mop-up continues

(13) Retrofit Helos To Fight Fires