WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 030210

First up in wildfire news today, the lessons learned from battling wildfires in Southern California could pay dividends with other natural disasters, like earthquakes (1); even as Los Angeles County Fire Department's Communications Director, Kristina Hajjar, sent along a press release about their elite Heavy Rescue Task Force (CA-TF2) making preparations to ship out to Chile to help with recovery efforts following a major earthquake there (2). A Central California contractor accused of starting a huge wildfire that destroyed hundreds of structures in 2008 is awaiting a court date (3); while Siskiyou County, in Northern California, is asking Senators Feinstein and Boxer a number of questions, including the status of a Wildfire Preparation Panel (4). The Chelan Ranger District in Washington state plans to conduct over 1,000 acres of controlled burns ahead of the fire season (5); but firefighters in Snohomish County fear that an early spring following the rainy season may increase the fire danger (6). A new study from the National Center for Conservation Science and Policy, faults lack of defensible space around homes as a more serious fire danger in Colorado than acres of beetle-killed trees (7); and US Forest Service provided a list of areas where they will be conducting controlled burns in Montana's Flathead National Forest to reduce the fire danger there (8). The Nebraska Forest Service will be holding their third annual Wildland Fire Academy next month (9); while firefighters from Central Virginia who typically battle only structure fires will get some refresher courses on wildland firefighting this weekend (10). Residents of Georgia, assuming recent rains have eliminated the fire danger, have accidentally sparked several wildfires while burning debris outdoors (11). Unseasonably cold temperatures have allowed North Carolina Forest Service firefighters to conduct controlled burns later than usual this year (12); but a lawsuit has been filed against a South Carolina homeowner whose debris fire is blamed for starting a massive forest fire last year that destroyed homes in the area (13). Firefighters in Orange County, Florida, had a wildfire to deal with yesterday afternoon (14); and in one of the last places you would expect to hear this, Hawaii issued Red Flag warnings! (15) Canadian fire agencies are preparing to conduct several fuel treatment projects around Prince George, British Columbia (16). A student in the Balkan country of Croatia has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for deliberately setting fire to vegetation in Paklenica National Forest (17); even as the European Union is reaching out to Europeans for ideas on how best to cope with wildfires and other effects of climate change on the continent (18). Authorities in China are urging proactive measures against wildfires in the southern part of that country after a very busy start to the fire season there (19). A religious festival being held in a forest in Central India ignited a forest fire that, it is feared, may have killed some of the wildlife (20); and the hot, dry conditions that have sparked wildfires in Kerala have stressed wildlife there so much that rangers may delay opening a wildlife preserve to visitors (21). Authorities attributed bushfires in Malaysia to people illegally conducting outdoor burning as that area suffers through a dry spell (22); while Australia is working with Indonesia to reduce bushfires on the island of Sumatra by offering incentives to the local population not to burn off rainforest (23). Lawyers for plaintiffs in the 2003 bushfires that blazed across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory laid into authorities for inadequate measures to prevent and stop the fires (24); and a trio of teens was arrested for starting bushfires in New South Wales (25). Rural Fire Service leadership opened up a forum for residents of a New South Wales community to comment on bushfire preparations (26); and communities in that state are setting aside bushfire refuges (27). The importance of proper construction of bushfire bunkers was emphasized at the Royal Bushfire Commission hearings, where the tragedy of a man dying in his homemade bunker was discussed (28); but despite the fact that several people died in the Victoria community of Kinglake during Black Saturday, experts contend that they still could have escaped right up to the time the flame front arrived (29). Firefighters in Western Australia are roping in a number of bushfires that have burned there over the past few days (30). And finally, firefighters battling blazes in wildlands around the Western US face an increasingly common danger: armed guards and booby traps at Mexican-run pot plantations!

(1) Chile earthquake: How California would fare

(2) Los Angeles County Fire Department World-Class Heavy Rescue Task Force (CA-TF2) Mobilizing

(3) Defendant accused of starting Summit Fire awaits preliminary hearing

(4) Supervisors to look at KBRA, wildfire panel at today’s meeting

(5) Forest Service plans spring burning

(6) Early spring raises concern for summer wildfires

(7) Scientists question logging as response to beetles

(8) Prescribed burns set for Flathead NF

(9) Wildland fire academy to be held in Crawford

(10) Wildland fire training this Saturday in Louisa

(11) Despite wet weather wildfires can happen

(12) Weather's perfect for prescribed fires

(13) CF Chronicle: NMB homeowner files first wildfire lawsuit

(14) Wildfire in Winter Garden contained

(15) High winds raise potential for wildfires throughout state

(16) Plans for Forest Fire Fuel Treatment Projects Being Set

(17) Croatian student sparks £30m forest fire after setting thorny bush alight in revenge attack

(18) EU Public Asked How to Shield Forests From Climate Change

(19) Chinese vice premier stresses precautions against forest fires

(20) Animals feared dead in Bhavanisagar forest fire

(21) Animals run for water, fodder; Kerala sanctuary closed

(22) Open burning culprits blamed for bush fires

(23) Indonesia, Australia launch A$30 mln forest CO2 project

(24) ACT fire response 'doomed to fail', court told

(25) Narellan Vale youths charged after bushfires

(26) Chance to have say on Tamworth fire plan

(27) Vic bushfires prompt safer place list

(28) Homemade bunker only good enough for grass fire

(29) Retreat from deadly Black Saturday fire `realistic'

(30) Mid West firefighters take control

(31) AP IMPACT: Drug gangs taking over US public lands