WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 030510

Los Angeles County's Office of Emergency Services has posted an emergency survival guide online to help residents cope with natural disasters, such as wildfires (the guide can be downloaded from here), which echoes the 145-page Topanga Disaster Survival Guide issued by the County some years back (1). The brother-in-law of convicted arsonist Raymond Lee Oyler, whose actions resulted in the deaths of five USFS firefighters, will be arraigned in San Bernardino County on charges of jury tampering during Oyler's trial (2); while the next article takes a closer look at San Diego Gas & Electric's profit/loss statement in light of wildfire payments (3). USFS is overseeing an $800,000 helicopter logging operation in Nevada's Washoe County in an effort to reduce the fire hazard there (4); but in contrast to yesterday's article from Tucson, Arizona, where fire officials were encouraged that heavy rains meant higher moisture levels in vegetation, with the consequence of a reduced fire danger, a story today from Phoenix takes the completely opposite position (5). Fire agencies in Kentucky are warning residents in parts of that state of the fire danger this coming weekend (6); while Alachua County, Florida, has also received a Red Flag warning from the National Weather Service as a cold, dry front moves through that provides ideal conditions for wildfires (7). The Secretary of the Interior will decide whether to award endangered species status to a grouse population whose habitat has been severely impacted by wildfires across the western US (8). Facing severe cutbacks by government bean counters, Canadian forestry folks are struggling to survive in these tough economic times (9); but World Vision, working with fire officials in the African nation of Ghana, has trained over 100 fire wardens to help implement the government's ambitious plan to squelch wildfires in the region (10). The next item takes a closer look at fire prevention and firefighting in India's western-most state of Gujarat (11); even as the Philippine region of Davao is reporting an increase in wildfires throughout the southern part of the island of Mindanao (12). Fire agencies in Vietnam are having their worst fears realized, as satellite imaging shows 176 wildfires burning across that country, which is in the grip of hot, dry weather (13); while fire officials in Malaysia are worried that extremely dry conditions make peat bogs susceptible to wildfires up and down that peninsula (14). An arsonist has evidently lit a pair of forest fires on the outskirts of a New Zealand town, putting locals on edge (15); but a hi-tech courtroom in Canberra will host hearings by the Australian Supreme Court in regards to a case lodged against the government for losses from the 2003 bushfires that blazed across the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales (16). The Wingello Rural Fire Service Brigade, which was all but wiped out in a deadly burnover outside of the New South Wales capital of Sydney in 1998, has slowly been reconstituted (17). And finally, arson investigators have probably heard many excuses for why someone lit a fire, but arsonists in the Philippines add a new excuse to the books: collecting ant eggs!

(1) L.A. County issues emergency survival guide

(2) Oyler brother-in-law ordered to trial for jury tampering

(3) Economic Indicators, SDG&E Profits Rise = Sempra Energy Revenue Down 20+%?

(4) Helicopters help clear fire danger in Sierra

(5) Expert: County faces risk of heavy fire season this year

(6) Foresty officials on alert for fires this weekend

(7) Wildfire Warnings

(8) Interior to Announce Sage Grouse Finding Friday

(9) Forestry taken off the 'help' list

(10) World Vision Trains Fire Volunteers in Talensi-Nabdam District

(11) Forest fire menace tackled effectively, say officials

(12) Fire bureau notes increase in fire incidents

(13) Multiple forest fires break out across Vietnam

(14) Bracing for peat fires

(15) Fears grow as fires plague Kaitangata again

(16) Courtroom tab mounts in bushfire case

(17) From the Ashes

(18) Vizcaya folk warned: Ants' eggs are ok but not bush fires