WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051310

In the news today, a wildfire scorched 500 acres in Riverside County, California, but was fully contained early this morning (1); while the Laguna Beach City Council has approved plans to expand defensible space around parts of that coastal enclave (2). The stress felt by wildfire evacuees is the topic of a study from University of California, Santa Barbara (3). Pacific Grove has opted to join a coalition of fire agencies protecting communities along the Central Coast (4); but although rain has delayed the fire season in the San Francisco Bay area, fire officials warned residents to be prepared for its advent (5); and as the deadline for clearing defensible space around homes in Napa County approaches, fire officials are urging homeowners to clear out dangerous vegetation (6). Firefighters in Washington state's Inland Northwest are preparing for what could be a hectic fire season due to low precipitation so far this year (7); and an Op-Ed piece from Sierra Vista, Arizona, exhorts readers to clear defensible space around their homes (8). The Wildfire Council in Summit County, Colorado, has approved an update to their Community Wildfire Protection Plan (9); while Texas Forest Service has unveiled a new 12,000 pound mulching machine which they hope will help reduce the wildfire threat in East Texas (10). South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression Division firefighters will be getting a workout this weekend as they prepare for wildfire season (11); but firefighters in Alabama are already getting their workout battling a blaze outside of Talladega (12). An article from Pennsylvania discusses the problem of juvenile arson in that state (13); however, it was another adult who was arrested in regards to the 500 acre wildfire that burned in New Jersey a few days ago (14). The toll of wildfires on one Florida community along the Treasure Coast is explored by the next item (15); and having just gone through the driest rainy season in over 50 years, Hawaii is bracing for a bad wildfire season (16). A new bambi-bucket design is being tested in British Columbia, Canada (17); where a food bank is the happy recipient of $25,000 in wildfire funds from last year's blazes (18). An update on wildfires in Alberta, Canada, is provided by the next article (19); where a wildfire was burning north of the provincial capital of Edmonton (20). Fire season is heating up in Ontario, several new blazes having been reported (21); with authorities advising homeowners on how to prepare (22). The western part of Ireland has been hard hit by recent wildfires, as evidenced by the next article (23); and more wildfires raged through fields in Western Scotland near Ayrshire as well (24). A Rural Fire Service spokesman laid out the considerations for Australians living in New South Wales in deciding how to respond to bushfires (25); and Queensland residents were advised of a controlled burn being carried out by firefighters (26). Delays in getting South Australia's State Bushfire Co-ordination Committee up and running are beginning to irritate some folks (27); while in a follow-up to a story in Wildfire NOTD some weeks back, an endangered cockatoo that lives on the Eyre Peninsula is continuing to expand its population (28). Western Australia's firefighting helicopter fleet is headed for the barn as fire season comes to an end (29). With 19 fire crews having been caught in burnovers on Black Saturday, the Royal Bushfire Commission has argued that Country Fire Authority needs to revise its safety procedures, as summarized by the next two articles (30)(31). Lack of funds is being cited by the Victorian government as the reason it has not committed to more bushfire controlled burns (32); the embattled head of bushfire reconstruction may be given her walking papers soon (33); while the efforts of one tree grower in Victoria who is working to replace some of the trees lost on Black Saturday is examined in the next item (34). And finally, Ambulance Victoria has decided to start bar-coding bushfire survivors (no word on where they'll put it, let's hope it's a wristband and not a stamp on the forehead!)

(1) Wildfire is extinguished after coming close to homes in Southridge area of Fontana

(2) Steps to make Laguna safer from wildfire

(3) Psychological Impacts Of Surviving Wildfires Fires

(4) Pacific Grove approves joint powers agency for fire services

(5) Rain won’t slow fire’s chances

(6) Deadline June 1 to clear wildfire hazards

(7) Firefighters bracing for a busy fire season

(8) Our View: Take steps now to prevent wildfires

(9) Summit County wildfire council approves updated plan and grant projects

(10) Forest Service using cutting-edge technology to fight forest fires

(11) Firefighting Exercises

(12) Alabama firefighters continue to battle wildfire set by arsonist

(13) Forest arson – it's more than kid's play

(14) Second arrest in New Jersey forest fire

(15) Indiantown area recovering after last year's major wildfires

(16) Wet season was a dry one

(17) New Bucket Technology for Fighting Wildfires Being Tested

(18) Food bank to benefit from wildfire funds

(19) Fire hazard moderate to very high

(20) Wildfire burns north of Edmonton

(21) New forest fires ablaze in region

(22) Media Advisory/Natural Resources Canada: Reliable Fire Stats-When You Need Them

(23) Concern at impact on wildlife of fires in west

(24) Bush fires rage through ex-ICI site

(25) Bushfires: they are a part of our history

(26) Mudgeeraba fires part of controlled burn

(27) Key bushfire committee held up by gender bureaucracy: Family First

(28) Endangered cockatoo making comeback after bushfires

(29) Helicopter season ends

(30) CFA safety procedures need complete overhaul

(31) CFA disliked fire safety staff plan

(32) Burn target still to be set

(33) Christine Nixon may yet be told to go by the royal commission

(34) Growing trees for Black Saturday victims

(35) Ambulance Victoria evaluating barcode plan for disaster victims