WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 061010

In our first wildfire story today, U.S. Forest Service has unveiled a new operations center at Keenwild Air Attack Base near the San Bernardino National Forest (1); and it's possible some of their aircraft helped out with a wildfire in Cherry Valley yesterday afternoon (2). Kern County Fire Department is advising homeowners to prepare for wildfire season by clearing defensible space around their property (3); while the Red Cross is also urging residents of the Central Coast to prepare for wildfire season (4); and as if to underscore that message, a wildfire was reported in San Luis Obispo County yesterday (5). A new study from UC Berkeley and US Forest Service published in Global Ecology and Biogeography reveals that climate change is pushing wildfire zones into higher altitudes and latitudes worldwide (6). CAL FIRE was reminding residents of Siskiyou County about the fire danger with the onset of summer (7); and dry, windy conditions have firefighters in Las Vegas, Nevada, on edge (8). Arizona's Horseshoe Fire, which has been burning in the rugged Chiricahua Mountains for two weeks now, is being harnessed to help local ecology (9). The Aspen Fire, which has been burning since the weekend in New Mexico's Gila National Forest, has passed the 600 acre mark (10); and the US Forest Service will be imposing a Stage I fire restriction on the Santa Fe National Forest on Friday (11). Conditions similar to those in Nevada also have firefighters in Colorado a bit nervous (12); this coming at a time when the governor has just signed a bill which will make more beetle-killed trees available for biomass projects (13). The life of a West Yellowstone smokejumper is examined by the next article from Montana (14); where fire officials provided some advice and information to homeowners on preparing for the inevitable wildfires of summer (15). Here's a story you probably never expected to see: a 2,300-acre wildfire is burning in Maui, Hawaii (any volunteers to go fight it?) (16) The next item provides information on wildfires burning in Ontario, Canada's, northern region (17). The Caribbean island of Trinidad is getting help from some local hunters with replanting areas damaged by forest fires (18); and firefighters outside of Athens, Greece, took no chances when two wildfires were reported, even bringing four air tankers to the party (19). The findings of the 'Advancing Bushfire Arson Prevention in Australia' symposium, which was held in Melbourne, Victoria, in March are spelled out in the next item (20). Victoria's power provider is using helicopters, among other things, to check transmission lines for fire risk (21); while Country Fire Authority is pre-positioning water tanks to help with firefighting efforts in a drought-stricken area of Victoria (22). Despite the black eye from Black Saturday, international tourism in Victoria is up (23); but farmers in Western Australia are steamed up over the aftermath of a bushfire that caused $40 million worth of damage last December (24). And finally, firefighters in Carlsbad, New Mexico, are buzzing about the number of panicked calls from residents over swarms of bees!

(1) Helicopter firefighting operations center opens near Idyllwild

(2) 110 Firefighters And Air Tankers Battle Fire In Cherry Valley

(3) Residents Get Ready For Wildfire Season

(4) Red Cross urges families to prepare for fires

(5) Brush fire threatening structure near Templeton

(6) Scientists: Vegetation Zones Are Shifting

(7) CAL FIRE warns of increased threat of wildfire this summer

(8) Wildfire warning, wind advisory issued for Las Vegas

(9) 'Real threat' turns friendlier

(10) Fire active in Aldo Leopold Wilderness

(11) Santa Fe Forest imposes fire limits

(12) Hot, Dry Weather Forecast Across Colorado

(13) Ritter signs biomass bill in Vail

(14) West Yellowstone smokejumpers prepare for forest fire season

(15) Preparing for fire season in Montana

(16) Firefighter treated for smoke from Hawaii wildfire

(17) Six new forest fires in the North

(18) Cedros hunters replant

(19) Minor Forest Fires Reported near Athens

(20) Advancing bushfire arson prevention in Australia

(21) Singapore Power's Australian Biz Checks Powerpoles for Fire Risk

(22) Water tanks to boost firefighting efforts

(23) International Tourism In Victoria Skyrockets

(24) Farmers face dead end over $40m fire

(25) Carlsbad firefighters getting calls about bees