WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 061410

First up in wildfire news today, a Southern California blaze with suspicious origins burned 15 acres in San Bernardino on Sunday (1); a car fire became a wildfire that was knocked down quickly by Santa Barbara County firefighters (2); and the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District has implemented a policy of slapping liens on property which has not been prepared for wildfires (3). Washington state's governor successfully passed a firefighter fitness test as he tried to heighten the public's awareness of the wildfire situation in that state (4); followed by a look at the life of an Arizona wildfire lookout in Coconino National Forest (5). As a wildfire in Arizona's Chiricahua Mountains continues to expand, the suppression bill approaches $8 million (6); but the Boggy Fire is now in the mop up stages in the eastern part of that state (7); even as human-caused wildfires are creating a lot of headaches for firefighters in the Coconino National Forest (8). A summary of wildfire activity across New Mexico is provided by the next article (9); and Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Ware, Fire Information Officer for New Mexico State Forestry, sent along a link to their website which provides up-to-date information on fires in that state (10). The unique characteristics of the monsoon season in New Mexico and Arizona is examined in the next item (11); while Colorado's high country is expecting an early start to wildfire season amid lots of dead lodgepole pines (12). Maine Forest Service's Wildfire Training Academy is wrapping up for another year (13); even as some of the firefighters they sent to help fight wildfires in Québec returned over the weekend, with more due in today (14). A brief history of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is provided by the next article (15); but as more people moved to rural areas, South Carolina Forestry Commission is providing tips on how to survive wildfires, 98% of which are caused by humans in that state (16). Florida Division of Forestry reports that an abundance of rain has reduced the incidence of wildfires in two counties (17); and as steady rain continues in Alaska's interior, raging wildfires have been, for the most part, quelled as well (18). Miners have gone back to work at Minto Mine in Canada's Yukon after firefighters stopped a wildfire that had been threatening the area (19). Forest fires set to clear land for agricultural purposes have caused a sharp drop in the orangutan population in Malaysia (20). Heading Down Under, Country Fire Authority's plans to train more firefighters in Victoria, Australia, have run into some budgetary limitations, even though the Royal Bushfire Commission advocated hiring nearly 700 new firefighters (21). Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is making plans for the next fire season (22); while bulldozers have seen some action outside of Rockhampton where bushfire activity has prompted an appeal to the federal government for assistance (23). Despite the time of year, a bushfire was reported in Western Australia (24). And finally, here's a new use for SCBA: protecting firefighters from being overcome by the odor of pet waste!

(1) Suspicious fire burns at San Bernardino's Little Mountain

(2) Car Fire Spreads to Nearby Brush, Knocked Out In Minutes

(3) Fire chief urges residents to prepare for wildfire season

(4) Gov. Gregoire passes wildfire line test

(5) Fire season a 24/7 job

(6) Wildfire grows and so does cost to fight it

(7) Crews mop up Boggy Fire in eastern Ariz.

(8) Careless campers, partiers keep fire crews hopping

(9) Fires across state char over 8000 acres

(10) New Mexico Fire Information

(11) Protect your home from wildfires

(12) An early fire season likely in the High Country

(13) Wildfire training academy wraps up

(14) Maine firefighters, forest rangers return from battling Quebec wildfires

(15) New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJ) (Images of America)

(16) Protect your home from wildfires

(17) Lee, Collier, Hendry county wildfire number at record low

(18) Rain smothers Interior Alaska wildfires

(19) Work resumes at Minto copper, gold mine after crews stop advance of wild fire

(20) Decline of Orang Utan population due to forest exploitation

(21) Fire training course canned

(22) Service preparing for fire season

(23) Homes spared in Rockhampton bushfires

(24) Bullsbrook fire causes traffic delays

(25) 3 Indiana firefighters overwhelmed by pet waste