WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 062810

Two Southern California stories lead off Wildfire News Of The Day today: Riverside County Fire Department reported that a 45-acre wildfire that broke out over the weekend has been contained (1); and a wildfire in a canyon on San Diego's Camp Pendleton Marine base was reported on Sunday as well (2). CAL FIRE had to battle a 50 acre wildfire in Calaveras County (3); while a transient has been accused of starting a wildfire in South Lake Tahoe over the weekend (4); but despite these blazes, California's heretofore slow fire season has proven to be a windfall for the state's battered budget (5). Firefighters in Oregon battled a wildfire near an interstate on Sunday (6); while residents of Washington state are being warned not to become complacent about the fire danger as Fourth of July nears (7). A summary of the Schultz Fire in Northern Arizona, which has cost nearly $7 million to suppress so far, is provided by the next item (8); and as fire crews grapple with that massive wildfire, firefighters in Mesa wonder when it will be their area's turn (9). An Arizona Hotshot team is profiled in article from USA Today (10); even as a letter to the editor of a Northern Arizona newspaper advocated that national forests update their websites with fire information regularly (11); and an Op-Ed piece from the same paper argues that there should be a sustained community discussion on wildfires (12). Homeowners living near Arizona's Coconino National Forest are appealing to the US Forest Service to conduct more controlled burns to reduce the fire danger (13); while a fire marshal in New Mexico has banned fireworks in some areas due to the wildfire risk (14). A US Forest Service Regional Aviation Safety Manager in Colorado gave high marks to the crew of a P-2V for their handling of the aircraft after its brakes failed at a Denver-area air attack base on Saturday (15); where operations resumed early Sunday morning after the tanker was removed (16). Firefighters are mopping up a 76 acre wildfire west of Loveland, Colorado (17); and rain helped firefighters battling wildfires in Northern Colorado over the weekend (18). A 300 acre wildfire in Brown County, Texas, drew the attention of several fire departments over the weekend (19); and a lightning-sparked wildfire that's been burning in New Jersey has managed to char 900 acres (20). The danger posed by beetle-killed trees on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula is discussed by a Spruce Bark Beetle Mitigation Program Forestry and Fire Specialist (21). A press release by the Canadian government discusses the financial assistance they will be providing to British Columbia to help pay for the wildfires of 2009 (22); while a wildfire that has burned over 100,000 acres in Manitoba has calmed down, but wind is forecast for the region (23). Firefighters in Dorset, UK, managed to wrap up three heath fires before they did any structural damage (24); while a blogger discusses the issue of forest fires in Spain (25); followed by reports from the European Forest Fire Information System on wildfires in Portugal, Italy, and Algeria late last week (26). Chinese authorities have dispatched thousands of firefighters to battle a wildfire in Inner Mongolia (27); with several thousand more being sent to battle a second wildfire in the same region (28); bringing the total to 9,000 firefighters on the line, as Chinese meteorologists forecast a red alert due to weather conditions ideal for wildfires (29). Two wind-driven wildfires were also reported in Vietnam last week (30). Heading Down Under, business owners in Victoria, Australia, are complaining about the loss of business caused by the current bushfire warning system (31); and residents of one town are concerned that no bushfire safe places have been set aside for townspeople as of yet (32); while a timber company has hired 300 seasonal workers to help replant areas burned by Black Saturday bushfires (33). An inquiry into a fatal 2007 bushfire in New South Wales is continuing (34); and a large bushfire burned near some homes in Western Australia, as well as a famous bird observatory, over the weekend (35). Hundreds of people turned out in Port Lincoln, South Australia, over the weekend to learn about what to do during bushfires (36). And finally, we've all heard about livestock and pets being evacuated from areas threatened by wildfires, but New Mexico's Department of Game and Fish has gone one step further, removing trout from a stream!

(1) Riverside County wildfire that forced evacuations is now contained [Updated]

(2) CAMP PENDLETON: Morning containment expected for 200-acre base fire

(3) Wildfire burns 50 acres west of Copperopolis

(4) Man Accused of Starting South Lake Tahoe Brushfire

(5) California Has Barely Burned So Far

(6) Firefighters close to fully extinguishing grass fire on Interstate 84 east of The Dalles

(7) Fires still a concern despite cooler weather

(8) Flagstaff wildfires: Schultz Fire update, 626 firefighters, 7 helicopters still working (pictures)

(9) Valley fire departments brace for more wildfires

(10) Hotshots battle on familiar wildfire turf

(11) National forests should update websites in fires

(12) Why not a Forest Council on wildfires?

(13) Burning concerns

(14) Marshal: Fireworks too risky in dry areas

(15) Crews move air tanker after crash

(16) Damaged air tanker moved off road, slurry operations resume

(17) Mop up operations continue on Round Mountain Fire west of Loveland

(18) Two wildfires burning 1,650 acres in northern Colorado

(19) Firefighters Battle Brown County Brush Fire

(20) N.J. brush fire that burned 900 acres was likely sparked by lightning

(21) Study: fires in beetle-killed spruce less predictable

(22) Government of Canada Assists British Columbia with 2009 Wildfires

(23) Huge fire at bay, but wind forecast

(24) Dorset firefighters tackle three heath fires

(25) Forest Fires are a burning issue in Spain

(26) EFFIS - Current Situation

(27) Over 4,000 fire fighters battling forest fire in N China

(28) Forest fire continues to spread in north China, new fire spotted

(29) China issues forest fire red alert

(30) Society in Brief 20 7/6

(31) Business in plea on fire warnings

(32) City lacks fire safe places

(33) Saplings begin to redeem a fire-scarred landscape

(34) Inquiry into Crowdy Bay bushfire continues

(35) Broome bushfire burns 1000ha

(36) Plenty turn out to learn about fire

(37) Trout removed from stream near NM wildfire