WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 071710

We lead off today with an article which pretty well sums up conditions in Southern California this weekend: hot, humid, and plagued with wildfires! (1) A 30-acre wildfire has been reported in Lancaster (2); while wildfires sparked by lightning in the Inland Empire have kept crews in Hemet and Murrieta busy for the past couple of days (3); prompting the introduction of a C-130 aircraft equipped with a MAFFS-2 unit to help fight the blazes (4); and eastern San Diego County also received some attention from firefighters due to lightning strikes (5). Hundreds of firefighters were streaming into Kern County to battle a wildfire that already burned 340 acres by 7 AM yesterday, as the next two articles show (6)(7). The US Forest Service has unveiled plans for thinning timber on nearly 1,500 acres in the Lake Tahoe region as part of the Angora Fire restoration plan (8); and the work of Senators Feinstein and Boxer in helping prepare for wildfires in their home state of California, as well as across the US, is discussed in the next article (9). The Southern Nevada Water Authority may end up paying a high price for a wildfire that destroyed several homes and was apparently caused by vegetation clearance efforts on Authority land (10). Lightning from monsoons moving through Arizona sparked a number of wildfires, summarized in the next three articles (11)(12)(13). A wildfire near Grand Junction, Colorado, has burned about 10 acres (14). A wildfire that scorched over 100,000 acres at the Idaho National Laboratory nuclear facility has finally been roped in by firefighters (15); and a wildfire on the grounds of the US Army's Deseret Chemical Depot was finally contained after burning about 2,000 acres (16); but a 50-acre wildfire sent up a smoke plume that was visible from several counties in that state (17). A wildfire burning in Montana's Lewis and Clark County has spread to several hundred acres (18); while a hay baler which caught fire sparked a wildfire in a field in Tennessee (19). A wildfire in British Columbia, Canada, scorched 350 acres near Hauser Lake (20); a small wildfire elsewhere in that province drew a response from firefighters on the ground and in the air (21); but homeowners who were evacuated due to wildfires in Northern British Columbia are being allowed to return home (22). A 300,000 acre wildfire in northern Saskatchewan continues its slow march towards residential areas (23). Illegal forest fires to clear land are devastating the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Central America (24); even as wildfires have been reported near Athens, Greece, where arson wildfires commissioned by land developers are not uncommon (25). A state of emergency has been declared in 16 areas around the Russian capital of Moscow due to wildfires (26). Lebanese army and civil defense personnel battled several wildfires across that Middle Eastern country which burned nearly 100 acres (27); and in Northern Africa, a wildfire in Algeria has burned thousands of acres, while another has been reported in Morocco (28). Two weeks ahead of Victoria, Australia's, Royal Bushfire Commission's final report, former Police Commissioner Christine Nixon has decided to depart her post as head of bushfire recovery, prompting scathing criticism from the press (29); even as Victoria's premier rose to her defense yet again (30). And finally, US Forest Service has a mystery on their hands in Priest Lake, Idaho: who set fire to the iconic 'shoe tree'?

(1) It's hot, humid and smoky

(2) Firefighters Battle 30-Acre Wildfire In Lancaster

(3) Crews work to contain lightning-sparked wildfires near Hemet and Murrieta

(4) National Guard C-130 available today for firefighting

(5) Two lightning-caused fires in East County

(6) Hundreds of firefighters converge on California wildfire

(7) Bodfish area wildfire under heavy attack

(8) Forest Service Issues Final Decision on Angora Fire Restoration Plan

(9) Federal firefighting money helping California prevent wildfire growth

(10) Water authority could pay for some damage caused by Moapa wildfire

(11) Monsoons spawn rash of wildfires

(12) Lightning caused fire on Tonto National Forest

(13) Several fires on Kaibab National Forest

(14) Wildfire rips through area of Book Cliffs

(15) Firefighters contain fire at Idaho National Laboratory

(16) Wildfire contained at chemical depot

(17) Wildfire burns 50 acres at Camp Williams

(18) Canyon Ferry Dam Wildfire Burning

(19) Firefighters battle brush fire

(20) Lakeside fire burning over 350 acres near Hauser Lake

(21) Wildfire burning near Port Hardy

(22) Evacuation order lifted, Okanagan cottagers heading home but risk remains high

(23) Forest fire threatens northern communities

(24) Ranchers and Drug Barons Threaten Forest Once Ruled by the Maya

(25) Wildfires threaten homes near Athens

(26) Forest fires in Russia

(27) Fresh forest fires wreak havoc across Lebanon

(28) EFFIS - Current Situation

(29) Christine Nixon ducks for cover

(30) Premier John Brumby knew of Christine Nixon's plans to quit as head of bushfire reconstruction authority

(31) Fire destroys Priest Lake ‘shoe tree’