WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072010

As the wildfire danger rises, Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest is clamping fire restrictions on visitors (1); while a wildfire on private land west of Bend, Oregon, was quickly squelched by firefighters (2). Hundreds of firefighters from seven counties are battling a blaze near Yakima, Washington (3); and a press release from the Department of Natural Resources reminded residents of the increased fire danger from now until late August (4). As the monsoon rains arrive in Arizona, burn bans on several national forests have been lifted (5); however, seven fires are still burning in the Coconino National Forest (6). Although many reports of wildfires in New Mexico's Gila National Forest turn out to be false, 18 wildfires have been confirmed, as shown in the next two articles (7)(8). Although Utah's Mustang Fire is out, homeowners are applying the heat to local firefighters who were nowhere in sight when their homes were threatened by the blaze (9); and an article from Idaho takes a comprehensive look at the impact of wildfires on the ecosystem (10). The Big Sky Healthy Forest Initiative, a coalition of Montana landowners, is showcased in the next article (11). A 385-acre wildfire in Yellowstone National Park is drawing increased attention from firefighters on the ground and in the air (12); followed by an action photo of a National Guard C-130 aircraft employing its MAFFS-2 system during exercises in South Carolina earlier this year (13). On the technology front, firefighting chemicals are profiled in the next two articles: firefighters on Long Island, New York, credited a firefighting product called FireIce with reducing the time needed to battle a blaze from six hours to about 10 minutes (14); and a Minnesota startup is fielding an environmentally-friendly fire retardant (15). Firefighters in British Columbia, Canada, are getting some assistance from heavy equipment in drawing a containment line around a wildfire that has burned over 50 acres (16); while homeowners are receiving pointers on how to better protect their property from wildfires through the Fire Smart program (17); and higher temperatures have pushed up the fire danger in the Yukon as well, where 28 wildfires are currently burning in wilderness areas (18). As the investigation into wildfire near Athens, Greece, continues, authorities are suspecting that electrical sparks may have been the cause (19). A New York Times article takes a look at the damage done by the heat wave in Russia (20); where thousands of firefighters and over two dozen aircraft are battling blazes near Moscow (21); and fires are burning in Central Orenburg (22). Illegal hunters are suspected of starting a wildfire in Sri Lanka's Hurulu Forest Reserve (23). As plaintiffs continue to drop out of litigation in the Australia Capital Territory Supreme Court compensatory hearings, only 100 of the original 4,500 remain (24). The Royal Bushfire Commission report will be published at the end of this month (25); but Victoria's government has announced that it will not immediately implement recommendations made in the report, stoking fears that the state will not be ready for bushfire season when it arrives in October (26). And finally, firefighters in Oregon may have saved a school from burning down, but their efforts apparently triggered a landslide!

(1) National Forest steps up fire restrictions

(2) New, Small Wildfire Put Out West of Bend

(3) Cowiche wildfire has burned 6,200 acres

(4) Fire season heating up

(5) Forest: fire's bans in as rains kick in

(6) Tuba Fire burning near Coconino Forest

(7) Storm sparks new fires in Gila Forest

(8) Most fire reports just false alarms

(9) Eagle Mountain residents upset over Camp Williams wildfire response

(10) Wildfires destroy more than plants

(11) Group forms in Big Sky to address private land wildfire management

(12) Winds spread wildfire in Yellowstone

(13) Guard Firefighting

(14) FireIce Aids Firefighters at Mulch Fire in Yaphank, NY

(15) Hot Minnesota idea: An earth-friendlier fire retardant

(16) Spences Bridge fire 75 per cent contained: ministry

(17) Fire officials prepared for interface fires

(18) Fire danger near city now rated as high

(19) Electricity sparks suspected in wildfire

(20) Russians and Their Crops Wilt Under Heat Wave

(21) Unusually hot weather causes forest fires in the Moscow area

(22) State of emergency declared as forest fires rage in Russia’s summer drought

(23) Hurulu Forest fire brought under control in Lanka

(24) More Canberra bushfires plaintiffs drop claims

(25) Bushfire report set for July 31 release

(26) Delays likely as bushfire season approaches

(27) Firefighting likely caused Oregon landslide