WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072410

Southern California was the scene of several wildfires yesterday, including a pair which burned along Interstate 5 near Santa Clarita that have been brought under control (1); and a wildfire that burned 20 acres near the Santa Ana River Wildlife area in Riverside County which was quickly contained by firefighters (2). CAL FIRE snuffed a wildfire on San Diego County's Campo Indian Reservation today (3); and mounted an overwhelming response to a three-acre wildfire in Central California yesterday (4). Firefighters will be burning off about 1,100 acres in the Sequoia National Forest to cut down on the wildfire threat (5); but residents of Vancouver, Washington, had been asked by their overstretched fire department to do their part to prepare for wildfires (6). A wildfire burning in Arizona's Kaibab National Forest is being held in check, partly by light rain (7); while fires in two northern Colorado counties challenged firefighters (8). An update on wildfires burning in Utah is provided by the next article (9). A wildfire burning in Idaho is approaching 2,000 acres in size (10); while a Time Magazine article tackles the thorny issue of Wyoming's underground wildfires, burning in coal seams where they're impervious to firefighters' suppression efforts (11). Firefighters in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park have advanced containment lines to 50% on a wildfire that's been burning there for some time (12); and the next article takes a look at wildfires in Montana, where firefighters are making progress on several blazes (13). Excessive heat has slowed progress on battling a wildfire burning in Horry County, South Carolina (14). Firefighters in British Columbia, Canada, reported progress on a wildfire that has burned over 1,000 acres in the Yalakom Valley (15); but residents and visitors to northern Manitoba are being advised that there is a high fire risk, even though the southern part of that province has been experiencing rain (16). In reply to a New York Times article about the devastation wildfires are causing in Guatemala's rainforests, a letter to the editor tells of the conservation successes of the Association of Forest Communities of the Petén (17). As temperatures continue to break century-old records in Russia, IL-76 and BE-200 firefighting aircraft swung into action over Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Yegoryevsk and Noginsk (18); but an Op-Ed piece by a reporter who has covered Australia's Royal Bushfire Commission proceedings summarizes the contentious issue between the Commission and the Victorian government (19). And finally, for those SEAT pilots who long for something with a little more firepower, have we got a plane for you!

(1) Firefighters Get Upper Hand On Brush Fires

(2) Firefighters Contain Quick Moving Fire in Riverside

(3) Crews Contain Brush Fire On Campo Reservation

(4) Friday afternoon fire contained at three acres

(5) Forest thinning underway to thwart wildfires

(6) Wildfire risk to be high this summer

(7) Juniper Fire burns Pumpkin Knoll area

(8) Regional crews battle new wildfires

(9) Brush fires burn areas across state

(10) Blacktail fire scorches 1,782 acres near Ririe

(11) Deep Underground, Miles of Hidden Wildfires Rage

(12) "Beach Fire" In Yellowstone National Park Nearly 50% Contained

(13) So far, so good: Despite high winds, blazes west of Missoula being kept in check

(14) Horry County wildfire still burning

(15) Good progress made on Jade fire

(16) Dry conditions and lightning causing elevated risk of forest fires in northern Manitoba

(17) Managing Rain Forests

(18) Moscow has registered the fourth daily temperature record in July

(19) Feeling the heat

(20) Who’s That Foreign Customer?