WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072810

Hundreds of wildfires in California, many of them lightning-sparked affairs in the northern part of the state, including two massive ones north of Los Angeles, have scorched thousands of acres (1); but firefighters in Northern California are getting a handle on their blazes (2); and help is on the way to the ones further south from Watsonville (3); and Orange county (4); while residents reflected on homes that were lost or spared in the next item (5); at a time when firefighters have a new worry on their minds: wind! (6) The Medford air-tanker base will open to the public this coming Saturday so that they can get a glimpse of Oregon's aerial firefighting fleet (7); while Washington state's Department of Natural Resources is crediting high vegetation moisture levels with keeping the number of wildfires resulting from dry lightning strikes down (8). The Bureau of Land Management will begin demobilizing firefighters that have been working a 6,200-acre fire in Nevada as containment reached 60% (9). The Cardinal Creek wildland fire, which is burning in Montana, has exceeded the 2,000-acre mark (10); while the following article provides a stunning photo of the Dominic Point Fire taken from the International Space Station (11). A trio of 14-year-old arsonists have been charged with setting a five-alarm wildfire in New Hampshire (12); and Gloucester, Massachusetts, has closed their public woods due to the fire danger as heat and drought persist (13). Firefighters battling two wildfires in the New Jersey Pinelands which have burned over 700 acres total have halted the fires' progress (14); and fire-threatened Bass River State Forest is reopening (15). Florida Division of Forestry reported two wildfires along the Treasure Coast (16). Climate researchers are debating a controversial NOAA study which stated that conducting controlled burns in the Western United States would actually cut CO2 emissions (17). Residents of a Canadian trailer park in Kamloops, British Columbia, were forced to evacuate in the early morning hours due to a wildfire (18); even as lightning sparked more blazes elsewhere in the province (19). A wildfire that has burned thousands of acres in northern Alberta, renamed the Marguerite River Fire, has been contained (20). Some 1,200 firefighters battled hundreds of wildfires across Portugal (21); but the EU was sending help, including a pair of CL-415 Super Scoopers dispatched by Italy, with a further two French aircraft based in Corsica that are available on short notice (22). Russia threw nearly 9,000 firefighters and dozens of aircraft at hundreds of wildfires burning across central Russia (23). At least one shire in Victoria, Australia, feels better prepared for the bushfire season with the unveiling of their new Country Fire Authority station (24). And finally, firefighters in Central California had a little more than just a wildfire to deal with this time, as an angry swarm of hornets attacked!

(1) Wildfires Burn 40 Homes, Threaten 150 in California

(2) Lightning fire in Lassen 90 percent contained

(3) Local firefighters head to Kern County blaze

(4) O.C. firefighters head to Kern County

(5) Residents reflect on homes saved, lost to Bull Fire

(6) Calif. wildfires burn about 40 homes, threaten 150

(7) Medford firefighting tanker base open to public Saturday

(8) DNR braces for lightening sparked fires this week

(9) Fire north of Gerlach now 60 percent contained

(10) Cardinal Creek wildfire tops 2,000 acres

(11) Dominic Point Fire, Montana

(12) Three teenagers suspected in five-alarm brush fire

(13) Gloucester closes public woods over fire risks

(14) Firefighters get upper hand on 2 NJ forest fires

(15) UPDATE: Forest fire continues to burn; camping ground reopens

(16) 2 wildfires burning west of I-95 near Sebastian

(17) Sparks fly over study suggesting wildfires cut CO2

(18) Trailer park evacuated as Kamloops grass fire grows to 50 hectares

(19) Lightning sparks Terrace fires

(20) Forest fire held, re-named Marguerite River Fire

(21) More than 1,200 firefighters battle raging forest fires in Portugal

(22) EU states rally as Portugal fights forest fires

(23) Russia fights 334 forest fires covering 81,321 hectares

(24) Have Your Say: Emerald Is Ready to Face Fire Risk

(25) Firefighters battle hornets, wildfire