WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 073010

First up in Wildfire News Of The Day, subscriber Tony Morris, Communications Director for Wildfire Research Network passed along an announcement from Congressman Adam Schiff's office of the panelists for the upcoming Station Fire hearing to be held in Pasadena, California, on August 10th. Meanwhile, incident commanders launched an all-out air assault with the DC-10 and several other air-tankers against the Crown fire, burning in Leona Valley north of Los Angeles, to aid the 750 firefighters battling the blaze on the ground (1); while more than 2,000 firefighters battling the Bull Fire in Sequoia National Forest have increased containment to 55% (2); but despite the unpredictability of the wind-driven wildfires, firefighters are telling homeowners that there is no danger to their homes (3). Humans aren't the only ones being evacuated from the Southern California wildfires, as the next article shows (4). As the wildfires continue to blaze in Southern California, CAL FIRE has dispatched dozens of firefighters from Sierra Nevada fire stations to help (5); and CAL FIRE air-tankers were also busy battling a small wildfire in Lakeside, California (6). A pair vegetation fires were reported in a Northern California community (7); no doubt prompting Stanislaus National Forest to impose burn restrictions throughout the forest (8). A wildfire burning in Oregon's John Day River canyon has scorched 4,000 acres and is considered 60% contained (9); but a new wildfire in Washington state's North Cascades National Park has been reported (10). Thunderstorms that rolled through Ketchum, Idaho, have sparked three wildfires (11); and the next story relates the plight of families whose homes were destroyed in a wildfire that burned in Eagle (12). Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is making hundreds of thousands of dollars available to rural fire districts throughout the state to help in battling future wildfires (13); while one Massachusetts community proudly showed off their latest acquisition: a rehabilitated wildfire-fighting fire truck! (14) A firefighting helicopter crashed while battling the Yalakom Valley blaze in British Columbia, Canada, but the pilot and copilot suffered only minor injuries (15); and a wildfire near Simon Fraser University threatened homes briefly (16); this at a time when the province is facing a high fire danger, according to fire officials (17); and as such, is putting some teeth into their wildfire arson legislation, touting a $1 million fine and up to three years in jail for offenders (18). Wildfires have contributed to the closure of three highways in the Yukon (19). A wildfire which burned a conifer grove earlier this week in East Sussex, UK, is being brought under control by firefighters (20). Heading to the Mediterranean, fires were reported in Albania, in Dimos Asinis, Dimos Vatheos, and Dimos Pythagoreioy, Greece, and at nearly three dozen locations in Portugal (21). As Russia suffers through the worst heat wave on record, 25 people have been killed and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed by raging wildfires across central Russia, with the leadership gearing up to employ the Army to help battle the blazes, as the next two articles show (22)(23); and the Russian president is discussing purchasing more BE-200 firefighting aircraft (24). Firefighters in the Ukraine, where the heat wave is also sparking blazes, have made progress on extinguishing them (25). The Community-Based Rural Development Project in the African nation of Ghana has borne fruit, in the form of reduced instances of bushfires (26). Even though Australia's Royal Bushfire Commission report hasn't been published yet, Victoria's government is already gearing up to reject some of the recommendations (27). Victoria is continuing to rebuild (28); and to help the process along, new bushfire-resistant products have been introduced: polymer decking (29); and roller shutters (30). And finally, a fishing tournament in Victoria will benefit the bushfire-hit communities (not to mention some lucky individual who gets a $50,000 prize!)

(1) Crown wildfire climbs to 8,000 acres in Leona Valley

(2) Bull Fire in Sequoia National Forest is 55 percent contained

(3) No homes in imminent danger from SoCal wildfire

(4) Breaking news: Wildfires cause several dog rescues to evacuate in Southern California

(5) Cal Fire sends Sacramento area crews to Palmdale, Southern California fires

(6) Crews Handle Lakeside Brush Fire

(7) Firefighters called to vegetation fires in Anderson

(8) Fire restrictions ordered in forest’s high risk areas

(9) Oregon wildfire burns 4,000 acres

(10) Wildfire reported near Stehekin

(11) Storms send response teams scrambling

(12) Families overwhelmed by fire's devastation

(13) Bureau of Forestry Announces Record Funding for Rural Firefighters

(14) Fire Dept. adds rehabbed forest truck without burning a hole in its budget

(15) Chopper fighting B.C. forest fire crashes

(16) Wildfire in Burnaby Thursday gets close to homes

(17) B.C. a tinderbox, firefighting officials warn

(18) $1 million fine, jail possible for violating B.C. campfire ban

(19) Events conspire to block three highways

(20) Fire crews damp down forest blaze on East Sussex border

(21) EFFIS - Current Situation

(22) Russian wildfires kill 25; Putin calls for officials' resignations

(23) Fire devastates homes near Voronezh

(24) Russian Wildfires Kill 25 as Record Heat Wave Prompts States of Emergency

(25) Forest fires extinguished in Luhansk region

(26) Ghana: Nation Makes Strides Through CBNRM

(27) Vic govt rejects part of bushfire report

(28) Victoria continues with bushfire rebuilding projects

(29) New bushfire resistant polymer decking from Timbertech

(30) Blockout roller shutters - the best protection against bushfires

(31) Fishing comp for Victorian bushfire recovery