WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 080410

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has invited Congress to have the Government Accountability Office launch an investigation into why recordings critical to the Station Fire reports were not released to Forest Service or newspaper investigators, the investigation to be completed before next Tuesday's Station Fire hearing in Pasadena, California (1); this coming at a time when Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich is asking that the Angeles Crest Highway be renamed in honor of two LA County firefighters who died during that fire (2). An overwhelming response from US Forest Service and CAL FIRE has resulted in 100% containment of a 35-acre wildfire that burned near Big Sur (3). With vegetation drying out fast, the Oregon Department of Forestry feels that a major wildfire is coming, perhaps in the Rogue Valley (4); while the Rooster Rock Fire is 5% contained after burning 2,600 acres north of Bend (5). A 2,000-acre wildfire in East Wenatchee, Washington, which came within 400 yards of a home is nearly out (6); but residents in Reno, Nevada, are getting an unwanted visitor from California: wildfire smoke! (7) A homeless man from California who is accused of accidentally starting a 280-acre wildfire near Flagstaff, Arizona, had his day in court (8). A summary of wildfires burning in Idaho is up next (9). A firefighter battling a wildfire in Weymouth, Massachusetts, was injured when he fell off a ladder (10). British Columbia's wildfire season is heating up fast, with 400 wildfires currently burning in that Canadian province (11); where the cost of battling wildfires has exhausted the firefighting budget for a second year in a row (12). The contribution of pine beetles to British Columbia's raging wildfires is examined by the next item (13); but one part of that province has been spared the ravages of major wildfires for over three decades (14). Some residents of BC are failing to heed the orders to evacuate (15); but an Op-Ed piece argues that evacuating areas threatened by wildfires may not only save evacuees' lives, but the lives of firefighters as well (16). Northern Saskatchewan still has 119 wildfires burning in the area (17); while the next article provides a retrospective on a wildfire that shut down a highway in the Yukon last week (18). Firefighters in Labrador received assistance from air-tankers in dealing with a small blaze (19). Heading to the Mediterranean region, wildfires were reported in Dimos Marathokampoy, Greece, and Loureda, Portugal, as well as in Algeria and Albania (20). A peat fire has kept firefighters outside of Kiev, Ukraine, busy (21); but they still had enough resources to lend a hand to their neighbor, Russia (22). As Russian firefighters continued to squelch hundreds of wildfires, Moscow has been engulfed in an acrid smoke cloud (23); while the next article looks at the cost financially, including the sobering fact that Prime Minister Putin slashed the wildland firefighting force by 75% some years back, which contributed to the current crisis (24); including the destruction of 20% of the Russian wheat crop (25). Putin arrived at the city of Voronezh for a Security Council meeting on the current crisis (26); where he thanked Russian air-tanker crews for their bravery in battling wildfires around that city (27). The Russian president has fired the naval officers in charge of a base near Moscow which was destroyed by wildfires (28). A Russian graphic on the ecological effects of forest fires misses a few points on the benefits wildfires convey to the ecosystem (29); while another discusses types of forest fires and how to extinguish them (30). Wildfires in the Central Asian republic of Azerbaijan are the topic of the next article (31); even as that country stands ready to lend Russia some air-tankers to battle the blazes raging there (32). Heading to Australia, the head of Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment has apologized for not doing more in regards to Black Saturday (33); while the new Emergency Services Commissioner is frustrated with the slow pace for implementing bushfire safeguards (34). Victoria's Premier is getting an earful on his 'listening tour' from Black Saturday bushfire survivors (35); and an Op-Ed piece faults him for not acting on Royal Bushfire Commission recommendations immediately (36). Local governments in Victoria are debating the cost (estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars) of implementing the 67 recommendations by the Royal Bushfire Commission (37); while the debate over how much vegetation to burn off in Victoria is revisited by the next article (38). With an estimated 20,000 homes due to be constructed on lots around Melbourne, an Op-Ed piece argues that Victorians must learn from the Black Saturday bushfires or live through a similar disaster in the future (39). And finally, a Country Fire Authority brigade may be getting a very distinguished volunteer to add to their ranks: the head of the Royal Bushfire Commission!

(1) Federal inspector general launches probe of Station fire

(2) Supervisor wants road named to honor firefighters killed in Station Fire

(3) Big Sur Fire Now 100% Contained

(4) Wildfire Threat Increases

(5) Oregon wildfire still raging

(6) Wildfire threat eases near East Wenatchee

(7) Smoky skies in Reno might be from Bar Fire

(8) Man enters plea in 280-acre Flagstaff wildfire

(9) Firefighters getting a handle on backcountry blazes

(10) Firefighter Hurt Battling Brush Fire

(11) 400 forest fires raging in B.C.

(12) B.C. burns through $52M budget to fight forest fires

(13) Beetle infestation boosting B.C.’s costly 400-plus wildfires

(14) Wildfire warning

(15) Wildfires won’t budge some B.C. residents

(16) Editorial: Refusal to flee fires only threatens lives

(17) Forest Fires Blazing in Northern Sask

(18) Fast-growing fire shuts down Hwy37

(19) Forest Fire Near Goose Bay Contained

(20) EFFIS - Current Situation

(21) Firefighters extinguishing peat fire in Kyiv-Sviatoshynsky district

(22) Ukrainian aircraft, fire engines helping extinguish Russian forest fires

(23) Thick smog from raging wildfires engulfs Moscow

(24) Shoigu Says Wildfires Out of Control

(25) Russian wheat crop in dire straits, while U.S. farmers expect bumper harvests

(26) Putin arrives in Voronezh region for meeting on wildfires aftermath

(27) Putin thanks aircrews for putting out fires

(28) Medvedev Fires Navy Brass Over Base Blaze; 48 Die in Wildfires

(29) Ecological consequences of forest fires

(30) Forest fires: Types and extinguishing steps

(31) Forest fires prevented in Azerbaijan

(32) Azerbaijan ready to do more to tackle Russian fires

(33) I'm sorry: haunted fire chief accepts responsibility

(34) Push for compulsory fire bunkers

(35) Not happy, John: Brumby blasted

(36) Prevaricating Premier

(37) Councils count cost of measures

(38) Burning Victoria will not secure our future

(39) Next generation needs action now

(40) Local CFA would welcome Royal Commissioner