WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 082810

Los Angeles Fire Department snuffed a small wildfire along the Hollywood Freeway yesterday (1); and a 25-acre wildfire was reported in Irvine today (2). A 12-acre wildfire reported in El Cajon yesterday was apparently started by workers installing some fencing (3); but a pair of wildfires burning in Yosemite National Park for the past few weeks have forced closure of some trails (4). CAL FIRE battled a 800-acre blaze in Central California that was burning in some heavy vegetation (5); and several fires have burned 3,000 acres in Oregon's Mount Hood National Forest as well (6). The Oregon Department of Forestry should have a rapt audience in Ashland when it presents a wildfire workshop right on the heels of a wildfire that burned 11 homes! (7) Better weather is helping firefighters grappling with a 5,700-acre wildfire in Oregon's Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (8); which is expected to be contained by September 6th (9). Aircraft aided firefighters on the ground in the Douglas Forest Protection District on Friday when a wildfire burned to within feet of homes (10); and the next article provides a photo extravaganza of firefighting aircraft in action in that state (11); however, wildfires proved to be something of an obstacle for hunters on opening day (12). A 1,700-acre wildfire threatened homes on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge yesterday (13). A summary of wildfires burning in Eastern Washington state is provided in the next article, where decreasing winds have allowed firefighters to get a handle on several blazes (14); while a wildfire in that area which destroyed two homes has finally been roped in after burning 1,000 acres (15). An exploding transformer sparked an 80-acre wildfire in Elbert County, Colorado (16); but despite a few large blazes this year, Utah is on record to have the least acreage burned in nearly a decade (17); nevertheless, a couple are currently burning in the Dixie National Forest (18). The Cottonwood Fire, which has burned 500 acres near Bogus Basin, Idaho, is sullying the air over that region (19); while firefighters were struggling to keep a 6,000-acre blaze out of heavy timber as 35-mph winds were driving it that direction (20). Hundreds of thousands of acres were on fire in Idaho, a situation not helped by a flurry of lightning-sparked wildfires (21); where a firefighter was injured by a falling tree (22); but a highway in Idaho that was closed by wildfires has now been reopened (23). Firefighters in Montana continued battling a couple of major blazes as cooling temperatures aided their fight (24); and dozens of homes had to be evacuated as a wildfire scorched over 400 acres elsewhere in that state (25). A number of wildfires continue to burn in South Dakota and Nebraska, as the next two articles show (26)(27). Firefighters in Wisconsin, which averages 1,500 wildfires a year, rehearsed for the real thing at a training session today (28); while firefighters in Arkansas are concerned about the highly flammable condition of forests in the Ozarks (29); and the Arkansas Forestry Commission reported a 400-acre blaze in the southwestern part of the state (30). Although wildfire season is still six weeks away, some residents of Blount County, Tennessee, are wasting no time in preparing (31). The director of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center and a Canadian Forest Service scientist reflect on what wildfires are in Canada's future (32); while the following article takes a look at the massive amount of acreage burned in British Columbia as wildfires were twice as active as is normally expected (33). The contribution of convict firefighters battling blazes in British Columbia is examined by the next article (34); but although Ontario has had few fires this season, the danger level is climbing in the northwestern part of that province (35). Heading to Australia, one reporter was critical about the Victorian Premier's response to the Royal Bushfire Commission recommendations (36); while various councils in the Ballarat region are voicing their support for bushfire reforms recommended by the Royal Bushfire Commission (37). A fire ecologist has voiced his support for one of the Royal Bushfire Commission recommendations - buying back land in the high-risk bushfire areas (38). And finally, US Forest Service employees in Washington state took a trip down memory lane as they reminisced about a very old warehouse which burned down recently.

(1) Firefighters put out grass fire near 170 Freeway in Valley

(2) Firefighters battling fires off Ortega, Shady Canyon

(3) Cause of fire near Grossmont College was accidental

(4) Fires close trails in Yosemite Park

(5) Yuba County Wildfire Grows To 800 Acres

(6) Forest fires near Detroit grow to 3,000 acres

(7) Wildfire workshop: 'Are You Prepared?'

(8) Change in weather, fortunes for Oak Flat firefighters

(9) Oak Flat fire end in sight: Containment expected Sept. 6

(10) Wildfire burns right up to homes

(11) Photo Gallery: Firefighting aircraft in action

(12) Wildfires disrupt opening day of hunting season

(13) Fire continues to threaten homes near Lyle in Columbia Gorge

(14) Calmer winds help control Washington wildfires

(15) Wildfire in Arden under control, 2 homes destroyed

(16) Wildfire spreads to 80 acres

(17) Mild Fire Season

(18) Wildfires blazing in Dixie Forest

(19) Where's the smoke over Bogus Basin coming from? A 500-acre wildfire that started Friday

(20) Hot Tea fire burns 6,000 acres north of Mountain Home

(21) Storm brings dozens of new fires in Idaho

(22) Firefighter injured in Idaho blaze, hospitalized

(23) Highway 21 reopens after wildfires near Stanley

(24) Firefighters count on more help, cooler weather

(25) Downing Mountain fire: 70 homes evacuated, 412 acres burned

(26) Hermosa fire 75 percent contained tonight

(27) Crews battle wildfires in Neb., S.D.

(28) Firefighters Fight Mock Fire as Part of Wildfire Training

(29) BC official: Forest floor a 'tinderbox'

(30) Fire burns estimated 400 acres in southwest Ark.

(31) Some Blount County Residents are Already Preparing for Fire Season

(32) Wilder fires

(33) B.C. forest fires burning massive areas

(34) Prisoners help battle forest fires

(35) Fire hazard expected to climb

(36) Fire refuges still a long time coming

(37) Ballarat region councils embrace bushfire reforms

(38) Fire ecologist supports land buyback scheme

(39) Forest Service employees recount memories of burned warehouse