WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 090310

With the return of September in Southern California, a pair of CL-415 Super Scoopers has also returned, as summarized by the next article which shows photos of the aircraft doing demonstration runs at Lake Castaic (1). Six air tankers and numerous other apparatus were called in to battle a 719-acre wildfire burning in San Diego County (2); and in a follow-up to an article earlier this week about a study done on firefighting expenditures in San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties, the next item provides a useful link to the nine-page study here (3). The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has warned residents of the Central Valley that smoke from wildfires burning in the Sierra Nevada Mountains may sully the air (4); but a five-acre wildfire reported in a San Jose park yesterday drew a sharp response from firefighters (5). The next article provides an analysis of the recent Oak Knoll Fire, which was the worst in Ashland, Oregon, for the past century (6); while U.S. Forest Service will be reopening a scenic area in Mount Hood National Forest that was threatened by wildfires (7). A phone call from a hiker alerted firefighters to a small blaze near Spokane, Washington, yesterday (8); but a wildfire near Eightmile Lake has burned 200 acres (9). A wildfire in northern Arizona continue to expand past the 49-acre mark (10); even as U.S. Forest Service firefighters are allowing a wildfire near Sedona to continue to burn for ecological purposes (11). Texas Forest Service arson investigators are still examining the origins of a wildfire that burned in Rayburn County (12); while parts of Tennessee appear to be experiencing an early onset to their fall wildfire season (13). As fire crews return to Ontario, Canada, from battling blazes in British Columbia, the next article takes a look at the enormous amount of assistance provided by that province, which sent over 21,000 firefighters to help fight wildfires (14). Ecological and political factors are contributing to an abundance of wildfires ravaging Brazil's forests, where over 45,000 have already been recorded this year (15). Wildfires were reported in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Macedonia, Albania, and Greece (16); including wildfires burning on the Portuguese island of Madeira that are threatening an endangered seabird population (17). BE-200 and IL-76 air-tankers were in action over the Volgograd and Saratov Regions (18); where wildfires have killed eight, injured 14, and burned hundreds of structures (19); prompting Prime Minister Putin to set aside $33 million to help rebuild (20); but firefighters were making progress, having doused all the wildfires in the Volgograd region (21). Heading to Australia, Opposition politicians in Victoria have requested details on the $867 million the government plans to spend to implement bushfire reforms (22); while residents of Maroondah are requesting permits to clear out trees they feel threaten their homes if bushfires occur (23); but an arboriculture consultant contends that not all trees are a hazard during a bushfire (24). The Toowoomba Regional Council in Queensland is being asked to clear more vegetation from areas bordering residential areas before the bushfires begin (25); while another warning about a bad bushfire season ahead was issued by Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (26). A photo spread from New South Wales shows firefighters conducting controlled burns to reduce the bushfire danger near Byron Bay (27). And finally, firefighters in Pennsylvania were so excited about raising money for breast cancer awareness that a fire engine was tickled pink!

(1) New weapons in the fight against wildfires

(2) Campo-Area Brush Fire Burns 719 Acres

(3) OC Outspends San Diego County for Firefighting

(4) Sierra wildfire may send smoke to the Valley

(5) San Jose: Firefighters responding to 2-alarm vegetation fire, 2 homes threatened

(6) Oak Knoll worst Ashland fire in 100 years, officials say

(7) Parts of Olallie Scenic Area once threatened by wildfire re-opened in time for Labor Day

(8) Firefighters extinguish Dishman Hills wildfire

(9) Eightmile fire diminishes; trails reopen

(10) Hobble Fire near Williams continues to spread

(11) Fire near Sedona clearing out heavy forest fuel

(12) Authorities still investigating cause of Rayburn forest fire

(13) Early wildfire season expected

(14) Ontario fire crews return from British Columbia today

(15) Big dry and legal doubts fuel progress to new forest burn boom in Brazil

(16) EFFIS - Current Situation

(17) Forest fires in Madeira put future of Europe's rarest seabird under threat

(18) Five died, 14 injured in wildfires in Volgograd region

(19) Eight dead as fires flare up again in southern Russia

(20) Putin allocates $33 million to Volgograd, Saratov regions hit by wildfires (Update 3)

(21) Last wildfire put out in Volgograd region

(22) Fire costings sought by opposition

(23) Tree removal requests flat in Maroondah after bushfires

(24) Trees can help guard homes, Ringwood expert says

(25) 'Fears for repeat of bushfires'

(26) Prepare for deadly fire season

(27) Firies fuel the flames to protect Byron Bay

(28) Firefighters think pink for a good cause