WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 110210

A pair of wildfires alongside Southern California's Antelope Valley Freeway required the attention of CL-415s, helicopters, and firefighters on the ground to bring them under control yesterday afternoon (1); this at a time when CAL FIRE has put a burn ban into effect for San Luis Obispo County due to increased winds and unusually warm weather (2); even as environmentalists are threatening to sue the government over logging rules for the Giant Sequoia National Monument intended to reduce the fire danger (3). Restoration of 3,400 acres of land scorched by a wildfire in Arizona's Kaibab National Forest is underway (4); while residents of Prescott are opposed to firework sales in the area due to the wildfire threat they pose (5). US Forest Service has begun burning debris piles at New Mexico's Sandia Ranger District Helibase (6); but US Geological Survey has published their findings about debris flows from Colorado's Fourmile Canyon Fire and the news isn't particularly good (7). Texas Forest Service has warned residents of Colorado County about the danger from wildfires, imposing a burn ban (8); and in Ohio, Hamilton County Park District has advised park visitors that the drought makes for dangerous wildfire conditions there (9). As firefighters in Kentucky continued to battle a massive wildfire in the Red River Gorge, authorities are closing in on three suspects after finding a Wal-Mart receipt and examining store camera videos (10); while firefighters in the northern part of the state battled a 50-acre wildfire that was deliberately set (11). Russia's Prime Minister reflected on what lessons were learned from their summer of fire (12). Heading to Australia, a new 5-day program on assessing bushfire danger before allowing new housing developments was unveiled by University of Technology, Sydney, at their Melbourne, Victoria, extension (13); while Country Fire Authority is telling residents of the Dandenong Ranges to evacuate early whenever there is a chance of a bushfire (14); however, thousands of dollars worth of equipment has been stolen from people hard-hit by the Black Saturday bushfires (15). Australia Broadcasting Corporation has a new emergency information service for northern Queensland which will help keep people apprised of bushfire conditions (16); but the next article chronicles how bushfires made an early appearance in Western Australia yesterday (17). And finally, although most folks are happy when firefighters perform a successful extrication operation, a burglar caught in some ductwork while breaking into a restaurant in Virginia was probably not!

(1) Fire snarls traffic

(2) Cal Fire Suspends All Burning

(3) Environmentalists oppose new plan for sequoias monument

(4) Eagle Rock fire rehab work continues

(5) Prescott residents: Legal sale of fireworks will increase wildfire threat

(6) Forest Service plans wood pile burning on Sandias

(7) Post-Fire Estimates Indicate Debris Flow Potential Near Fourmile Creek Burn Area

(8) County bans outdoor fires

(9) Hamilton County issues Forest Fire Alert

(10) Search for Alleged Fire Starters

(11) Fire in Northern Ky. Appears Intentionally Set

(12) Conclusions should be drawn from summer fires - Putin.

(13) New course on building in bushfire prone areas

(14) CFA's plea over planning

(15) Thieves hit bushfire survivors

(16) ABC Far North Queensland's Online emergency coverage

(17) Homes threatened as bushfire season begins

(18) Firefighters free burglary suspect trapped for hours in restaurant's duct work