WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 111310

First up in Wildfire News Of The Day, subscriber Kristina Hajjar, Director of Communications at Los Angeles County Fire Department, sent along an announcement about the dedication of a portion of Highway 14 in Southern California's high desert in honor of two LA County firefighters who lost their lives battling the Station Fire last year. Elsewhere in the news, the annual fall ritual of Santa Ana winds is underway in Southern California once again (1); while the Texas Forest Service, which responded to 515 fires that burned 8,372 acres in East Texas, warned that the wildfire danger still exists throughout that region (2). Firefighters in South Dakota battled a wildfire that burned nearly 10 acres, threatening a resort in the Black Hills yesterday (3); but Montana's Custer National Forest plans to treat 15,000 acres of timber through both logging and controlled burns to reduce the wildfire threat (4). Fire authorities have reopened portions of Illinois' Shawnee National Forest after a recent wildfire, one of over 50 reported since January in that area (5); while the Missouri Department of Conservation has issued wildfire warnings as firearms hunting season gets underway throughout the state (6). The next article takes a look at the events surrounding a 1,650-acre wildfire that burned in Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest (7); but even though a wildfire in Harlan County may be down, it's not out yet (8). Southern pine beetles have infested some 14,000 acres of New Jersey's pinelands, according to recent estimates, posing an increased fire danger for the area's 43 endangered species (9); and light winds are helping to spread a wildfire burning in Clinch County, Georgia, that is threatening structures (10). Florida Division of Forestry announced containment of a four-acre wildfire in Madison County (11); while a wildfire was quickly brought under control in St. Johns County yesterday (12). New Brunswick fire officials stated that wildfires were at a 10-year low in that Canadian province (13). A video from Russia provides a fascinating view of how they plan to modernize their firefighting services by 2015 by spending 40 billion rubles to develop and procure the latest firefighting technology (14); while the next article gives a breakdown on how New South Wales, Australia, will spend $100 million to improve their bushfire-fighting capabilities (15). And finally, some firefighters in Brevard County, Florida, went to a school to battle a wildfire and ended up in the hospital after battling bees!

(1) Santa Ana winds increase fire threat

(2) Wildfire threat down, but danger persists

(3) Wildfire Near Hart Ranch Is Contained

(4) Custer National Forest proposes logging, prescribed fire project near Ashland, again

(5) Grassy Knob fire area open after large forest fire

(6) State and National Officials Issue Wildfire Danger Warning, Urge Hunters and Campers To Use Extra Caution with Fire

(7) Wildfire in gorge is contained, but destruction, hazards remain

(8) Forest Fire Lingers on Pine Mountain

(9) Tiny southern pine beetles chew through 14,000 acres of N.J. pinelands

(10) Wildfire Spreading in South Georgia, Arson Suspected

(11) Madison County wildfire contained, but drivers urged to use caution in area

(12) Wildfire Under Control Near Palencia

(13) Forest fires down over past decade

(14) Rescue teams show Putin firefighting robots and miniature helicopter

(15) Bushfire fighting gets $100m

(16) Fire contained near Brevard preschool, bees send firefighters to hospital