WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 111510

Four air-tankers assisted over 100 firefighters in battling a wildfire in the Southern California community of Rubidoux on Sunday (1); and the bill may be paid by the rotary-saw user who is charged with starting it! (2) Nearly three dozen foresters from across the US gathered in the San Bernardino Mountains earlier this month for a review of the 2007 Grass Valley Fire (3); but the more recent Sepulveda Fire, which burned in that area a few days later, was of more interest to local firefighters (4). Even though temperatures are cooling in New Mexico, the State Forester warned that wildfire danger still exists in a state that has seen 560 fires that have burned nearly 89,000 acres so far this year (5); while firefighters in Floyd County, Indiana, struggled to keep a wildfire away from a casino (6); and firefighters in Canton, Ohio, had to deal with a field fire that threatened a nearby home over the weekend (7). Firefighters in Kentucky battled a 125-acre blaze along the Madison County line that threatened homes (8); but weekend rains helped to dampen the danger from wildfires in that state (9). Firefighters in Oxford County, Maine, responded to a 33-acre wildfire on Saturday (10); and a spokesperson for Maryland's Washington County Forest Conservancy District Board provided some pointers for conducting debris fires safely (11). Two firefighters battling a wildfire along a South Carolina road were struck by a wayward driver, resulting in one fatality and one serious injury (12). Roads closed due to a nearby swamp fire have been reopened by Georgia Department of Transportation (13); nevertheless, smoke from that fire forced a nearby air show to end early over the weekend (14). Sky lanterns (floating Chinese lanterns with candles inside) may be banned in the UK due, in part, to their propensity for starting field fires (15); while firefighters from the Georgian Environment and Natural Resources Ministry are struggling to extinguish a wildfire in that Central Asian republic (16). The northern Vietnamese province of Lao Cai will be working with the southern Chinese province of Yunnan to control forest fires along their common border (17); while in Australia, New South Wale's Rural Fire Service will be beefing up their communications gear with over $11 million in new equipment (18). Normally, one would think that wet weather would be a friend to firefighters, but firefighters in New South Wales beg to differ (19); as do representatives of Victoria's fire agencies (20). In order to better provide bushfire info to residents of Melbourne, Victoria, one local news station has implemented some changes (21); while the Bunyip Ridge Bushfire Recovery program will allocate $850,000 in job money to assist in rebuilding that area in Gippsland (22). Helicopters from SP AusNet are fanning out across Victoria to inspect some 100,000 power poles ahead of bushfire season (23); but a bushfire that burned nearly 100 acres in Western Australia, briefly threatening homes, has been brought under control by Fire and Emergency Services Authority firefighters (24). Air attack supervisors from Queensland Fire and Rescue Services will receive training this week on how to coordinate ground operations from the air (25). And finally, like legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield, Victoria, Australia's, volunteer firefighters feel that they get no respect!

(1) More than 100 Firefighters Battling Blaze

(2) Officials: Rotary Saw Sparked Rubidoux Brush Fire

(3) Foresters Tour Grass Valley Fire

(4) Crews Stop Fire Jumping Hwy 18

(5) Fire risk high in NM heading into winter

(6) Crews work into the night to gain control of southern IN wildfire

(7) Blaze claims field; Firefighters fight to keep it from homes

(8) Crews battling large wildfire

(9) Weekend Rain Decreases Forest Fires

(10) Forest service investigating wildfire in Hartford

(11) Start a brush pile, not a fire

(12) Driver Charged in Accident That Killed Firefighter

(13) Smoke-closed Roads are re-opened

(14) Moody Air Show Ends Early Due to Wildfire Smoke

(15) Lanterns ban call backed

(16) Aircrafts work to extinguish fire in Georgia

(17) Lao Cai, Yunnan boost forest fire fighting coordination

(18) NSW invests in bushfire comms gear

(19) NSW faces threat of grass fires

(20) Rains boosted fuel load, new fire chief warns

(21) 774 Fire Awareness Day

(22) Australia Jobs Fund Boosts Gippsland Bushfire Recovery

(23) SP AusNet inspects powerlines in East Gippsland

(24) All-clear given as firefighters control North Lake bush fire

(25) Firebombing training underway on southern Downs

(26) Volunteer firefighters want a bit of respect