WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010610

In a followup to yesterday's article about a California Fish and Game helicopter that sparked a small wildfire when it crashed, more details are provided in our first item today (1); followed by a story of the battle between a Washington state air quality district and firefighters conducting controlled burns near Yakima (2). Residents around Arizona's Tonto National Forest are concerned about having only one road out in the event of a wildfire (3); while the US Forest Service recognized an Oklahoma aircraft business for their work with USFS (4). The University of Montana has released a new study forecasting the impact climate change will have on the Rocky Mountains, including increased wildfire activity (5); and a researcher from the US Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula will be discussing the impact of forest fires on one seldom-considered species: fish!(6) As firefighters conduct debris burning in southern Georgia, the benefits to wildlife in the area are discussed (7). The Washington Post takes a look at seasonal firefighter benefits in the US Forest Service (8); and the president of the National Fire Protection Agency acknowledged the greater risks worldwide posed by wildfires during his New Year's address (9). After being named as the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in 2007 due to forest fires used to clear land, Indonesia is launching an ambitious reforestation plan to try to offset the CO2 emissions of the past (10). An Op-Ed piece once again examines best practices for civilians fleeing bushfires in Victoria (11); but FESA is cautiously optimistic that mop-up of fires that have been raging in Western Australia can finally begin (12). Police in New South Wales are frustrated about their lack of progress in apprehending an arsonist (13); while a fire and weather information website that tracks conditions in Queensland and the Northern Territory is scrambling to find funding to keep their site running (14). Homeowners in Tasmania are watching a bushfire closely after it breached containment lines and continued its advance towards their homes (15). And finally, another 'watch out' for firefighters comes to us from Utah: Snakes in a trailer!

(1) Helicopter crash in the Sierra kills pilot, 3 Fish and Game biologists

(2) Where there's smoke, there's ire

(3) Fire-menaced communities may get back-road escapes

(4) U.S. Forest Service Claims The Greenwood Group Best

(5) Study: Climate change means greater risk of catastrophic wildfire

(6) Researcher to discuss fish, warming climate

(7) Controlled burns to improve wildlife habitat, reduce wildfire hazards in Southeast Georgia

(8) For many in Forest Service, benefits kept just out of reach

(9) Challenge, opportunity, and progress

(10) Indonesia says forest plan can meet emission target

(11) Tips for fleeing a bushfire

(12) WA downgrades bushfire warnings, for now

(13) Lack of evidence stalls police bushfire investigation

(14) Funding boost for fire information site

(15) Property threatened in fire outbreak

(16) Firefighters face more than fire