WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 012110

First up in wildfire news, a Southern California teenager accused of setting at least a dozen wildfires since 2006 was set to be arraigned in a San Bernardino County court today (1); and Dan Ware, Fire Information Officer at New Mexico State Department of Forestry, sent along a press release about the Etchevery Fire, which has finally been corralled after forcing evacuations yesterday (2). Chris Mehl of Headwaters Economics sent along an article from Utah about the uneven sharing of wildfire suppression costs by cities there (3); but foresters in Montana are hoping for an extremely cold winter to help blunt the pine beetle offensive that expanded to 2.7 million acres in 2009 (4). The city of Chatham, Massachusetts, will be holding a public meeting to discuss wildfire plans (which probably strikes the citizens as a bit odd, given the amount of snow on the ground right now!) (5) In the aftermath of forest fires in eastern India, local government officials are invoking precautions against future outbreaks (6). Firefighters in Western Australia had to move quickly to douse a suspicious bushfire that threatened some homes (7); while business owners whose timber mill was destroyed by a bushfire in New South Wales are putting their lives (and business) back together again with some help from their friends (8). A team of researchers at the University of Adelaide in South Australia has unveiled a new bushfire detection and warning device that could be used by homeowners independently of current bushfire warning systems (9); however, Opposition politicians in that state are faulting the government for not moving along bushfire management plans at a quicker pace (10). The Bureau of Meteorology cited some 'teething problems' with Victoria's bushfire warning system (11). Residents of Whittlesea, Victoria, received a double honor: selection of a painting of a magpie rehabilitated after the Black Saturday bushfires for a prestigious art tour (12); and a visit by Prince William, who was touring bushfire areas (13) ; praising Australians for their courage (14); but not all the communities hit by bushfires were visited, causing some hard feelings by residents (15). And finally, a French firm has unveiled a lightweight drone that can be controlled from an iPhone, something that could prove useful to firefighters either in structure fires or in wildland blazes in the future (remember the 'floaters' from the Tom Selleck movie 'Runaway'?)

(1) Yucaipa teen faces arraignment on arson charges

(2) Etchevery Fire 100% Contained – Evacuations Lifted

(3) Some Utah cities shirking cost of fighting wildfires

(4) Pine beetle scourge grows

(5) Wildfire team to hold public meeting

(6) Forest fires: State takes stringent steps

(7) Middle Swan homes saved from bushfire, arson suspected

(8) Michelago couple rebuild after December bushfire

(9) Team invents personal bushfire danger device

(10) Councils 'in limbo' over bushfire plans

(11) Fire alert change risky, warns bureau

(12) Whittlesea Magpie flies high

(13) Prince William arrives in Whittlesea for bushfire tour

(14) Prince William salutes 'courageous' Australia fire survivors

(15) Kingslake bushfire victims left fuming when Prince William fails to show up

(16) Mini drone and iPhone take video games to real world