WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 020210
First up in wildfire news today, ominous signs for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program's budget, as Fire Department Network News reports on a Congressional Fire Services Institute press release about the Obama Administration targeting the AFG program as it begins to swing the budget ax (1); but millions will be set aside ($35 million to help land and wildlife managers, $75 million for catastrophic wildfires) to help prepare for the wildfires projected by climate scientists as Global Warming worsens (2). The US Forest Service will be conducting controlled burns in the forests around Lake Tahoe this week (3); while the Texas Forest Service is hot on the trail of a serial arsonist in Howard County (4). A new Canadian study about the incidence of wildfires in the Boreal forests across the top of the world has been unveiled (5); and thirty years after a wildfire devastated the area, Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales will be renovated (6). An out of control wildfire is being battled by 900 firefighters in China's Sichuan Province (7); but officials are exploring GPS applications for helping better detect wildfires in India's Himachal Pradesh (8). A bushfire in New Zealand was doused by heli-tankers and firefighters on the ground (9). Wayne Coulson's amazing S-76 Firewatch helicopter is profiled as it operates over the Australian bushfires (10); and having completed preliminary testing in Victoria, the results of the DC-10's retardant drops will be evaluated by the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre (11). Attempting to avoid the 'blame game', officials at the Royal Bushfire Commission cautioned people about judging individuals responsible for battling the Black Saturday blazes (12); but there was plenty of blame for a pair of teenagers charged with arson in connection with a bushfire that blazed through Bendigo on Black Saturday (13). Precipitation across Victoria's southwest should dampen any chance of bushfires as the region observes the first anniversary of Black Saturday (14); hopefully not inconveniencing cricket players at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, who plan to acknowledge the one-year anniversary of Black Saturday in a solemn ceremony (15); even as grief counselors prepare for an upsurge in people needing psychological counselling as the Black Saturday anniversary approaches (16). Dueling lawyers were center stage at the Royal Bushfire Commission hearings (17); as was the case in a bushfire charity fraud case (18). A trio of joggers plans to raise bushfire awareness in Victoria this weekend (19); but an annual motorcycle fundraiser that benefits bushfire survivors is running into some official opposition (20). A bushfire on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula has been contained after a stiff fight that required the assistance of half a dozen air-tankers (21); while firefighters in Tasmania are still grappling with a bushfire that breached containment in the Florentine State Forest (22). And finally, wild horses and burros whose rangeland in the West has been reduced by wildfires will be finding new homes in Louisiana (mind your step in those bayous!)
(1) Obama Administration's 2011 Budget Proposes Cuts To Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
(2) A look at Obama's 2011 budget for govt agencies
(3) USFS plans controlled burns at Tahoe this week
(4) Forest Service Called in to Help Investigate a Series of Fires in Howard County
(5) Boreal Wildfires and Climate Change
(6) Airlift restores Brecon Beacons hill to former glory
(7) Fire engulfs 60 hectares of forest in SW China
(8) GPS systems for containing forest fires in Himachal
(9) Forest Fire Put Out Quickly
(10) The firefighting wonder from down under
(11) Air tanker debut
(12) Bushfire errors 'not individuals' fault'
(13) 'Show us your face' - anger as teens face Black Saturday arson charges
(14) HEAT'S OFF: Wet weather for bushfire anniversary
(15) Cricketers to mark bushfire anniversary
(16) Lifeline to provide online counselling to bushfire survivors as state braces for Black Saturday anniversary
(17) Fire preparation 'regrettable', says Allan Myers QC at Bushfire Royal Commission
(18) Bushfire car deception case adjourned
(19) Bushfire victims inspire trio to go the extra mile
(20) No ticket to ride for bushfire fundraiser
(21) Firefighters contain bushfire near Rapid Bay
(22) Tassie bushfire breaks containment lines
(23) Horses looking for homes
First up in wildfire news today, ominous signs for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program's budget, as Fire Department Network News reports on a Congressional Fire Services Institute press release about the Obama Administration targeting the AFG program as it begins to swing the budget ax (1); but millions will be set aside ($35 million to help land and wildlife managers, $75 million for catastrophic wildfires) to help prepare for the wildfires projected by climate scientists as Global Warming worsens (2). The US Forest Service will be conducting controlled burns in the forests around Lake Tahoe this week (3); while the Texas Forest Service is hot on the trail of a serial arsonist in Howard County (4). A new Canadian study about the incidence of wildfires in the Boreal forests across the top of the world has been unveiled (5); and thirty years after a wildfire devastated the area, Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales will be renovated (6). An out of control wildfire is being battled by 900 firefighters in China's Sichuan Province (7); but officials are exploring GPS applications for helping better detect wildfires in India's Himachal Pradesh (8). A bushfire in New Zealand was doused by heli-tankers and firefighters on the ground (9). Wayne Coulson's amazing S-76 Firewatch helicopter is profiled as it operates over the Australian bushfires (10); and having completed preliminary testing in Victoria, the results of the DC-10's retardant drops will be evaluated by the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre (11). Attempting to avoid the 'blame game', officials at the Royal Bushfire Commission cautioned people about judging individuals responsible for battling the Black Saturday blazes (12); but there was plenty of blame for a pair of teenagers charged with arson in connection with a bushfire that blazed through Bendigo on Black Saturday (13). Precipitation across Victoria's southwest should dampen any chance of bushfires as the region observes the first anniversary of Black Saturday (14); hopefully not inconveniencing cricket players at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, who plan to acknowledge the one-year anniversary of Black Saturday in a solemn ceremony (15); even as grief counselors prepare for an upsurge in people needing psychological counselling as the Black Saturday anniversary approaches (16). Dueling lawyers were center stage at the Royal Bushfire Commission hearings (17); as was the case in a bushfire charity fraud case (18). A trio of joggers plans to raise bushfire awareness in Victoria this weekend (19); but an annual motorcycle fundraiser that benefits bushfire survivors is running into some official opposition (20). A bushfire on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula has been contained after a stiff fight that required the assistance of half a dozen air-tankers (21); while firefighters in Tasmania are still grappling with a bushfire that breached containment in the Florentine State Forest (22). And finally, wild horses and burros whose rangeland in the West has been reduced by wildfires will be finding new homes in Louisiana (mind your step in those bayous!)
(1) Obama Administration's 2011 Budget Proposes Cuts To Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
(2) A look at Obama's 2011 budget for govt agencies
(3) USFS plans controlled burns at Tahoe this week
(4) Forest Service Called in to Help Investigate a Series of Fires in Howard County
(5) Boreal Wildfires and Climate Change
(6) Airlift restores Brecon Beacons hill to former glory
(7) Fire engulfs 60 hectares of forest in SW China
(8) GPS systems for containing forest fires in Himachal
(9) Forest Fire Put Out Quickly
(10) The firefighting wonder from down under
(11) Air tanker debut
(12) Bushfire errors 'not individuals' fault'
(13) 'Show us your face' - anger as teens face Black Saturday arson charges
(14) HEAT'S OFF: Wet weather for bushfire anniversary
(15) Cricketers to mark bushfire anniversary
(16) Lifeline to provide online counselling to bushfire survivors as state braces for Black Saturday anniversary
(17) Fire preparation 'regrettable', says Allan Myers QC at Bushfire Royal Commission
(18) Bushfire car deception case adjourned
(19) Bushfire victims inspire trio to go the extra mile
(20) No ticket to ride for bushfire fundraiser
(21) Firefighters contain bushfire near Rapid Bay
(22) Tassie bushfire breaks containment lines
(23) Horses looking for homes
Labels: air-tankers, bushfires, firefighting, forest fires, wildfire news, wildfire news of the day, wildfires
posted by Michael Archer @ 12:52 PM
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