Firebomber Publications Blog

Wildfire News Of The Day (the Firebomber Publications blog) provides comprehensive international wildfire news. Subscribers include over 10,000 personnel from fire agencies, contractors, and government entities on five continents. "BEST NEWSLETTER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY 32 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE" - San Diego Fire Department Chief Brian Fennessy.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 021710

Among other programs being impacted by President Obama's budget cutbacks, the Department of the Interior could lose up to $44 million earmarked for vegetation clearance on federal land, as reported in our first wildfire article today (1); while a Central California wildfire group is having a meeting to discuss wildfire issues with forestry officials (2). A bill to shield Washington state firefighters from liability when battling wildfires in so-called 'no-man's lands', areas with no clear jurisdictional responsibility, has been approved by the state senate (3). Authorities are asking for the public's help in identifying suspects who might have lit last October's Potato Fire in Arizona (4); and a volunteer fire department in Texas is encouraging citizens to do their part in preventing wildfires (5). Firefighters will be setting a controlled burn in a North Carolina park to reduce fuel ahead of the fire season in that state (6); while Floridians living near Ocala National Forest were advised of smoke from prescribed burns drifting into their area (7); and firefighters in Brevard County are warning residents of the elevated fire danger over the next few days (8). Latitude Technologies has unveiled their new Air Tanker Information System, which will keep track of air-tankers through the online Web Sentinel utility used to track the Martin Mars and other aircraft (9). As Yunnan Province continues to suffer through its worst drought in 60 years, three Chinese firefighters died battling a blaze there (10); and a large wildfire was reported in the Philippine province of Nueva Vizcaya (for readers who don't speak Filipino, the translated article can be found here) (11). The second article in a two-part series provides an inside look at the political wrangling going on behind the scenes at Australia's Royal Bushfire Commission hearings (12); and the debate over how much fuel to burn in Victoria is continuing as well (13). One community in Victoria is still debating a bushfire refuge's location due to concerns over traffic jams during an emergency (14); but an 18% drop in tourists is being blamed on bushfire fears in that state(15); while one police department in that state has come up with an innovative way to keep out sightseers and looters when a bushfire occurs: paper wristbands for residents! (16) A trio of bushfires continues to burn in Western Australia (17); even as firefighters in New South Wales are warning residents of one community of the bushfire danger in the area (18). An Australian Capital Territory firefighter killed fighting the Black Saturday blazes will be remembered on the first anniversary of his death (19); while Tasmanian vigoro players make a donation to help with rebuilding in the bushfire-hit community of Bendigo, Victoria (20). And finally. as the debate about climate change (which forecasts worsening wildfires) continues, a large number of meteorologists are convinced the whole thing is a 'scam', according to our last item today.

(1) Stimulus funds going to slashed programs

(2) Wildland Fire Safe Council annual meeting, barbecue

(3) Senate OKs Honeyford's wildfire fighting bill

(4) Officials seek leads in October's Potato fire

(5) Waskom VFD encourages fire prevention

(6) Prescribed burn set for Thursday at Halyburton Park

(7) Controlled burn in Ocala National Forest today could bring smoke to West Volusia

(8) Fire weather watch for Brevard on Wednesday

(9) Latitude announces its Air Tanker Information System (ATIS)

(10) Three dead in southwest China forest fire

(11) Extensive wildfire, recorded in Nueva Vizcaya

(12) Will Bushfires Commission bite the hand that feeds?

(13) DSE suggests doubling Vic fuel reduction

(14) Council rejects 'traffic jam' bushfire safe place

(15) Fears bushfire ratings stopping tourists

(16) HAVE YOUR SAY: Wristband plan for fire access

(17) Fires burn across WA

(18) Cobbitty residents warned of bushfire danger

(19) Bushfire victim’s family to mark life

(20) State vigoro players to assist Victorian bushfire victims TASMANIAN VIGORO SQUAD

(21) Many Meteorologists Break with Science of Global Warming

Labels: , , , , , ,

 
www.hypersmash.com