WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 032010

A pair of native plant experts will be giving a program in Southern California titled "Angeles Forest Recovery and the `Fire Follower' Plants'", which will discuss the rejuvenation of areas in the Angeles National Forest burned by the Station Fire (1). An Op-Ed piece announces a project by the FireSafe Council of Nevada County, California, to collect volunteers to help with removal of Scotch Broom (a major fire hazard in that region) near structures (2); and an article from Northern California provides advice on how to firescape your property (3). US Forest Service will be disposing of some slash in Prescott, Arizona, this next week, as they prepare for fire season (4). New Jersey's State Forest Fire Services are conducting nearly three dozen prescribed burns in that state in preparation for fire season (5); even as a wildfire elsewhere in that state has exceeded 100 acres, forcing homeowners in its path to evacuate (6). Firefighters in West Virginia will be practicing with controlled burns to prepare for the real thing (7); and the US Forest Service plans to conduct prescribed burns on Tennessee's Starr Mountain (8). The Mississippi Forestry Commission reminded residents of that state that windy conditions make this an especially bad time of year for wildfires (9). Further south, the Caribbean island of Jamaica is suffering through a bushfire that is burning in difficult terrain (10); and as the debate over climate change continues, the next article makes dire predictions about how wildfires could decimate South America's Amazon rainforests, helped along by the current El Nino effect (11). Snowdonia National Park in Wales was ravaged by a wildfire this past week (12). An out-of-control forest fire is blazing south of Manila in the Philippines (13); and a coalition of SE Asian countries will meet in Thailand within the next few days to tackle the issue of smoky skies in the region (14). As Vietnam continues to deal with drought conditions, the southeastern part of that country is at extreme risk from forest fires (15); while bushfires were once again reported in the East Asian island nation of Brunei (16). The Australian Farm Institute has published a report that underscores an important fact about bushfires: prevention is better than suppression! (17) And finally, firefighters in Calgary, Canada, probably never got a call like this one (perhaps the new training regimen will include a session of 'Snakes and Ladders'!)

(1) Experts to talk on post-fire forest recovery

(2) Other Voices: Help prevent wildfire — take the Scotch Broom Challenge

(3) Defend your space with right landscape

(4) Fire managers to burn wood piles Monday

(5) Smoke in Warren Grove from controlled burns

(6) Barnegat brush fire spreads over 100 acres; Homes evacuated

(7) Firefighter Training With Controlled Burns

(8) Fire on the mountain - Forest Service plans controlled burns on Starr Mountain

(9) March, Wildfire Prevention Month

(10) St. Elizabeth bush fire changes direction

(11) IPCC is right: Amazon still at risk from drought, global warming

(12) Bush Fires In Wales

(13) Forest fire burning out of control in Palawan

(14) Haze summit aims to clear the air

(15) Southeastern region faces high risk of forest fires

(16) Bush Fires Rage Near Brunei-Muara Schools, Homes

(17) Bushfire response should be prevention: AFI

(18) Firefighters respond to creepy call