WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 032610

First up today, Wildfire NOTD subscriber David Baskett sent along another article about the BE-200's impending arrival at Santa Maria, California, next month (1); but an article from San Diego faults Senator Feinstein's office for greenlighting a controversial powerline that the authors feel would endanger homes in several towns to serious wildfires in the event of a downed powerline, the spark for several devastating wildfires in the past in that county (2). Forested areas near Lake Tahoe in California that were burned in the Angora Fire in 2007 will be replanted by U.S. Forest Service's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (3); however, gusty, dry conditions in southeastern Arizona have significantly raised the wildfire danger, causing officials to issue a Red Flag warning (4). Firefighters in southwestern Texas are bracing for wildfires amid strong winds and low humidity this weekend (5); and due to an earlier, drier spring this year, Michigan's Department of Natural Resources is predicting an early start to the wildfire season as well (6); a situation worsened by deliberately-set wildfires, like the one lit in a nature preserve in the Upper Peninsula (7). A Pennsylvania forest district won an award for fire prevention (8); while a report from South Carolina's Department of Natural Resources extols the benefits of controlled burns to that state's forests (9). Residents of Central Florida were warned by state forestry officials that frost-killed plants make the wildfire danger even worse (10); and some tips for preventing wildfires is provided in a segment from a southwestern Florida TV station (11). Heading North, Canadian fire protection personnel will relocate from Victoria to the new wildfire control centre in Kamloops (one of six in British Columbia) on April 1st (12); even as fire agencies in Alberta fear that, with only 80% of normal winter moisture this year, they will need to be on high fire alert, including staffing of over 100 fire lookout towers around the province (13); and parts of Ontario are already under a strict burn ban, as early snow melts and dry conditions increase the wildfire threat (14). Several households impacted by bushfires on the Caribbean island of Trinidad will get some help from the government (15); but three young people were arrested in northern Wales in connection with gorse fires set in Newborough Forest (16). The ongoing drought in China's southwest, with the consequence of more severe wildfires, is tackled by the next article (17). As hearings over the 2003 bushfire compensation case continue in Canberra, Australia, a forest overseer pointed out that early response to bushfires, day or night, is the key to controlling them (18); but a bushfire memorial in Canberra's Stromlo Forest Park was defaced by taggers, outraging the community (19). Billions of dollars need to be injected into the power grid's infrastructure in Victoria to prevent more powerline-caused wildfires, according to testimony before the Royal Bushfire Commission (20); a fact which is, no doubt, on the minds of firefighters in western Victoria, who are on high alert this weekend as temperatures soar (21). TarraWarra Museum of Art, in Victoria, will open a new exhibit displaying the art of bushfires (22). And finally, another hidden cost of wildfires is underscored by the revelation that some irreplaceable documents penned by Albert Einstein were lost in a Central California wildfire.

(1) Russian Firefighting Air Tanker Flying into Santa Maria

(2) Powerlink Shocker: Feinstein Tells Forest Service Chief She Supports Powerlink, Sees “No Opposition” Other Than “Nimby Groups Fully Considered & Dismissed”

(3) Reforestation of Angora Fire area planned

(4) Gusty winds in southeast AZ prompt red flag warning today

(5) Weekend forecast: Central, southern storminess likely

(6) Grass fires more dangerous in area during wildfire season

(7) Fire causes evacuation

(8) Forest District wins statewide award

(9) SC DNR Report: Prescribed fires can benefit South Carolina pine forests

(10) Plants killed by cold winter may fuel explosive wildfires

(11) Brush Fire Prevention Blitz: How to keep your home safe from wildfire

(12) Wildfire centre opens on April 1

(13) Alberta prepares for wildfire season

(14) No open burning in Hilton

(15) Families Affected By Bush Fires To Get Help From State

(16) Youths arrested after Newborough forest fire

(17) Drought causes severe forest losses in China

(18) 'Fire control not dangerous', hearing told

(19) Family outrage as vandals cross line

(20) Power line fire 'time bomb'

(21) Western Vic put on bushfire alert

(22) Brush with fire turns into brushstrokes of art

(23) Wildfire suit involves Einstein documents