WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 040310

In wildfire news, Southern California's Air Quality Management District will provide $1.5 million to plant over 500,000 trees in the Angeles National Forest burned by the Station Fire (1); but despite the steep price tag, San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts discussed bringing a pair of CL-415s back to that region as the fire season nears (2). A Central California county has developed a Community Wildfire Protection Plan with the help of CAL FIRE and the BLM (3); while a master gardener from Arizona reflects on the need to clean up forests in that state or lose them to wildfires (4). A wildland fire official warned New Mexicans to be especially careful with outdoor fires Easter weekend due to the high fire danger (5); but the Boise (Utah) Fire Department went one step further, issuing an actual certificate to homeowners who provide proper vegetation clearance around their homes (6). A wildfire in Western Michigan cut power to 12,000 customers (7); and as if firefighters didn't have enough to worry about with prime wildfire conditions in that state, someone has been setting dumpster fires near vegetation! (8) Amid warming temperatures and drying conditions, residents of parts of Indiana have been warned to keep an eye on debris burns due to the wildfire danger (9). A blaze in Pennsylvania scorched about 200 acres as Red Flag conditions continued in parts of that state (10); where an AT-802 was touted by the Bureau of Forestry as a useful tool for dealing with future wildfires (11); and another item discusses how a team from three eastern states is working to reduce wildfires in Tuscarora State Park (12). Several counties in Upstate New York have been issued Red Flag warnings as conditions are ripe for wildfires there (13); a situation which escaped the notice of three teens who inadvertently lit a wildfire by setting off fireworks (14); and three other wildfires were reported in Oswego County as well (15). A moor fire in Nantucket, Massachusetts, required ministrations by heavy equipment before finally succumbing (16); and Virginia Department of Forestry provided some advice to homeowners on how to avoid having debris fires become wildfires (17). It was a very active day for firefighters in North Carolina, as evidenced by the next four articles (18)(19)(20)(21) As Alabama Forestry Commission wrapped up a wildfire in Mobile County, arson investigators deemed the blaze 'suspicious' (22). A wildfire in British Columbia drew a quick response from Canadian firefighters (23); and wildfires on the outskirts of St. Johns, Newfoundland, were quickly extinguished (24). Trinidad's Health Ministry is concerned about the hazard presented by bushfire smoke shrouding several parts of that Caribbean island nation (25); followed by an article from Ireland which warns that invasive plants, coupled with the drying climate in the British Isles, could lead to catastrophic wildfires in that region (26). Having promised to cut CO2 emissions by 20%, Indonesia's provincial governments are being told to reduce wildfires as the dry season approaches (27). The danger of reducing maintenance on powerlines in Victoria, Australia, where five of the eleven bushfires on Black Saturday were caused by fallen lines, was ignored when the policy was implemented in 2000 (28). The story of the Amatoya, a futuristic firefighting vehicle from Australia that could be adopted by Country Fire Authority, is revisited (29). And finally, our last article today, by yours truly, takes a look inside the most advanced natural resource research labs in the world, which, by the way, belong to US Forest Service. I hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

(1) U.S. Forest receives $1.5 million from AQMD to plant trees in Station Fire burn area

(2) County Supervisor Hopes For 'Super Scoopers' Return

(3) Local wildfire protection plan developed

(4) Master Gardener: Facing the fact of forest fires

(5) Fire season in full swing

(6) Boise Fire Department offers homeowners a Wildfire Hazard Reduction certificate

(7) Wildfire near Muskegon leads to power outages

(8) Dumpster Fires In Petoskey

(9) Warnings issued about open burns

(10) Firefighters Battle Brushfires: Area Under Red Flag Warning

(11) "Water Bomber" Demonstration

(12) National Wildfire Prevention team working at Tuscarora State Park

(13) Wildfire Alert In Effect

(14) Wildfire in Elma; Three Facing Charges

(15) Grass fires keeping Oswego County firefighters hopping

(16) Firefighters put out brush fire in the moors

(17) Wildfire Concerns

(18) Sidbury Road now open to traffic after brush fire

(19) Images from the Swannanoa forest fire

(20) NC Firefighters Spend Saturday Fighting Wildfires

(21) Man dies battling wildfire in Mitchell

(22) Wildfires contained as arson suspected

(23) Overnight forest fire extinguished

(24) Firefighters make quick work of brush fires

(25) Bush fire smoke a health hazard

(26) Bigger bushfires loom with global warming

(27) Govt warns provinces over annual forest fires

(28) State told in 2000 of power-line fire risk

(29) Industrial award finalist's design was born of fire

(30) Vets Battling Blazes Pt. III