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.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 041310

Wildfire News Of The Day begins with a press release sent by subscriber Rick Halsey, director of the California Chaparral Institute, that tells the bizarre tale of a Marine veteran whose land is being auctioned off in July to pay for fines imposed by San Diego County over improper chaparral clearance (1); while the BE-200 air-tanker made quite a splash dropping 3,000 gallons of water in Santa Maria (2). Fire officials in Walla Walla, Washington, are already beginning controlled burns in preparation for wildfire season (3); but a wildfire has already been reported in Arizona's Coronado National Forest near Tucson (4). A fire ecologist in Montrose, Colorado, announced that there'll be controlled burns in that fire district through May (5); while fire crews in Colorado's Roosevelt National Forest have contained a small wildfire (6). Arson investigators from the Texas Forest Service believe they have apprehended the people responsible for a 1,000 acre wildfire that broke out at the beginning of April (7); but a septuagenarian firefighter died battling a wildfire in Kansas (8). An uninsured homeowner suffered substantial losses from a Michigan wildfire that destroyed structures and vehicles on his property (9); and like their neighbors in West Virginia, residents along the border in Ohio are being asked to limit their burning, since the fire danger is very high (10). Debris burning has also been banned in Fayette County, Kentucky, due to the extreme wildfire danger (11); this at a time when the competency of an arsonist accused of setting hundreds of wildfires in Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest is being debated (12). Residents of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, are being told not to panic when they see smoke coming from a nearby military reservation because controlled burns are underway (13); even as firefighters continued to battle a wildfire on Tekoa Mountain at a time when meteorologists are predicting continued dry weather through Thursday (14). A wildfire that burned several hundred acres in Virginia's George Washington and Jefferson National Forest has finally been contained (15). The head of South Carolina's Nature Conservancy speaks out on legislation that can benefit the state in regards to wildfires (16); and Horry County considers hiring a local aviation firm to provide air support to their firefighters in the future (17). A wildfire in South Walton Fire District prompted fire officials in Florida to reiterate the danger debris burning poses during wildfire season there (18); but a wildlife biologist in Alaska explains the important role of wildfires in providing vegetation for wildlife in America's last frontier (19). Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will be conducting controlled burns to reduce the wildfire danger on the Big Island (20). Wildfire season has gotten off to an early start in Alberta, Canada, as highlighted by the next two stories (21)(22); but a land-clearing fire in Newfoundland was apparently the cause of a wildfire that destroyed two homes (23). Firefighters in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have had their hands full with over 200 gorse fires over the past five days (24); while to the south, nine fire stations in County Mayo have reported wildfires recently as vegetation is tinder dry in the area (25); and a wildfire in Scotland threatened a historic forest on the Orkney Islands retreat of Hoy (26). India's Rajaji National Park, one of the largest Asian elephant preserves in the world, reported a wildfire which did minimal damage (27); followed by an article that provides a comprehensive look at wildfires in Thailand, where prevention is the key (28). A potential bombshell was dropped during the Royal Bushfire Commission hearings in Victoria, Australia, as a directive to restrict emergency communications throughput to only 20% of capacity just prior to the Black Saturday bushfires is coming under scrutiny (29); prompting some to ask whether lives were lost due to the focus on saving money? (30) Fire protection plans have been unveiled for two communities by Country Fire Authority (31); and a dramatic collection of bushfire paintings will be on display at TarraWarra Museum of Art in Healesville until late July (32). In signs of continuing efforts to rebuild, a tree-lined lane that was devastated by the Black Saturday bushfires will be replanted in a solemn ceremony (33); and a new community Hall will be built in Whittlesea to replace the one destroyed by those bushfires (34). Wandong Rural Fire Brigade has asked that the bushfire danger signs in Victoria be more standardized and readable at a glance (35). And finally, a little bird caused a big fire in Duval County, Florida!

(1) County to seize property of distinguished US Marine over improper chaparral clearing

(2) Russian air tanker drops 3,000 gallons of water in SM

(3) Officials urge fire defense preparations

(4) Breaking News: Wildfire burning in the Santa Ritas

(5) Prescribed burns planned for region

(6) Forest fire near Drake contained

(7) UPDATE: Investigators have wildfire suspects

(8) Kan. Firefighter Dies at Wildfire Scene

(9) Firefighters battling Erie fire hampered by strong winds, delay

(10) Brush fire risk high

(11) Open Burning Suspended In Fayette County

(12) Feds say accused forest arsonist may be faking it

(13) Prescribed Upper Cape burning today to reduce wildfire risk

(14) Firefighting efforts to resume today on Tekoa Mountain in Russell and Montgomery

(15) Lightning-Sparked Fire in National Forest Contained

(16) Change in law can help maintain state's forests

(17) Horry County considers fire service from the air

(18) Wildfires keep South Walton firefighters hopping

(19) Predator control not the only way

(20) National Park Service aids county fire department

(21) Early wildfires in the Lakeland keep firefighters busy

(22) Forest fire total stands at seven

(23) Land-clearing started Chapel's Cove wildfire: RCMP

(24) Over 200 gorse fires tackled in five days

(25) Mayo fire stations deal with forest fires

(26) Fire threat to historic Orkney forest

(27) Rajaji fire doused, damage minimised

(28) Prevention the best cure

(29) State and CFA crippled alerts

(30) Did cost-cutting cost lives on Black Saturday?

(31) Fire Protection plans posed for Buninyong, Nerrina

(32) Fire works sear visitors

(33) ANZAC avenue gets replanting ceremony

(34) Out of the ashes, a new hall for Whittlesea

(35) Danger signs

(36) Westside wildfire smolders on; woodpecker to blame

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