WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 050510

First up in wildfire news today, CAL FIRE's chief advised residents of Southern California's Inland Empire to prepare for wildfires after a rainy winter increased available fuel (1); something which might spur much-needed improvements to Hemet-Ryan Air Attack Base, including lengthening the runway for military air-tankers, such efforts currently being stalled (2). As the one year anniversary of Santa Barbara's Jesusita fire approaches, one news station will be doing a retrospective on the event (3); and for anyone who's ever wondered what federal wildland firefighters do in the off-season, this next article from Central California provides the answer (4). A Post-Op on a wildfire drill along the California-Nevada state line over the weekend gave high marks to participants, but also pointed out some areas that needed improvement (5); this at a time when residents of Nevada who live near the Sierra Nevada mountain range have been told they can expect a reduced wildfire season this year due to above-average snowfall during the winter (6). Residents of Spokane, Washington, got a demonstration of how to protect their homes from wildfires today (7); and prescribed burns could began near Prescott, Arizona, as early as today (8). A wildfire near Denver, Colorado, forced evacuation of hundreds of homes (9); but in a letter to the editor of a Colorado paper, a reader decried the use of public funds to promote the policy of building roads in wilderness areas of that state to better fight wildfires (10); while a public service announcement from Estes Park provided information to residents on proper wildfire preparation (11). The Rocky Mountain Coordination Center has indicated that Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota will all have average wildfire seasons this year (12); which is probably a good thing, since the Department of Agriculture's Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment has indicated that the federal government needs help from the private sector to reduce fire danger from beetle-killed trees in Colorado and the West (13). Park County, Wyoming, will be using federal fire prevention money to help clear timber around a ski resort as the fire danger increases (14); however, the wildfire danger is finally going down in parts of Minnesota (15). Authorities in Rome, Wisconsin, provided advice to homeowners on how to protect their homes from wildfires (16); but there was trouble in paradise yesterday, as 100 residents of a Maui, Hawaii, neighborhood had to evacuate due to a wildfire (17). Canada's Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction is showing a wildfire resistant home to interested parties in Alberta province today (18). An Op-Ed piece from Ontario reflects on the ferocity of forest fires in Canada (19); followed by a summary of wildfire activity in that province (20). Russian firefighting innovation was on display as the Emergency Situations Ministry’s National Research Institute for Fire Protection in Balashikha evaluated new ideas for battling fires (as demonstrated by a video associated with the article) (21). Indonesia is facing increased pressure from neighbors fed up with their perpetual forest fire haze to limit blazes as the dry season approaches (22). The Victorian Police and Emergency Services Minister has agreed to appear before Australia's Royal Bushfire Commission on Friday to testify about what happened to former Police Commissioner Christine Nixon on Black Saturday (23); while the lady in question had to alter her plans for speaking to shires in the Black Saturday bushfire areas due to the need to attend the funeral of someone who had survived that conflagration (24); even as an Op-Ed piece questions the efficiency of the Royal Bushfire Commission hearings (25). Despite the fact that bushfire season is over in several states, towns in Western Australia are still in danger (26); a situation that is worsened by arsonists, such as the one who lit a fire in Busselton (27). And finally, the first words out of the mouths of firefighters in Oxnard, California, were probably 'You want us to get what out of a tree?'

(1) Fire officials warn Inland residents to prepare for wildfires

(2) Fire airbase improvements delayed

(3) One year since the devastating Jesusita wildfire

(4) Winter no 'Off Season' for Federal Wildland Firefighters

(5) Sunday wildfire drill successful, reveals areas for improvement

(6) Nevada should enjoy below-normal wildfire threats

(7) State DNR to demonstrate home protection from wildfire near Spokane

(8) Burn north of Prescott could start Wednesday

(9) Wildfire prompts evacuations near Conifer

(10) Wilderness won't hamper firefighting

(11) At risk

(12) Experts predict 'average' wildfire season

(13) Feds asking ski areas, water utilities for help with beetle-ravaged forests

(14) Nonprofit ski group sees $283K loss

(15) Wildfire danger decreasing across southern, central Minn.

(16) Town of Rome law designed to protect homes during wildfires

(17) 100 are evacuated during Maui blaze

(18) Tour a wildfire resilient home: Canada's insurers contribute to Emergency Preparedness Week

(19) Dry brush, forests waiting to catch fire

(20) Forest fire reported in Searchmont area

(21) Universal robots to help Russian firefighters

(22) Indonesia Feels Heat to Contain Seasonal Forest Fire Haze

(23) Cameron to appear at bushfires inquiry

(24) Nixon cancels North East visit

(25) A royal waste of time and money

(26) Pilbara towns on bushfire alert

(27) Bushfire in Busselton township was deliberately lit

(28) Bear removed from Oxnard tree to be released into wild, authorities say