WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051210

A new study on fire protection in San Diego County, California, showed the need for more fire stations, a premise that was supported by Jeff Bowman, founder of the San Diego Regional Fire Safety Forum and former San Diego Fire Chief (1); and Pacific Grove City Council will be meeting tonight to discuss either joining a coalition of fire protection agencies or turning over the duty to CAL FIRE (2). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Britt Gourley, CEO of Aero Union, sent along an article from Arabian Aerospace Magazine that highlights the flexibility of their MAFFS aerial firefighting systems in use by Morocco (3). Farmers Insurance Group has joined with Arizona politicians to launch Wildfire Awareness and Preparedness Week (4); but Coronado National Forest, like the rest of Arizona, is expecting a mild fire season due to an abundance of precipitation earlier this year (5). A wildfire near Flagstaff that was apparently sparked by Game and Fish Department welders was nearing 100% containment yesterday afternoon (6); however, fast work by Flagstaff Fire Department firefighters staved off disaster when a wind driven wildfire was quickly corralled (7). Elementary school students from Estes Park, Colorado, got into the tree-planting business (8); followed by a summary of the fire conditions in Texas (9). The plight of Montana's Glacier National Park, with beetle-killed trees providing ideal conditions for wildfires, is examined next (10); but with the arrival of much-needed precipitation, Minnesota is lifting burn bans that have been in place for weeks (11). U.S. Forest Service will be conducting controlled burns in Alabama's Talladega National Forest (12); while a prescribed burn that got out of control in Citrus County, Florida, appears to finally have been corralled by Florida Division of Forestry firefighters (13). Fire authorities in British Columbia are advising residents about the fire danger in that Canadian province (14); at a time when Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources has reported three small wildfires in that province (15). Hundreds of acres of grassland burned in Scotland on Monday afternoon as that area experiences tinder dry conditions (16). The interim report from Australia's Royal Bushfire Commission is examined in the next item (17). Late actor Paul Newman's charity provided funds for new appliances for Victoria firefighters (18); but a Victoria homeowner who removed a tree from his property that he felt was a threat has run afoul of the law because this community is not included in the Wildfire Management Overlay drafted after Black Saturday to cover such operations (19). The return of songbirds to Kinglake National Park is another sign that areas ravaged by the Black Saturday bushfires are returning to normal (20). And finally, a case in which a dog proved not to be a firefighters best friend, when it started a fire in his house!

(1) Study calls for 14 more fire stations

(2) Pacific Grove City Council mulls firefighting options

(3) Blazing a trail on fire-fighting flexibility

(4) Arizona Governmental/Public Safety Leaders Join Farmers Insurance(R) to Launch Wildfire Awareness and Preparedness Week, May 13

(5) Fire season gathering speed after relatively slow start

(6) Officials: Wildfire near Flagstaff nearly 100% contained

(7) Brush fire disaster averted

(8) In Estes Park, you can see the forest for the trees

(9) Wildfire danger growing in East Texas

(10) Glacier National Park turns 100, but may not last another 10

(11) Open burning restrictions lifted in most Minn. counties

(12) Forest Service to burn 432 acres near Heflin today

(13) Citrus County wildfire 'looks like it's behaving'

(14) Wildfires result from dry conditions, carelessness

(15) MNR battling three new forest fires

(16) Blaze near Gatehouse of Fleet tackled by firefighters

(17) Living with the risk of fire should mean living responsibly

(18) Paul Newman charity donates tankers

(19) Eltham test case on tree felling rules

(20) Feathered impersonator leads a dazzling comeback

(21) Dog Causes Fire in Virginia Firefighter’s Home