WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 062610

First up in the news today, Gov. Schwarzenegger unveiled a new California Disaster Corps program in Los Angeles to help, in part, with wildfires (1); while a 20 acre wildfire was reported in Santa Clarita yesterday (2). CAL FIRE mounted an overwhelming response to a wind-driven wildfire in Riverside County this afternoon (3); and a wildfire in San Diego County burned 3 acres before being contained by a multi-agency response, including air-tankers (4). CAL FIRE will be removing some trees due to the fire danger to a community college in Lake Tahoe (5); and homeowners who do their own clearance work also are eligible for rebates, courtesy of Nevada Fire Safe Council (6). Firefighters in Sweet Home, Oregon, received some wildland firefighter training in preparation for the real thing (7); while firefighters in Everett, Washington, are warning residents about the wildfire danger posed by fireworks amidst the lush vegetation this year (8); and the traditional Flagstaff, Arizona, Fourth of July fireworks display may not go on this year due to the wildfire danger (9); even as the nearby Schultz Fire exceeded 15,000 acres, firefighters reporting that it was now 50% contained (10). New Mexico's Gila National Forest has been getting pummeled with lightning-sparked wildfires over the past 48 hours (11). A wildfire burning in Colorado's Rocky Mount National Park has passed the 1,000-acre mark as firefighters try to snuff a pair of blazes north of Denver (12); but there will be one less heavy air-tanker to battle it, due to hydraulic brake failure that caused a P-2V to crash through a fence at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, igniting an engine fire and effectively halting air-tanker operations at that base (13). The destruction of a couple's dream home in Colorado offers a cautionary tale to homeowners on protecting their property from wildfires (14); followed by a story from Utah which discusses an annual rite of summer for the area: wildfires! (15) A wildfire in New Jersey burned about 100 acres of timber (16); while the value of controlled burns in reducing wildfires is discussed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in the next article (17); something underscored by the report of a wildfire in South Carolina that burned nearly 10 acres before being contained (18). Wildfire smoke drifting in from the interior is affecting residents of Fairbanks, Alaska (19). The government of Manitoba, Canada, has asked Saskatchewan for additional air-tankers as a huge wildfire continues to spread (20). The lack of wildfires in Ontario is once again allowing that province to send firefighters to help their less-fortunate neighbors (21); but at least one wildfire, burning near Hearst, was still out of control (22). Four northern provinces in China are on high fire alert as a drought produces ideal wildfire conditions (23). Despite the fact it's been nearly a year and a half since the Black Saturday bushfires, some survivors in Victoria, Australia, are just now displaying the worst aspects of mental trauma from the event (24). Helicopter training for National Parks and Wildlife Service personnel was undertaken at Wyong, New South Wales (25). And finally, firefighters have been known to rescue animals such as cats and dogs, but crews in Las Vegas, Nevada, rescued thousands of bees (and a few got stung for their trouble!)

(1) Calif. starts program to train disaster volunteers

(2) Wildfire burns 20 acres in northern L.A. County

(3) Firefighters battle blaze in Santee

(4) Harmony Grove fire burns close to home

(5) Trees near college to be removed

(6) Rebates up to $1,000 offered for wildfire safety measures

(7) Fire Fighters Ready for Summer

(8) Keep Fourth safe, say officials

(9) Flagstaff's fireworks up in the air

(10) Schultz Wildfire Now 50 Percent Contained

(11) Lightning sparks Gila fires

(12) Firefighters Battle Two Growing Wildfires North Of Denver

(13) Plane crash hampers firefighting efforts

(14) Couple loses dream home to wildfire

(15) Curb wildfire risk

(16) Brush Fire In Barnegat

(17) Reducing the threat of wildfires often requires a fire

(18) Wildfire burns 25 acres in Conway

(19) Interior wildfire smoke bothers Fairbanksans

(20) Forest fire blazes near Cranberry Portage

(21) No new fires to report for the east region

(22) Forest fire burns out of control near Hearst

(23) China stresses forest fire prevention efforts in northern provinces following lengthy drought

(24) Mental trauma worsens for Black Saturday survivors

(25) Firefighters get a lift

(26) SEMI FULL OF HIVES: Firefighters cool off bees swarming because of heat