WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 071210

CAL FIRE firefighters were able to snuff a small wildfire in San Diego County, California, near Ramona over the weekend (1); and wildfires in Ventura County were reported late last week (2). A 25-acre wildfire that may have been sparked by lightning was reported by Santa Barbara County Fire Department (3); while a wildfire in Kern County burned 32 acres and briefly threatened nearby homes over the weekend (4). CAL FIRE firefighters battled a small blaze in Monterey County on Saturday (5); and a wildfire near Livermore threatened some power-generating windmills early this morning (6); but lightning strikes, along with an exploding car, sparked wildfires in Northern California over the weekend (7). Several new wildfires were sparked by lightning in Oregon's Umpqua National Forest (8); firefighters were battling a blaze near Wenatchee, Washington, that had exceeded 3,000 acres (9); and are now concerned about windstorms forecast for Monday afternoon that could make the situation far worse (10). Fire crews are closing containment lines on an 80-acre wildfire north of Reno, Nevada (11); and a 3-acre blaze was reported west of that city (12). A massive wildfire that killed six firefighters 20 years ago in Arizona is re-examined in the next article (13); but a more recent wildfire that burned 3,000 acres north of Phoenix was 80% contained by late Sunday (14); while a lightning-sparked wildfire close to Tucson is nearing containment (15). Thinning of beetle-killed trees in Colorado's White River National Forest has begun (16); and a 340-acre wildfire elsewhere in that state is now 70% contained (17). Firefighters in Utah managed to rope in a 70-acre wildfire (18); while wildfires in Idaho scorched thousands of acres, but spared nearby windmills and homes (19). North Carolina's state-run aerial firefighting force is getting its wings clipped due to budgetary constraints (20). A lumber mill fire in British Columbia, Canada, is threatening to spread through the woods to nearby mobile home parks due to an increase in wind (21); and as that province's wildfire season heats up, dozens of new wildfires have been reported over the past few days (22); where more than a few were caused by humans (23). Nearly a dozen new wildfires were reported in Ontario province over the weekend (24). Researchers at East Anglia University in the UK have begun a program of trying to conserve forests worldwide from such threats as wildfire by paying locals to preserve them (25); but it was déjà vu all over again for firefighters in Israel who had to extinguish the same wildfire for a second time! (26). An innovative program for bushfire safer places may soon spread throughout Victoria, Australia (27); and an Erickson Air-Crane S-64 which is currently deployed in Europe will be heading to South Australia in December (prompting one to wonder whether they get frequent flyer miles!) (28) The partnership between a power company and Queensland firefighters has already yielded $75,000 to help equip the firefighting force (29). And finally, a police chief in Massachusetts who is also a call firefighter has an identity crisis every time he gets ready for work: PPE or police uniform?

(1) Ramona brush fire burns two acres

(2) Firefighters tackle blazes in Simi Valley, Menifee

(3) Crews quickly knock down brush fire

(4) Wildfire Near Caliente Creek Threatens Homes

(5) Cal Fire: Blaze burns four acres in south Monterey County

(6) Firefighters Battle Altamont Pass Wildfire

(7) Wildfires keep crews busy

(8) 5 Fires Found In Umpqua National Forest

(9) Chelan fire burns 3,000 acres, sparks evacuations

(10) Wildfire Threatening Homes Near Wenatchee

(11) Crews containing 80-acre wildfire north of Reno

(12) Firefighters Douse Blaze Along I-80 West of Reno

(13) Dude Fire revealed monster that still stalks Rim Country

(14) Wildfire burns 3,000 acres north of Phoenix

(15) Lightning sparked wildfire near containment

(16) Fire crews cutting down dead trees

(17) Lightning cause behind fires

(18) Crews Contain 70-Acre Wildfire In Central Utah

(19) Brush fires torch thousands of acres

(20) N.C. trims aerial firefighting force to save money

(21) Winds Fan Tolko Fire

(22) 60 new forest fires in B.C. since Thursday

(23) Human carelessness cause of several B.C. wildfires

(24) REGIONAL: Ten new forest fires in the past three days

(25) Cash for Conservation: Threats and Promises of Paying Communities for Their Biodiversity

(26) Firefighters Control Tal-El Fire Again

(27) Sites for refuge

(28) SA gets Erickson Air Crane again

(29) ENERGEX provides $75,000 boost to Queensland volunteer rural firefighters

(30) Massak gets double duty