WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072910

Roughly 2,300 firefighters, assisted by two dozen aircraft, were still battling two massive wildfires burning in Southern California (1); but have received an assist from mother nature (2); while still more crews are arriving to help with the fight, as the next two articles show (3)(4). Although their larger cousins to the south have been getting a lot of press, numerous wildfires in the northern part of California continue to burn (5); and a wildfire has burned 2,200 acres in John Day River canyon in eastern Oregon as well (6). Firefighters in Spokane, Washington, credited vegetation clearance with helping them make quick work of a wildfire (7); this at a time when Gifford Pinchot National Forest is imposing fire restrictions because of the ideal wildfire conditions (8); however, a New York Times article tells of a bizarre ruling from a federal judge in that state who stated that using fire retardant to fight wildfires violates US law (prompting one to wonder what firefighters are supposed to use - harsh language?)(9) As firefighters battling the Constantia Complex burning north of Reno, Nevada, continued to increase containment on that massive blaze, a smaller wildfire has been reported near Hallelujah Junction (10); and another 275-acre blaze has been reported northwest of Elko (11). Water usage at Libby Army Airfield in Arizona reflects increased air-tanker operations at the air attack base compared with last year at this time (12). A wildfire burning in Idaho which destroyed three homes has now been fully contained (13); but nearly a dozen new lightning-sparked wildfires were reported in Montana's Bitterroot National Forest (14). Although the New York National Guard has not been called out to fight wildfires for some time, they're training at the moment just in case (15). Firefighters battled a wildfire in Palm Beach County, Florida (16); while firefighters along the Treasure Coast are continuing to extinguish two lightning-sparked wildfires (17). Numerous new wildfires have broken out in British Columbia, Canada, as summarized in the next three articles (18)(19)(20); and seven new wildfires were also reported in northern Ontario (21). A plantation of conifers was destroyed in East Sussex, UK (22); and new wildfires have been reported across the Mediterranean in Dimos Vatheos, Greece, Varzea da Ovelha E Aliviada, Refojos de Riba de Ave and Sobradelo da Goma, Portugal, as well as Vilopriu, Spain (23). Wind-driven wildfires are creating headaches for Russian firefighters in the Yegoryevsk, Kolomna and Shatura, and Viktor Klimkin districts (24); and numerous structures were destroyed in the Belgorod region (25). Comments from the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society on the groundbreaking Global Warming study released by NOAA, and the consequences for Australia, are discussed in the next item (26). The head of the Victorian National Parks Association weighs in on the contentious debate over burning off vegetation to reduce the danger from bushfires (27); but opposition politicians argue that the government has not done enough to safeguard Victorians (28). Although she has resigned as the bushfire recovery chairperson, Christine Nixon intends to continue helping bushfire survivors as a volunteer (29); however, despite some rain, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is still warning residents of that state about the bushfire danger they face until the first of the year (30). And finally, an elusive kitty required some special extrication skills from firefighters who had to dismantle a police cruiser to rescue it!

(1) California Fire Fighters Work 24/7 to Contain Wildfires

(2) Mother Nature helps firefighters battle Calif fire

(3) East Bay firefighters helping battle Southern California blaze

(4) Firefighters Sent Out Of Area

(5) List of North State fires nears 200 Wednesday

(6) Wildfire burning in John Day River canyon

(7) Firefighters: Brush fire easily could have threatened homes

(8) Gifford Pinchot forest raises fire restrictions

(9) Judge Rejects Forest Service’s Plan on Fire Retardant

(10) Crews attack 'Bug Fire' near Hallelujah Junction

(11) Crews Battling Wildfire 30 Miles Northwest of Elko

(12) Post’s June water use up from a year ago

(13) Idaho wildfire contained after destroying 3 homes

(14) 10 new lightning fires burning in Bitterroot National Forest

(15) Guard trains for wildfires

(16) Firefighters battle blaze in brush in western Palm Beach County

(17) Fire crews returning to sites of Wednesday wildfires in Stuart

(18) Fires spark in Quesnel area

(19) Fire forces northern highway closure

(20) Lightning sparks 165 new B.C. wildfires

(21) North Bay area faced 7 forest fires this week

(22) Fire crews tackle woodland blaze in Eridge, East Sussex

(23) EFFIS - Current Situation

(24) Strong wind aggravates bush fires east off Moscow City

(25) Forest fire destroys 7 houses, 25 outbuildings in Belgorod reg

(26) Global warming undeniable: study

(27) More to learn about fire before setting a burn-off target

(28) Opposition slams Brumby on bushfire protections

(29) Nixon's volunteer pledge welcomed

(30) Preparing for fire danger

(31) Firefighters Dismantle Police Car To Rescue Kitten