WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 081010

Firefighters, assisted by five water-dropping helicopters, manage to bring a small wildfire in Griffith Park under control yesterday (1); while elsewhere in Southern California, multiple agencies tackled a 10-acre blaze in San Bernardino National Forest (2); even as the Supervisor of that forest got a promotion (3). A wildfire in Sonoma County was reported yesterday (4); and Klamath National Forest, straddling the border between California and Oregon, has imposed special fire restrictions for the next several months (5). Firefighters felt fortunate that the weather cooperated on the Rooster Rock Fire, which burned in the Deschutes National Forest last week, otherwise the blaze could have become catastrophic for Central Oregon (6). Firefighters in Idaho responded to a wildfire reported near a reservoir east of Boise (7). As cool, wet weather moves into British Columbia, Canada, air-tanker pilots are getting some much-needed rest (8); but firefighters in Nova Scotia are on edge due to the ideal wildfire conditions there (9). New research unveiled at the American Geophysical Union meeting in Brazil this year revealed that massive wildfires can frequently spawn gigantic pyrocumulonimbus clouds (10). Numerous wildfires were reported across Portugal, Spain, and Italy (11); and although the European Union has offered Russia substantial aid in battling their wildfires, the Russian leadership has yet to respond (12). In the meantime, the Secretary-General of the United Nations expressed his condolences to Russia for the deaths resulting from wildfires there (13). Vladimir Putin fired the head of the Moscow forestry district, who was on vacation during the initial period when the wildfires began, then took to the air in a BE-200 to help battle two fires, as troops continued to battle wildfires threatening two nuclear sites, two soldiers being killed during that action (14). An article looks at how neglect of Russia's forests, dating back to the Soviet era, has led to the destruction wrought by today's massive wildfires (15); followed by two articles that examine claims by environmentalists that the Russian wildfires are worsening Global Warming (16)(17). The next article looks at the futile battle villagers fought to stem some of Russia's 26,000 wildfires with buckets and spades (18). Residents of Moscow, who have had to stay indoors due to the polluted air, are finally beginning to see patches of blue overhead (19); but financial traders were among over 100,000 people fleeing the smoke-choked capital (20); this at a time when Fédération Internationale de Football Association officials were visiting Moscow in regards to a bid to host the World Cup (21). Although fire agencies in the Leningrad region have had more success putting out wildfires than their brethren in Moscow, the fire danger is still extremely high (22); followed by an article that looks at the cost of the wildfires, in both lives and money lost (23). As with other wind-driven wildfires, firebrands and ember storms, which caused much of the damage on Black Saturday, are little understood, according to Australia's Bushfire Co-operative Research Centre (24). A large number of Black Saturday bushfire survivors are still living in temporary housing and attending counseling sessions (25); while Opposition politicians in Victoria maintain that the government's bushfire town-hall meetings are an exercise in spin control, in part, to delay implementing the 67 recommendations from the Royal Bushfire Commission (26). With miles of fence destroyed by the Black Saturday bushfires still needing to be replaced, farmers in Gippsland are becoming impatient with the government (27); but the next two articles highlight the ongoing battle about clearing vegetation to reduce the bushfire threat (28)(29); followed by a third which explores the confusion over bushfire refuges in the region (30). Although South Australia's fire authorities are embracing 60 of the 67 Royal Bushfire Commission recommendations, burning off 5% of their vegetation has been rejected (31); while the prospect of moving people out of high-risk bushfire danger zones has also been dismissed (32). And finally, firefighters in Florida are getting the usual sort of training to battle structure and wildland fires, along with some specialized training: battling Africanized bees!

(1) Firefighters get a handle on Griffith Park blaze

(2) Fire near Angelus Oaks burns 10 acres

(3) More forest for Wade Evans

(4) Annadel Fire

(5) Fire restrictions in place on the Klamath through November

(6) Rooster Rock Fire Touched Proposed Skyline Forest

(7) Wildfire breaks out near Lucky Peak Reservoir

(8) Aerial crews from Penhold have been busy battling B.C. forest blazes

(9) Forest fire index high in central N.S.

(10) Massive Thunderstorms Are Traced to Intense Wildfires

(11) EFFIS - Current Situation

(12) Russia yet to accept European Commission offer of firefighting aid

(13) Secretary-General voices sadness at toll taken by deadly wildfires outside Moscow

(14) Burning Russia defends nuclear sites

(15) Moscow wildfires fanned by Soviet legacy of neglect

(16) WWF Says Russian Wildfires To Worsen Global Warming

(17) Russia fires cause "brown cloud," may hit Arctic

(18) Russian villagers battle fires with buckets, spades

(19) Wildfires keep Moscow residents indoors

(20) Moscow Fires Curb Bond Trading as Alfa, JPMorgan Bankers Escape

(21) FIFA Monitors Russia Wildfires as World Cup Bid Inspection Looms; Putin Meeting

(22) Wildfire hazard persists in Leningrad region

(23) Russia Heat May Cost 15,000 Lives, $15 Billion of GDP

(24) Firebrand research to save lives

(25) A place to call home still some way off for many

(26) Government stalling on bushfire action, Opposition says

(27) Slow progress on fencing after bushfires

(28) Yarra Ranges survivors warn tree clearing not the only way

(29)Golden Plains meeting on bushfire report

(30) In the dark on refuges

(31) Burn-off advice dismissed in South Australia

(32) Back-down on key Black Saturday fire danger report recommendation

(33) Firefighters trained to deal with vicious Africanized bees