WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 081210

An Op-Ed piece takes aim at the Supervisor of Southern California's Angeles National Forest, who they blame for a climate of fear from subordinates who have been questioned about the Station Fire response (1); while a community wildfire preparedness meeting will be conducted in San Juan Capistrano next Monday (2). A study by Citygate commissioned by San Diego County highlighted some improvements that need to be made to the firefighting infrastructure to bolster its responsiveness (3); and one year on, CAL FIRE officials commented on the mixed blessing from the Lockheed Fire, which burned in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Central California (4). The next article provides a look at some legislation in Oregon which could result in the first Community Forest in that state (5); and after two weeks of hard work, 13 volunteers have completed restoration of a lookout tower in the wildlands of Washington state (6). Firefighters in Nevada are reporting an unusually mild wildfire season so far this year (7); followed by an article that provides a look at wildfires burning in Idaho, one of which has exceeded 4,000 acres in size (8). U.S. Forest Service firefighters quickly snuffed a small wildfire near Red Lodge, Montana (9). First Nations reserves near Prince George, British Columbia, were evacuated due to a wildfire (10); while the next article takes another look at a smoke detection system for which two Canadian provinces (British Columbia and Alberta) will be sharing the cost (11). The World Meteorological Organization plans to discuss better ways of forecasting catastrophic events, such as the raging wildfires in Russia, at conferences in the US and Europe next month (12); but an article from the Discovery Channel debunks a myth about solar storms igniting forest fires (13). As wildfires continue to spread across Portugal, 10,000 firefighters and 56 aircraft are in the fight (14); the next item providing some video footage from a helicopter passing over the blazes (15). Although firefighters in Russia are making some headway, there are still plenty of blazes to be fought (16); and it's estimated that fires in their peat bogs could burn for months, a phenomenon that is being seen in other parts of the world as well (17). An Op-Ed piece from Russia reveals details about firefighting resources available to battle out-of-control wildfires, including a paltry three BE-200 and three IL-76 air-tankers (18). The next article takes a look at the environmental disaster resulting from Russia's wildfires (19); followed by one that provides some dramatic photos of the battle to keep Russia's wildfires out of a secret nuclear weapons development facility (20). A New York Times article provides an update on the Russian wildfires (21); even as the British Foreign Office warns people with respiratory problems to stay away (22); but delays due to the wildfires have impacted the filming of a sci-fi movie, as well (23). An arson wildfire in Malaysia drew out several dozen firefighters (24). The Planning Institute of Australia is lobbying the Victorian government to make land buybacks mandatory in areas hard hit by the Black Saturday bushfires (25); while the contentious debate over the Royal Bushfire Commission findings taking place in the Victorian Parliament is the subject of the next article (26). South Australia is moving ahead with plans to set aside bushfire refuges (27); but a bushfire in the Northern Territory's Litchfield National Park has forced some closures of areas to tourists (28). A new report on the cause of a bushfire which burned in Toodyay, Western Australia, last December faults a power pole, reversing a previous report that effectively let the power company off the hook (29). And finally, firefighters from the New South Wales Northern Rivers Rural Fire Service will be traveling to future bushfires in style!

(1) Our View: Connections lost with Forest Service

(2) How not to get burned by wildfire

(3) Wildfire Study Urges Call-Center Consolidation, Volunteer Stipends

(4) Lockheed Fire a year later: Residents say blaze did some good; officials believe they know culprit

(5) Central Oregon’s Rooster Rock Fire and the Conservation of the Skyline Forest

(6) Gifford Pinchot National Forest completes Red Mountain Lookout restoration

(7) Officials: mild fire season so far

(8) Area fires smolder along; biggest tops 4,000 acres

(9) Fire near Red Lodge extinguished

(10) Fire forces evacuation order near Prince George

(11) B.C., Alberta team up for system to warn of forest-fire smoke

(12) Long, hot summer of fire, floods fits predictions

(13) Can Solar Storms Cause Wildfires?

(14) Wildfires spread in Portugal's national parks

(15) Aerial video shows Portugal fires

(16) Russian official reports headway in containing forest fires

(17) Russia's peatland fires seen burning for months

(18) Wildfire: Force majeure or major incapacity?

(19) Russia counts environmental cost of wildfires

(20) Wildfires just a mile from Russian secret nuclear town... but officials play down threat of radiation from Chernobyl

(21) Russia Breathes Easier as Moscow Skies Clear

(22) Russian wildfires provoke Foreign Office warning

(23) Wildfires halt Hirsch film shoot

(24) Mischief Leads To A Hectare Of Forest Going Up In Smoke

(25) Push land buybacks: planners

(26) Bushfire report sparks fiery debate

(27) Government plans bushfire response

(28) Warning over blaze near Litchfield termite mounds

(29) Power pole to blame for Toodyay fire: report

(30) Bus helps get firefighters mobile