WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 090410

Firefighters, assisted by air-tankers, battled a trio of blazes around the Southern California desert community of Beaumont yesterday (1); while a 3-acre wildfire was reported near Mesa Grande in San Diego County today (2). Authorities have confirmed that a pair of illegal immigrants who were lost sparked the 822-acre Cowboy Fire in San Diego County yesterday (3). Cooler weather is helping firefighters in Oregon to tame blazes that have been burning there for some time (4); but a wildfire near Roseburg, along with some controlled burns, made for smoky skies yesterday (5). Hunters and campers near a 49-acre wildfire in Williams, Arizona, have been advised to be prepared to move if the fire gets closer (6); and Crowley County, Colorado, officials toured the area burned by wildfires in 2008 to witness the continuing regrowth of vegetation due to Burn Area Emergency Recovery efforts (7). Twenty-five acres of a pine plantation in North Carolina was burned in a wildfire (8); while the Army reported that a 1,400-acre wildfire that is burning in Hawaii's Mauna Kea State Recreation Area is 80% contained now (9). Firefighters in the UK had a wheat-stubble blaze to battle on the Isle of Wight (10). After mobilizing over 4,000 firefighters and 13 air-tankers, the Russian Federation Emergency Situations Ministry is managing to bring the latest batch of wildfires under control (11); the next article providing a summary of the aviation assets employed against the latest set of blazes (12). Hundreds of Australians are urging the Victorian Premier to reconsider upgrading power lines in that state which were blamed for at least one of the Black Saturday bushfires (13); but for one Black Saturday survivor, scrapbooks have proved to be therapeutic (14). Due to a severe lack of precipitation during the winter, Western Australia is bracing for a bad bushfire season (15). And finally, a firefighter in South Carolina must feel like somebody's got it in for him after the third fire in his house!

(1) Firefighters Contain Beaumont Wildfires

(2) 3-acre fire burning near Mesa Grande

(3) Official: 822 Acre 'Cowboy Fire' Started by Distressed Illegal Immigrants

(4) Wildfires continue to occupy crews across Oregon

(5) Douglas County & Roseburg-area sees hazy skies with wildfires nearby

(6) Lightning fire still growing near Williams

(7) Wildfire recovery tour set for Crowley County

(8) Forest Fire In Northampton County

(9) Army: Hawaii wildfire is 80 percent contained

(10) Firefighters tackle Totland stubble blaze

(11) Wildfire areas decrease in RF, no large conflagrations -- ministry

(12) Aviation EMERCOM of Russia joined fire extinguishing operations in the Volga Region

(13) Brumby urged to reconsider power upgrade

(14) Scrap booking a way to rebuild a past

(15) Dry winter bodes ill for Hills

(16) Firefighter’s home burns 3 times