WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091810

First up in Wildfire News Of The Day, reader Ruben Flores sent along a short video segment shot by Ed Pena of two Canadair CL-415 aircraft dipping into a Southern California Reservoir (Santa Fe Dam) while helping fight a wildfire in nearby Whittier this past week (1); and firefighters in Kern County who have been battling a 9,000-acre wildfire since last weekend expect full containment by tomorrow (2); while CAL FIRE firefighters battled a 40-50-acre blaze in Spring Valley today (3). The controversial study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin about the true fire danger of beetle-killed trees is explored once again in a segment from Oregon Public Broadcasting (4); while the Washington State Department of Natural Resources has reported that even though lightning strikes are up, the resultant wildfires are down (5). An Op-Ed piece from Prescott, Arizona, refers to a study done by researchers at the University of Northern Arizona about the value of controlled burns (6); so firefighters up in Northern Arizona plan to light a few! (7) Life is beginning to return to normal in areas hard-hit by the recent Colorado wildfires (8); but an editorial from the Denver Post faulted the complicated air-tanker contracting process currently in use by the US Forest Service for summoning air-tankers from far away, while those nearby sat idle (9). It was déjà vu all over again for residents of Colorado living near Peewink Mountain when they received orders to evacuate as a wildfire brewed up nearby (10); and an interagency team tackled a 5-acre blaze that burned in Fremont County (11). Firefighters in Utah prepared for the worst today as high winds were predicted over the 22,000-acre Twitchell Canyon Fire (12); while US Forest Service's Missoula Fire Science Lab celebrated its 50th anniversary with an open house in Montana today (13). A Rapid City, South Dakota, couple will be getting $75,000 from the government to repay them for damages done when a controlled burn got out of control in 2006 (14). The Alabama Forestry Commission has reported 121 fires in that state which have burned 1,200 acres over the past seven days (15); however, the Georgia Forestry Commission is reducing the forest firefighting forces available in two counties by half (16). Tree-thinning has been implemented in Anchorage, Alaska, to reduce the danger from wildfires (17). Despite a busy wildfire season in British Columbia, Canada, this year, the number of blazes around the town of Nanaimo actually decreased (18); but the Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in Ontario warned citizens that, although no wildfires are currently burning in that province, the threat still remains (19). Now that the smoke has cleared, Russian health officials are speaking out about how many people died in Moscow in the recent heat wave, due in part to the heavy air pollution caused by wildfires in the area (20). World Vision's Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration program will be helping numerous groups in Ghana, Africa, to prevent more frequent bushfires (21); but with only 24 forest guards to protect 24 watersheds in Benguet Province, Philippines, the government is coming under pressure to do something to stop wildfires that have destroyed thousands of trees (22). In a sign of continued healing in Victoria, Australia, after the Black Saturday bushfires, an iconic waterfall outside of Marysville has reopened to the public (23). And finally, firefighters in Oregon had to perform an unusual extrication: removal of a 1,500-pound camel from a sinkhole!

(1) Super Scoopers At Santa Fe Dam 091610

(2) Containment near as Calif. crews slow fire

(3) Crews Halt Spread Of 40-Acre Spring Valley Brush Fire

(4) Scientists Discount Tie Between Beetles, Huge Wildfires

(5) DNR: Lightning Strikes Up, Wildfires Down

(6) Yes, the burns are working

(7) Prescribed burns begin Monday

(8) Life goes on in the canyon

(9) Review needed of forest fires

(10) Fire Breaks Out On Mountain West Of Boulder

(11) Pueblo Interagency helps local firefighters battle blazes in area

(12) Twitchell Canyon firefighters brace for hot, gusty winds

(13) Missoula Fire Science Lab Celebrates 50 Years

(14) Settlement in lawsuit over Black Hills slash fire

(15) Urgent Fire Safety Message

(16) Forest firefighter force to be cut

(17) Crews thin park trees to thwart wildfires

(18) Wildfires down around Nanaimo

(19) Forest fire season is winding down ... but it's not over

(20) Russian heatwave killed 11,000 people

(21) World Vision and Talensi Nabdam District launch campaign against bushfires

(22) Lack of rangers exposes Benguet forests to fires

(23) Marysville icon reopens after bushfire

(24) Oregon Firefighters Rescue 1,500-Pound Camel From Sinkhole