WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 092110

California Institute of Technology has received $10 million in private grants to fund its new Terrestrial Hazard Center, which will study a number of natural hazards, including wildfires in Southern California (1); while the US Forest Service reported a wildfire near Lopez Lake in San Luis Obispo County yesterday (2). Monterey County Supervisors, intending to tap into federal funding, have unveiled the Monterey County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (3); but the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team and Division Chief comments on the importance of controlled burns in maintaining a healthy forest (4). Higher humidity and lower temperatures have prompted fire officials in Central Oregon to reduce the fire danger warning level (5); and Washington state's Department of Natural Resources has finally lifted their burn ban across the state as well (6). With some areas having received only 10% of normal rainfall, coupled with high winds for the next few days, serious wildfire conditions are being forecast for a number of Western states (7). The Fourmile Fire, which destroyed 169 homes costing insurers $217 million, has earned the dubious distinction of the most expensive wildfire in Colorado history (8); followed by a look at the contribution of private firefighters from Chubb Wildfire Defense Services during the Fourmile Fire (9). The question of who pays for air-tanker support in the recent Colorado wildfires is addressed by the next article (10). Lightning strikes sparked numerous small wildfires in Colorado: in Boulder County (11); near Glenwood Springs (12); and in El Paso County (13); while a 400-acre wildfire has been completely contained in Elbert County (14). Firefighters in Utah continued to battle a blaze near Salt Lake City which was started by a National Guard machine gun, earning the blaze the sobriquet of the "Machine Gun Fire" (15); but even though that wildfire is 25% contained, high winds predicted for this afternoon could change that (16); while the commander of the National Guard unit which sparked the Machine Gun Fire has taken responsibility for the incident (17). Firefighters were warning hikers to stay out of certain areas near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, due to ongoing controlled burns (18); and the Antelope Fire, which has burned over 1,600 acres in Yellowstone National Park, forced closure of a highway yesterday (19). Dozens of wildfires across Arkansas have forced fire officials to bring in air-tankers to help battle the blazes (20); and after 167 wildfires have burned almost 2,500 acres in Alabama, the Forestry Fire Operations Chief commented on fire safety throughout the state (21). As the Georgia Forestry Commission makes painful cuts to their budget, firefighters and an experimental forest fell under the ax (22); this coming at a time when 90% of the state has had below-average rainfall and above-average wildfire danger (23). US Forest Service officials are reminding visitors to Alaska's Tongass National Forest of the continued fire danger, despite the onset of fall (24). Peruvian police are battling a wildfire in the Andes Mountains near Machu Picchu (25); and half-a-dozen wildfires were reported in the North African nation of Algeria (26). More wildfires have been reported in the Ulyanovsk Region of southern Russia (27); and another was reported in Perm Territory, in the foothills of the Ural Mountains (28). Heading to Australia, a Victorian community is considering building a bushfire memorial where a blaze burned in 2009 (29); while homeowners in New South Wales' Wyong Fire District are being urged to prepare for bushfire season by fire officials (30). And finally, a kitty who burned up a few of his nine lives in one of Colorado's wildfires is still waiting for his owner to reclaim him!

(1) Caltech Receives $10 Million to Launch New Terrestrial Hazard Center

(2) Fire Threatening Structures Near Lopez Lake

(3) Monterey County Supervisors to review rural-area wildfire plan

(4) My Turn: bringing fire back safely for a healthy forest

(5) Central Oregon Fire Precaution Lowered

(6) DNR Lifts Statewide Burn Ban

(7) More Gusty Winds to Hinder Utah Firefighting Efforts

(8) Insurers call Fourmile Canyon Fire most expensive in Colo.

(9) Fire crews for hire: Added protection during Fourmile blaze came at a price

(10) County to cover cost for fire air tankers

(11) Firefighters handle two small blazes in Boulder County on Monday

(12) Lightning fires quickly doused

(13) Lightning Strikes Spark 250-Acre Wildfire in Eastern El Paso County

(14) UPDATE: Wildfire 100% Contained in Elbert County

(15) Firefighters making progress to save more homes from burning in Herriman

(16) High winds could hamper Herriman firefighting efforts

(17) Guard commander takes responsibility for wildfire

(18) Fires grab attention

(19) Antelope fire closes road over Yellowstone's Dunraven Pass

(20) Forestry services reports 39 wildfires

(21) Dry conditions spur possibility of Ala. wildfires

(22) Firefighters, educational forest axed in statewide cuts

(23) Wildfire Threat Increases As Dry Conditions Worsen

(24) High temps, dry weather mean higher fire risk

(25) Peru Battles Forest Fire Near Machu Picchu

(26) EFFIS - Current Situation

(27) 3 wildfires raging in Russia’s Ulyanovsk region

(28) Forest fire breaks out in Perm Territory

(29) Musk Vale bushfire memorial plans revealed

(30) Residents warned to gear up for bushfire season

(31) Sizzle the wildfire cat still waiting for owner