WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 100910

A pair of firefighters were injured battling a blaze along Sacramento, California's, American River (1); while new open-burning regulations have been imposed in Nevada's Smith Valley Fire Protection District (2). A wildfire was reported near a Lockheed Martin facility outside of Denver, Colorado, yesterday (3); and an article examines burn bans and the role of fire in the San Isabel National Forest (4). Another article explores how federal red tape delayed vegetation clearance in groves of Colorado's beetle-killed trees that burned in a 473-acre wildfire this past week (5); nevertheless, work crews from Oregon will begin clearing hundreds of acres in Colorado soon (6). Firefighters in Huntsville, Texas, are performing wildfire mitigation near Elkins Lake (7); but although the Bull Fire, which has burned 5,200 acres in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest, is only smoldering, forest officials have listed fire closures in the area (8). The Great Plains Dispatch Center identified seven lightning-sparked wildfires burning in parts of South Dakota (9); while another was started by an abandoned campfire near Sturgis (10). A wildfire in Clark National Forest outside of Henryville, Indiana, was reported late Friday (11); and fire agencies in Illinois warned of a heightened fire danger in the Shawnee National Forest (12). Due to extremely dry conditions in Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest, burn bans have been issued and trails closed (13); while the danger from wildfires is steadily increasing in Alabama, where a record-breaking drought may be in the offing (14). A summary of wildfires in Louisiana, where 189 wildfires have burned 3,588 acres since October 1st, is provided by the next article (15). North Carolina's Division of Forest Resources will be conducting wildfire training in Sampson County next week (16); and a meeting of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, examined regrowth of tundra and areas burned by severe wildfires on the North Slope in 2007 (17). As Bushfire Action Week begins in Victoria, Australia, the Premier is reminding people of the bushfire threat (18); but a number of bushfires have already been reported in Western Australia, as the next two stories show (19)(20). And finally, Oregon firefighters probably winsomely remember the days when they rescued cats from the trees, not 300-pound bears!

(1) Two firefighters injured battling wildfire near American River

(2) Smith Valley Fire Protection District new open burn regulations

(3) Jeffco Wildfire Breaks Out Near Lockheed Martin

(4) Fire in the forest: The natural way of things

(5) As Fraser blaze burns, beetle-kill removal has barely begun

(6) Beetle-Killed Trees Pose Problem For Firefighters

(7) Elkins Lake part of Wildfire Protection Plan project

(8) Bridger-Teton National Forest lifts fire closure

(9) Lightning Sparks Seven Area Wildfires

(10) Abandoned campfire starts wildfire near Sturgis

(11) Forest fire near Henryville, Ind.

(12) Shawnee National Forest warns of Saturday fire danger

(13) Fire Ban Issued For Part Of Daniel Boone Forest; Trails Closed Due To Wildfires

(14) Drought in Alabama Increases Threat of Wildfires

(15) LDAF wildfire report

(16) Wildfire Training Simulation to be Conducted in Sampson County

(17) Wildfire, Reindeer Top Arctic Research Commission’s Agenda

(18) Brumby pleads for fire caution

(19) Dongara fire burns 500 hectares, Collie blaze threatens forest

(20) Midwest bushfire burns out of control

(21) Sleepy bear in tree challenges Oregon firefighters