WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101510

Two Los Angeles County firefighters who died in the Station Fire will be honored by California State Firefighters' Association (1); while a teenager has been arrested for igniting a wildfire that burned into the San Bernardino National Forest in August (2). A burn ban will be going into effect in Oregon's high desert this weekend (3); but in a sign that fire season is abating, Colorado's Pike National Forest has lifted its burn ban (4). A wildfire that erupted in the foothills outside of Boise, Idaho, has been held to 206 acres (5); and with near-record drought in East Texas, firefighters are on high alert (6). Quad Cities Prescribed Fire Alliance, which represents several communities in Iowa and Illinois, will be informing the public about planned burns at a meeting on October 19 (7); while fire authorities in Ohio are warning debris burners about the danger such fires pose during wildfire season (8). The South is experiencing serious wildfire conditions: Alabama Forestry Commission, which has extinguished 1,081 wildfires that have burned almost 9,500 acres since September 1, reiterated the fact that there is a statewide burn ban in effect (9); and smoke from wildfires burning in northern Arkansas are causing a respiratory health hazard (10); while foresters in Mississippi are seeing a sharp upswing in the amount of drought-stressed timber being killed by the Southern Pine Beetle (11); and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, whose firefighting crews have battled 311 fires that burned 4,168 acres since Oct. 1, has imposed a statewide burn ban (12); even as helicopters and heavy air-tankers were called in to battle a lightning-sparked blaze in the Kisatchie National Forest (13). In Australia, areas northeast of Melbourne, Victoria, have recovered sufficiently in the 19 months following Black Saturday that tourism to those areas is increasing (14); while former Country Fire Authority Chief Russell Rees will be working with the Municipal Association of Victoria for the next 12 months to improve community bushfire safety throughout the state (15). Communities in Queensland remember bushfires from last year, as recounted by the next two articles (16)(17). Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) has warned residents of Western Australia to be prepared for an early bushfire season due to lingering dryness throughout the state (18). And finally, a story from Nebraska tells the tale of a former wildland firefighter who has given up rappelling from helicopters in order to scale young minds!

(1) Firefighters who died in Station Fire to be honored

(2) Teen arrested for allegedly starting wildfire that spread to San Bernardino National Forest

(3) High Desert Burn Season Opens Saturday

(4) Just in time for snow season: fire ban lifted in Pike National Forest

(5) Foothills fire contained at 206 acres

(6) Wildfire danger high in this part of the state

(7) Q.C. Prescribed Fire Alliance to speak in public forum Oct. 19

(8) Wildfires Increasing in Ohio

(9) Area still under fire alert

(10) Wildfire Smoke Advisory Issued in Northern Arkansas

(11) Dry conditions cause problems to Pine Belt timber

(12) Statewide burn ban in effect

(13) Wildfire near Derry spreading rapidly

(14) Beyond the fires

(15) Former fire chief to work with councils

(16) Emotions still 'raw' after Gaeta bushfires

(17) Remembering a fire we can't forget

(18) Early bushfire warning

(19) From fighting forest fires to helping light fires in young minds