WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 110510

Arizona's Coronado National Forest is looking for a few good... contractors (interested parties should go here) (1); while firefighters in Osage County, Oklahoma, battled a couple of wildfires yesterday (2); and firefighters in Wisconsin battled a wildfire near a country club as well (3). Although rain has dampened some of the state's wildfires, Kentucky still has a number of blazes to deal with (4); while authorities in Louisiana have lifted a statewide burn ban due to recent rains (5); and the Alabama State Forester has lifted the burn ban across that state, though dry conditions still warrant caution by anyone lighting outdoor fires (6). The next article takes a look at Georgia's wildfires so far this year (7); even as preservationists in Indian River County, Florida, are fighting to save an old forest fire lookout tower (8). Heading to Canada, British Columbia's Forest Service is being split into two new entities: the Ministry of Natural Resource Operations (NRO) and the Ministry of Forests, Mines and Lands (FML) (9); but although Ontario had a mild wildfire season this year, they still ended up spending almost $100 million battling blazes (10). The Korea National Arboretum has initiated a program to prevent wildfires in Gwangneung Forest, north of the capital of Seoul (11). In Australia, Country Fire Authority will be going high-tech as they conduct online meetings to discuss bushfire issues with fellow Victorians (12); firefighters in Australia's Northern Territory pounced on a bushfire that forced evacuations south of Darwin (13); and a new government briefing on wildfires in New South Wales has been released (14). And finally, female firefighters from New South Wales' Rural Fire Service were given a stern message from RFS leadership about their 2011 calendar: keep your shirts on!

(1) Forest Service offers contracts for fire-fighting equipment

(2) Multiple fire departments battling Osage County wildfires

(3) Onalaska, West Salem firefighters battle wildfire on hill

(4) Rain helped wildfires but wasn't enough to put them out completely

(5) Statewide burn ban lifted

(6) Fire alert lifted for all 67 Alabama counties

(7) 148-acre blaze started at campfire

(8) Group hopes to save old forest fire tower

(9) BC Forest Service felled by bureaucracy

(10) Ontario spent nearly $100 million fighting forest fires this year

(11) Korea National Arboretum to launch fire prevention campaign

(12) Victorian bushfire meetings go online

(13) Bushfire rages close to NT town

(14) Bushfires in NSW

(15) Female firefighting calender censored