WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 110910

Residents of Ashland, Oregon, will be able to discuss planned controlled burns in their area at a meeting Wednesday (1); while authorities are investigating whether an illegal campfire may have sparked Colorado's Boulder Dome Fire a couple of weeks ago (2). US Forest Service will be sponsoring a Heavy Airtanker Forum Meeting in Boise, Idaho, on November 16th to discuss future strategy in battling wildfires in the US (3). Firefighters battled a 10-acre blaze which ignited near a previously-extinguished controlled burn in South Dakota (4); and another wildfire was reported in Custer State Park (5). High winds have increased the fire danger in Oklahoma (6); as is the case in Missouri (7). A burn ban has been invoked in Wichita, Kansas, due to breezy conditions increasing the wildfire danger (8); while Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was among the agencies responding to a wildfire in Baraboo, Wisconsin, apparently sparked by a chainsaw being used to clear brush (9). Firefighters in Michigan are investigating a score of possible arson fires in Allegan State Forest (10); but a burn barrel is suspected of being the source of a wildfire that damaged a home in Holland (11). A man has been arrested in connection with a 551-acre blaze that burned in Estill County, Kentucky (12); while National Park Service firefighters will light off about 950 acres at Cades Cove in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park (13). A Massachusetts community will be having a wildfire educational seminar this evening (14); but as temperatures heat up and humidity drops, the Georgia Forestry Commission is warning residents of that state about the wildfire danger (15). A Wildfire Detection Conference explored new and better methods of detecting wildfires in Canada last week (16); and having lost 60 people, 2,500 homes, and millions of acres of timber in last summer's wildfires, Russia is setting up five rapid response centers that will be staffed by smokejumpers who can quickly parachute in to wildfire areas (17). Heading to Australia, calls to establish a parliamentary committee to investigate bushfire prevention in Victoria have been renewed by Opposition politicians (18); while Tasmania's response to Victoria's Royal Bushfire Commission recommendations after the Black Saturday fires has been released (the full report can be read at the following link) (19). And finally, some folks in South Australia found a unique way to help bushfire victims: give them a quilt!

(1) Ashland controlled burns to be discussed with residents

(2) Boulder Fire May Have Started At Illegal Campsite

(3) Heavy Airtanker Forum Meeting

(4) Forest Service battles fire near previous controlled burn

(5) Crews fight Custer State Park wildfire

(6) Wildfire Danger Continues

(7) St. Louis region's dry, windy weather encourages wildfires

(8) Burn Ban Issued For City Of Wichita

(9) Firefighters douse grass blaze

(10) 20 suspicious fires in state forest

(11) Wildfire damages Holland Twp. home

(12) Man Arrested In Estill County Forest Fire Case

(13) Fires to be set in Cades Cove to keep fields open

(14) Chatham holds wildfire seminar

(15) Weather sparks concerns about wildfires

(16) International wildfire detection conference rolls through Hinton

(17) 5 wildfire response centres to be set up

(18) Bushfire committee plan wins Hills support

(19) Tasmanian Response to Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission

(20) Community quilt for bushfire victim