WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 113010

An editorial decries the pending destruction of old-growth trees by Los Angeles County Public Works personnel in the fire-ravaged foothills of Southern California (1); while Santa Clara County FireSafe Council is advising residents of that area to prepare for wildfires (2). The benefits of controlled burns for wildlife habitat is examined by the next article from Arizona (3); where just such a fire is scheduled for the Kaibab National Forest (4). A five-acre wildfire that briefly forced the evacuation of three homes near Silver City, New Mexico has been extinguished (5); and slash piles left over from stands of beetle-killed trees are being burned outside of Helena, Montana (6). The National Weather Service's 2010 South Texas Fire Weather and Drought Partners will meet in Corpus Christi in December to discuss the wildfire situation from a farmer's perspective (7); even as several structures were destroyed by two wind-driven wildfires that burned outside of Abilene yesterday (8). On the technology front, the unveiling of a new Home Defense Unit by GelTech, makers of the FireIce firefighting gel product, is chronicled by the next article (9). A wildfire was reported in Ebbin Forest in the Middle Eastern nation of Jordan (10). Heading to Australia, Victorian premier-elect Ted Baillieu's aim to implement all of the Royal Bushfire Commission recommendations, even the costly property "buyback" program, is being questioned (11); but as testimony gets underway in the trial of two teens accused of starting one of the Black Saturday bushfires, police officers traced a history of mischief which ultimately led to the death of one resident of Bendigo (12). Fire and Emergency Services Authority firefighters battled a bushfire that spread to nearly 100 acres outside of Toodyay, Western Australia (13); while a high-tech automatic calling system which that state uses to alert homeowners of bushfire dangers has received high marks in its performance (14). Firefighters in Queensland had to battle a bushfire near Rockingham that forced the evacuation of Marapana Wildlife World (15). And finally, a Boulder, Colorado, resident who survived the Fourmile Canyon Fire has come up with a novel way to clear defensible space around her home: donate her pine trees as Christmas trees!

(1) Our View: Consider alternatives to tree cutting for dam cleanup

(2) Fire safety program now available in South County

(3) Forest restoration proves positive for wildlife habitat

(4) Forest Burning Set For Today

(5) Wildfire near Silver City evacuates 3 homes

(6) Slash piles burn in the south hills

(7) Wildfire danger issue addressed

(8) Wildfires Burn North and South Of Abilene

(9) GelTech's Home Defense Unit Makes Waves

(10) Flames Engulf 'Ebbin' Forest

(11) Baillieu's costly bushfire promise

(12) Boys seen fleeing bushfire area: police

(13) 'All clear' for Toodyay fire

(14) WA fire alert system gets thumbs up

(15) Golden Bay fire rages, petrol station and Marapana wildlife park saved

(16) Boulder resident wants friends to chop down Christmas trees on her property for wildfire mitigation