WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 120310

Wildfire News of the Day subscriber Max Moritz, a fire ecologist at University of California, Berkeley, discusses the issue of California's wildfires in the next article (his five-page report published in Geophysical Research Letters can be read at this link) (1); something which would no doubt be of interest to Pacific Gas & Electric which, has agreed to pay out $2.5 million for a pair of wildfires sparked by their equipment in Santa Clara and Napa counties (2). The final report on the crash of a Carson Helicopters Sikorsky S-61N that went down in Northern California in 2008 will be published next Tuesday (3); and Boulder County, Colorado, officials are asking for the public's help in crafting a community wildfire protection plan following the devastating Fourmile Canyon Fire (4). Stimulus funds were used to help clear out vegetation which had become a fire hazard in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts (5); while the Florida Division of Forestry has delayed a planned controlled burn at the University of West Florida due to weather conditions (6). The next article touches on the perilous condition of America's forests, which absorb 162 teragrams of carbon per year (7). The Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations will begin making annual inspections of settlements in danger from wildfires next April (8). The Israeli Defense Forces lent a hand to firefighters battling a massive blaze near Haifa yesterday (9); the following article providing photos and videos from the fire line (10); while firefighters and aircraft from more than a dozen countries flooded into Israel to lend a hand (11); the following article providing more details on Russia's contribution (12); Australia is also offering assistance (13); as is the US (14); and even the Palestinians and Turkey, which have been at odds politically with the Jewish state lately, are offering help, as the next two articles show (15) (16); but even as this army of firefighters takes on the blaze, some folks are trying to stir up new ones! (17) A photo spread shows images of a wildfire which has been burning in the northeastern Iranian province of Golestan since November 20th (18); while US Forest Service firefighters will be scaling new heights as they train firefighters in Nepal's Himalayas! (19) Heading to Australia, more details on Victoria's controversial $50 million property buyback plan are promised in the near future (20); but bushfire warnings have been issued by Country Fire Service for parts of South Australia (21). Fire officials in New South Wales offer some tips on homeowner safety in the next item (22). And finally, a story from Wyoming shows how defensible space was used to protect... a tree?

(1) Out of Control Wildfires: a California-size Disaster

(2) PG&E ends state's wildfire suits for $2.5 million

(3) Final report due on 2008 crash that killed Oregon firefighters

(4) Boulder County seeks input on wildfire protection plan

(5) Did Anyone Notice That $19 Million?

(6) Prescribed burn postponed at UWF

(7) American west's forests face troubling carbon trend

(8) EMERCOM to inspect settlements where wildfires possible

(9) IDF joins firefighting efforts in north

(10) Video & Photo Roundup of Wildfire in N. Israel

(11) Thousands battle Israel forest fire as toll hits 41

(12) Russia sends aircraft to Israel to fight fires near Haifa

(13) Australia offers help over Israel fires

(14) Obama pledges US help for Israel forest fires

(15) Palestinians sends trucks to help douse Israeli bushfire

(16) Turkey Offers To Help Israel Control Wildfire

(17) Israeli Police Rules Out Arrested Duo's Role In Starting Forest Fires

(18) Photos: Golestan Forest Fire In North Iran

(19) US providing forest fire management training

(20) Details on Vic bushfire home buybacks soon

(21) SA Bushfire warning

(22) Steps you can take around the home as the bushfire season approaches

(23) Christmas tree for U.S. Capitol coming from Wyoming forest