Firebomber Publications Blog

Wildfire News Of The Day (the Firebomber Publications blog) provides comprehensive international wildfire news. Subscribers include over 10,000 personnel from fire agencies, contractors, and government entities on five continents. "BEST NEWSLETTER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY 32 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE" - San Diego Fire Department Chief Brian Fennessy.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 121510

CAL FIRE has signed a five-year agreement with NASA to deploy an advanced sensor called the Autonomous Modular Scanner during California's fire season (i.e., year round) (1); but a wildfire burning on the east slopes of New Mexico's Monzano Mountains has destroyed several structures (2). A man who accidentally sparked a wildfire in Loveland, Colorado, has been sentenced (3); while another has been sentenced for sparking a wildfire in Montana's Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest after apprehension by US Forest Service's Law Enforcement and Investigations Division (4). A wind-driven wildfire scorched 100 acres in Comanche County, Oklahoma, yesterday (5); while Texas Forest Service battled a 100-acre wildfire in Orange County (6); and dangerous conditions were being predicted for parts of West Texas as well (7). The next article gives a breakdown of 2010 wildfire activity in Kentucky, where the fall fire season officially ends today (8). Possible arson wildfires were reported near a school in Fayetteville, North Carolina (9); and homeowners in Horry County, South Carolina, will be getting some pointers on wildfire safety at a meeting tonight (10). A mobile home fire turned into a wildfire in Geneva, Florida, yesterday (11); while Canadian firefighters in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, discussed the measures they're taking to reduce wildfire danger to the community (12). A report on Israel's Carmel fire revealed that many of the police who died in a bus could have escaped unharmed (13); and US fire experts arrived in the Himalayan nation of Bhutan to begin training firefighters on the finer points of battling wildfires (14). The next article provides some background information on bushfire costs in New Zealand, where a town council may have to pay $750,000 for suppression of a recent bushfire (15); something which may be cold comfort for one region on North Island which is seeing 4 to 5 bushfires break out daily (16). Heading to Australia, Country Fire Authority, Yarra Ranges Council, and power company SP Ausnet are teaming up to thin out vegetation in order to reduce the incidence of bushfires in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges (17); while that state's Powerline Bushfire Safety Taskforce will begin installing power backup systems designed to help reduce bushfire danger from power lines in several areas after receiving $1 million (18). VicRoads will be experimenting with removing bushfire-damaged timber by heli-logging before the trees cause damage by falling (19); followed by an article which takes a closer look at one community's participation in Operation Firesetter, Victoria's attempt to apprehend bushfire arsonists in a state where 750 such incidents were reported last season (20). Homeowners are up in arms with New South Wales' Greater Hume Council for not supporting them in their attempts to recover compensation for losses from a devastating 2009 bushfire (21). And finally, the importance of air-tanker contractors maintaining their webpages is underscored by the fact that Israel's government, which was desperately looking for help fighting their Carmel Forest wildfire, found the 747 Supertanker by doing a web search!

(1) NASA fighting California wildfires

(2) Forest fire sparks up near Manzano

(3) Loveland fire starter apologizes during his sentencing

(4) Dillon man sentenced for part in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest fires

(5) Wildfire rips through NE Comanche Co. field

(6) UPDATE: No homes damaged in Vidor wildfire

(7) Dangerous Wildfire Conditions Predicted for West Texas

(8) Fire hazard season over, but don't let guard down

(9) Suspicious fires set near Fayetteville schools

(10) Forestry officials to talk about wildfire safety tonight in Carolina Forest

(11) Home destroyed by fire in Geneva, Florida

(12) Bylaw in works to limit forest fire threat in sprawling burbs

(13) Police who died in Carmel fire could have escaped, report finds

(14) US expertise for 5-day course

(15) Forest fire bill may reach $750,000

(16) Wildfire warning for Wairarapa

(17) Call for residents to prepare for bushfires in the Dandenongs

(18) RedFlow technology aids Victoria bushfire battle

(19) Damaged alpine trees to be removed by air

(20) Have Your Say: Casey's firebug crackdown

(21) Gerogery bushfire victims hit out at Greater Hume Council

(22) Supertanker owners say Israel rejected initial offer for firefighting plane

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