WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010611

Precipitation throughout Southern California's Angeles National Forest has prompted officials to change the fire danger rating to 'low' (1). Questions are being raised about the US Forest Service's priorities in dealing with beetle-killed trees in Colorado (2); while Crowley County is experiencing a high wildfire danger level despite cold weather and snow on the ground (3); nevertheless, an Op-Ed piece from the Denver Post by the Colorado state director of the Nature Conservancy takes a look at conservation successes in that state (4). Despite a slow fire season in Shoshone, Idaho, firefighters were able to earn some extra money for their department by battling wildfires elsewhere for the Bureau of Land Management (5). After a spate of nearly 30 wildfires since October, Navarro County, Texas, is asking for the public's help in catching a serial arsonist (6); while a wildfire in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, briefly closed an interstate highway yesterday (7). Volunteer firefighters were among those arrested for setting arson wildfires in Oakdale, Louisiana (8). Firefighters in Sarasota County, Florida, continued to battle a wildfire at a mulch plant yesterday (9); but Volusia County will be having a meeting on January 18 to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (10); this at a time when Broward County is experiencing extreme fire danger (11); and a wildfire has been reported in Seminole County (12). The United States Fire Administration reported the lowest number of on-duty firefighter deaths in 2010 since the organization began keeping records in 1977 (13). At a raucous Beit Oren Kibbutz meeting, Israel's government officials were browbeaten over their handling of the wildfire outside of Haifa that cost 44 lives last December (14); however a new unit of firefighting all-terrain vehicles was much better received (15); but it will still take at least six months to make up all the shortfalls in equipment nationwide (16). Due to an abundance of rain in the springtime, Victoria, Australia, was not able to perform enough controlled burns to adequately reduce the bushfire danger this season (17); while the next article gives an update on Victoria's Community Recovery Plan (18). A bushfire near Adelaide, South Australia, which is believed to have been caused by a passing train, has been contained (19). And finally, the phrase 'no good deed goes unpunished' ran through the mind of a Michigan firefighter after his wallet was stolen from his car while he battled a furniture store fire!

(1) Fire-danger level lowered

(2) PitCo: Does cash drive decisions on saving the forest?

(3) Wildfire risk high in Crowley County

(4) Guest Commentary: 2010 was a good year for conservation

(5) Wildfire agreement paid off for Shoshone

(6) Fall fires called arson

(7) Interstate Reopened After Wildfire Near Shawnee

(8) Volunteer Firefighters Arrested in Connection with Oakdale Arsons

(9) Charlotte wildfire still burns

(10) County to Develop Wildfire Plan

(11) Wildfire Risk High In Broward County

(12) Wildfire reported in Seminole County

(13) USFA Reports Record Low For On-Duty Firefighter Deaths in 2010

(14) Netanyahu heckled at fire memorial

(15) ZAKA establishes ATV unit to fight fires in the North

(16) Report: Firefighting services lacking firefighters, trucks

(17) Victorian bushfire prevention stymied by wet spring

(18) Fire recovery ‘on track’

(19) Massive bushfire in Adelaide's north

(20) Cops: Firefighter robbed as he helped after Franks Furniture explosion