WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 020711

California high school students turned a burn area in the Plumas National Forest into an outdoor laboratory for understanding forest fires (1). Fire officials will be conducting controlled burns near Edmond, Oklahoma (2); while Texas Forest Service firefighters battled wildfires made worse by dry, windy conditions near Austin (3); and a firefighter helping fight a blaze in Harris County, Texas, was treated for smoke inhalation (4). U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials will oversee controlled burns in Louisiana's Sabine National Wildlife Refuge this month (5); while US Forest Service firefighters in Botetourt County, Virginia, battled a 10-acre wildfire (6); and to reduce the wildfire danger, fire authorities in Fayetteville, North Carolina, plan to treat 23 acres of vegetation near some schools (7). The benefits of logging to reduce the wildfire danger in British Columbia, Canada, is examined by the next article (8). Israeli officials toured a BE-200 firefighting aircraft as owner Beriev offered the plane as a means to combat future wildfires in that country (9); and Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps is beefing up its wildfire-fighting capabilities by equipping IL-76 aircraft with water tanks (10). As China suffers through a drought period, officials are advising local governments to make forest fire preparations in light of the 168 blazes which have burned over the past week (11); a situation made worse by the use of fireworks, as the next story shows (12). A wildfire which burned several acres of fruit trees in Cambodia is being blamed on hunters (13); while Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is keeping a close eye on the northern part of that country as the forest fire danger increases (14). On the second anniversary of Australia's Black Saturday bushfires, the next article provides an update on bushfire prevention/protection measures being taken by the Victorian Government (15). Western Australian Fire and Emergency Services Authority reported that dozens of homes have been destroyed outside of Perth by a fast-moving bushfire (16); which also threatened dozens of wineries (17); prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders (18); leaving one firefighter injured by the mass exodus as people fled the oncoming blazes (19); even as authorities began to gain the upper hand on some of the bushfires (20); but as damage estimates continued to climb, two firefighters' homes were among those destroyed (21); nevertheless, a local banking company is offering assistance to bushfire survivors (22); and the federal government is offering financial assistance as well (23); however, insurance premiums may go up (24). And finally, a tale from Tasmania recounts the benefits of peaches and priests in surviving a devastating bushfire in 1967!

(1) Rural California schoolkids learn from fire-damaged forest

(2) Burning of red cedar trees planned by Arcadia Lake

(3) Dry, windy conditions help fuel brush fires

(4) Firefighter Hurt During Grass Fire

(5) Controlled burns in Sabine Refuge

(6) Updated: Crews Battling Brush Fire in Jefferson National Forest

(7) Authorities to clear brush behind Douglas Byrd schools

(8) Preventative fuel management plans always be need to be in place

(9) For Sale: New Fire-Fighting Plane to Prepare for "Next Wildfire"

(10) IRGC Equips Several Planes with Water Tankers for Fire-Fighting Missions

(11) Chinese Vice Premier urges more efforts to prevent forest fires

(12) Fireworks blamed for E China forest fire that kills six

(13) Police blame hunters for starting Stung Treng forest blaze

(14) High forest fire alert for 2011

(15) Fire recovery plan picks up the pace

(16) Wildfire burns 35 houses in Western Australia

(17) Bushfire smoke threatens wineries

(18) Bushfire Emergency Warning for South Western Part of Roleystone and South Eastern Part of Kelmscott in the City of Armadale

(19) Firefighter injured in Perth bushfire


(20) Coorow and Dandaragan bushfire partially contained

(21) Firefighters lose homes in Perth blaze

(22) St.George offers help to Perth bushfire victims

(23) Federal funds to help WA fire victims

(24) Fires add pressure to insurance premiums

(25) Surviving Tasmania's worst bushfires with the help peaches and priests