WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 021811

California residents who inadvertently sparked a 7,000-acre Inyo National Forest wildfire in 2006 have paid $1 million to the federal government to cover suppression costs (1); and although a wildfire burning along the Mexico-Arizona border has grown to nearly 2,000 acres, most of the additional burns will now be generated by firefighters in an effort to rope it in (2). Wildfires kept firefighters in the Texas Panhandle very busy this week, with the weekend weather forecast promising more of the same (3); but a firefighter from the Kentucky Division of Forestry has died of injuries sustained in a wildfire he fought last year (4). With parts of Tennessee considered to be in severe drought, warming temperatures are increasing the wildfire risk substantially (5); and after the loss of 21% of their wildland firefighters to budget cuts last year, the Alabama Forestry Commission could be hard pressed as the wildfire threat increases (6). A fire department in upstate New York will be using federal funds to purchase a new fire truck for battling wildfires (7); but with 13 fires reported in Maryland over the past week, forecasters are expecting high fire danger across the region, including Washington DC (8). U.S. Forest Service firefighters managed to corral a wildfire that burned 702 acres in Virginia's Jefferson National Forest (9); however, with no rain forecast until next Tuesday, the Virginia Beach Fire Department is cautioning homeowners about the high wildfire threat (10); and fire agencies across that state warned residents of extreme wildfire danger today and tomorrow (11). As warm, windy weather continues to elevate the wildfire danger across the Carolinas, the next article provides a summary of blazes in the region (12); with one fire near Jude's Gap, North Carolina, having passed the thousand-acre mark (13); all of which is doing nothing to allay the fears of officials in Rockingham County (14). U.S. Forest Service has published plans for controlled burns on over 27,000 acres in Georgia (15); but wildfires in Ireland cost nearly $5 million to clean up after last year (16). An investigation into misuse of wildfire-fighting funds is being conducted in the Indian state of Mizoram (17); Vietnamese officials are warning residents of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak of an increased wildfire danger (18); and the Indonesian city of Dumai in Riau Province was inundated with wildfire smoke, causing problems for motorists (19). The chairman of Western Australia's 'Bushfire Front' think tank weighs in on how better to prevent bushfires in that state (20); but due to an abundance of moisture earlier this year, northeast Victoria fire managers are expecting a quiet bushfire season (21); however, the head of Country Fire Authority warned residents in the southwest not to become complacent about the danger (22). And finally, in a bizarre case from Victoria a law firm filed a lawsuit for bushfire damages without their 'client' even being aware they were doing so!

(1) Mono County couple pay $1 million for fire cost

(2) Duquesne Fire continues to burn

(3) Area fire departments respond to series of grass blazes, brace for weekend conditions

(4) Division of Forestry Firefighter Dies Of Injuries Sustained In September Fire

(5) Wildfire risk raised by weather

(6) Alabama warns of wildfire threat

(7) Fire department receives grant for wildfire vehicle

(8) High wind and fire weather watches Saturday

(9) Wildfire closed off, U.S. Forest Service says

(10) High threat for wildfires ahead

(11) Firefighters: Don't burn Friday or Saturday

(12) Warm, dry, with threat of wildfires

(13) Wildfire Near Chimney Rock Chars 1,050 Acres

(14) Rockingham County officials fear more wildfires

(15) USFS plans controlled burns

(16) Forest fire hike 'costing millions'

(17) Mizoram 'misuses' fund for prevention of forest fire

(18) Dak Lak province faces risk of forest fires

(19) Forest fire haze blankets city of Dumai

(20) Learn lessons of past fires

(21) Expert predicts low bushfire risk

(22) Flooded Vic warned against bushfire complacency

(23) Bushfire lawsuit 'abuse of process'