WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 032911

A Native American reservation near Yakima, Washington, has received a hefty donation from local dairy farmers to help with the recovery from a wildfire that burned through the reservation (1); while some Q&A took place with the head of US Forest Service, who was touring the Schultz Fire burn area outside of Flagstaff, Arizona, yesterday (2). In the aftermath of New Mexico's wildfires in the Manzano Mountains, officials are warning hikers to beware of falling trees damaged by the wildfires in the Cibola National Forest (3). A spokesman for U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region cited the fire danger in Southern Colorado in the next article (4); this at a time when Montrose County unveiled its new Community Wildfire Protection Plan (5). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a notice about an upcoming webinar with a climate researcher from the University of Idaho who will be discussing wildfires in an era of climate change (6); followed by the wildfire situation across Texas (7). US Forest Service has decided not to proceed with the Benchmark Project in Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, something which was intended to reduce the wildfire danger in that area (8). A discarded cigarette is presumed to be the cause of a 10-acre wildfire in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, yesterday (9); while firefighters in Michigan practiced battling wildfires with two deliberately-set exercise fires in fields (10). Firefighters will be conducting a controlled burn over 7.2 acres in Kentucky's Jefferson Memorial Forest today (11); and Pennsylvania will provide grants of up to $7,500 for rural fire companies that have to deal with wildfires (12). Motorists traveling near North Carolina's Camp Lejeune were warned about visibility problems due to smoke from lingering fires on the base (13); the following article exploring the benefits to the ecosystem from this blaze (14). Firefighters in Dorchester County, South Carolina, have fully contained a wildfire that threatened dozens of homes (15); but rain is helping to dampen down wildfires in that state, where one man was ticketed after a debris burn became a wildfire (16). An update on the wildfires in southeast Georgia chronicles the benefits of rainfall in quelling the blazes (17); however, it was not in time to save one couple's home in Long County, where they escaped the flames with only the clothes on their backs (18). Authorities in Bay County, Florida, feel that a spate of wildfires was arson (19); and the wildfire season has gotten an early start in Ontario, Canada, where several grass fires were reported yesterday (20). The first of seven AT-802 Air Tractor air-tankers have arrived at Megiddo Airbase as Israel's new aerial firefighting squadrons take shape (21). And finally, firefighters in Nebraska's Valentine National Wildlife Refuge experimented with a new device which enables them to perform controlled burns with geometric precision!

(1) Yakima dairy farmers donate $61,000 to White Swan

(2) Forest chief short on specifics

(3) Forest officials tell hikers to beware of falling trees in burned area of NM Manzano Mountains

(4) Weather eases fire danger; S. Colo. highest at risk

(5) Montrose County releases community wildfire protection plan

(6) Using climate information for risk mitigation and objective achievement in managed fire

(7) Monday wildfire update

(8) Forest Service reverses decision on Benchmark logging, prescribed burn

(9) Grass fire near Ridgeland, 183rd extinguished Monday afternoon

(10) Firefighters practice fighting field fires

(11) Metro Parks Conducting Controlled Burn Tuesday

(12) State grants will help local fire companies fight brush and forest fires

(13) Smoldering fire reduces visibility in Onslow Co.

(14) Plants, animals expected to benefit by wildfires

(15) Dorchester County wildfire 100 percent contained, no homes lost

(16) Man ticketed in wildfire

(17) Rain Helps Wildfire Crews

(18) Wildfires Hit Home For One Georgia Couple

(19) Investigators: 6 Bay County wildfires intentionally set

(20) Clarington firefighters battle early start to grass fire season

(21) First planes arrive for new firefighting squadron

(22) Machine limits prescribed fires