WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 042011

Los Angeles County Fire Department's new chief weighs in on the need to protect vital communications gear atop Southern California's Mount Wilson in our first wildfire article today (1); while the US Forest Service has completed the first third of a 600-acre controlled burn program in Utah's Dixie National Forest (2). The next article provides a Texas Forest Service update on wildfire activity across that state (3); followed by two items which show the destruction in photos and video (4)(5); and the Christian Science Monitor provides an exposé on the wildfires ravaging Texas (6); but although rain is forecast for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, temperatures in the 90s are projected afterwards (7); followed by two articles that show the yeoman service being performed by military C-130s battling blazes on both sides of the Mexican border (8)(9); but as firefighters continued to battle a massive wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake, some enterprising homeowners who had been evacuated are keeping in touch electronically (10); the next story recounting the battle to protect McDonald Observatory in West Texas over the weekend (11). As Massachusetts kicked off its Wildfire Awareness Week, homeowners were reminded that its outdoor burning season ends May 1st (12); while firefighters at South Carolina's Fort Jackson plan a 120-acre controlled burn on the Army base (13). Firefighters outside of Lancashire, UK, squelched half-a-dozen grass fires which were apparently deliberately set (14); but Russia's Prime Minister is worried about wildfires in Siberia in light of the damage wrought by blazes in that country last year (15). Firefighters in China's Hebei Province finally declared victory over a wildfire which scorched 467 ha (16). Some parts of Australia could face a very bad bushfire season, as the next two items recount (17)(18). And finally, a wildfire in Graham, Texas, may have destroyed the family home, but at least it spared the rooster coop!

(1) Mt. Wilson's critical communication structures need better fire protection, new chief says

(2) Forest service conducts controlled burn near Haycock Mountain in Utah's Dixie National Forest

(3) Texas Forest Service Wildfire Update Wednesday Morning

(4) Wildfires Ravage Texas

(5) Texas wildfires raging out of control

(6) Texas wildfires burn 'border to border;' cold front lifts hopes

(7) Dallas-Fort Worth forecast calls for cooler weather, chance of rain after sundown

(8) Laughlin continues support of firefighting efforts in Mexico

(9) US planes fly 60 firefighting runs in TX, Mexico

(10) Wildfire evacuees keep tabs on homes from afar

(11) Crews protect Texas observatory with fire of their own

(12) Take Precautions Against Forest Fires

(13) SC's Fort Jackson Army post plans a prescribed burn of 120 acres to manage forested areas

(14) Fury over grass arson attack

(15) PM Putin says Russia faces danger of forest fires

(16) Forest fire in north China put out, no casualties reported

(17) Wet adds fuel to bushfire threat

(18) Red Centre warned of huge bushfire season

(19) Wildfire ravages home but spares family roosters