WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 042311

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a link to a webinar which took place this past week dealing with the use of climate information to avert wildfire disasters (additional webinars can be accessed through the following link) (1). The Martin Mars' arrival at Lake Elsinore on its way to fight fires down south has been delayed until this afternoon (2); but unusually cool weather this spring has delayed prescribed burns in Baker County, Oregon (3). A pair of wildfires in Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest burned over 50 acres (4); while officials from the Kaibab National Forest are discussing plans to restore some of the 15,000 acres burned by the Schultz Fire (5). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Ware, Fire Information Officer for New Mexico State Forestry, points out the virtues of using inmate firefighting crews to help battle blazes across the state (6). The prime suspect in Colorado's Crystal Fire, which burned almost 3,000 acres, destroying 13 homes in the process, has changed his story (7); while a 40-acre wildfire burning southwest of Denver briefly forced the evacuation of 30 homes (8). An article from Oklahoma tips its hat to National Guard Chinook pilots who help battle wildland fires (9); but they definitely do things big in Texas, as the next story shows, where firefighters in Jeff County plan to conduct a controlled burn of 70,000 acres to stop a wildfire that stretches across over 200,000 acres! (10) Fire departments in Travis County, Texas, are bracing for more wildfires (11); even as the Alamo Area Wildland Strike Team returned from an intense nine-day stint on the front lines of the Texas wildfires (12). Texas Forest Service declared victory over some of the massive wildfires they've been battling (13); and Apache Corporation donated a pair of fire trucks to a local fire department in Midland to help battle raging wildfires (14). Despite the devastation, many homeowners around Possum Kingdom Lake plan to rebuild (15); but firefighters don't expect to have the 150,000-acre blaze contained until April 30 (16). Although providential rains are giving some of the 2,000 firefighters manning fire lines in parts of Texas a weekend respite, more hot, dry days are ahead (17); prompting Gov. Rick Perry to appeal to Texans of all faith to offer up prayers for rain over the next three days after 1.8 million acres and nearly 400 homes have gone up in smoke (18). Michigan's Department of Natural Resources is reminding residents of that state of the current fire danger (19); while homeowners in Horry County, South Carolina, recalled the devastating wildfire that destroyed 76 homes two years ago (20). Firefighters battling a 700-acre wildfire in Palm Beach County, Florida, were thankful that temperatures didn't reach the predicted high, allowing them to bring the fire to 50% containment Friday (21); the following article providing a summary of wildfire activity across the state (22). Fire officials in Cuba allowed that 400 wildfires have scorched thousands of acres since the first of this year, most of them caused by human negligence (23); but citing 100 wildfires fought per year, firefighters in northern England are asking visitors and residents to be careful with fire (24). Heli-tankers were called in to help Italian firefighters on the ground battle a 2 ha blaze which resulted from a runaway debris burn (25); while forest fires continue to multiply in Siberia, as shown by an update from Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry (26). A cautionary tale tells how Europe and Australia are bracing for a worsening of wildfires similar to those already being seen in Mexico and Texas (27); even as a wildfire overran two villages in India's Uttar Pradesh state (28). And finally, here's a new tool for wildfire arsonists: razor scooters!

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

(2) LAKE ELSINORE: Airtanker landing delayed

(3) Forest managers want to get started with fires

(4) 2 small fires burning in eastern Arizona forest

(5) Kaibab National Forest officials propose restoration project near Williams

(6) New Mexico searching for a few good inmates to fight fires

(7) Crystal Fire suspect changed his story

(8) Wildfire southwest of Denver called suspicious

(9) ScissorTales; Aerial firefighting becoming more important

(10) Crews battle blaze racing out of canyon

(11) Fire departments on high alert for wildfires

(12) Wildland Strike Team Returns From Front Lines

(13) Swenson, Cooper Mountain Ranch fires fully contained

(14) Apache Corporation provides fire trucks to fight wildfires in West Texas

(15) Texans plan to rebuild wildfire-devastated homes

(16) Containing Possum Kingdom fire to take a week

(17) Rain gives respite for Abilene-area fires, but dry days are coming

(18) Texas Governor Asks Residents to Pray for Rain Amid Extreme Drought

(19) Stay Safe During Wildfire Season

(20) Residents remember Horry County Wildfire 2 years later

(21) Wildfire now covers 700 acres; part of Indiantown Road still blocked off

(22) Treasure Coast residents warned to be cautious of sparking wildfires

(23) Cuba: Forest Rangers Corps Urges People to Observe Measures to Prevent Fires

(24) Warning over forest fires

(25) Fires Destroy 2 Ha of Forest in Varese, Lombardy

(26) Number of forest fires in Siberia up 50 pct over past day

(27) Wildfire fears grow in Australia and Europe

(28) Forest fire in Uttar Pradesh

(29) Razor Scooters Now All About Vandalism And Starting Forest Fires