WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 050311

Los Angeles County fireships assisted firefighters on the ground in battling a blaze in Tujunga Canyon outside of Los Angeles, California, yesterday (1); and were also active battling a 25-acre wildfire on Catalina Island (2); while another wildfire was reported in Orange County to the south (3); this coming at a time when California's insurance commissioner offered some tips to homeowners to reduce their danger from wildfires (4). A wildfire burning in Arizona's Santa Rita Mountains has scorched 1,800 acres (5); and although New Mexico received nearly a foot of snow in some places, there is still worry about a bad fire season ahead (6); while firefighters battling a blaze in Custer County, Colorado, announced that they'd reached 70% containment (7). A summary of wildfire activity across Texas is provided by the next two articles (8)(9); where Texas Forest Service reported that after burning 313,323 acres at a suppression cost exceeding $6 million, the Rock House Fire is now 95% contained (10). Firefighters will be burning 100 acres in Alabama's Talladega National Forest today, part of a 28,000-acre burn plan (11); while a wildfire burning in Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is nearing the 2,000 acre mark (12); but Florida Division of Forestry is battling nearly 2 dozen wildfires in the northern part of that state (13). Heading to Canada, the arrival of air-tankers and fire cats at Kamloops airport heralds the approach of British Columbia's wildfire season (14); while three men will be forced to pay thousands of dollars to Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources to cover suppression costs for wildfires started by bonfires they left unattended last year (15). Details about wildfires burning across the UK and Ireland are provided in the next two articles (16)(17); the negative impact on Scotland's ecology being touched on by the next article (18); followed by a a photo spread of the damage wrought (19); but the weather is not cooperating with firefighters (20); prompting fears that asthma sufferers could be impacted by smoke from wildfires (21). Meanwhile, a wildfire burned 148 ha in Alkmaar en omgeving, Netherlands, as Northern Europe continued to experience elevated wildfire danger (22). The next article takes a look at Victoria, Australia's, plan to buy back property threatened by bushfire conditions in that area (23); while officials with the Queensland Fire Service are urging homeowners to clear vegetation around their homes along the Gold Coast (24). And finally, after being driven out by the devastation wrought to their food supply by the Black Saturday bushfires, bats are finally returning to Kinglake National Park!

(1) Homes threatened by Tujunga Canyon blaze; firefighters launch assault [Updated]

(2) Wildfire burns 25 acres on Catalina Island

(3) Firefighters extinguish brush fire next to 241 toll road

(4) Insurance commissioner reminds homeowners to prepare for wildfires

(5) Greaterville fire spreads to 1,800 acres

(6) Recent winter weather won't offset bad fire season

(7) Sand Gulch Update: Fire 70% Contained

(8) Texas Forest Service Incidents

(9) Texas Forest Service: Tuesday Wildfire Update

(10) Rock House Fire situation improves

(11) Forest Service to burn 100 acres today

(12) Slow-moving wildfire burns in Okefenokee Swamp

(13) Smoke will linger from Florida wildfires

(14) Tankers Arrive at Airport

(15) Trio must pay costs of putting out forest fires they started

(16) Wildfires burning in Scotland, N. Ireland

(17) Scale of wildfires 'unprecedented'

(18) Wild fires 'a threat' to ecology and soil quality

(19) Forest fires: Your photos

(20) Weather frustrates efforts to tackle UK wildfires

(21) UK forest fires trigger asthma concerns

(22) EFFIS - Current Situation

(23) Home buyback plan "necessary"

(24) High fuel load boosts bushfire threat

(25) Kinglake National Park awaits bats’ return