WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 052511

Environmentalists clashed with US Forest Service over a planned thinning program in Oregon's Pringle Falls Experimental Forest (1); while an official from the Eastern Arizona Incident Management Team indicated that a wildfire burning near Sierra Vista has now increased in size to 10,000 acres, forcing some evacuations (2). Firefighters from Idaho arrived in New Mexico, a state which has seen 500 wildfires burn 557,000 acres since the beginning of the year (3); and with the 83,000-acre Miller Fire still burning in Grant County, officials have been urged to tighten fire restrictions by US Forest Service (4); but debris chipping has been identified as the cause of a 600-acre wildfire that burned near Ruidoso (5). Texas Forest Service provided an update on wildfire activity in that state (6); where a 7,600-acre wildfire was reported in Deaf Smith County, as well as a 1,500-acre blaze near Tulia (7); wildfires forcing the evacuation of Palo Duro Canyon north of Amarillo (8); as Texas A&M has conducted a study in which they determined that Texas ranches lost $1.2 billion in the recent wildfires that ravaged that state (9); but even though 125,000 acres of Possum Kingdom State Park were blackened by wildfires, the efforts of firefighters to keep it out of the picnic grounds will allow campers to return over Memorial Day weekend (10). The 21st Annual Santa Fe Trail Fishing Derby was canceled by US Forest Service due to a wildfire burning in Kansas' Cimarron National Grassland (11); while the next article takes a look at the Second National Fire Research Agenda Symposium, which was held in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and discussed, among other things, wildland firefighting (12). Firefighter grant programs may suffer from severe cuts voted by the US House of Representatives (13). Fire crews who had been battling a 28,062-acre wildfire in North Carolina's Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge have completed their 14-day stint on the fireline (14); nevertheless, firefighters are still struggling to rope in the blaze after the line was breached (15). Firefighters in Palm Beach County, Florida, contained a 30-acre wildfire that was threatening nearby ranches (16); while an Op-Ed piece from Fairbanks, Alaska, reminds homeowners of their responsibility in reducing the incidence of wildfires through carelessness (17). Canadian wildfire experts are concerned about conditions around Burns Lake, British Columbia, where an abundance of dead fuel could lead to catastrophic wildfires (18); but with the arrival of 70 firefighters from British Columbia in Alberta, BC's contribution to the fires burning there topped out at 611 personnel (19); where five blazes continue to burn (20). A meeting has been called in Toronto, Ontario, by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction to discuss moving forward with the Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy in the wake of the devastation wrought by wildfires at Slave Lake, Alberta (21). In the UK, a power pole was cited as the cause of a 150-ha wildfire which Cumbria Fire and Rescue battled yesterday (22); but weeks after a devastating wildfire tore through Swinley Forest, Berkshire, it is already showing signs of recovery (23). The next article takes a look at how Siberia's wildfires have impacted the Russian timber industry (24). Heading to Australia, ten councils in Victoria will be able to divide up $1 million between them to help with bushfire planning of the future (25); while Nillumbik has asked for an extension of the Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (26). Smoke from a bushfire outside of Noonamah, Northern Territory, is causing problems for motorists (27); this at a time when volunteer firefighters are at odds with Bushfire NT over pay and equipment (28). And finally, firefighters in New Zealand had to conduct rescue operations in a very unusual place: 'The Hobbit's' Middle Earth!

(1) Judge Places Research Above Forest's Health

(2) Winds fan blaze, drive it northeast from point of origin

(3) Idaho firefighters coming to N.M.

(4) County urged to tighten fire rules

(5) Chipping caused Rifle Fire

(6) TX Forest Service details scope of Tuesday's wildfires

(7) Wildfires burning near Umbarger and Tulia

(8) Palo Duro Canyon evacuated

(9) Drought and fire jeopardize ranching lifestyle in Texas

(10) Possum Kingdom State Park to Reopen for Memorial Day Weekend

(11) U.S. Forest service closing Cimarron River corridor affected by Tunner fire

(12) Panel Discusses Ways to Promote Fire Safety

(13) House panel moves to cut disaster aid

(14) Fire crew returns from battling North Carolina wildfire

(15) Firefighters continue work to contain escaped wildfire

(16) Wildfire in Palm Beach County contained

(17) Fine firefighting: Blaze north of Fairbanks is knocked down, not dead

(18) Wildfire predictors are inadequate

(19) B.C. sends another 70 firefighters to help Alberta battle wildfires

(20) Northern blazes keeping crews busy

(21) ICLR news conference on Slave Lake wildfires

(22) Blown-over electricity pole causes Cumbrian wildfire

(23) Swinley Forest fire: Plants and wildlife start recovery

(24) The Ural cluster got into wild fires

(25) Cash boost for bushfire hot-spots

(26) Two year cap burns Nillumbik ratepayers

(27) Rural area blaze caution

(28) Bosses a burning issue for NT volunteer firefighters

(29) Firefighters signed gag order for The Hobbit 'months ago'