WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 062911

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has asked Congress to look into U.S. Forest Service plans to scale back its use of fire retardant, something the Supervisors feel could deleteriously impact firefighting in Southern California (1); and CAL FIRE reported that a wildfire which originated in Mexico has burned 5 acres on San Diego County's Otay Mesa (2); while aircraft aided firefighters on the ground battling a small wildfire in the San Diego community of Mesa Grande (3); CAL FIRE reporting that a 1,213-acre wildfire burning near Fountain Springs was 60% contained as of Tuesday night (4). Washington's Department of Natural Resources provided some helicopter exercises to prepare crews for the fire season, which has begun in the eastern part of the state (5); while firefighters in Nevada's Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District will be treating about 100 acres to reduce the wildfire danger (6). As authorities investigate the causes of Arizona's wildfires, the next article provides an update on their status (7); a 10-acre wildfire being reported near Fort Huachuca (8); and the San Carlos Apache Reservation reported that a wildfire which began on the weekend has now expanded to 2,900 acres (9). A video segment from Arizona takes a closer look at why the experts think wildfires have been particularly bad this year, and what the future may hold (10); and it has been revealed that a wildfire which burned 2,200 acres in the Santa Rita Mountains in early May was probably sparked by welders (11); followed by an article about the impact of Arizona's massive wildfires on endangered species (12). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ty Bonnar, Vice President of Global Operations for Flexible Alternatives, sent along an update on the wildfires threatening New Mexico's Los Alamos National Laboratory (13); which has now reached 70,000 acres and is only 3% contained (14); concerns about radioactive smoke prompting officials to utilize a "flying lab" over the blaze (15); while a 15,000-acre wildfire burned vegetation on the ranch owned by former ABC newscaster Sam Donaldson and has now reached the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation near Alamo Canyon (16). California Air National Guard's contribution in battling New Mexico's wildfires is examined by the next article (17); but Congressman Steve Pearce is calling for US Forest Service to improve its forest management practices as his state continues to be hammered by massive wildfires (18); one firefighter from Ruidoso getting a rude shock when he realized a wildfire was encroaching on his neighborhood as fire crews were dispatched to deal with the blaze (19). US Forest Service will keep crews on standby after a third wildfire burned through a canyon near Boulder, Colorado (20); which is probably a good idea considering that a wildfire which burned 7,000 acres in Las Animas has flared to life again three weeks after being squelched! (21) Following wildfires and one of the worst droughts in a century, 213 Texas counties have received natural disaster designations from the US Department of Agriculture (22). Wildfires in southern Mississippi are straining budgets of local fire departments battling the blazes (23); and Alabama National Guard aircraft assisted firefighters battling a 550-acre blaze in Gulf State Park yesterday (24). A 175 acre-wildfire that was burning in New Jersey's Wharton State Forest has been contained after rainfall arrived on Tuesday (25). The secondary effects of wildfires are examined by a study of blazes in North Carolina in 2008, as explained in a Time Magazine article (26); followed by a video segment that provides an update on the wildfire burning in Onslow County where officials are now concerned about floods as well! (27) Wildfire activity in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, is the topic of the next article (28); while Israel's vaunted firefighting squadron may have some serious shortcomings, according to a Knesset Research and Information Center report (29). Australian officials presented a preliminary bushfire finding to citizens of East Gippsland, Victoria, regarding a bushfire which destroyed two homes in the area in February (30). And finally, firefighters battling the Honey Prairie Fire in Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge made an explosive discovery: 339 sticks of dynamite!

(1) LA County supervisors concerned about limiting use of fire retardant

(2) Brush Fire in Otay

(3) Small brush fire doused in Mesa Grande area

(4) Stage Fire burns more than 1,200 acres near Fountain Springs

(5) Helicopter Fire Fighting Training

(6) Fuels Reduction Project to Increase Safety for Community and Firefighters

(7) Fire update: Wallow 89 pct contained, Monument 90 pct

(8) Upper Garden Canyon Fire

(9) Wildfire erupts on reservation

(10) Reasons for the mega fires

(11) Rosemont CEO says worker caused May 2 blaze

(12) Endangered species hit hard by historic Ariz. fire

(13) Firefighters scramble to protect nuclear facility

(14) Firefighters make small headway on Los Alamos blaze

(15) 'Flying lab' to monitor smoke near NM nuclear lab

(16) Wildfire burns on NM ranch owned by Sam Donaldson

(17) California Air Guard aids in NM wildfire fight

(18) Los Alamos Fire Forces Rep. Pearce to Call for Better Forest Management

(19) Firefighter revisits his own 'gut check'

(20) Forest Service reviewing land use after the third fire this year in canyon near Boulder

(21) Wildfire flares up after being contained

(22) 213 counties in Texas receive natural disaster designations

(23) Wildfires strain firefighting budgets

(24) Firefighters make progress fighting wildfire

(25) Wharton wildfire is contained

(26) Wildfires: They're Not Just Dangerous to Trees

(27) From Fire, To Floods Onslow County has seen it all this week

(28) Tuesday forest fire report

(29) Report shows flaws in firefighting squadron

(30) Public to hear preliminary bushfire findings

(31) Bomb Squad Called in When Dynamite is Found Near Honey Prairie Wildfire