WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 082511

A 375-acre wildfire that was burning in Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest, briefly closing Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass, has now been contained (1). As the end of summer draws near, thousands of lightning strikes in Eastern Oregon have spawned numerous wildfires (2); even as firefighters from Clackamas County were involved in two major wildfires in the central part of the state (3); prompting Oregon Department of Forestry to increase the fire danger in the southern part of the state to extreme on Friday (4); weather conditions and dry fuel forcing officials to put additional fire restrictions on the Deschutes National Forest (5); and the same factors contributing to officials in Washington state's Gifford Pinchot National Forest raising the threat level there as well (6). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ty Bonnar, Vice President of Global Operations at Flexible Alternatives, sent along an article about two cousins who have been charged with starting Arizona's Wallow Fire, which burned over 840 sq miles, destroying three dozen homes, and costing $79 million to suppress (7). Lightning has been blamed for a 400-acre wildfire burning outside of Durango, Colorado (8); while a wildfire that threatened a number of homes in Herriman, Utah, is now 50% contained (9). Lightning strikes sparked 15 wildfires in Angelina County, Texas (10); 53 new fire starts being identified in East Texas alone (11). A trio of wildfires continues to burn in Wyoming's Shoshone National Forest (12). Wildfires in Western Montana are the focus of the next article (13); where Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials closed part of the Blackfoot River area due to the wildfire danger (14); a wildfire burning on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation has spread to 16,300 acres (15); and beetle-killed trees caused a ferocious fire in the Bitterroot National Forest to spread quickly to 19,000 acres (16); nevertheless, firefighters expected to have full containment of a 35-acre wildfire burning on Chevalier Ranch soon (17). Crawford County, Michigan, is developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan after wildfires in the region earlier this year (18). In Louisiana, fire prevention specialists fanned out across the state to spread tips to homeowners on how to avoid wildfires (19); while an update on Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge fire is provided by the next article (20). Heading to Canada, British Columbia's Wildfire Management Branch reported a 2 ha wildfire burning near Kamloops (21). In the Mediterranean Basin, scores of wildfires were reported in Portugal, Greece, Italy, Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and the North African nation of Algeria (22); more details on one of those blazes which is burning along Greece's border with Turkey is provided in the next article (23); the situation not helped by the Kurdistan Workers' Party lighting some wildfires of their own across Turkey recently (24); and Greece declaring an emergency while asking for EU assistance (25); the whole situation exacerbated by extreme heat across the Balkans (26). A veld fire in Namibia, Africa, destroyed 30,000 ha of pasture and forest lands (27). A research project from Victoria's University of Melbourne found that Australian bushfire survivors generally felt that media coverage after the Black Saturday bushfires did more good than harm (28); while a blog entry delves a bit deeper into the controversy surrounding Victoria's rejection of high-tech wildfire camera systems in a competition last year (29). Water bombers were called to fight a bushfire threatening homes outside of Rockhampton, Queensland (30); but there is a bit of a government debate over the bushfire risk faced by Central Queensland this year (31). Amid all the official hue and cry over a report critical of Western Australia's fire agencies, one group, Locals Against Wildfires, is applauding the report (32); but an air quality study commissioned by Forestry Tasmania has found that home heaters put off more smoke than prescribed burns in one region (33). And finally, firefighters in Providence, Rhode Island, received what was probably one of their strangest calls ever: recovering a three-foot long alligator from nearby Woonasquatucket River!

(1) Firefighters contain California forest wildfire

(2) Summer Ends With Wildfires Blazing on High Desert

(3) Clackamas County firefighters return home after fighting Central Oregon's 1,000-acre Elk Fire

(4) Fire danger increases to 'extreme' Friday

(5) Use of Fire Banned Near Skyliners Road

(6) Gifford Pinchot National Forest: Fire warning level raised to moderate

(7) Two charged with starting largest ever Arizona wildfire

(8) Lightning strike sparks blaze in HD Mountain range

(9) Wildfire 50% contained near Herriman; homes saved

(10) Lightning strikes, downed power lines, high winds spark 15 wildfires

(11) Forest service: Lightning caused half of new east Texas fires Wednesday

(12) Three fires burn through forest

(13) Wildfires grow to nearly 8,000 acres in Western Montana

(14) Part of Blackfoot River closed due to firefighting efforts

(15) Wildfires spread quickly in SE Montana

(16) Spread of 19,000-acre Bitterroot blaze slows

(17) Chevalier Ranch fire

(18) Local officials working to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plan

(19) Fire-prevention teams spread tips on drought, burn ban throughout Central Louisiana

(20) Great Dismal Swamp wildfire update

(21) Wildfire near Kamloops

(22) EFFIS - Current Situation

(23) Forest fire rages near Greece's border with Turkey

(24) Police suspect PKK involvement in forest fires

(25) Greece declares state of emergency as wildfires burn out of control

(26) Temperatures soar in eastern Europe

(27) Namibia: Fire Devours Reho's Acacia Forest

(28) Bushfire victims satisfied with media treatment

(29) Who can we blame?

(30) Bushfire threatens Caves house

(31) Attacks over CQ fire risk

(32) Rural firefighters welcome Keelty Report

(33) Heaters worse than forest fires

(34) R.I. News Digest: Providence firefighter catches baby alligator