WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 092211

Funding for FEMA's emergency relief programs has been held up in Congress, potentially impacting money being paid out to wildfire survivors in several states (1). Helicopters and CL-415s quickly roped in a 1-acre wildfire in the Southern California community of Acton yesterday (2); while US Forest Service is keeping an eye on three lightning-sparked wildfires burning in the Stanislaus National Forest (3). A 20-acre wildfire burning in north Carson City, Nevada, has been contained (4); and a meeting in Arizona discussed causes of the Horseshoe II Fire (5); while a US Forest Service entomologist discusses the plague of beetle-killed spruce trees in Utah in the next article (6). With tinder-dry conditions through much of the state, Oklahoma's governor has declared this Wildfire Preparedness Week (7); prompting firefighters and insurers to unveil their "Ready, Set, Go!" program across the state (8). A debris fire that became a wildfire burned between 50 and 60 acres in Cleveland County, Oklahoma (9); meanwhile the Small Business Administration will help wildfire survivors in Pawnee and Oklahoma counties with low-interest loans (10). A summary of wildfire activity across Texas is provided by the next article (11); where a 150-acre wildfire on a former Abilene landfill may take days to extinguish (12); while faculty and students at the Houston Baptist University have been traumatized by wildfires (13); but citing historically bad drought and wildfire conditions, a Texas State Senator urged residents to support the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund (14). Hoping to head off another major wildfire, Texas fire officials will be holding a series of town hall meetings in Montgomery (15); but sensing lawsuits in their future because wildfires may have been sparked by power lines, electric utility Austin Energy is making legal preparations (16); while the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas have made a $200,000 donation which will help volunteer firefighters purchase gear for fighting wildfires (17); and "Tickets for Fire Relief: The Concert for Central Texas", which will be held in Austin on October 17 to benefit wildfire survivors, will begin selling tickets tomorrow (18); while a US Fish and Wildlife wildfire expert expounds on the benefits wildfires convey to Texas ecology (19). The 93,669-acre wildfire burning in Minnesota's Superior National Forest is now 30% contained (20); a photo spread taking a look back at wildfires of the past in that state (21). The Mississippi Forest Fire Department reported on wildfire activity across the region (22); while the New Jersey Audubon Society's efforts to protect wildlife from wildfires is the focus of their habitat restoration project in Berkeley (23); and Florida Forest Service firefighters have brought a 2,000-acre wildfire burning on the shores of Lake Okeechobee to 75% containment (24). As rehabilitation of Berkshire, UK's, Swinley Forest continues, the next article takes a look at those efforts (25); but Indonesia's dubious affiliation with slash-and-burn agriculture that sparks wildfires is the focus of the next article (26). Heading to Australia next, the Victorian Fire Authority is hoping that rain will dampen the bushfire risk in that state (27); where the new bushfire map released this week shows a good deal of hazardous vegetation in the Ballarat region (28). A second major bushfire has been reported in Central Queensland (29). New South Wales' Rural Fire Service officials provide some useful tips on how to prepare for bushfires in the next item (30); which might be timely, considering that there are 96 bushfires burning in that state at the moment, 18 of them uncontained (31). A new report indicates that residents of Western Australia's Perth Hills felt that bushfire-proofing their homes was too expensive in the run-up to the Roleystone bushfires (32); while bushfires continued to burn in the Northern Territory, as well as the northern part of South Australia, closing several parks and recreation areas (33). And finally, here's a new use for Bambi Buckets: spotting robbery suspects!

(1) Napolitano: Disaster aid fund 'running on fumes'

(2) Fire Burns One Acre In Acton

(3) Forest Monitoring Fires

(4) UPDATE: Crews control Goni fire

(5) Firefighting ways discussed

(6) Threats beset Utah’s spruce

(7) Fallin urges wildfire preparedness in Okla.

(8) Ready, Set, Go! Oklahoma wildfire initiative announced

(9) Wildfire chars 50 to 60 acres

(10) SBA loans are available for Oklahoma wildfire victims

(11) Texas wildfire update - Sept. 22, 2011

(12) Fire at former landfill in northeast Abilene may take days to snuff

(13) Wildfires burn across Texas, hurt campus community

(14) Uresti urges residents to help Wildfire Relief Fund

(15) Fire officials: Another major wildfire expected, drought to continue

(16) Austin Energy could face fire lawsuits

(17) Agents give Texas volunteer fire departments funding

(18) Concert to Benefit Bastrop Wildfire Victims

(19) Ag expert:'Wildfires are new beginning'

(20) Pagami Creek firefighting force tops 830 people

(21) Famous Minnesota fires: A look back in photos

(22) Fire report released for Forest

(23) Preventative action

(24) Lake Okeechobee wildfire is 75 percent contained, forest officials say

(25) Help forest to recover

(26) The endless cycle of forest fires

(27) Only rain can reduce severe grass fire risk

(28) Ballarat faces high risk for bushfire season

(29) Second grass fire threatens Qld home

(30) Prepare for bushfire

(31) Almost 100 fires burning in NSW

(32) Residents not prepared for Hills bushfire

(33) Bushfire closes Outback Simpson Desert parks, roads in Far North South Australia

(34) Firefighter in aerial bucket spots robbery suspect hiding on roof