WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 102011

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Bill Niccum, Assistant Fire Chief for Los Angeles County Fire Department, commented on preparations for the peak fall fire season in Southern California's foothill communities (1); while seventeen agencies were involved in the Ramona Evacuation Workshop in San Diego County (2); and Southern California Gas Company offered to pay $240,544 to help defray $7.9 million in suppression costs caused by one of their power lines sparking the Sesnon Fire in Simi Valley in 2008 (3); while progress was reported in Santa Barbara County in efforts by officials to reestablish Santa Maria Airport as a full-time federal air-tanker base (4). US Forest Service will light several controlled burns in Arizona's Coconino National Forest today (5); the U.S. Forest Service finally declared victory over a 4,690-acre blaze which had been burning since June in Colorado (6); and a smoke jumper from Idaho with 33 years of service tells some tales in the next article (7). Texas Forest Service responded to nearly a dozen wildfires yesterday (8); including one that was 90% contained Wednesday night after scorching 250 acres in Hardin County (9); and volunteer firefighters in Caldwell County will benefit from donations at an event this coming weekend (10); even as contributions continue to roll in at the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund (11). Fire officials will meet with residents of Helena, Montana, on Friday night to discuss fuel reduction plans for the area (12). The last of the firefighters battling the 145 mi.² blaze in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area are withdrawing, leaving final extinguishing of the blaze to winter snows (13); but although the risk of wildfires in Wisconsin has decreased, the northwestern part of that state is still in danger (14). Boats will be allowed back on waterways in Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge after rains quelled much of the wildfire which has burned there for months (15). In Australia, Victoria's Minister for Bushfire Response unveiled a new bushfire pilot program in Mt Dandenong (16); but an Op-Ed piece revisits the controversial Alpine National Park grazing policy which aims to reduce the bushfire danger by allowing cattle to graze in high-risk areas (17). Four dozen bushfires were reported in Queensland (18); where the Minister of Agriculture was debating whether to issue a disaster declaration to provide assistance for graziers hard hit by the bushfires (19). And finally, although its function has been superseded by air patrols, Maine's Big Moose Mountain Fire Tower has found a new home after being airlifted to the Natural Resources Education Center!

(1) Cautious optimism about fire season

(2) Evacuation from Wildfires Was Topic of Agency Workshop in Ramona

(3) Supervisors accept fire settlement from gas company

(4) Progress takes flight at SM airport

(5) Prescribed fires planned today

(6) USFS formally declares Duckett Fire as extinguished

(7) Smoke jumper extraordinaire

(8) Latest On Wildfire Near Kountze

(9) Fire consumes at least 250 acres in Hardin County

(10) Luling Fall Fest will benefit firefighters

(11) AEP, AEP Foundation give area give financial support to area firefighters

(12) Wildfire fuel reduction meeting set

(13) Signs of rebirth sprout in Minnesota forest fire area as officials urge paddlers to return

(14) Risk of wildfires decreases in state except for Indianhead

(15) Some waterways in Okefenokee Swamp area reopen as water level rises

(16) Bushfire pilot program launched

(17) Say no to policy cowboys

(18) Lightning strikes set the Kimberley on fire

(19) Disaster declaration mooted for fire-ravaged western Qld

(20) Maine Forest Service fire detection icon finds new home in Greenville