WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 110311

The devil winds were at it again, sparking numerous wildfires across Southern California (1); including a 13-acre blaze in the Jurupa Valley which caused $400,000 in real estate damage (2); this at a time when a wildfire evacuation drill was conducted by the California Office of Emergency Services in Ramona in San Diego County (3); while CAL FIRE firefighters managed to contain a 90-acre wildfire burning north of Napa which destroyed one home (4); and also battled a two-acre blaze burning in Big Basin Redwoods State Park (5). Fire managers plan to burn off about 5,000 acres in the Reserve Ranger District of New Mexico's Gila National Forest (6). The story of a blazing log truck which sparked a wildfire in Trinity County, Texas, is up next (7); where assistance is being offered by the USDA Rural Development organization to residents displaced by wildfires (8); and, with 6,000 miles of burned fences, farmers and ranchers are getting a lot of use out of Texas Department of Agriculture's Star Fund Grants (9). Details on the fire hazard posed by beetle-killed trees in South Dakota are provided by the next article (10); while firefighters in North Carolina battled a 20-acre wildfire in Polk County (11). Government officials in Mbinga District, Tanzania, are cracking down on local officials who allow deliberate setting of bushfires in that African nation (12); but on the eve of Guy Fawkes Day, homeowners in New Zealand are being warned about the fire danger posed by fireworks in windy weather (13). With the bushfire danger increasing as Australia's summer approaches, Country Fire Authority has staged a Bell 412 helicopter to the Sea Lake region of Victoria (14); and after 100 arson car fires, officials with Forestry Plantation Queensland are complaining about the bushfire threat to nearby stands of timber (15). Police in New South Wales are hoping someone snapped pictures of an arsonist who lit a bushfire in the Blue Mountains last month (16). Local governments are being asked by fire officials in Western Australia to share responsibility in preparing for bushfires (17); even as Fire and Emergency Services Authority firefighters finally controlled a bushfire which threatened Denmark (18); while the next article revisits the ill-fated Kimberley Ultra Marathon, in which several runners were badly injured by a bushfire (19). With rains causing vegetation growth not seen in 40 years, South Australia's Country Fire Service is warning property owners in the outback of the extreme bushfire danger this coming summer (20). And finally, Australian firefighters in Deebing Heights, Queensland, who were probably used to rescuing cats from trees had a slightly more feathery victim to rescue this time!

(1) Santa Ana winds fan the flames of Southern California wildfires

(2) Jurupa Valley: Wildfire Controlled, Three Homes Damaged

(3) Agencies conduct wildfire evacuation workshop in Ramona

(4) Napa wildfire contained Wednesday after burning home

(5) Wildfire contained near Big Basin

(6) Eckleberger Prescribed Fire Planned in Gila National Forest

(7) Special Report: Trinity County works to recover from log truck fire

(8) Department of Ag offering assistance for wildfires

(9) Funding for Ranch Fences Lost in Wildfires Is Here

(10) Fire hazards presented by a beetle-killed tree

(11) Forest Service fights fire in Polk County

(12) Tanzania: DC Warns Leaders Against Bushfires

(13) Firefighters urge care with fireworks

(14) Fire fighting helicopter lands as the Mallee prepares for summer

(15) Stolen cars a fire menace

(16) NSW police seek footage of arsonist

(17) Local government told to lift fire management

(18) FESA says bushfire managed locally

(19) Questions remain for runners injured in a bushfire

(20) Bushfire warning for outback SA

(21) Firefighters save feathered friend