WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 020311

Our first article today discusses a bill designed to help property owners impacted by recent Colorado wildfires (1); and the next looks at the explosive combination of cheatgrass and lightning in Idaho (2). A wildfire prevention meeting in Texas has been postponed, ironically, due to heavy snowfall! (3) Abundant recent rainfall (and more on the way), has allowed Flagler County, Florida, to lift its burn ban (4); while a 41-acre controlled burn was conducted in Florida's Tiger Bay State Forest (5). CL-415 air-tankers from Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources will be featured on a Discovery Channel segment for their series "How Things Work" (6). Israeli corporations are lending a hand to help restore areas burned by the recent Carmel Forest Fire (7); meanwhile Russian air-tanker manufacturer Beriev conducted demonstrations of their BE-220 firefighting aircraft in hopes of winning a contract with the Israeli government (8). A recent meeting in Azerbaijan took a look at the impact of forest planting and forest fires on that Central Asian country's ecology (9). As Australian firefighters battling blazes in East Gippsland, Victoria, hope that heavy rain will help douse the blazes (10); farmers in eastern Victoria who suffered losses in those bushfires are out counting the cost (11); this at a time when a Sunday morning tea is planned in Bendigo marking the second anniversary of Black Saturday (12). Although bushfire activity in New South Wales has decreased, authorities are cautioning residents that there is more to come due to continued high temperatures (13); while minimum-security inmates were out cleaning up the mess left by bushfires around Lake Clifton, Western Australia (14). Tasmania's Minister for Police and Emergency Management announced a new $1.9 million initiative to implement the Royal Bushfire Commission recommendations in that state (15). And finally, a cautionary tale comes to us from North Carolina about the importance of keeping the station house locked up after hours!

(1) Levy's wildfire property tax bill passes out of committee

(2) In fire country, land managers struggle to fight cheatgrass

(3) Weather related: Wildfire prevention public meeting rescheduled

(4) Flagler County burn ban lifted

(5) Prescribed fire burning in Tiger Bay

(6) Local water bombers featured in Discovery Channel series

(7) Israeli Companies Help Restore the Carmel

(8) Russian co Beriev demonstrates firefighting plane in Israel

(9) Azerbaijani ecology ministry holds collegium meeting

(10) East Gippsland firefighters wait for rain

(11) East Gippsland farmers assess bushfire damage

(12) Tea to remember Black Saturday

(13) Bushfires ease in NSW but more expected

(14) Inmates clean up bushfire-hit Lake Clifton

(15) Strengthening Tasmania’s Fire protection

(16) Thieves Steal from NC Firehouse While Firefighters Sleep