WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 022511

A photographer has recorded the rebirth of areas burned by Southern California's Station Fire in 2009 in an effort to spur interest in re-seeding parts of the Angeles National Forest burned in the blaze (1); this at a time when LA County is closing roads into the Station Fire burn area as a massive winter storm approaches (2). US Forest Service personnel will be checking on a wildfire reported burning in steep terrain within Arizona's Coronado National Forest (3). Aircraft from the Texas Forest Service, as well as some from the Texas National Guard, grappled with a 600-acre wildfire in Mason County (4); and there were plenty of other wildfires to deal with across the state, as shown by the next two articles (5)(6). The Alabama Forestry Commission reported that there were 15 fires burning in that state as of Thursday afternoon, including a 200-acre blaze in Cherokee County which is now considered 60% contained (7); while burn bans are still in place in Prince William County, Virginia, where wildfires raged a week ago (8); and a homeowner who inadvertently sparked a 2,000-acre wildfire in Warren County, Virginia, has been charged (9). Firefighters in Cumberland County, North Carolina, feared that resurgent winds could lead to resurgent wildfires (10); and the same was true in Robeson County, where a 160-acre wildfire has just been contained (11); while a resident whose controlled burn scorched 1,160 acres has been cited by the North Carolina Forestry Service (12). The next item provides statistics on wildfires that burned in South Carolina over Presidents' Day weekend (13); but firefighters are hoping for a much quieter weekend as rains arrive (14). Residents of Suwannee County, Florida, have been warned about the dangers posed by debris burns sparking wildfires (15); while a 15-acre wildfire in Osceola County was quickly extinguished by firefighters yesterday (16); followed by a video segment that discusses wildfires which have burned hundreds of acres in Dade County (17). The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations indicated that air pollution across the country increased by 35% in 2010, principally due to wildfires (18). Firefighters in the Himalayan nation of Bhutan scrambled to contain a wildfire that has burned 700 acres of chir pine forest (19); and after seeing nearly 900 forest fires burn 5,668 hectares nationwide last year, Vietnam's Department of Forest Management is mounting fire patrols in 13 provinces experiencing drought conditions (20). In Australia, the contentious issue of using cattle grazing to reduce the bushfire danger in Victoria's national parks is examined by the next article (21); while portions of New South Wales are enjoying enough precipitation that the Rural Fire Service is calling an early end to the bushfire season (22); but firefighters in Queensland are warning residents that, despite the rain, the bushfire danger in their state still exists (23). And finally, we have the story of Tillie, a cat who used at least one of her nine lives to survive a Western Australia bushfire!

(1) Rebirth from Station fire's ashes

(2) LA County to close roads in Station Fire burn area before storm hits

(3) Crews checking on wildfire in Southern Ariz.

(4) 600 acre fire controlled in Mason Co.

(5) Grass fire in Parker County threatened homes, gas well site

(6) Wildland fires crop up Thursday; threat for Big Country issued for Sunday

(7) Wildfire continues to burn in Cherokee County

(8) Prince William issues burn ban

(9) Officials: Ashes from wood stove sparked wildfire

(10) Predicted winds spark fear of more fires

(11) Robeson County fire contained, 160 acres burn

(12) Man cited for allowing Cedar Creek controlled burn to get out of control

(13) Forestry officers issued 107 tickets during weekend wildfires

(14) Welcome rain in fire season

(15) Wildfires on the rise in Suwannee

(16) Wildfire burned sheds, threatened structures in St. Cloud

(17) Wildfires Burn Hundreds Of Acres

(18) Russian air pollution increases 35% in 2010 y-o-y

(19) Fighting on two fronts

(20) Drought puts many provinces at extreme risk of forest fires

(21) Minister investigates cattle grazing in national parks

(22) Bushfire danger period draws to an early end

(23) Bushfire threat is real

(24) Cat uses one of her nine lives to survive bushfire