WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 031411

Estimates for rebuilding the wildfire damage done last month on the Yakima Indian Reservation in Washington state are cresting near $3 million (1). Southeast Arizona is shaping up to be prime wildfire territory in the coming months (2); even as a 4,000-acre wildfire burning in the Coronado National Forest near Nogales crossed the border into Mexico (3). Two US senators toured the fire damage outside of Silver City, New Mexico (4); and firefighters in Boulder County, Colorado, reached 80% containment of a 622-acre wildfire, although increased winds could cause them some problems today (5). Although a wildfire outside of Norman, Oklahoma, burned 14 structures late last week, no homes were lost (6); but as winds in Oklahoma and Texas died down over the weekend, firefighters added up the damage (7). The importance of National Weather Service forecasts in dealing with Texas wildfires is demonstrated by the next article (8); where a 6,200-acre wildfire in Bosque County destroyed several homes and required assistance from Texas National Guard helicopters (9). As firefighters used an 1,800-acre controlled burn to clear land in the Talladega National Forest, the next article takes a look at how Native Americans used this same technique centuries ago (10); and a 100-acre controlled burn was conducted on the Army base of Fort Jackson, South Carolina, today (11). A wind-driven wildfire was reported near Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, over the weekend (12); but as if the Japanese didn't have enough to worry about with earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear leaks, now they also have wildfires to deal with in Miyagi Prefecture! (13) India's State Environment & Forestry Training Institute conducted a one-day training course on 'Forest Fire and its Control Measures' at the Nagaland Zoological Park (14); while a wildfire has destroyed thousands of trees in Nepal's Langtang National Park (15). Vietnam's Central Steering Committee for Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting has alerted two dozen provinces about increased wildfire danger (16). Difficult terrain slowed the fire response to a bushfire in Western Australia's D'Entrecasteaux National Park (17); and FESA firefighters battled a bushfire that originated in Beeliar Regional Park early Sunday (18). Even though Queensland's bushfire season doesn't arrive until October, the Gympie Regional Council Bushfire Hazard Management Committee Chairman is advising residents to clear vegetation now rather than waiting (19). And finally, a story from Montana shows that everything old is new again, as Hebgen Basin Fire District's refurbished water tender demonstrates!

(1) White Swan recovering from wildfire

(2) Conditions prime for severe wildfires

(3) Wildfire Crosses Border to Mexico

(4) Bingaman and Udall survey fire damage

(5) Lefthand Fire: Crews hope to keep blaze under control

(6) Giltner: No homes suffered structural damage from wildfires

(7) Wildfires begin to slow in state; 49 homes burn

(8) Fire weather research helpful in battling South Plains wildfires

(9) Prescribed-Burn Blamed For 6,200-Acre Bosque County Fire

(10) Man’s use of fire to help balance natural world; nothing new

(11) Fort Jackson conducts "controlled burn"

(12) Huge forest fire in south Afghanistan

(13) Japan disaster: Kesennuma hit by quake, tsunami and fire

(14) Front line staff trained on awareness of Forest fire

(15) Langtang wildfire still out of control

(16) Forest fires threaten many localities

(17) Crews battling to reach bushfire in WA's southwest

(18) Bushfire threatens WA industrial estate

(19) Fire risk warning

(20) Rebuilt water tender expands firefighting capacity