WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 031811

The Homeland Security Regional Administrator for Area IX has filed a report critical of California firefighters in regards to reimbursements of $80 million during wildfires in Southern California in 2007 (the 8-page report itself can be read here) (1). As fire crews from the US Forest Service conduct controlled burns near Wrightwood, California, the next article takes a look at the potential wildfire season (2); while the Cleveland National Forest in Orange County is on high fire alert, restricting off-road vehicles, smoking, and campfires due to the wildfire danger (3). Firefighters in Arizona have entered the mop up stage on the Peña Fire that has burned over 6,000 acres on both sides of the US-Mexico border (4); and 600 personnel got refresher training courses on battling wildland blazes at the Arizona Wildfire Academy (5). A wildfire near Los Alamos, New Mexico, has scorched between 30 and 50 acres so far (6). A wildfire in Colorado's El Paso County destroyed a barn and burned over 5 acres before being brought under control (7); the following article providing more details on wildfires in that state to date (8). The Oklahoma County Assessor's Office indicated that 39 properties were damaged by recent wildfires which caused an estimated $3 million worth of damage (9); while Oklahoma National Guard CH-47 helicopters assisted with a wildfire outside of Shawnee that forced evacuations of homeowners, some firefighters using leaf blowers to blow embers back into the fire! (10) With burn bans in place in two thirds of Texas' 254 counties, Texas Forest Service is bracing for more wildfires in the Panhandle and West Texas (11); and they also assisted local fire departments in battling a 300-acre wildfire in Scurry County (12); while investigating three grassfires in Callahan County that burned 30 acres (13). The U.S. Forest Service plans to burn 4,000 acres in Montana's Thunder Basin National Grassland (14); and FedEx delivered (a wildfire!) in Seward County, Kansas, when one of their trucks lost its driveshaft, sparking a blaze (15). Alabama Forestry Commission firefighters are battling a wildfire threatening homes in Mobile County (16); while the U.S. Forest Service plans to burn 665 acres in the Talladega National Forest, part of 28,000 acres of controlled burns scheduled for this year in that state (17). After losing 14,000 acres to wildfires in February, three times the usual amount, Georgia Forestry Commission is bracing for an active fire season in the southern part of that state (18); the next article examining South Carolina Forestry Commission's philosophy of reducing wildfires by using more controlled burns (19). Firefighters in Clay County, Florida, are fighting a 700-800 acre wildfire burning on Camp Blanding gunnery range (20); but at the other end of the heat spectrum, Alaska's Division of Forestry is cautioning residents of the Kenai Peninsula to prepare for wildfire season, having already extinguished a 127-acre blaze on March 12th in single-digit temperatures! (21) After the fourth bushfire in a week, some residents of New Providence, Bahamas, were trying to cope with the loss of their homes (22); while the deputy head of the Russian Federal Forestry Agency comments on the dangers to that country's forests from wildfires (23). Heading Down Under, the contentious issue of cattle grazing to reduce the bushfire threat in Victoria, Australia's, Alpine National Park is revisited in the next article (24); but Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is recommending that property owners clean up debris on their own land to reduce the bushfire danger (25). And finally, the acquisition of forest fire-fighting equipment by firefighters at Machu Picchu, Peru, is taking firefighting to new heights (7,970 ft, to be exact)!

(1) Fed audit targets Cal forest fire cost overruns

(2) US Forest Service preps for upcoming fire season

(3) Forest Service: fire danger ‘very high’

(4) Crews mop up Peña Fire after blaze consumes 6,050 acres

(5) Arizona Wildfire Academy prepares for battle

(6) Wildfire burning above Los Alamos

(7) Wildland Fire Engulfs Barn In Black Forest

(8) Northern Colo. wildfire contained; Warm weather, extended dry spell boosting fire danger

(9) Wildfires Cause More Than $3 Million In Damage In Oklahoma County

(10) Large wildfire prompts evacuations in Bethel Acres

(11) Texas Digest: Wildfire threat already high, climbing in some regions

(12) Scurry County fire burns 300 acres

(13) Texas Forest Service Says Callahan County Fires Suspicious

(14) Thunder Basin National Grassland plans burns

(15) WILDFIRE: Scourge of the Prairie

(16) Wildfire Threatens Homes in Mobile County

(17) Crews burning forest near Rabbittown

(18) Ga. foresters brace for busy wildfire season

(19) Protecting against wildfires, state uses controlled burns

(20) Wildfire at Camp Blanding

(21) State forestry division urges wildfire precautions

(22) Struggle of displaced fire victims

(23) Forests Under Fire

(24) High country men want to ride into court

(25) Debris poses flood/fire risk

(26) Cusco acquires forest fire-fighting equipment for use at Machu Picchu