WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 032411

A wildfire which has burned 5,100 acres in Arizona's Coronado National Forest is now 20% contained (1); while a spokesman for the National Great Basin Incident Management Team indicated that reduced winds and increased moisture should help firefighters get a handle on a 1,200-acre wildfire that has been burning near Golden, Colorado (2); where helicopter water drops may have caused soil erosion which could lead to landslides onto a busy highway (3); but unless the state gets substantial moisture this spring, meteorologists fear that wildfires could become more commonplace (4); which may give new impetus to a program entitled "Wildland Fire Response and Decision Framework" presented at Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park Lyceum to educate the public on the new rules of engagement followed by federal firefighters battling wildfires (5). The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported wind-driven wildfires in Osage County that forced the evacuation of dozens of homes (6). As more wildfires pop up in Central Texas, meteorologists are warning that prime wildfire conditions will continue for at least the next two months (7); where firefighters have already responded to 72 fires that charred nearly 2,300 acres so far this week (8). Following two major grass fires that burned nearly 40,000 acres in the past 48 hours, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management warned homeowners of the extreme wildfire danger across the state (9). Missouri Department of Conservation fire crews battled a 20-acre wildfire near Chadwick yesterday (10); while a sizable wildfire has been reported near Piedmont (11); and firefighters in Ozark County dealt with a blaze which topped the 1,000-acre mark Wednesday night (12); leaving three homes destroyed by wildfires and prompting judges in eight counties to consider burn bans (13). Arkansas Forestry Commission firefighters suppressed 40 wildfires yesterday afternoon (14); and has determined that a 736-acre wildfire that burned in Van Buren County was arson (15). The Mississippi Forestry Commission has deemed a 427-acre wildfire which crews have fought for the last three days to be an arson fire (16); but with 15% of North Carolina's wildfires sparked by discarded cigarettes, officials are trying to educate the public on the danger (17). The South Carolina Forestry Commission reported 57 wildfires across the state yesterday alone (18); including a 30-acre blaze in Horry County which forced the evacuation of some nearby residents that was apparently started by an illegal trash fire (19); and an 1,100-acre fire that was reported outside of Santee (20). Firefighters in Volusia County, Florida, battled to keep a 30-acre wildfire away from homes overnight (21); while fire crews from all along the West Coast of the US have been helping fight a wildfire in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in an effort to keep it out of an endangered rain forest (22). The Space Services Center of Brazil will be providing satellite surveillance to the Caribbean island of Cuba in an effort to detect wildfires there (23). Wildfire News Of The Day subscriber George Boustras, Assistant Professor at the European University of Cyprus, sent along an announcement about a conference which will deal with safety and crisis management this coming June in Nicosia, Cyprus (24). In a follow-up to a story yesterday, a woman who suffered burns over 30% of her body from a wildfire outside of Udhagamandalam, India, has died (25); while specialists in removing vegetation near power lines will be combing parts of New South Wales, Australia, over the next three weeks in an effort to reduce the bushfire danger (26). And finally, homeowners in South Carolina have been invited to a demonstration by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety on how wildfires destroy homes (no doubt to the musical accompaniment of 'Burning Down The House'!)

(1) Blaze near Patagonia 20 percent contained

(2) Dying winds, forecast moisture should help firefighters

(3) Firefighting side effect may pose rock slide threat on busy Colorado highway in canyon

(4) Long fire season feared in dry Colorado foothills

(5) How firefighters attacked the Cow Creek, Onahu fires

(6) Wildfires forcing evacuations in Old Prue and Bartlesville

(7) Big Country Wildfire Threat: One of the Biggest In Texas

(8) Crews Battle 300-Acre Central Texas Wildfire

(9) Two Large Grass Fires in Two Days

(10) Multiple fire crews extinguish huge brush fire near Chadwick

(11) Fires reported near Piedmont

(12) Wildfires sweep through southern Ozark County

(13) Wildfires Destroy Three Homes in Ozark County, MO

(14) AFC crews Work on 40 Wildfires Wednesday afternoon

(15) Arkansas forestry officials say arson was cause of wildfire that burned 736 acres near Dennard

(16) Arson causes three day forest fire

(17) Demonstration shows dangers of discarding cigarettes

(18) Dry, windy weather caused 57 wildfires Wednesday, some still burn

(19) Little River wildfire started with illegal trash fire; One person ticketed

(20) Highway 17 forest fire burns 1,100 acres

(21) 30-Acre Wildfire Threatens Volusia Co. Homes

(22) Fight continues to spare rain forest from Big Island wild fire

(23) Cuba and Brazil Develop Joint Project to Prevent Forest Fires

(24) 1st International Conference in Safety and Crisis Management, Nicosia, Cyprus, June 2011

(25) Trapped in forest fire, woman dies

(26) Threat of trees and powerlines

(27) Researchers Intentionally Set Wildfires