WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 042511

Firefighters plan a series of controlled burns in Washington state's Colville National Forest (1); while firefighters in Arizona's Coronado National Forest battled three small blazes over the weekend (2); but the flood danger has been downgraded for portions of the Coconino National Forest scorched by the Schultz Fire near Flagstaff (3). A wildfire scorched 5,000 acres near Chaparral, New Mexico (4); and two heavy air-tankers assisted over 100 firefighters on the ground battling a 10,000-acre wildfire outside of Carlsbad (5). A striking photo taken by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite shows Texas on fire (6); followed by a photo from the Department of Defense that shows military firefighting aircraft on the tarmac at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas (7). An update from the Texas Forest Service is up next (8); where weather conditions are still negatively impacting wildfire fighting (9); and draconian cuts to the Texas Forest Service budget could result in fewer grants to volunteer fire departments across the state (10). The massive wildfire in Possum Kingdom Lake that has burned over 127,000 acres, destroying nearly 170 homes in the process, is approximately 70% contained now (11); two churches that were hard hit by that wildfire discuss their plans for the future in the next article (12); and churches in the vicinity of Austin offered assistance to those impacted by recent wildfires (13). Two firefighters were injured battling an 11,000-acre wildfire outside of Thedford, Nebraska (14); but folks in Ohio have a mystery on their hands: how did the 2009 wildfire in Shawnee State Forest start? (15) Florida Division of Forestry credited higher humidity with helping them rope in a wildfire in Palm Beach County over the weekend (16); while a small wildfire may have been sparked by fireworks in Kelowna, British Columbia (17). Firefighters in East Anglia, UK, scrambled nearly a dozen firefighting vehicles to deal with a wildfire (18); and a 120-acre wildfire outside of Flekkefjord, Norway, has been contained (19). Firefighters in Russia's Siberia have contained 32 wildfires, but another 31 remain out of control (20); and conditions are expected to worsen over the next few days in other districts (21). Two wind-driven wildfires were reported in Kazakhstan's Kokzhalsky Forest District (22); even as the Himalayan nation of Nepal reaches the height of its wildfire season, 217 blazes having already been reported so far this year (23). There's a bit of a tussle in Victoria, Australia, over trees, power lines, and the bushfire danger (24); while Dandenong Ranges Community Bushfire Group is frustrated with the slow pace associated with determining bushfire safer places in that state (25). And finally, firefighters in Queensland, Australia, offer a cautionary tale, and another consideration for fire crews: make sure your apparatus can fit under the bridges between your station and the incident!

(1) Small spring forest fires boost wildlife

(2) Three fires on Easter Sunday

(3) Fear of flooding eases around Schultz burn area near Flagstaff

(4) Blaze Burns Close To El Paso And Las Cruces

(5) Last Chance fire consumes 10,000 acres (6:45 a.m.)

(6) Photo: Wildfires in Texas As Seen From Orbit

(7) Worth a Thousand Words: Firefighting

(8) Texas Forest Service Update: Critical Fire Danger Returns Monday

(9) Hot weather forecast for Texas as battle against wildfires continues

(10) Texas Forest Service, Volunteer Fire Departments Preparing for Grant Cuts

(11) Rainy Monday helps Texas, wildfires in Possum Kingdom Lake area closer to being contained

(12) Churches lost in North Texas wildfire pressing on

(13) Churches offer aid to Oak Hill fire victims

(14) Wildfire burned 11,000 acres

(15) Fire in state forest in 2009 called arson but still unsolved

(16) Wildfires contained, Indiantown Road reopens

(17) Suspicious bush fire in Kelowna

(18) Ipswich: Branches cut to stop bush fire

(19) Forest fire brought under control

(20) 32 forest fires contained in Siberia by Monday morning

(21) Siberian forest fires getting closer to homes

(22) Forest fires

(23) 217 forest fires this year

(24) Stonnington, Boroondara trees under fire

(25) Fears grow over safer places

(26) Low bridge hinders firefighters