WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 050911

Firefighters are pressing ahead with plans to conduct controlled burns In California's Tahoe National Forest (1); but the National Weather Service issued Red Flag warnings for Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas (2). A small wildfire in Hereford, Arizona, destroyed several structures over the weekend (3); and another burning in the Tonto National Forest threatened a nearby arboretum (4); the wildfire danger across the region prompting Phoenix to invoke a fire ban (5). As winds pick up over New Mexico, the fire situation is summarized in the next article (6); and a 100-acre wildfire burning in Park County, Colorado, forced evacuations on Sunday (7). A wildfire has scorched 70,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle county of Dickens (8); a summary of wildfire burning across that state being provided in the following article (9). Texas lawmakers are appealing to President Obama to tour areas ravaged by recent wildfires that burned across 2,293,095 acres to see the destruction for himself in hopes that he will reverse his decision not to declare it a disaster area (10); this at a time when West Texas wildfires are perking up again (11); and a fire in Fisher County prompted evacuations as it approached a gas plant (12). A 19,000-acre wildfire burning in the Cimarron National Grassland is keeping firefighters in Kansas very busy (13); while the impact forest fires have had on the Keystone State is recounted at the newly-opened Pennsylvania Forest Heritage and Discovery Center (14). Budget cuts have impacted the use of a CL-215 air-tanker needed to battle a wildfire in North Carolina's Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (15); and a 250-acre wildfire was reported burning east of Ludowici, Georgia, as well (16). Florida Division of Forestry is participating in several Firewise events to educate homeowners on how to reduce wildfire danger around their homes (17); while an Op-Ed piece provides useful tips to homeowners to protect their homes from wildfires and offering a cautionary tale about a devastating blaze along the Treasure Coast in 1999 (18). There's trouble in paradise as firefighters in Maui County, Hawaii, are bracing for wildfires due to the extreme dryness (19). Heading to Canada, the next article takes a look at prospective firefighters trying out at British Columbia Forest Service's boot camp (20); while firefighters in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, suspected arson in a pair of small brush fires (21); and several others were reported elsewhere in that province (22). Wildfire operations are finally winding down in Berkshire County's Swinley Forest after wildfires that were the worst seen since World War II (23); and in the wake of all the wildfires that roared across the UK over the past few days, firefighters in Staffordshire warned that projected budget cuts could impact their ability to battle future blazes (24). Several homes were threatened by a wildfire burning in Flekkefjord, Norway (25); where the forest fire danger is still extreme in the southern part of the country (26). Russian firefighters battled nearly 3 dozen wildfires in Siberia (27); but the arrival of a new fire truck to help protect Israel's Carmel Forest offered an opportunity to thank outside nations for their help in battling the wildfire which devastated that forest late last year (28). The government of Victoria, Australia, will spend $4 million to study the effects of Black Saturday bushfire smoke in tainting wine grapes (29). And finally, if you think you have a lot of gear to carry, consider firefighters in Hemet, California, who added an additional 5 pound item: a bulletproof vest!

(1) Prescribed for fire scheduled to lower threat

(2) Another bad week of wildfires shaping up in Texas

(3) Hereford wildfire burns down one home, displaces family

(4) US 60 reopened as fire near Superior grows to 500 acres

(5) Phoenix implements fire ban in mountain parks

(6) Wildland fires plaguing New Mexico

(7) Wildfire Forces Evacuations Near Jefferson

(8) UPDATED: Firefighters combat 70,000 acre fire complex in Dickens County

(9) Texas Forest Service: Monday Update

(10) President Asked To Witness Wildfire Damage

(11) Firefighters battle new wildfires in West Texas

(12) Fisher County: Fire Threatening Gas Plant; Evacuees Still Not Allowed Home

(13) Cimarron National Grassland fire burns 19,000 acres so far

(14) Pennsylvania Forest Fire Museum to open

(15) State budget cuts hamper fire suppression efforts

(16) Forest fires affect Long and Liberty counties

(17) 'Firewise' program has info on wildfire dangers

(18) Editorial: Drought conditions raise the threat level for wildfires on the Treasure Coast

(19) Firefighters bracing for brush fire season

(20) An inside look as prospective B.C. wildfire fighters march, sweat and haul at weeklong boot camp

(21) Small brush fires a reminder that forest fire danger is real

(22)Forest fire situation report

(23) Forest fires: area scaled down

(24) Firefighters warn budget cuts could limit their ability to tackle forest fires

(25) Forest fire still raging

(26) Forest fire danger tops the charts

(27) Russia Firefighters battle raging wildfires in Siberia

(28) New Fire Truck to Help Protect the Carmel

(29) Smoky tipple a turn-off

(30) Hemet firefighters get bullet-resistant vests