WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 060911

Riverside County is coming to the aid of the state in upgrading facilities at Southern California's Hemet-Ryan Air Attack Base (1); while CAL FIRE officials said that a 36-acre grass fire burning in Santa Barbara County should be contained by Friday (2); and a 20-acre blaze was reported in the Sierra Madre range of the Los Padres National Forest (3). A 650-acre wildfire burning near Northern California's Lava Beds National Monument is now 50% contained (4); but smoke from that fire has drifted Southeast into Truckee Meadows in Northern Nevada (5). Reports have come in that historic Atascosa Lookout Tower has fallen prey to the Murphy Fire burning in Arizona's Coronado National Forest (6); even as authorities have completely evacuated two Arizona towns in the path of the massive 389,000-acre Wallow Fire (7); while 3,000 firefighters, including 200 from Idaho, battled the blaze (8); as well as firefighters from Pennsylvania (9); along with two heavy hitters: the DC-10 and the 747 Supertanker (10)(11). The chief of the Arizona Fire Service Institute discusses the difficulties in containing that state's wildfires in the next item (12); followed by a striking photo from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer that shows the extent of Arizona's wildfires (13). An arrest has been made by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office in regards to numerous arson wildfires set near Flagstaff, Arizona (14); a warning about wildfire-related scams was issued by the Arizona Attorney General's office (15); but calmer winds gave firefighters a chance to get the upper hand on the Wallow Fire (16). In New Mexico, Albuquerque's Rio Grande Zoo indicated that they are protecting some of their animals from wildfire smoke and ash (17). Four wildfires in southeastern Colorado receive scrutiny in the next article (18); while a SEAT helped squelch a small wildfire that burned 3 to 5 acres in Manoa Springs (19); but Utah's Division of Forestry, Fires and State Lands warned that it could be a busy fire season in that state (20). Texas Forest Service provides an update on wildfires burning in that state in the next item (21). Firefighters stated that lightning strikes spawned an 800-acre wildfire that burned in Crawford County, Michigan (22); while animal control officers saw to the safety of animals left behind when their human owners evacuated during a wildfire (23). The Tennessee Forestry Service reported that at least two wildfires were sparked by lightning strikes (24); and wildfires in South Carolina, where unusually high temperatures and low humidity have been a problem, are tackled by the next item (25); while firefighters in Southern Georgia battled dozens of new wildfires sparked by lightning (26). An update on the 630-acre wildfire burning in Florida's Apalachicola National Forest is provided by the next article (27); and a 28,000-acre wildfire outside of Miami threatened the Miccosukee Indian Reservation (28). A summary of wildfire activity in Alaska, including the 17,624-acre Hastings Fire burning north of Fairbanks, is provided by the next article (29); the Hastings Fire having already having cost $5 million to fight (30). An article passed along by Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Wilson, a former Canadian air-tanker pilot, provides a detailed look at Conair, Canada's largest air-tanker contractor, with over 50 aircraft and 200 employees (31); but Greenpeace Russia warned that Moscow faces another smoky summer, as the wildfire situation is worse than it was last year during the epic wildfires in that region (32). The next article provides a detailed look at South Australia's bushfire budget (33). And finally, volunteers in Australia's bushfire-hit Yarra Ranges National Park are doing their part at wildlife rehabilitation: feeding the possums!

(1) HEMET: Firefighting air base renovations await budget OK

(2) UPDATE: Grass fire in New Cuyama burns 36 acres so far

(3) Firefighters battling 20-acre fire north of Sierra Madre range

(4) Smoke from Modoc County wildfire reaching Shasta County

(5) Smoke in the Truckee Meadows air this morning from Northern California fire

(6) Atascosa Lookout lost in Murphy fire

(7) 2 Arizona towns to empty as wildfire approaches

(8) Idaho Firefighters Battle Giant Wildfire

(9) PA Firefighters Head West

(10) Arizona Wildfire gets assist as California Sends Aerial Firefighting Aircraft

(11) 747 Supertanker To Help Fight Wallow Fire

(12) Q&A: Why is Arizona's Wildfire So Tough to Contain?

(13) NASA's MISR Instrument Sees Arizona Wildfires Burn Out of Control

(14) Arrest made in Flagstaff-area wildfire

(15) Watch Out for Wildfire-Related Scams

(16) Arizona wildfire calms overnight, firefighters increase

(17) Wildfire smoke drifting into Albuquerque affecting zoo animals

(18) 1 Pinon Canyon fire at 23K acres; 3 more in SE Colo.

(19) Manoa fire burns 3-5 acres

(20) Firefighters warn it could be a busy fire season

(21) Wildfire Update – June 9, 2011

(22) Lightning strike blamed for Grayling fire

(23) Officers Brave Forest Fire to Save Animals

(24)Lightning blamed for 2 forest fires in Blount and Monroe counties

(25) Grand Strand plagued with brush fires in 2011

(26) Lightning ignites 50 new wildfires in Southeast Georgia

(27) Fire in national forest now contained

(28) Krome Avenue wildfire grows, comes close to Miccosukee reservation

(29) Residents flee as major Alaska wildfire grows

(30) Hastings fire near Fairbanks costs $5 million so far

(31) Choreographing the symphony of fire destruction: Conair

(32) Moscow faces more peat fires this year: Greenpeace

(33) South Australia State Budget 2011 - $23m for bushfire initiatives

(34) Leadbeater's patrol helps feed possums