Firebomber Publications Blog

Wildfire News Of The Day (the Firebomber Publications blog) provides comprehensive international wildfire news. Subscribers include over 10,000 personnel from fire agencies, contractors, and government entities on five continents. "BEST NEWSLETTER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY 32 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE" - San Diego Fire Department Chief Brian Fennessy.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 061611

In a state where nearly half the wildland firefighters belong to inmate crews (approximately 4,300 personnel), California's plan to save money by performing early releases of low-risk inmates could be devastating to its wildfire-fighting capabilities (1); this at a time when increasing temperatures are occurring across Central California, increasing the wildfire danger (2). Efforts made by Portland, Oregon's, Forest Park Conservancy to aid firefighters in spotting and fighting wildfires are chronicled in the next item (3); while firefighters in Eastern Washington state grappled with two grass fires and braced for more of the same (4). A summary of wildfire activity in the Southwest is provided by the next item (5); Global Warming once again getting the blame from some (6). It's official: at 474,541 acres, the Wallow Fire is now the largest in Arizona history (7); even as US Forest Service investigators questioned two people in regards to the campfire believed to be the origin point of the blaze (8); while Arizona's other gigantic wildfire, the Horseshoe Two Fire, is nearing 200,000 acres in size (9); and the Monument Fire headed for 10,000 acres (10). Firefighters from the Tucson Fire Department battled a small wildfire that damaged numerous buses in a storage lot (11); and due to the elevated wildfire danger, Arizona's Tonto National Forest will be imposing area closures and banning fireworks throughout (12). The CEO of Arizona Forest Restoration Products weighs in on the damage to Arizona's forests caused by recent wildfires (13); while on the technology front, CNN profiles FireIce, which sent a truckload of firefighting gel products to help with Arizona's blazes (14). The U.S. Air Force dispatched a pair of California Air National Guard C-130 air-tankers to assist with wildfires in New Mexico (15); where firefighters battling a 25,000-acre blaze on the grounds of Carlsbad Caverns National Park said that the park will remain closed for at least one more day (16); inmate firefighters helping to corral the blaze (17). Wildfires in Colorado are the topic of the next article (18). A 186-acre wildfire burning near Utah's Baker Reservoir has finally been contained (19); while firefighters are closely monitoring a six-acre wildfire burning in Minnesota's Superior National Forest (20). Authorities in Jackson County, Mississippi, are seeking eight teenagers in regards to an 850-acre wildfire that threatened a rehabilitation center (21); and South Carolina Forestry Commission reported a 23-acre wildfire in Johns Island (22); wildfires burning near Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp forcing evacuations as they destroyed structures in the area (23). A summary of wildfire activity from Florida Division of Forestry shows that 384 wildfires have scorched nearly 114,000 acres across the state (24); forcing crews to work overtime just to keep up (25); and after wildfires burned 70,000 acres of vegetation in the Everglades, health officials warned residents of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties about smoky skies (26). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Wilson, a former Canadian air-tanker pilot, sent along an article about how the area covered by a wildfire in Northern Alberta has grown to 570,000 hectares in size, although it poses no serious threat to inhabited areas (27); where crew fatigue is becoming a serious concern (28); 21 firefighters from Nova Scotia’s Natural Resources Department being dispatched to help battle the blaze (29); and the suppression bill is now being paid by Alberta's Environmental Protection and Enhancement Fund (30). Pakistan's Capital Development Authority has finalized plans for protecting fire-prone Margalla Hills National Park in the Islamabad Capital Territory (31). A new paper published in the Journal of Geophysical Research shows that bushfire smoke from Victoria, Australia, remained airborne for months, circling the globe (32); followed by an article on the contentious issue of tree removal as a means to reduce the bushfire danger in Victoria (33). And finally, firefighters in Virginia served burn victims at a camp by setting a few fires... in the kitchen!

(1) Fate of Calif. inmate firefighting crews unclear under governor's plan to transfer prisoners

(2) Wildland fire danger rises with temps

(3) Forest Park Conservancy, city officials ready for wildfire season in Northwest Portland park

(4) Fire officials say wildfire season will be later, likely more dangerous

(5) Heat and high winds threaten West wildfire lines

(6) Global warming is burning down the American West

(7) Forest fire burns 474,541 acres in Arizona, making it largest in state history

(8) Arizona wildfire investigators question two people

(9) Horseshoe Two Fire closes in on 200,000 acres

(10) 9,300 acres burned by Monument Fire

(11) Buses, buildings burned in Tucson brush fire

(12) Area closures on Tonto National Forest begin June 17, fireworks prohibited at all times

(13) Guest Column: This economic 'enabler' ready to restore

(14) FireIce: A major breakthrough for fighting wildfires

(15) Air Force sends firefighting planes to New Mexico

(16) Firefighters make gains against New Mexico Carlsbad blaze

(17) Inmates join ranks of firefighters in forestry program

(18) Thursday Morning Statewide Wildfire Update

(19) Southwestern Utah’s Baker Reservoir blaze contained

(20) Authorities keeping eye on forest fire smoldering on Gaskin lake in Boundary Waters Canoe Area

(21) Authorities want to talk to 8 teens about wildfire

(22) Brush fire hits Johns Island

(23) Wildfires destroy home, barn in southeast Ga.

(24) Nearly 400 wildfires burning in lightning-hammered Florida

(25) Crews working long hours battling blazes

(26) Everglades brush fire prompts health concerns in South Florida

(27) Northern Alta. fire surges to size of P.E.I.

(28) No rest for weary Alberta firefighters

(29) N.S. crews help fight spreading Alberta forest fire

(30) Firefighting budget will be blazingly high

(31) The oft burning trees: Where there is smoke, there will be prevention

(32) Victorian bushfire smoke circled Earth for months

(33) Tree removal laws tightened

(34) Firefighters Put Down Hose, Put on Apron to Help Fire Victims

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