WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 062111

Firefighters are getting the upper hand on a pair of wildfires burning east of Temecula in Southern California's Inland Empire (1); while numerous air-tankers battled a 75-acre wildfire burning in San Diego's East County (2); and an oil field fire that spread into a 5,196-acre wildfire is now 75% contained in Kern County (3); followed by an article which provides an outlook for the fire situation in California as presented at a meeting held at Sacramento's Wildland Fire Training Center (4). A video segment provides information on the 27,000-acre Monument Fire burning in Arizona's Cochise County (5); and NASA snapped a striking satellite photo of the 519,319 acre Wallow Fire (6); even as their Landsat satellites provided information to ground crews battling Arizona's wildfires (7); weary evacuees being allowed to return home as firefighters brought the Wallow Fire to 56% containment (8); and firefighters credited forest thinning with diminishing the impact of wildfires burning in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (9). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ty Bonnar, Vice President of Global Operations for Flexible Alternatives, sent along an article in which NIFC requested Air Force support in the form of two C-130 transports equipped with MAFFS, which will be stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico (10); where nearly 500 firefighters grappled with a 3,800-acre wildfire burning near Santa Fe (11); and officials imposed trail closures in the Sandia Mountains due to the wildfire danger (12); just as firefighters completed containment of a wildfire near Ruidoso which had destroyed several homes, authorities questioning 'persons of interest' about the cause of the blaze (13). Timely precipitation helped dampen down Colorado's Duckett Fire, which was 75% contained after burning 4,353 acres (14). The current wildfire situation in Texas, in which 22 major fires have burned 132,750 acres, is provided by the next article (15); where Texas Forest Service was pulling out all the stops as wildfire activity increased across the state, as related by the next two articles (16)(17); including a 5,000-acre blaze that burned dozens of buildings in Grimes County (18); while, at 18,200 acres, a wildfire that straddles two counties is now the largest in East Texas history (19); but firefighters are hopeful that rain may arrive to help their situation (20); and also requested federal help as the Texas National Guard assisted them battling massive wildfires (21); but homeowners who suffered losses from wildfires that burned on the outskirts of Wichita will be attending a meeting to discuss what the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs can do to help them (22); while Texas refiners, who are cranking out 4.7 million barrels a day, saw the threat of wildfires to their refining facilities becoming a serious concern (23). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, announced a new webinar on June 28 in which a research forester with USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station will discuss using biomass for bioenergy (24). Evacuations are underway in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, as a fast-moving wildfire threatens homes (25); and Al Gore pointed to the massive wildfires burning in the United States as proof that climate change is having a severe impact on the country at a speech in New York City (26). Facing drought conditions, firefighters in North Carolina fear that a wildfire ignited by lightning in Pender County could burn for some time (27); another NASA satellite photo showing the smoke plumes from numerous wildfires burning in Georgia and Florida (28). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ty Bonnar shared another article in which the Florida Division of Forestry reported the deaths of two firefighters battling a wildfire in Hamilton County (29); as firefighters battled 400 blazes across the state (30). Heading to Canada, firefighters from Slave Lake, Alberta, thanked 134 firefighters from Calgary who helped battle blazes that destroyed nearly a third of the town (31); even as Canadian authorities kept an eye on a baker's dozen of wildfires burning in the Northwest Territories, where at least one highway has been closed (32); followed by a report on wildfire activity in Ontario (33). A 106-hectare wildfire was reported outside of Guspini, Italy, and a 168-hectare blaze was reported across the Mediterranean in Algeria (34); while Beriev touted the wildfire-fighting capabilities of its BE-200 jet air-tanker at the Paris Air Show (35). Russian firefighters battling wildfires in Siberia have extinguished eight of 18 that were reported in the region (36); a photo spread providing more details on blazes burning in Krasnoyarsk Territory (37). Tangent Link sent along an invitation to their Australian Aerial Firefighting Conference taking place in Melbourne, Victoria, beginning August 25th (38); while officials announced that the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority will be replaced by the Fire Recovery Unit July 1st (39). Wildlife experts are having a hard time keeping an endangered bird species, the western ground parrot, away from predators after a massive wildfire destroyed much of its habitat in Western Australia (40); but a new siren will be erected in Adelaide's Black Hill Conservation Park to provide bushfire alerts (41). And finally, a firefighter from Indiana's Valparaiso Fire Department will be using her good looks for a good cause: helping burn victims through calendar sales!

(1) Fires East of Temecula Contained

(2) Helicopters, Air Tankers Battle 75-Acre Brush Fire

(3) 5,000-acre blaze rages in Central California

(4) State, Federal Agencies Kick Off Wildfire Season 2011

(5) Weather more favorable for Cochise County firefighting

(6) Wallow Fire, Arizona and New Mexico

(7) Satellite programs aid emergency crews battling wildfires

(8) Arizona evacuees return home as crews contain wildfire

(9) Forest thinning helps crews battle Willow Fire

(10) AFNORTH Officials Increase Wildfire Support

(11) Wildfire near Santa Fe at 3,800 acres

(12) Forest Rangers close down trails in Sandia Mountains

(13) Ruidoso wildfire fully contained, police interview 'persons of interest'

(14) Snow, cool temps help quiet Duckett Fire

(15) Current wildfire situation: June 21, 2011

(16) Texas Forest Service Calling In All Resources To Fight Wildfires

(17) Fast-moving wildfire endangers Blackwell

(18) Grimes County Fire 35 Percent Contained

(19) Wildfire in Polk, Trinity counties becomes largest in east Texas history

(20) Rain chances provide hope and caution for East Texas firefighters

(21) Texas seeks federal help to battle wildfires

(22) Help for victims of wildfires sought

(23) Texas refiners feeling heat from wildfires

(24) Emissions, Energy Returns and Economics of Utilizing Forest Residues for Thermal Energy Compared to Disposal by Pile Burning

(25) ON THE SCENE: Wildfires force evacuations in DeSoto Parish

(26) Gore says extreme weather shows need to take action on climate change

(27) Weekend lightning sparks wildfire

(28) Smoke Over the Atlantic from the Honey Prairie fire and fires in the Ocala National Forest

(29) Flames kill 2 Florida firefighters, injure 2 others

(30) Florida battles 400 wildfires, two firefighters die

(31) Slave Lake firefighters thank Calgary counterparts

(32) Part of N.W.T. Highway 3 closed due to wildfire

(33) Monday forest fire report

(34) EFFIS - Current Situation

(35) Russian water bomber on display at Paris Air Show

(36) Firefighters put out 8 forest fires in Russia's Far East over past 24 hours

(37) Putting out forest fires in the Krasnoyarsk Territory

(38) Aerial Firefighting Conference & Exhibition, Australia, 25th August 2011, Melbourne

(39) Bushfire Authority ceasing soon

(40) Cats baited to save parrot

(41) New site for Athelstone fire siren

(42) Valpo firefighter picked as national calendar model