WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072011

In a time when firefighting assets are being slashed across the US, Los Angeles County Supervisors have approved a $13.75 million, five-year lease renewal of two CL-415 air-tankers to protect Southern California (1); while an 80-acre wildfire was reported by CAL FIRE in Riverside County (2); and two small wildfires were reported in Victorville yesterday (3); but firefighters are managing a 3,000-acre wildfire being allowed to burn in Sequoia National Forest (4). CAL FIRE's spokesperson asserted that fire crew reductions and the cancellation of the DC-10 contract will not severely impact that agency's wildland firefighting capabilities, though Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rick Hatton, CEO of 10 Tanker LLC, thought otherwise (5); this at a time when CAL FIRE crews in Northern California were training hard for a late fire season (6). Firefighters in Kennewick, Washington, battled a 50 to 100-acre wildfire burning in an orchard (7); while a new study released in Rangeland Ecology & Management focuses on the impact of wildfires on rangeland in the Great Basin region, which encompasses large parts of Utah and Nevada, as well as surrounding states (8). Arizona's Governor arrived in Flagstaff to view the BAER efforts being put forth to heal 15,000 acres burned by the Schultz Fire last year (9); but even though that state only had to pay 25% of the suppression bill for recent wildfires, it has burned through the $5 million budgeted for wildland firefighting and summer is only half over (10). Wildfire activity in New Mexico's Gila National Forest is examined by the next article (11); while a 30-acre wildfire was reported in Western Colorado (12); followed by an Op-Ed piece that ponders the fate of Southwestern forests in the midst of wildfires (13). Firefighters near Indianola, Idaho, are battling a 500-acre wildfire in rough terrain (14); and grappled with a 2,500-acre blaze burning northeast of Middleton (15). Firefighters battled a trio of wildfires that have blazed across 1,300 acres in Northern Utah (16). Texas Forest Service firefighters battled two blazes in Shackelford and Callahan Counties (17); where the impact of drought and wildfire on the cattle business is examined by the next article (18). A 5,500-acre wildfire continues to burn in Wyoming (19). Northern Rockies Coordination Center in Missoula, Montana, reported that the fire season in that state was finally beginning to pick up (20); as emphasized by a small wildfire that was reported in Phillips County (21). Residents of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, continue to be inundated with wildfire smoke from a 805-acre blaze burning nearby (22). The fire situation in Manitoba, Canada, is provided by the next item (23); but in a turnabout from earlier this fire season, now that Ontario is besieged by wildfires, Alberta is sending firefighters to help (24); as is Newfoundland and Labrador (25); however, up to 7,000 First Nations residents may be evacuated due to encroachment by wildfires in Ontario (26); while government officials continued to assure residents that they would do everything possible to deal with the situation (27). Although two teenagers were arrested for starting wildfires in the UK's Swinley Forest, lack of evidence has resulted in no prosecutions (28); and over half a dozen wildfires were reported in Greece, and two were still burning in Spain as well (29). Youngsters were evacuated from a summer camp near Yakutsk in Russia's Far East as wildfires neared (30); while wildfires were reported in the Turkish provinces of Balikesir and Canakkale (31). Heading to Australia, former Victoria Police Commissioner Christine Nixon is in the news again as her book deal, which will detail her role in the Black Saturday bushfires, may embroil the current Prime Minister (32); even as Black Saturday survivors weighed in on how better to prepare for bushfire disasters of the future in a report from Victoria (33). And finally, a burglary suspect in Texas who tried to escape law enforcement by running through a wildfire went from the frying pan to the jail cell!

(1) County Renews Lease For Firefighting Air Tankers

(2) Firefighters contain 80-acre blaze

(3) Crews battle two wildfires, one home fire

(4) Forest fire grows to 3,000 acres

(5) Cal Fire adapts to cuts; engines are reduced to 3 crew members

(6) Crews prepared for start of fire season Weather conditions delay launch for 2 to 3 weeks

(7) UPDATE: Wind helps crews contain wildfire south of Kennewick

(8) Wildfires Ignite Issues of Land Management and Public Trust in Agencies

(9) Arizona governor to view restoration efforts for Flagstaff land scarred by wildfire last year

(10) Busy Arizona wildfire season burns up budget

(11) Lightning fires dot Gila Nat'l Forest

(12) Fire burning in Crampton Mtn. area

(13) Alamosa Trees: Forest trees and wild fires

(14) Winds push Indian Fire to 500 acres

(15) Fire burns 2,500 acres northeast of Middleton

(16) Three Utah wildfires keeping crews hopping

(17) Forest service tackles 2 Big Country fires; 1 is contained

(18) Drought and wildfire threaten America's cattle capital

(19) Whoopup fire chars more than 5,500 acres along state line

(20) Lingering moisture holds off wildfire season

(21) Crews respond to small wildfire in Phillips County

(22) Fireworks likely cause of Myrtle Beach area wildfire

(23) Few forest fires in northern Manitoba, but conditions ripe for more

(24) Slave Lake firefighters returning favour in northwestern Ontario

(25) N.L. waterbombers to battle Ontario forest fires

(26) Ontario forest fire evacuees could total 7,000

(27) Minister Clement And MP Rickford Meet With Northern Ontario Residents Threatened by Wildfires

(28) No charges over forest fires

(29) EFFIS - Current Situation

(30) Wildfires rage in Siberia, summer camp evacuated

(31) Forest fires hit western Turkey

(32) Prime Minister Julia Gillard under fire for Christine Nixon's book deal

(33) Black Saturday survivors want more support

(34) Fugitive who fled through Liberty County wildfire arrested