WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 080511

Firefighters in Southern California's Riverside County battled two blazes yesterday: A two-acre wildfire burning near Temecula (1); and a 30-acre blaze burning near Banning (2). Two arrests have been made in San Diego County in regards to the Eagle Fire, which burned 14,100 acres on the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation and Anza Borrego State Park (3); while a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train is being blamed for 30 acres of wildfires which were sparked in East Contra Costa County yesterday (4). A 3,000-acre wildfire burning in Oregon's Deschutes River region was blamed on lightning strikes, 2,000 of which pummeled the state (5). A wildfire that has burned 200 acres outside of Reno, Nevada, is now 90% contained (6); but two large fires were keeping firefighters occupied elsewhere in the state (7). Salt River Project will be donating $25,000 to nonprofits helping survivors of Arizona's wildfires (8); where officials will re-open some roads in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest's Wallow Fire burn areas tomorrow (9). Colorado State Forest Service was conducting air-tanker training for Fire Management Officers at Durango's La Plata County Airport (10); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Ware, Fire Information Officer for New Mexico State Forestry, reported on a 9,150-acre wildfire that was burning near Mayhill, which is now 20% contained (11). Firefighters in Boise, Idaho, had several wildfires to deal with (12); some of an estimated two dozen wildfires which plagued that state yesterday (13); one of which, the Windmill Fire, has burned 20,000 acres and is 0% contained (14). A lightning-sparked 200-acre wildfire forced the evacuation of campgrounds on Utah's Antelope Island (15). With triple-digit heat drying out vegetation, Edmond, Oklahoma, has reported several wildfires over the past few days (16); at least one of which was believed to be started by cigarettes (17). Firefighters from several states continued to grapple with a 750-acre wildfire burning in Franklin County, Texas (18); and a 500-acre wildfire threatened four homes north of Merkel yesterday (19); but in a state where 11,000 wildfires have consumed 3,000,000 acres this year, the Texas Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems is honoring firefighters for their valor in battling the blazes (20). An estimated 100 acres were scorched after a combine caught fire near Townsend, Montana (21). Firefighters have brought a wildfire burning in Little River County, Arkansas, under control (22); while firefighters in Montgomery County tried to keep the 685-acre wildfire burning in the Ouachita National Forest away from transmission towers (23). Although carelessness was blamed for a 31-acre wildfire that burned outside of Durham, North Carolina, that briefly threatened homes, criminal charges may still be filed (24); and a 50-acre wildfire has been brought under control at South Carolina's Savannah River Site, doing no damage to the nuclear facilities (25). Firefighters battling a 9,000-acre wildfire in Florida's Everglades National Park have brought the fire to 70% containment (26). As temperatures continue to rise in Manitoba, Canada, a list of travel restrictions in wilderness areas was issued (27). With hot, dry weather in the forecast, Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is facing an ominous situation with more than 100 fires still burning in the province (28); where the Chief of Whitewater First Nation felt that the MNR was not allocating enough firefighters to help battle blazes threatening their community (29); and residents of Fort Frances were concerned when smoke from wildfires to the north made them think they might have some local blazes (30); that story followed by one in which life on the fire line is recounted by a former fire ranger (31). Numerous wildfires are burning in Albania, and another in Greece is approaching 1,000 ha in size (32); and although Indonesia's Forestry Ministry claim that the number of fires burning in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi was reduced this year, neighbors still felt more needed to be done to reduce the smoke from those blazes (33). Tangent Link sent along a reminder about their upcoming Australian Aerial Firefighting Conference in Melbourne, Victoria, towards the end of this month (34); while Christine Nixon, former head of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, remarked on the difficult recovery process following the Black Saturday bushfires (35); the next article taking a look at recovery efforts in Western Australia's communities of Kelmscott and Roleystone six months after a devastating bushfire destroyed 71 homes (36). A massive bushfire with a 30 km front burning in the Northern Territory's Davenport Ranges National Park has been brought under control (37). And finally, we conclude today's news with a video segment that chronicles the retirement of an Orange County, Florida, firefighter at the ripe old age of 84!

(1) Firefighters in Riverside County battle brush fire

(2) BANNING: Firefighters douse hot spots

(3) Arrests made in San Diego County wildfire

(4) Firefighters put out series of blazes in East Contra Costa

(5) New Lower Deschutes Fire; Campgrounds Evacuated

(6) Fire on Peavine Mountain near Stead now called 90 percent contained

(7) Crews Busy Battling Two Large Nevada Wildfires

(8) SRP donates to help fire victims

(9) Apache forest officials open some roads

(10) Doing the drop

(11) Fire burns in nearby county

(12) Crews keeping busy as fires break out

(13) Lightning causes wildfires in forests across southwest Idaho

(14) Wildfire burns 20,000 acres

(15) Antelope Island campgrounds evacuated to battle wildfire

(16) Wildfire Threatens Edmond Homes

(17) Investigators Think Cigarettes May Have Started Wildfire

(18) Franklin County fights 750-acre wildfire

(19) Fire scorches 500 acres north of Merkel

(20) TEXPERS Salutes Texas Firefighters' Efforts to Combat Wildfires

(21) Combine ignites wildfire near Townsend

(22) UPDATE: Forest fire in Little River County under control

(23) Wildfire Still Burns near Norman in Ouachita National Forest

(24) Charges possible in Durham brush fire

(25) Wildfire near SRS did not damage facilities

(26) Fire nearly out in the Everglades

(27) Travel restrictions imposed due to wildfire concerns

(28) Hot, dry weather expected to increase forest fire activity in Northwest

(29) Chief pleads for firefighting help

(30) Smoke drifted here from northern blazes

(31) What it’s like to fight a forest fire

(32) EFFIS - Current Situation

(33) Indonesia predicts fewer forest fires this year, critics not convinced

(34) Aerial Firefighting Australia, 25th August 2011, Melbourne

(35) Fire recovery slow process: Nixon

(36) Kelmscott and Roleystone community stands strong six months on

(37) Outback wildfire brought under control

(38) 84-Year-Old Firefighter Retires