WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 081311

California air-tanker giant Aero Union is closing its doors in both Sacramento and its former headquarters in Chico following a dispute with US Forest Service over the safety of its aircraft (1); while CAL FIRE reported that a 60-acre wildfire burning in the San Ardo oil fields is now 80% contained (2); and firefighters contained a 140-acre wildfire near Beale Air Force Base (3); but CAL FIRE's Ukiah Air Attack Base has enjoyed a quiet fire season for the second year in a row (4). Oregon Department of Forestry quickly knocked down three small wildfires near Williams (5); and firefighters extinguished a one-acre wildfire near Dallas (6); followed by another article that takes a look at the slow fire season in that state so far this year (7). A 2,500-acre wildfire that has burned across Grant County, Washington, was 50% contained as of Friday night (8); prompting the governor to activate the State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan (9); while firefighters snuffed two suspicious wildfires that burned 500 acres south of Finley (10). A wildfire near the base of Government Mountain, Arizona, has increased to 3,042 acres (11); and the impact of the Wallow Fire on tourism in the White Mountains is examined in the next article (12). Firefighters have nearly contained two wildfires which make up the Baton Rouge Complex, which has burned 28,165 acres near Mayhill, New Mexico (13); while Raton's Sugarite State Park will be reopening for the first time since a wildfire burned 27,000 acres in June (14). A wildfire north of Grand Junction, Colorado, spread to 1,610 acres (15); followed by an article on wildfire activity in Utah (16). Oklahoma's Insurance Commissioner toured the wildfire damage in Pawnee County, where nearly 3 dozen homes were destroyed by a wildfire (17). A 2,000-acre wildfire briefly threatened 200 homes in Strawn, Texas (18); and another burned between 20 and 30 acres in Hays County (19); while the impact of wildfires on the firefighting budget in Deaf Smith County is examined by the next article (20). More details on the death of a firefighter from South Dakota's Division of Wildland Fire Suppression is provided by the next article (21); the governor requesting that flags be flown at half-staff this coming Tuesday (22); while a former firefighter talks about what it's like to be caught in a burnover (23). Firefighters in Southern Illinois are enjoying better conditions than last year, when numerous field fires were reported (24); but Louisiana Office of Forestry reported a 25-acre wildfire that threatened oil well sites in Oil City (25). Congressional Fire Services Institute sent along some information on FEMA's Assistance to Firefighter Grants program, which provides funds to fire departments to buy equipment (26); followed by a podcast in which a FEMA Branch Chief talks about the program (27). With smoke reported as far north as Baltimore, Maryland, the wildfire in Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge has charred 5,860 acres so far (28); even as firefighters battled a 60-acre wildfire that was burning in the Elizabeth Furnace Campground (29). British Columbia, Canada, has dispatched nearly 100 firefighters to Ontario to help with raging wildfires there (30); while the government of Alberta is making additional funds available for communities to improve their ability to survive wildfires like the one that devastated Slave Lake earlier this year (31); but Ontario's busy fire season, in which 845 fires have burned 575,251 hectares, is picking up again in Sudbury District (32). An article from Russia takes a look at fires worldwide, including making a plug for the home-grown BE-200 firefighting aircraft (33); wildfire activity in the Ural Federal District being discussed by the next article (34). There is a bit of a tiff in Victoria, Australia's, government over an anti-arson task force that was supposed to be set up to help reduce bushfires (35); while a report critical of FESA's response to a bushfire that destroyed homes in Roleystone, Western Australia, has prompted some to ask for the resignation of the Emergency Services Minister (36). And finally, firefighters in Lancashire, England, had a tricky extrication operation to perform: getting a python out of an office chair!

(1) Aero Union closing; Chico workers lose jobs

(2) 60 Acre Fire Burning in San Ardo Oil Fields

(3) Grass fire near Beale AFB nearly contained

(4) Fire season a slow burn this year

(5) Williams Wildfire

(6) Firefighters extinguish 1-acre blaze near Dallas

(7) A Slow Burn

(8) Wildfire burns nearly 4 sq. miles of E. Wash.

(9) State mobilizes firefighters to help with Coulee City blaze

(10) FIRE: Friday's wildfires south of Finley declared suspicious

(11) Beale fire increases to 3,042 acres

(12) Wallow Fire effects linger

(13) Fire teams corral range blazes

(14) Wildfire-damaged state park reopening

(15) Cosgrove wildfire near Grand Junction growing

(16) Crews battles several wildfires in, near Utah

(17) State Insurance Commissioner Tours Pawnee County Wildfire Damage

(18) I-20 travelers get close look at wildfire east of Abilene

(19) Second wildfire in as many days

(20) Wildfires dry up firefighting funds

(21) Fire had trapped firefighters in rugged canyon country

(22) Funeral set for fallen fire fighter

(23) Former Firefighter Recalls 1987 Burn Over

(24) Field fires have been few and far between — for now

(25) Forest fire threatens well sites in Oil City

(26) The 2011 Assistance To Firefighters Grants Program Guidance Is Available Now

(27) FEMA Branch Chief Discusses AFG Priorities

(28) Wildfire update: Crews hope to pump lake to slow blaze

(29) Crews fight fire in national forest

(30) B.C. firefighters sent away again

(31) Alberta beefs up wildfire-readiness funding

(32) New Forest Fires in Sudbury District

(33) Forest fires

(34) In the Urals, there are 2 forest fires on the Yamal

(35) Arson prevention taskforce unlikely to be up for the fire season

(36) Scathing bushfire report prompts resignation calls

(37) Python rescued from Morecambe office chair