WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 082011

A two-acre wildfire was quickly knocked down by Los Angeles County firefighters in the Southern California community of Glendora yesterday (1); and CAL FIRE firefighters quickly contained a 4-acre wildfire burning in San Diego County today (2); but firefighters in Willits fear that they have a wildfire arsonist at work in the area (3); while Glenn County has unveiled a new wildfire protection plan based on the Fire Safe Council guidelines (4); but Stanislaus National Forest will impose fire restrictions due to an increased wildfire danger in the region (5); even as a wildfire that has burned 2,600 acres in a rugged part of the Modoc National Forest reached 65% containment (6). Air-tanker operations over fires in Oregon are the topic of the next two articles (7)(8); where firefighters in Rogue River continued to grapple with a 565-acre wildfire (9); the warmer weather prompting Oregon Department of Forestry to impose fire restrictions in the North Cascade Forest Protection District (10). Firefighters' efforts on a 230-acre wildfire near Leavenworth, Washington have allowed US 2 to reopen (11); and the Department of Natural Resources wrapped up two wildfires that burned 53 acres in Mason County as well (12). The 3,895-acre Ray May Fire burning near Gardnerville, Nevada, is now 85% contained after destroying 10 structures (13); while U.S. Forest Service firefighters were continuing to let a 5,100-acre wildfire burning in Arizona's Williams Ranger District expand (14). Fire restrictions were eased in two ranger districts on New Mexico's Santa Fe National Forest due to precipitation (15); and two months after the 68,000-acre Murphy Complex Fire burned through the area, vegetation around New Mexico's Peña Blanca Lake is showing signs of recovery (16). A 60-acre wildfire burning near the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado, drew the attention of several local fire agencies (17); said fire being wrapped up by Saturday afternoon (18); but residents of Boulder have run into some difficulties while trying to rebuild homes ravaged by last year's Fourmile Canyon Fire (19). Bureau of Land Management firefighters were battling a 300-acre wildfire near Emmett, Idaho (20). Residents of Terlton, Oklahoma, an area that lost nearly four dozen homes to a wildfire, are receiving substantial donations to help them through the crisis (21). Firefighters are wrapping up containment of a 415-acre wildfire burning in Smith County, Texas (22); and a wildfire which burned 136 acres in Round Mountain is now 75% contained (23); but arson investigators are deeming wildfires in Tarrant County as suspicious (24); and as that state looks back on a week of wildfires, the fire season, which has seen 5,400 mi.² burn since last November, doesn't appear to be abating (25). Wildfire activity in Montana is the topic of the next article (26); followed by a story from Flagler County, Florida, where 16 wildfires were reported on Friday (27). There's trouble in paradise, as firefighters feel that a wildfire in Haleiwa, Hawaii, was deliberately set (28). Ten wildfires were reported in Russia's Vladimir Region, bringing the year's total up to 341 fires (29); and Kalimantan, Indonesia, is blanketed in smoke as 26 forest fires burn nearby (30). Heading to Australia, legal wrangling continued in Victoria in regards to a class-action suit in which a federal judge has ordered the state government to hand over pertinent files from the Royal Bushfire Commission's findings (31); while pressure continued to build on Western Australia's Emergency Services Minister in the wake of a damning report about dysfunction among the state's fire agencies (32). And finally, firefighters going through a bag of flares in British Columbia came across something a little bit more explosive!

(1) Firefighters extinguish brush fire near 210 and 57 freeways

(2) 4-acre brush fire in Barona contained

(3) Arson suspected in series of area fires; Citizens asked to be vigilant, report suspicious acts

(4) Wildfire plan set for county

(5) Forest Fire Restrictions Starting Soon

(6) Firefighters battle fire in Modoc National Forest

(7) Air Tanker Sent To Cave Junction To Help Battle Blaze

(8) Air Tanker Fire Retardant Drops

(9) Blaze consumes 565 acres

(10) State imposes tougher fire-safety restrictions in Clackamas County

(11) U.S. 2 reopens as crews make progress against wildfire near Leavenworth, Wash

(12) DNR: Mason County Wildfires Contained At 52 Acres

(13) Loss from Ray May Fire now at 10 buildings; containment still set for Sunday

(14) Beale fire nears 5,100 acres

(15) SF National Forest Lifts Stage I Fire Restrictions on Two Ranger Districts

(16) Wildfire area rapidly bouncing back

(17) Crews Continue To Battle Beaver Creek Fire

(18) Wildfire Near Air Force Academy Under Control

(19) Fourmile Fire firefighter/victim hits roadblock to rebuilding

(20) Freezeout Hill grass fire grows to 300 acres

(21) Donations pour in for Terlton wildfire victims

(22) Firefighters work through the night on 415 acre grass fire

(23) Round Mountain brush fire burns 136 acres and threatens homes

(24) Investigators consider arson in Tarrant County wildfires

(25) Texas wildfires burn in drought-plagued state

(26) Burnout effort aims to rein in Swan fire

(27) 16 wildfires burning in Flagler County

(28) Dangerous wildfire was deliberately set

(29) Eliminated in the Vladimir region and localized ten wildfires

(30) Indonesian Haze Spreads as Forest Fires Continue to Burn

(31) Hand over bushfire files, judge orders state

(32) Pressure on Johnson grows

(33) Firefighters discover explosive device