Firebomber Publications Blog

Wildfire News Of The Day (the Firebomber Publications blog) provides comprehensive international wildfire news. Subscribers include over 10,000 personnel from fire agencies, contractors, and government entities on five continents. "BEST NEWSLETTER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY 32 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE" - San Diego Fire Department Chief Brian Fennessy.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 082411

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chris Mehl, Communications Director for Montana-based Headwaters Economics, sent along a new study which explores how higher summer temperatures in the Sierra Nevada will increase the cost of firefighting in that region. In Southern California, a 1 1/2-acre wildfire was reported in San Bernardino County's Waterman Canyon yesterday (1); while firefighters battled a two-acre wildfire burning in San Diego County's Bell Valley this morning (2); but although the state of California's controversial firefighting fee has been approved (at only $90 instead of the original $150), CAL FIRE officials fear that it will not be enough to help them (3). Firefighters in Central Oregon have completely contained a 1,000-acre wildfire that had threatened homes near Madras (4); but firefighters may see some additional activity soon, since the National Weather Service has issued lightning warnings for that region today (5). Firefighters quickly snuffed a small wildfire sparked by lightning in Colorado's Roosevelt National Forest (6); and fire officials in Grand County reminded campers of the current fire danger (7). An 18,000-acre wildfire burning in rugged terrain in Idaho's Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness was providing a difficult challenge for firefighters (8); Central Utah Interagency Fire Center providing some details on wildfires in that state in the next article (9). Firefighters battled a 200-acre wildfire (and 100-degree heat) outside of Waco, Texas (10); and a firefighter was overcome by heat while battling a grass fire in McLennan County as well (11); but two wildfires that burned almost 8,000 acres between them on the grounds of Fort Hood have finally been contained (12). A 5,800-acre wildfire burning on Montana's Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation prompted evacuations (13); while a 35-acre wildfire burning near Helena is now 75% contained (14); as firefighters worked fast to contain two small blazes (15); and the important contribution of air-tankers in the fight is examined in the next two articles (16)(17). Wildfire activity in Wyoming is the topic of the following two articles (18)(19); where a 9,000-acre wildfire burning in Goshen County is 20% contained (20). Hot brakes on a passing train are believed to be the cause of several wildfires in Harvey County, Kansas (21). While many people dread oncoming Hurricane Irene, firefighters battling a 6,000-acre blaze in Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge are hoping the rains could quench that wildfire, which is only 20% contained (22); but a Georgia Forestry Commission ranger comments on the impact of human-caused wildfires in Coweta County (23). In Canada, a 4 1/2 ha wildfire that was reported near Cranbrook, British Columbia, has now been contained (24); and a former RCMP Senior Deputy Commissioner will head an investigation into the handling of Alberta's Slave Lake wildfires, which destroyed one third of that town earlier this year (25); while two small wildfires were reported in Northeastern Ontario yesterday (26); and as the fire hazard increases in northwestern Ontario, other Canadian provinces are sending help, including CL-415 aircraft from Québec (27). In the Mediterranean Basin, wildfires were reported in southeastern France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Macedonia, as well as the North African nations of Morocco and Algeria (28); while Turkey's İzmir Regional Forestry Directorate was able to contain a wildfire burning in that western province which threatened a nearby village (29). The uphill battle faced by Firewatch and other high-tech wildfire detection vendors in Australia is chronicled by the next article (30); but nearly 3 years after the Black Saturday bushfires, dozens of people in King Lake, Victoria, are still living in temporary housing (31); and speaking of housing, windows and doors designed to be bushfire-resistant were recently evaluated at the Melbourne Exova Warrington Testing facility (32). A mango orchard went up in flames outside of Darwin, Northern Territory, yesterday (33); while repercussions from a scathing report about Western Australia's Fire and Emergency Service may be borne out in the selection of its first fire commissioner from outside of FESA's ranks (34). And finally, the fire chief in Taylor, Michigan has found a unique way to balance his budget in these tough economic times: sell the fire truck to keep the firefighters!

(1) Firefighters battling small fire in Waterman Canyon

(2) Brush fire burning east of Potrero

(3) Thousands of residents hit with new firefighting fee

(4) Firefighters contain 1,000-acre wildfire that threatened homes near Madras

(5) Central Oregon Firefighters Prepare For Lightning Storms

(6) Crews extinguish small wildfire in Boulder County

(7) Rau: Only YOU can prevent forest fires

(8) Forest blaze forces Idaho firefighters to retreat

(9) Stubborn wildfires keep crews busy in west, central Utah

(10) Firefighters Mop Up After Smoky 200-Acre Wildfire

(11) Local Firefighter Overcome By Heat While Battling Grass Fire

(12) Wildfires at Fort Hood Contained After 3 Days

(13) 5,000-acre wildfire prompts evacuations northwest of Lame Deer

(14) Chevellier Ranch Road fire

(15) Firefighters knock down blazes fast

(16) Air support crucial in battling wildfires

(17) West Riverside fire: Slurry bombers, helicopters, ground crews fight back

(18) Heat, wind drive Hole in the Wall fire

(19) Wildfire north of Gillette has burned 2,000 acres, threatening rural homes

(20) Web-first update: Local fire crews aiding with Wheatland forest fire

(21) Crews Fight Fires In Harvey County

(22) Irene could help douse wildfire

(23) Majority of wildfires come from debris burns getting out of control

(24) Forest fire caused by humans

(25) Independent committee reviewing Alberta’s handling of Slave Lake wildfires

(26) Two new forest fires sparked Tuesday in Northeastern Ontario

(27) Fire hazard rising again

(28) EFFIS - Current Situation

(29) İzmir forest fire contained before spreading to nearby village

(30) Hi-tech early detection system could minimise bushfire threat

(31) Bushfire recovery drags on in Kinglake

(32) Trend Windows & Doors expands development and testing of bushfire windows and doors

(33) Mango trees in flames

(34) WA's fire chief unlikely to come from FESA

(35) TAYLOR: Fire chief puts truck on sale to help keep firefighter jobs

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