WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 090611

Wildfires across Southern California kept air-tankers and firefighters on the ground busy on the last day of the Labor Day weekend (1); where a 10-acre wildfire was 50% contained in Encino this morning (2); but although firefighters have a 500-acre wildfire near Agua Dulce 70% contained, a 13,000-acre blaze burning near Tehachapi is only 10% contained (3); the DC-10 seeing some action over the Tehachapi fire, wildfire NOTD subscriber Rick Hatton, CEO of 10 Tanker LLC, sending along the following comments:

USFS called upon us Fri. Aug. 26th. We went to work Sat. Aug. 27 out of McClellan. From there we have flown 18 missions in four states on six fires, reloading at either MCC or SBD. We are programmed to go to Austin, TX. tomorrow. This demonstrates the reach, capacity, and cost effectiveness of the DC10, and ONLY THE DC10 (4).

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Andrew Madsen, Public Affairs Officer for the Los Padres National Forest, announced full containment of a 700-acre wildfire burning near Sisquoc (5); but firefighters had to use whitewater rafts to access a 306-acre wildfire burning north of Kernville yesterday (6). A summary of wildfire activity in Oregon is provided by the next article (7); where ODF battled a 200-acre wildfire burning east of Medford (8); and the 4,500-acre wildfire burning in Mount Hood National Forest continued to force road closures (9); even as a new 130-acre wildfire was reported 10 miles north of Detroit (10). An update on two wildfires burning on Washington state's Olympic Peninsula is provided by the next article (11); youngsters playing with bottle rockets sparking a 30-acre wildfire outside of Port Townsend (12). Firefighters in Pinal County, Arizona, were keeping a close eye on two wildfires which have burned 5,000 acres between them (13); while residents of Vernon expressed their concerns to US Forest Service about a wildfire which has been smoldering in their area for about a week (14). Wildfires that have burned over 44,000 acres in Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest are making for smoky skies in the Wood River Valley (15); and firefighters are roping in a 30,000-acre wildfire burning in Oklahoma's Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (16). Gov. Rick Perry toured the devastation left by 50 wildfires that destroyed 1,000 homes across Texas (17); the director of the Texas Forest Service discussing some of the bizarre fire behavior seen at those wildfires with CBS News in a video segment (18); but there was some hope that diminished wind activity would help corral wildfires that have devastated that state (19); the wildfires producing a chaotic situation in which some families have been forced to evacuate (20); but some residents of Montgomery County have been allowed to return home (21); all of which puts the governor's plans to attend a Republican debate on Wednesday night in limbo as he is "substantially more concerned" about the plight of his state (22); firefighters battling those wildfires having been pushed to the limits of their endurance (23); while some are saying that fires were long expected, as subdivisions pushed farther into wildland areas around Austin (24). Firefighters continued to carry out controlled burns in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to help control a 720-acre wildfire burning there (25); and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry continued to battle several blazes in that state (26). An update on continuation of research by the RAND Corporation to assist the US Forest Service in determining the appropriate composition of a mix of fixed-wing airtanker and helicopter/water scooper aviation assets for fighting wildfires is next (27). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Wilson, a retired Canadian air-tanker pilot, sent along a pair of items today: the first provides a handy reference for airtankers in the US (28); and the second item details how a 20 ha wildfire forced an evacuation in Kelowna, British Columbia (29); while a town in Newfoundland and Labrador reported a small wildfire which was dealt with by air-tankers and firefighters on the ground (30). In the Mediterranean Basin, numerous wildfires were burning in Portugal, Italy, Greece, Albania, and Macedonia, as well as the North African nation of Algeria (31); while the governor of Orenburg, Russia, has announced that they will be installing video surveillance systems to spot wildfires in forested regions of Kvarkensky, Buzuluk, Sorochinsky, Krasnogvardiysky, Totsky, and Pervomaisky (32). Heading to Australia next, a baker's dozen of new recruits have joined Queensland Fire and Rescue Service as bushfire season is about to begin (33); and bushfires were reported in the Northern Territory at Undoolya, Curtin Springs, Marqua, Manners Creek and Napperby Stations (34). A political firestorm over the government's handling of bushfires in Western Australia is brewing up in Parliament (35). And finally, a bizarre tale tells how a powered kite sparked a wildfire outside of California's Sequoia National Park in 2003!

(1) Firefighters battle local blazes

(2) Firefighters keep battling blaze near Encino, 50% containment

(3) Agua Dulce brush fire 70% contained; blaze near Tehachapi rages

(4) Winds push California fire to 20 square miles

(5) Backcountry fire is fully contained

(6) Steep terrain, tough access challenge crews at fire north of Kernville

(7) Crews battle Ore. wildfires as heat wave heats up

(8) Crews battle growing fire near Medford

(9) Mount Hood fire looms near Bull Run Reservoir

(10) New fire in Mount Hood National Forest as crews battle Dollar Lake blaze

(11) Crews still battling fire on Olympic Peninsula

(12) Firefighters In Mop-Up Phase After Containing Blaze Near Port Townsend

(13) Arizona wildfires: Crews keeping eye on 650, Frio blazes

(14) Wallowing in fear of the Mud Fire

(15) Smoke blankets valley

(16) Firefighters Get Upper Hand On Southwest Okla. Wildfire

(17) Wildfires sweep across Texas, charring 1,000 homes

(18) Texas Forest Service: "Unprecedented fire behavior"

(19) Slowing Winds Give Firefighters a Chance in Texas

(20) Wildfire Evacuee: 'I Did Not Know What To Do'

(21) Some residents being allowed back home near Magnolia wildfires

(22) Perry undecided on GOP debate because of wildfires

(23) With no backup, no sleep, firefighters pushed to their limits

(24) Conditions, growth feed wildfire risk

(25) Crews using fire to contain BWCAW fire

(26) LDAF Firefighting Crews on Fire Duty Through the Night in Caddo Parish

(27) Notice of Intent to Award Sole source to RAND Corporation - Aerial Firefighting

(28) Eastern Great Basin Resource Status-Airtankers

(29) Kelowna Forest Fire: 550 Forced To Flee Homes, Campground

(30) Forest Fire Strikes CBS

(31) EFFIS - Current Situation

(32) In the Orenburg region of the Forest Fund will install video surveillance

(33) Firefighter recruits graduate in time for bushfire season

(34) Bushfires still burning in Red Centre

(35) Labor moves bushfire motion condemning Government

(36) Experience: I started a forest fire