WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 090711

A radio segment covers the event at Southern California's Van Nuys Airport where Los Angeles County Supervisors and fire officials welcomed the CL-415 Super Scoopers and Erickson S-64s back for a new fire season (1); while the 13,000-acre wildfire burning near Tehachapi is now 40% contained (2); the next article providing some information on how the Kern Chapters of the American Red Cross and Salvation Army are helping survivors cope with their losses (3); but a 306-acre wildfire burning near Kernville is now 40% contained (4). A cutting torch has been blamed for sparking a two-acre wildfire outside of Cherry Grove, Oregon (5); where a heat wave is going to make the wildfire situation worse, as wildfire smoke sullies the skies of Portland (6); and a 200-acre wildfire burning near Fish Lake sullied the skies of the Rogue Valley (7); while fire officials indicated that smoke from the 4,500-acre wildfire burning on Mount Hood would drift into the Sandy Fire District as well (8); followed by an article which touches on the controversial topic of the environmental impact of air-tanker retardants (9). As firefighters contained a 30-acre wildfire burning near Port Townsend, Washington, the National Weather Service issued Red Flag warnings for the Cascade and Olympic Mountains (10). Firefighters from Summit County, Colorado, headed for Texas to fight wildfires there (11); but on the one-year anniversary of the Four Mile Canyon Fire, US Sen. Mark Udall urged Coloradans not to become complacent about wildfires (12). Firefighters from Idaho's Boise National Forest hit the road for Texas to help out with wildfires there (13); while firefighters in Oklahoma had a 38,921-acre wildfire that threatened homes near the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge 60% contained (14). The elite search and rescue unit known as Texas Task Force 1 has been called in to search for survivors in hard-hit Bastrop County (15); but they may have more places to search as wildfires continued to rage across the state (16); however, more favorable weather has allowed firefighters to reach 30% containment on the massive wildfire burning in Bastrop County (17); photos of the Texas wildfires from space being provided by NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station (18); followed by an article about Gov. Rick Perry’s role as crisis commander-in-chief (19); and another that takes a look at the draconian cuts ($34 million to date) made to the Texas Forest Service by state government officials (20); while the White House, though agreeing to some grants, has refused to declare Texas a disaster area (again) (21). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ty Bonnar, Vice President of Global Operations for Flexible Alternatives, sent along an article in which Britt Gourley, CEO of air-tanker giant Aero Union, weighs in on the issue of the federal government grounding half the heavy air-tanker fleet just before the Texas wildfires erupted (22); however, a striking video shows the DC-10 swinging into action against those wildfires (23); and they can use the help, as the Insurance Council of Texas has estimated that property losses already top $100 million (24); while the Texas Department of Public Safety indicated that people impacted by wildfires in Cass and Montgomery Counties have resources available to help (25); and horse owners received some pointers on how to protect their mounts when evacuation is not an option (26); followed by an article that takes a closer look at the Bastrop Animal Shelter, where many evacuees' pets have ended up (27); even as an associate professor of geography at Texas A&M University published his findings on wildfire history as determined by tree rings in the journal Applied Vegetation Science and Physical Geography (28). As a wildfire burned near Montana's Whitefish Mountain Resort ski area fire officials raised restrictions to Stage 1 (29); and an air assault was launched on the wildfire itself (30). Two days of burnout operations in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area have allowed firefighters to begin mopping up a wildfire near Ely (31); while firefighters in Illinois battled a wildfire which covered 60 to 75 acres on Tuesday near Ziegler (32). Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, aided by National Guard Blackhawk helicopters, battled nine wildfires in Caddo Parish (33). Rugged terrain made for some difficult firefighting at a blaze to the west of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (34); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Wilson, a retired Canadian air-tanker pilot, sent along an update on the 39 ha wildfire burning outside of West Kelowna's Bear Creek Provincial Park (35); followed by a thank-you note from the Alberta Sustainable Resource Development agency to the DC-10 folks for their help in battling wildfires in that province in June (36). In Southern Europe, wildfires were reported in Portugal, Italy, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia, and Albania (37); but Western Australia's parliament has appointed the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee to examine whether the three state firefighting agencies can work together effectively in the coming bushfire season (38). And finally, a firefighter in New Castle, Ohio, got to take home a new puppy after helping rescue five from a storm drain!

(1) LA County leases Canadian super scoopers to fight fires

(2) Kern County Wildfire: Winds Aid Firefighters Against Wildfire

(3) Charity Pours In For Wildfire Victims

(4) Willows Fire near Kernville 40 percent contained

(5) Cutting torch sparked Cherry Grove fire, Gaston Rural Fire District says

(6) Heat, wildfire smoke expected to make city sweat

(7) Firefighters battle Little Butte fire

(8) Winds may drive forest fire smoke into Sandy area on Wednesday

(9) Wildfire news: Forest service considers retardants; seeing red on damage to fish; Wenatchee forest heavily doused

(10) Crews contain Port Townsend fire as temps rise

(11) Summit County firefighters head to Oklahoma

(12) As Texas blazes roar, Udall says Colorado not yet out of wildfire woods

(13) Idaho firefighters sent to Texas to help fight fire

(14) Wichita Mountains wildfire 60 percent contained

(15) Perry Deploys Task Force to Fight Texas Wildfires, Now 30 Percent Contained

(16) Texas Wildfire Update - Sept. 7, 2011

(17) Texas firefighters aided as winds slow; Bastrop fire 30% contained

(18) Astronauts Spot Texas Wildfires From Space

(19) Rick Perry’s response to Texas wildfires offers glimpse of leadership

(20) Rick Perry's Texas cuts firefighting budget while wildfires burn

(21) White House “monitoring” Texas wildfires, press secretary Jay Carney says

(22) Contract Dispute Grounds Firefighting Planes

(23) 10 Tanker Arrives To Assist in Bastrop Fire

(24) Texas Wildfire Losses Could Surpass $100M

(25) Assistance For Those Affected By Wildfires

(26) Wildfires: When Evacuation is Not an Option

(27) Groups help animals affected by fire

(28) Tree rings reveal forest fires from hundreds of years ago

(29) Stage 1 fire restrictions go into effect

(30) Aerial assault quells fire on Big Mountain

(31) Firefighters mopping up forest fire near Ely

(32) Firefighters battle fast-moving brush fire Tuesday

(33) Caddo Parish Wildfires

(34) Forest fire breaks out near UBC's Wreck Beach

(35) B.C. fire forces 550 to flee homes

(36) DC 10 Tanker: First Operation In Canada

(37) EFFIS - Current Situation

(38) Bushfire preparedness under the spotlight

(39) New Castle Firefighters Rescue 5 Puppies From Storm Drain