WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091311

Firefighters have corralled all but one of the lightning-sparked wildfires burning in Southern California's Los Padres National Forest (1); that story followed by a synopsis of wildfire activity in Kern County (2); and lightning has sparked four new wildfires in the Tahoe National Forest as well (3). The next item offers a photo spread from Oregon of helicopters and air-tankers in action over wildfires (4); where more favorable weather conditions helped firefighters battling several wildfires across the state (5); including a 10,000-acre blaze near Sisters which is now 25% contained (6). A 4,250-acre wildfire that destroyed two dozen homes in eastern Washington state is now 30% contained (7); while a wildfire burning in the Olympic National Forest has expanded to nearly 2 miles in size (8). A small wildfire burned between five and 7 acres in Boulder County, Colorado, yesterday (9); and residents of Telluride got together to discuss protecting their community from wildfires (10). Details on the wildfires burning in Texas are provided by the next item (11); even as some evacuees return home in Bastrop County, where the wildfire is now 70% contained (12); increased wind velocities prompting the National Weather Service to issue Red Flag warnings for that region (13); but the massive scale of destruction caused by the Texas wildfires (six of the 10 largest wildfires in that state's history have burned in 2011) has once again raised the question of whether climate change is driving the phenomenon (14); the Insurance Council of Texas putting the losses to date at over $250 million statewide (15); volunteer organizations swinging into action to help find more housing for wildfire survivors (16); and the organizers of the Austin City Limits Festival plan to raise funds to help as well (17); while the next article takes a look back over a 25 year period in which Bastrop County has gone from a small community to a sprawling suburb, and the wildfire challenges that has posed (18); but Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent in a tale of "too little, too late", with the following comment: Mike, an interesting article that might be of interest to your daily email. Homeowners were evidently very interested in this fire protection product but unfortunately were not able to beat the TX fires in approval and application. – Chuck Bushey (19). Firefighters have had a busy time with wildfires in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park (20). A wildfire burning in Montana's Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has cost $600,000 to suppress to date (21); while firefighters fought to protect over a dozen seasonal cabins threatened by a lightning-sparked 750-acre wildfire in the Lewis and Clark National Forest (22). The wildfire burning in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area has expanded to 60,000 acres (23); another 2-acre blaze has been reported in Voyageurs National Park (24); smoke from those blazes drifting into Wisconsin (25); and as far as Michigan (26); while raising the question, when should the Forest Service just let fires burn? (27) The Arkansas Forestry Commission reported 42 wildfires that burned over 500 acres and destroyed three outbuildings in that state (28); while Georgia's resilient Honey Prairie Fire, which has burned 307,000 acres in Okefenokee Swamp, is making for smoky skies in nearby Jacksonville, Florida (29). A sizable wildfire was reported outside of Saskatchewan, Canada's, capital of Regina (30); residents of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, becoming concerned about the smell of wildfire smoke in their neighborhoods, which turned out to be from fires in Saskatchewan, not local fires (31). In the Mediterranean Basin, wildfires were reported in the French Pyrénées, Spain, Portugal, Macedonia, Bosnia, Albania, and the North African nations of Algeria and Morocco (32); while Andalucía's Councillor for the Environment hinted that a 900 ha wildfire which destroyed four homes on Spain's Costa del Sol may have been set deliberately (33); and a wildfire outside of Bulgaria's capital of Sofia burned 1,000 dekares of forest and grassland (34). The importance of controlling wildfires in the African nation of Ghana was emphasized by the 14-member Collaborative Partnership on Forests (35); while two aircraft will be used to seed clouds in South Sumatra, Indonesia, in hopes that rainfall will reduce wildfires which have plagued the region for nearly a month (36). Some in Australia's firefighting aviation community worry that the proposed Clean Energy Future programs could result in additional fuel charges for firefighting aircraft (37); and Victoria's Deputy Premier and Emergency Services Minister has put forward a 32-point plan to address bushfire safety concerns in the wake of Black Saturday (38). Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is monitoring several bushfires burning in the north from aircraft (39); while property owners worried about the danger those fires posed (40); the situation prompting the head of the Rural Fire Brigades to express his worries about being prepared for the bushfires of summer (41). Western Australia's incoming chief of beleaguered Fire and Emergency Services Authority plans to focus on moving forward (42). And finally, as if firefighters in Texas didn't have enough to deal with right now, there was a bit of monkey business outside of Houston!

(1) 1 fire still burning after lightning strikes

(2) Tehachapi area wildfire update

(3) Four new fires in Tahoe forest; storms to continue

(4) Photo Essay: Fighting wildfires from the air

(5) Cool winds help firefighters across Oregon

(6) Mother nature helping control Shadow Lake Fire

(7) Washington wildfire 30 percent contained

(8) Olympic Wildfire Spreads To Nearly Two Miles

(9) 5 To 7-Acre Wildfire Burning In Boulder County

(10) Protecting Telluride’s forests

(11) Texas wildfire update - Sept. 13, 2011

(12) More residents return home to Bastrop

(13) Weather Conditions Could Complicate Bastrop Firefighting Efforts

(14) Texas wildfires: More evidence of climate change

(15) Wildfire damage estimates reaching record levels

(16) More Housing Help Announced for Wildfire Victims

(17) ACL Festival announces fund drive for wildfire victims

(18) Policies lagged as fire risk in backcountry grew

(19) Tahitian Village was considering retardant two weeks ago

(20) Firefighters Staying Busy In Yellowstone National Park

(21) Efforts continue at Stewart Fire; No evacuations in place

(22) Taylor Hills fire fills Great Falls area with haze

(23) Boundary Waters fire hits 60,000 acres

(24) Tooth Lake Wildland Fire in Voyageurs National Park

(25) Smoke from Minnesota wildfires impacts Central Wisconsin

(26) Minnesota forest fire can be smelled in Mid-Michigan

(27) The wildfire quandary: Fight or flight?

(28) 3 outbuildings destroyed in Arkansas wildfire

(29) Jacksonville again covered in smoke from revived Okefenokee Swamp wildfires

(30) That smell in the air was a forest fire

(31) Forest fire smell across city not a local fire, says Greater Sudbury Fire Services official

(32) EFFIS - Current Situation

(33) Investigation launched as forest fire destroys four homes on Costa del Sol

(34) Wild Fire Impedes Traffic on Bulgaria's Trakiya Hwy

(35) Ghana: More Funds Needed for Fire Management

(36) Indonesia to seed clouds for 30 days to fight S. Sumatra forest fires

(37) Aerial mustering and firefighting could cost more under carbon tax

(38) Utilise local knowledge

(39) Fires burn in Qld's north

(40) Outback Queensland properties at risk from bushfires

(41) Rural brigades 'ill-equipped' for busy fire season

(42) New WA fire chief says there will pain

(43) Going bananas: 23 monkeys are running loose in Waller; wild wildfire escapees tormenting cops