WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 092111

A new international study published in the Journal of Biogeography shows the profound influence humans have on wildfires (1). Santa Barbara County Supervisors voted unanimously to send a letter of protest to the head of US Forest Service in order to reopen Southern California's Santa Maria Airport as a full-time federal air-tanker base (2); while a video segment discusses the wildfire danger to residents of the Central Coast (3); CAL FIRE crews battling a 28-acre wildfire outside of Tehama yesterday (4); and a portion of California's Highway 101 was closed near Weott due to a pair of small wildfires burning along the road (5); however, US Forest Service has reduced fire restrictions in the Stanislaus National Forest as wildfire conditions improve (6). Firefighters battled a 20-acre lightning-sparked wildfire burning in Arizona's Prescott National Forest (7); but an environmental group evaluating wildfires which burned through Arizona and New Mexico indicated that they did more good than harm to the environment (8). A summary of wildfire activity in Northeast Texas is provided by the next article (9); where fire officials have released more details on how power lines are once again to blame for wildfires that destroyed 1,500 homes and killed two people in Bastrop County (10); but fresh off of saving hundreds of homes from wildfires, volunteer fire departments in that state face severe financial cuts (11). New York Life Insurance Company has pledged $20,000 to the Red Cross in its efforts to help with wildfire relief in Texas (12); and Associa Cares, a national nonprofit that helps families impacted by natural disasters, is doing their part as well (13); as are others (14); while the next article profiles the Humane Society of Marion County, which is now home to many animals displaced by the wildfires (15). Texas ranchers are seeking federal funding to help rebuild some 6,000 miles of fencing destroyed by recent wildfires (16); however, officials in Grimes County fear they may be left out of the federal disaster declaration, robbing them of the funds needed to rebuild (17); but despite the fact that wildfires destroyed many structures across Cass County one church miraculously survived (18). Rains helped to dampen down the 94,000-acre wildfire burning in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (19); where the number of firefighters on the line has grown to 850 (20). A 400-acre wildfire is burning on a levee adjacent to Florida's Lake Okeechobee (21). A British Columbia firm is expanding its activities from monitoring fire weather to analyzing Canada's water supply (20); while firefighters near Nanaimo feared that a wood chip fire might spread to surrounding timber (23). Wildfires were reported in the North African nations of Algeria and Morocco (24). A Victorian farmer who is suing Australian utility Powercor for over $300,000 due to losses suffered in the Black Saturday bushfires had his day in court (25); but Hepburn Shire has been overlooked in plans for Bushfire Safer Places (26); while a councillor in the Yarra Ranges railed against complacency about bushfires (27); even as more than 20,000 Country Fire Authority firefighters have applied for commemorative Black Saturday badges (28). Although severe fire weather warnings have been canceled, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is still battling several major blazes across that state (29); including one which closed Bruce Highway between Bowen and Proserpine (30). As New South Wales grappled with 60 bushfires yesterday, an arsonist was apparently at work setting a few more (31); Bushfires NT firefighters warning that homes would be threatened by bushfires which had merged near Alice Springs, Northern Territory (32). And finally, Ramona Airport will be holding its 54th annual open house on September 24th which will include displays at the associated air attack base!

(1) Human influence takes the wild out of some wildfires

(2) Growing Pressure to Bring Firefighting Tankers Back to SM Airport

(3) Peak Wildfire Season Arrives On Central Coast

(4) Fire Off Of Spring Branch Road Contained

(5) U.S. 101 lane closed for roadway fires

(6) Fire restrictions lifted in high hazard zones of Stanislaus

(7) Lightning starts wildfire south of Prescott

(8) Record U.S. Fires of 2011 Studied for Impacts

(9) Northeast Texas Fire Complex update: Wednesday, Sept. 21

(10) Officials: Trees and Power Lines Were Likely Culprits Behind Texas Wildfire

(11) Volunteer Firefighters Funding Cuts

(12) New York Life Donates $20,000 to Wildfire Relief Effort in Texas

(13) Associa Cares Makes Donations to Victims of Bastrop Wildfires

(14) Wildfire Charity Coin Boxes

(15) Humane Society rescues more than 50 animals from forest fires

(16) Texas ranchers seek federal help rebuilding fences lost to wildfires

(17) No federal help for June wildfire victims

(18) Avinger church spared damage during rash of wildfires

(19) More rain dampens Pagami Creek fire

(20) Boundary Waters Firefighting Team Expected to Build to 850

(21) 400-acre 'Indian Prairie' wildfire burns levee surrounding Lake O

(22) Water and fire fuel tech firm's success

(23) Doumont area chip fire second in same location in two months

(24) EFFIS - Current Situation

(25) Farmer details losses at bushfire trial

(26) Hepburn overlooked in bushfire protection plan

(27) Yarra Ranges councillor attacks attitude on bushfires

(28) CFA to recognise Black Saturday heroes

(29) Hot weather fuels bushfires as a third of the state burns

(30) Bushfire closes Bruce Highway

(31) Arsonists light up a dry state

(32) NT bushfires threaten homes

(33) Ramona Airport Open House Sept. 24