WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 093011

Farmers Insurance and the California Fire Safe Council will be sponsoring a fire prevention regional conference in Sacramento on October 6th which will include US Forest Service Aviation Director Tom Harbour among its speakers (1); while a new 20-person hand crew has been created in Northern California by an agreement between Six Rivers National Forest and California Conservation Corps (CCC) - Fortuna Campus (2). A wind-driven wildfire threatened homes in northeast Amarillo, Texas, yesterday (3); and a lightning-sparked wildfire has burned between 1,200 and 1,500 acres southeast of Abilene (4); while the Texas Forest Service reminded media and private pilots about the “Fire Traffic Area” rules over wildfires that prevent collisions with air-tankers (5); even as Congressional representatives met with state and local fire officials yesterday to discuss the federal government's response to the Texas wildfires (6); and volunteers planned to put on a fundraiser for wildfire survivors in Montgomery County this weekend (7); but a video segment discusses the ominous Red Flag warnings being issued in Central Texas (8); followed by more bad news: the drought which has spawned so many wildfires could continue for nine more years! (9) A summary of wildfire activity in Montana's Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest is provided by the next article (10); and Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along an update on Fire and Environmental Research Applications (FERA) projects (11); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Snyder, President of Montana-based Neptune Aviation, sent along a news item on their involvement in the Texas wildfires with the following comments: Mike, FYI, T40 is currently on its way to Texas as I send this - Dan Snyder (12); the following article providing more details on the conversion of the BAE-146 aircraft to firefighting by a Canadian firm (13). As containment of the 93,459-acre wildfire burning in Minnesota's Superior National Forest reached 70%, operations are beginning to wind down (14); but a Minnesota Public Radio segment discusses the need for controlled burns in the aftermath of that massive wildfire (15); and the Department of Natural Resources plans to harvest timber on 3,000 acres in which severe winds felled lots of trees in order to reduce the wildfire danger (16). With the advent of West Virginia's fall forest fire season, Division of Forestry officials reminded residents of fire restrictions which will be in force through the end of this year (17). A cold front pushing into Florida means that smoldering wildfires could become a problem (18); but the Florida Forest Service is working feverishly to reduce fuels ahead of the front (19). Heading to Canada, British Columbia's Wildfire Management Branch is dispatching another 16 firefighters to Calgary, Alberta, to assist with wildfires (20). An update on Swinley Forest in Berkshire, UK, which plans to plant 120,000 trees to replace those destroyed in a wildfire, is provided by the next article (21); but as the Eastern Siberian city of Bratsk was submerged in a sea of smoke, Russian authorities railed at local officials for not dealing with the wildfires effectively (22). After 18 months of trying to turn Macedon, Victoria's, Tony Clarke Reserve into an accredited Neighbourhood Safer Place, local Australian officials refused to endorse the project (23). A state-of-the-art video wall was showcased at the Rural Fire Service Operations complex in New South Wales this week as part of their communications upgrades (24); while at the same time, fire officials provided some useful tips to homeowners to prepare for the bushfire season (25). The next item offers testimony about the Western Australia Police Commissioner's phone calls during the destructive Perth Hills bushfires in February (26). And finally, firefighters in the UK had one rallying cry as hay bales and a manure pile caught fire: save the pigs!

(1) The California Fire Safe Council Presents a Fire Prevention Regional Conference for Homeowners and FireSafe Councils

(2) New Firefighting handcrew on the North Coast Fortuna Campus

(3) Wildfire threatens northeast Amarillo homes

(4) Update: Overnight Wildfire Erupts In Coleman County

(5) Media, public warned about wildfire fly-overs

(6) Lawmakers say federal response to area wildfires slow

(7) Fundraiser set for Montgomery County victims of wildfires

(8) Red Flag Warning could mean more wildfires

(9) Grim predictions say 9 more years of Texas drought possible

(10) Forest fires still burning

(11) FERA Fire Research News Update -- September 2011

(12) Neptune's jet-powered tanker could 'revolutionize' aerial firefighting

(13) "Tronos fire-fighting aircraft enters service with U.S. Forestry Service"

(14) Some Pagami Creek firefighters heading home; all fire restrictions lifted

(15) As BWCA fire dies, call for controlled burns is renewed

(16) DNR tries to reduce fire danger from July blowdown

(17) Fall Forest Fire Season Starts Saturday

(18) Cold front will nudge Phillipe; fire warnings issued

(19) Forest Service on wildfire mitigation campaign

(20) Firefighters sent to Alberta

(21) Swinley Forest fire recovery plans to go on show

(22) Russian city enveloped in smog from forest fires

(23) Council rejects bushfire safe places

(24) RFS gears up for bushfire season

(25) Bushfire season heralds need for permits

(26) Bushfire inquiry hears of police commissioner's phone calls

(27) Firefighters battle to save pigs from inferno