WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 121511

US Forest Service announced plans to enhance the historic Trail of 100 Giants and to rebuild the Needles Fire Lookout Tower, which was destroyed by a wildfire in July, in California's Sierra Nevada mountain range (1); but in the aftermath of Reno, Nevada's, 2,000-acre Caughlin Fire, fire officials offer a few tips on how to prepare your home for the approach of wildfires (2). Texas Forest Service was honored for battling wildfires on the grounds of Fort Hood this past year (3); and although thousands of acres in Bastrop State Park burned in the Labor Day wildfires, some areas are still green, according to the park manager (4); while Heart of the Pines Volunteer Fire Department got a special treat from the TV program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to make up for what wildfires in Bastrop County destroyed (5); but with 63 million acres of timber, the $23 billion Texas forest industry has been impacted by recent wildfires (6). US Forest Service finalized plans for dealing with restrictions on air-tankers using retardant to contain wildfires per the agreement with a Montana judge, with 12,000 maps showing sensitive areas on nearly 100 national forests nationwide (7); and although a wildfire that burned over 309,000 acres in Georgia's Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has only grown 1 acre in size since October, it continues to smolder underground (8). The next article takes a look at Israel's firefighting and replanting capability in that arid Middle Eastern nation (9); while a wildfire has been reported in Manang in the Himalayan nation of Nepal (10). Heading to Australia, the controversial issue of buying back property in high-risk bushfire regions of Victoria is explored by the next item (11); where a woman has been accused of defrauding the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund of $30,000 (12). A 50-hectare bushfire burning in South Australia's Barossa Valley has been brought under control (13); and Biosecurity SA provided some tips on livestock safety in the next article (14); while BAE Systems has donated laser binoculars to Country Fire Service to be used at their Mount Lofty lookout tower in the Adelaide Hills (15). Having already suffered through one recent 45,000-hectare bushfire, officials in Nannup Shire, Western Australia, fear that they could not survive another such blaze (16); but a research scientist from Forestry Tasmania weighs in on the issue of using Australia's forests as green fuel (17). And finally, CAL FIRE found something better to do with trees left over from their forest thinning projects: donate them as Christmas trees!

(1) Forest Service plans for Giants, Needles

(2) How to Help Your Home Survive Wildfires

(3) Wildfire Responders Honored at Fort Hood Appreciation Event 12/14/11

(4) Recovering: Crews forging trails in Bastrop State Park after wildfire

(5) Bastrop family sees new home on 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'

(6) From the Ground Up - The Texas Forestry Industry

(7) Forest Service Chief Signs Record of Decision for Aerial Fire Retardant Application

(8) Ga. swamp fire still smoldering but barely growing

(9) Growing and Planting Trees in the Desert:

(10) Wildfire in Manang

(11) Home owners weigh bushfire buyback

(12) Woman accused of bushfire appeal fraud

(13) Bushfire in the Barossa

(14) Be alert to livestock bushfire threats and survive summer

(15) Laser binoculars to help bushfire fight

(16) Nannup Shire not prepared for another bushfire

(17) Can't see the forest fuel for the greens

(18) CAL FIRE donates more than 60 trees for needy families through the Visalia Salvation Army