WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 022212

In California, US Forest Service will be conducting a number of controlled burns around Lake Tahoe this week (1); while an Assemblyman from Nevada discusses his take on a study by the University of Nevada about cattle grazing in the Toiyabe National Forest (2); even as masticators are being used to reduce the wildfire danger for neighborhoods south of Reno (3). A 90-acre wildfire has been reported in Arizona's Kaibab National Forest (4); but as March approaches, local governments impacted by the Texas wildfires have been reminded that federal funding will only be available for a few more days (5). The next story profiles Greenough/Potomac Fuels Reduction Task Force, which is helping reduce the fire danger to subdivisions in Montana (6). Dry conditions continue to keep the wildfire risk at a high level across parts of Missouri (7); but despite a mild winter, National Interagency Fire Center is predicting a quiet fire season for Eastern Tennessee (8); however, the mild winter in Massachusetts has prompted officials to issue a wildfire alert (9). The New Jersey Forest Fire Service plans to conduct a 513-acre controlled burn in the Hovnanian Sanctuary March 15 (10). Fire officials in Camden County, Georgia, are hoping to reduce the number of wildfires from the 58 which burned 4,600 acres last year (11); while in Florida, Lake County Public Safety Department enacted a burn ban as firefighters fought a 1,200-acre blaze that has been burning since last week (12). A radio segment from British Columbia, Canada, reiterates the warning that Global Warming will bring worsening wildfires to that province (13); where, although a report from the Forest Practices Board indicated that the province was well prepared for wildfires, more work needs to be done (14). For some reason, the Indians are having a hard time recruiting firefighters to help protect 11,125 sq km of forest area, including areas like the Periyar Tiger Reserve (15); but the Sri Lankan Air Force swung into action to help douse a 300-acre wildfire in the Ambuluwawa mountains (16). Mick Keelty, author of two reports on Western Australia's response to bushfires, will be speaking at a meeting in Margaret River (17). Contrary to the bad rap which wildfire smoke gets from just about everybody, photographers in Western Australia like what it does for their photos (18); nevertheless, FESA has warned motorists on the North West Coastal Highway about smoke obscuring visibility due to a bushfire north of Carnarvon (19). And finally, firefighters in Alameda County, California, confirmed that a pair of African tortoises made a slow-speed escape from a burning garage!

(1) U.S. Forest Service plans controlled burn operations around Lake Tahoe basin

(2) Livestock grazing and wildfires

(3) Project Reduces Wildfire Fuels in Vulnerable Neighborhood

(4) Grass fire burning in Arizona's Kaibab National Forest

(5) Time Running Out for Local Governments to Apply for Wildfire Assistance Funds

(6) Blackfoot project reduces fuel for forest fires near subdivision

(7) Dry conditions raise risk of wildfires

(8) Lower wildfire risk predicted for East TN spring

(9) Weak winter raises brush fire alert

(10) NJ Audubon to Conduct Prescribed Burn at Hovnanian Sanctuary

(11) Drought increases threat of wildfire

(12) Lake enacts burn ban

(13) Forest fires will get worse due to climate change

(14) More work to be done preparing for BC wildfires: report

(15) Summer is here; No men to fight forest fires yet!

(16) Sri Lanka Air Force deployed to douse forest fire in Ambuluwawa mountains

(17) Keelty to present bushfire report in Margaret River

(18) Southern bushfire smoke makes for stunning scenes over the bay

(19) Bushfire prompts NW smoke warning

(20) Firefighter hospitalized after Castro Valley garage fire, tortoises escape