WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 022412

California Public Utilities Commission will host a meeting April 5th at San Diego's Al Bahr Shriners Memorial Auditorium to discuss SDG&E's controversial plan to recoup $463 million from ratepayers to cover losses in the 2007 wildfires started, in part, by SDG&E's equipment (1); meanwhile, steep terrain prevented CAL FIRE firefighters from effectively battling a 200-acre wildfire burning in Napa County (2); where two firefighters suffered minor injuries (3). Firefighters in Oregon working on the Ashland Resiliency Project burned 150 acres and plan to set fire to 200 more (4); and the folks in Bend are close to being a Firewise community (5). A wildfire burning in Arizona's Kaibab National Forest is now about 90 acres in size (6). Realizing that the volunteer firefighting force is vastly underfunded, the Texas governor directed the Senate to carefully examine wildfire preparedness in that state (7); while a spokesman for Chubb Insurance Company discussed their use of Thermal Gel to protect homes from oncoming wildfires in an article from San Antonio (8); and residents of Andrews County have been invited to a wildfire workshop slated for March 8th (9); even as Midland Fire Department provided some sobering statistics for last year's fires, and warned of similar numbers in the coming fire season (10). Fire officials in Michigan are hoping that more snowfall will head off a bad spring wildfire season (11); but a firefighter battling a blaze in Southern Stone County, Missouri, is lucky to be alive after a dead tree fell on him (12). A new report from Environment Maine underscores the potential impact of natural disasters, including wildfires, in that state reflecting the larger picture of natural disasters across the US (13); a trend emphasized by the fact that firefighters who were battling a 20-acre wildfire in Hudson Highlands, New York, commented on the oddity of a winter wildfire in that state (14). Following a period of warm temperatures, high winds predicted for today have prompted fire officials in Virginia to impose burn bans to reduce the incidence of wildfires (15); and officials from North Carolina Forest Service reminded homeowners in Lenoir County of the wildfire danger (16). A teenager burned by a small wildfire that threatened homes in Lehigh Acres, Florida, could face charges of arson (17); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Flying Tankers, discussed an upcoming documentary on Discovery Channel Canada's series Mighty Planes about the Martin Mars (18). Firefighters who battled a wildfire in East Sussex, UK's, Ashdown Forest complained about the civilian spectators interfering with their firefighting (19); and in Africa, the Kenya Forest Service is restricting fire use in the Mau Forest, where firefighters are already grappling with a blaze (20). A new report from Forest Survey of India shows that wildfires have had a profound impact on thinning out the forest canopy in Andhra Pradesh state (21); while smoke from a forest fire which has been burning on the Thai-Burmese border forced diversion of some airliner flights (22). Victoria, Australia, has made an additional $800,000 available to local governments to comply with bushfire planning guidelines (23); where a fast-moving 37-acre bushfire blazed through Wombat State Forest (24). Following the Keelty report on the Margaret River bushfires, lawyers representing homeowners who suffered losses slammed the Western Australian Premier over the compensation package offered by the government (25); but in more trouble for its fire agencies, some in the government are calling for an inquiry into how ultra-marathoners were caught in a deadly burnover (26). And finally, firefighters in Berkeley, California, not only had to grapple with a studio fire, but with an irate Chihuahua!

(1) Public will vet SDG&E's wildfire cost recovery

(2) Soda Canyon wildfire now at 200 acres; no homes threatened

(3) Two Firefighters Hurt Battling Wildland Blaze

(4) Local fire crews burn on more than 100 acres

(5) Rimrock West Residents Cut Their Wildfire Risk

(6) First wildfire burning near Williams

(7) Volunteer firefighters still need our support

(8) Gel formula that protects your house from fire also used in diapers

(9) Texas Forest Service to hold workshops to prepare for wildfires

(10) Fire marshal expects another difficult fire season

(11) More snow needed to stave off spring wildfires

(12) Firefighter recovering from `widow maker' after a tree collapses on his head

(13) Is Maine A Harbinger of Disasters to Come?

(14) Hudson Highlands fire scorches 20 acres in 2 days along Appalachian Trail

(15) High winds may whip up wildfires Friday

(16) Lenoir Co. foresters urge residents to take caution during fire season

(17) Only on WINK: Teen burned in fire could face charges

(18) Firefighter with wings stars in TV show

(19) Walkers hampered crews at forest fire

(20) KFS bans charcoal burning, suspends transport permits

(21) Forest fires main cause of drop in green cover in AP: Survey

(22) Smoke from Forest Fire in Myanmar Diverts Flights

(23) New funds to aid Vic bushfire planning

(24) Firefighters contain Blampied blaze threatening homes

(25) Burnt-out Margaret River residents look at legal action

(26) Calls for inquiry into marathon bushfire

(27) Firefighters Douse Flames, Tangle With Chihuahua At Berkeley Art Studio