WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 032312

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, Past President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along an invitation to an upcoming webinar to discuss the impact of increasingly-frequent large wildfires across the US (1). The seaside community of Cambria, California, will be getting a fire break, courtesy of CAL FIRE (2). In Colorado, Yuma County officials announced that a 37 mi.² wildfire which raged through the area was apparently sparked by a fallen power line (3); where the Colorado State Forest Service will be replacing a fire department's firetruck which was lost in the blaze last weekend (4). A list of what to do before, during, and after a wildfire is provided by Montana's Flathead Indian Nation in the next article (5); but a wildfire that threatened homes in Carlton County, Minnesota, has been blamed on a discarded cigarette (6). The next news item highlights Michigan's Firewise program (7). A controlled burn in Carter County, Kentucky, got out of control, burning dozens of vehicles in the process (8); and there is concern that timber blown down by tornadoes may add fuel to future wildfires (9). A wildfire broke out near power lines in Buxton, Maine, today (10); even as fire officials in New Hampshire suspended burn permits temporarily due to an elevated fire risk (11). A number of wildfires broke out on Thursday across Massachusetts (12); and US Forest Service was investigating a 150-acre wildfire that burned in Virginia's Jefferson National Forest (13). In Canada, the Saskatchewan provincial government has been brought under fire for cutting back on firefighters to save $400,000 (14); while a 240-hectare wildfire was brought under control outside of Stuartburn, Manitoba (15). Although a forest fire that burned on the slopes of Africa's Mount Kenya for a week has finally been put out, 10% of the surrounding forests have been destroyed (16). Following a 600-hectare wildfire in India's Nagarahole National Park, Rs. 20 crore ($4.2 million) has been freed up to bolster fire response in the area (17); while firefighters in Dachigam National Park are battling to save the habitat of a highly endangered species of deer (18). Australians living in Eaglehawk, Victoria, reflected on how the Black Saturday bushfires impacted them three years after the event (19). And finally, firefighters in Vallejo, California, used to getting cats out of trees had something a little larger to extricate this time!

(1) Effects of fuels treatments on the spatial probabilities of burning and final size of recent wildfires across the United States

(2) Firebreak to control wildfire risk in Cambria passes final roadblock

(3) Downed power line sparked Colorado plains wildfire

(4) Fire Truck Going To Dept. That Lost Its Truck

(5) Wildfire protection list

(6) Rural Carlton wildfire blamed on cigarette

(7) Being wise about wildfires

(8) Forest, 45 Vehicles Burn In Carter Co. Fire

(9) Tornado destruction creates dangers for forest fire season

(10) Buxton brush fire signals critical fire danger in Maine

(11) Fire Risk High, Burn Permits Temporarily Suspended

(12) Outbreak of brush fires signals danger arising from warm and dry conditions

(13) USFS probes wildfire in Wise caused by humans

(14) NDP criticizes Sask. gov't over fire crew cuts

(15) Stuartburn wildfire under control, for now

(16) Mt. Kenya fire out, but consumed 10 pct of forest

(17) Post-forest fire, a small boost

(18) Forest fire breaks out in Dachigam National Park

(19) Eaglehawk group marks three years of fellowship

(20) Firefighters rescue a man who was stuck in a tree for hours