WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 042612

The US Agriculture Secretary and Interior Secretary issued a press release announcing their departments' readiness for wildfires via the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (1); followed by a National Geographic article that takes a look at how the drought in the western US may impact wildfire activity (2). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tony Morris, Communications Director for Wildfire Research Network, sent along an article about the California-based DC-10 Very Large Air Tanker, something the depleted ranks of heavy air-tankers will undoubtedly need this fire season (3). A 3,100-acre wildfire that destroyed 28 homes in Washoe Valley, Nevada, in January was accidentally started by discarded ashes (4). A mutual aid agreement titled "The 2012 Annual Wildfire Operating Plan", which addresses wildfire needs in a number of Colorado counties, has been signed (5); where an 8 1/2-acre wildfire burning in the Roosevelt National Forest is now fully contained (6); while Boulder County is hosting a series of meetings that discuss creating defensible space around homes in mountain communities (7); followed by an Op-Ed piece from Pueblo that supports the efforts of government officials in the reorganization of Colorado State Forest Service following the Lower North Fork Fire (8). An update on wildfire activity in Jeff Davis County, where several thousand acres have been burned by a number of fires, is provided by the Texas Forest Service (9); and a wildfire which has scorched 7,000 acres in southwestern South Dakota is now 80% contained (10). Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources provided some on-the-job training for students interested in learning wildland firefighting (11); while a 1,500-acre wildfire burning in Michigan's Huron National Forest is now 90% contained (12). The Maine Forest Service has revised wildfire danger levels downward following heavy rain statewide (13); similar conditions being reported by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, which has lifted the ban on campfires accordingly (14). The importance of controlled burns for the health of North Carolina's forests is examined by the next article (15); but Florida Forest Service reported two small wildfires in Sarasota County on Wednesday (16). Firefighters in British Columbia, Canada's, Lower Nicola Reserve fought numerous wildfires ahead of the burn ban which goes into effect May 15th (17); while Berkshire, UK's, wildfire-ravaged Crowthorne Forest is planting 60,000 new trees to help with its recovery (18). A video segment from Russia shows the BE-200 and Russian smokejumpers in action during training operations outside of Moscow (19); followed by a NASA satellite image that shows wildfire activity in Central Russia (20). A 27-hectare wildfire was reported burning in Southwest China's Yunnan Province (21); while the Himalayan nation of Nepal continues to burn, with 225 wildfires currently active across the country (22). Heading to Australia, a former Country Fire Authority firefighter who set arson bushfires outside of Churchill, Victoria, that resulted in 10 deaths will be sentenced tomorrow (23); the next article taking a look at how residents of Beechworth will benefit from $32.85 million in Black Saturday bushfire compensation (24). Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will conduct 300 ha of controlled burns on Mount Archer (25). And finally, my latest Firehouse.com article tells how 21st century technology has transformed wildfire detection!

(1) Secretaries Vilsack and Salazar Announce Readiness for Wildfire Season

(2) Warm Spring May Mean Drought and Wildfires in West

(3) The New Rainmaker

(4) Report: Washoe Valley man thought ashes that started wildfire were cool; damage put at more than $4.5M

(5) Annual Wildfire Operating Plan in effect

(6) In BRIEF: Goat Mountain Fire fully contained

(7) Boulder County hosts wildfire mitigation trainings in mountain communities

(8) Managing wildfires

(9) Wildfires Burn Through Night 4/26/12

(10) SD Wildfire Burns 7,000 Acres

(11) Students are fired-up as they learn to fight wildland fire

(12) Wildfire Burns Through At Least 1,500 Acres

(13) Soaking rain helps douse fire hazards in southern Maine

(14) Campfire Ban Lifted for Toms River Area

(15) Fire on the mountain

(16) North Port battles two brush fires a mile apart

(17) Wildfire crews contain Lower Nicola fire

(18) Crowthorne Forest trees planted after wildfires

(19) Amphibious Aircraft Puts Out Fire outside Moscow

(20) NASA MODIS Image of the Day: April 26, 2012 - Fires in central Russia

(21) Forest fire raging in SW China

(22) More than 220 forest fires spread across Nepal

(23) Black Saturday arsonist to be sentenced

(24) Fire victims closer to compensation

(25) Mount Archer controlled burning begins

(26) Wildfire Detection in the 21st Century: Part 1