WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 052512

US Forest Service has reopened 41,000 acres of Southern California's Angeles National Forest which was ravaged by the Station Fire in 2009 (1); while a 2,500-acre wildfire burning near Julian in San Diego County has forced the evacuation of 100 homes (2); but California's governor is seeking a cap to wildfire liabilities which some officials fear could have an impact on the case against Sierra Pacific Industries for its part in the 2007 Moonlight Fire, which burned 65,000 acres in Plumas and Lassen counties (3); earning the scorn of a US Attorney who labeled it a “fairly cynical attempt” to benefit the powerful timber industry (4); and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company offers some tips for homeowners in the next item (5). Favorable winds helped firefighters battling wildfires in five states in the Southwest (6); but residents from a trio of communities threatened by Arizona's 16,240-acre Gladiator Fire will finally be able to go home (7); a New York Times article taking a closer look at life in a wildfire base camp (8). Twelve cabins and seven outbuildings have been destroyed by a wildfire that spans 110 mi.² in southwestern New Mexico (9); but firefighters were able to save some homes (10); even as residents of Albuquerque were choking on the smoke (11); and a new five-acre wildfire was reported in the Cibola National Forest (12). A 420-acre wildfire is burning northwest of Pagosa, Colorado (13); and fire officials reported a 600-acre wildfire in Denton County, Texas, that destroyed several structures (14). A wildfire blazed across 17,000 acres in Luce County, Michigan (15); one of a trio which are burning in the Upper Peninsula (16); evacuees being directed to shelters set up by the Red Cross (17). New York's Department of Environmental Conservation stated that there had been a 60% reduction in wildfires in that state this year (18); while a 980-acre wildfire in Polk County, Florida, has been contained (19). One of the 45 wildfires currently burning in Ontario, Canada, prompted a state of emergency declaration in Timmins (20); and a wildfire was reported on a military base at Goose Bay, Labrador (21). Nearly 600 firefighters, assisted by 11 air-tankers, have corralled 22 wildfires that have burned 1,150 hectares in Russia's Far East (22); that article followed by an Op-Ed piece from Uttarakhand, India, which decries the Forest Department's apparent inability to deal with wildfires in that state (23). Western Australia's Emergency Services Ministry has budgeted $40 million to help implement recommendations to improve bushfire safety as part of its response to a report on last year's Margaret River bushfires (24). And finally, we have the profile of a Country Fire Service volunteer from South Australia who, at 78 years of age, is a 30 year veteran!

(1) Huge swath of Angeles National Forest reopens today

(2) Firefighters work to corral Calif. wildfire

(3) Gov. Jerry Brown seeks to cap wildfire liabilities in California

(4) U.S. attorney blasts wildfire proposal

(5) Summer Wildfire Season Forces Homeowners to Think Defensively

(6) Sea Breezes Aid Fight to Curb Southwest Wildfires

(7) Gladiator Fire: Area residents finally get to go home

(8) At a Wildfire Base Camp, Logistics and Pop-Tarts

(9) Wildfire Destroys 12 Homes in Southwestern NM

(10) Firefighters save some homes from New Mexico wildfire

(11) 'Stinky' wildfire smoke invades Albuquerque

(12) Forest Fire Near Manzano

(13) Fire northwest of Pagosa grows to 420 acres

(14) Texas Grass Fire Destroys Buildings, Burns 600 Acres

(15) Fast-moving wildfire in Mich. burns 17,000 acres

(16) 3 fires burn more than 10,000 acres in Upper Peninsula

(17) Wildfire forces evacuations

(18) DEC: NY sees reduction in wildfires

(19) 980-acre brush fire contained

(20) Timmins, Ontario forest fire leads to state of emergency

(21) Fire on Labrador military base

(22) Over 20 Forest Fires Put Out in Russia’s Far East

(23) Forest Dept's inability to protect passengers exposed

(24) $40m for fire review recommendations

(25) Gully's CFS hero