WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY

Military vets received wildland fire training in a California Conservation Corps training camp in Auburn (1); even as CAL FIRE's chief reminded homeowners of their wildfire preparedness website as summer approaches (2); followed by an Op-Ed piece in which the coordinator of the Lake County Fire Safe Council speaks about their upcoming Wildfire Safety Expo (3); and officials met last week to discuss, among other things, the wildfire danger in the Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forests (4). A wildfire along the Mexican border which has burned 1,200 acres in southern Arizona is now 75% contained (5); after a valiant effort by air-tankers that dropped over 32,000 gallons on the fire (6). Wildland firefighters will be brushing up on their skills at the 12th annual Utah Wildfire Academy in Richfield (7); and over two dozen organizations met in Austin, Texas, as part of the Texas Wildfire Prevention Task Force's efforts to reduce the danger of wildfires in that state (8). In Montana, fire officials and FBI agents responded to Al Qaeda's threat to set forest fires as part of a terror campaign (9); while firefighters grappled with 39 brushfires in Florida's Volusia and Flagler Counties on Wednesday (10). A private firm that trains firefighters to battle wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, is preparing for a new fire season (11); meanwhile, there have already been 22 wildfires in Alberta's Peace River Area so far this year (12); and the County of Grande Prairie Fire Service will be conducting a workshop on how landowners can help prevent wildfires (13). Over 100 forest fires scorched 57,000 ha in Russia's Far East (14). Communities in Nkoranza, Ghana, have requested military patrols to keep armed Fulani tribesmen from setting wildfires in their area (15); while firefighters battled a 1.5 ha wildfire in Pakistan's Margalla Hills (16). Increasing temperatures have led to wildfires in the capital of India's Himachal Pradesh state (17); as well as another wildfire which scorched 9 ha in Rajaji National Park (18). Heading to Australia, Victoria's 600 emergency warning sirens will be getting new guidelines from the state government based on recommendations from the Royal Bushfire Commission (19); while Bushfires NT officials warned that very few landholders were establishing firebreaks to reduce the incidence of bushfires in the Northern Territory (20). And finally, for those of you who want a theater experience where you can smell the smoke and feel the vibration of being inside an air-tanker, a Canadian production called Wildfires! A Firefighting Adventure in 4D is for you!

(1) Military veterans learn to fight wildfires in Auburn training program

(2) Cal Fire relaunches wildfire preparedness website

(3) Juntunen: Be ready for wildfire

(4) Supervisors, forest reps seek common ground

(5) Arizona-Mexico border wildfire 75% contained

(6) UPDATE: Air tankers drop 32,031 gallons

(7) Twelfth Annual Utah Wildfire Academy

(8) Wildfire task force aims to fight fire with fire

(9) Fire Officials, FBI Reacts to Alleged Al-Qaeda Threat Against Montana Forests

(10) Storms spark more fires in Volusia, Flagler counties

(11) Forest firefighters train for summer season

(12) Peace wildfire update

(13) Wildfire prevention workshop planned

(14) More than 100 Forest Fires in Siberia

(15) Nkoranza communities call for military patrols to prevent bushfires

(16) Fire revisits Margalla Hills; vast forest area gutted

(17) Summer forest fires devour green cover

(18) Fire damages Rajaji periphery

(19) New rules for sirens

(20) Property owners ignore firebreak warnings

(21) Wildfires! gets a thumbs-up from Director’s Guild of Canada