WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 060612

The Southern California mountain community of Big Bear is preparing for the inevitable wildfires of summer (1); while an 1,800-acre wildfire burning in Sequoia National Park is now 55% contained (2). Investigators at the P-2V crash sites in Nevada and Utah continue to search for clues as to the cause of the crashes (3); preliminary results indicating that the landing gear door on Tanker 55 jammed, preventing the wheel from extending (4); the crashes stretching the dwindling numbers of heavy air-tankers even more (5); even as a 6,925-acre wildfire burning on the Utah/Nevada border has been brought to 40% containment despite gusty winds (6). A lightning-sparked wildfire near Jemez Springs, New Mexico, that has grown to 400 acres in size is now 10% contained (7); while calmer winds have helped firefighters battling the 263,000-acre Whitewater Baldy Complex Fire in the Gila National Forest bring containment to 22% (8); where US Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell warned that $500 million slashed from the budget by Congress may mean that firefighting funds run out this year before the conclusion of wildfire season (9). Wildfire conditions in Colorado could make this a challenging fire season (10); where the San Juan County Commission was considering issuing an emergency declaration due to wildfire activity and ongoing drought (11); followed by the latest in a series of articles from Pagosa Springs which touches on the Little Sand Fire, which has burned 5,100 acres and is now 30% contained (12); firefighters bringing a 200-acre wildfire burning near Livermore to 45% containment (13); and a much smaller blaze along the Eagle-Garfield County line was quickly snuffed by firefighters as well (14). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Snyder, President of Montana-based Neptune Aviation, talks about the tragic crash of Tanker 11 as their fleet returned to work amid a National Transportation Safety Board investigation into that fatal crash (15); a half-hour National Public Radio segment interviewing him about the crash (16); that segment followed by an article in which a letter from Montana's Sen. Tester urged US Forest Service Chief Tidwell to replace aging air-tankers soon (17); Chief Tidwell asserting in the next article that even though the job is dangerous, air-tankers are vital to the war on wildfire (18). Several wildfires across Utah have burned a combined 7,000 acres (19); while firefighters and aircraft continued to grapple with a 1,500-acre wildfire burning in Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest (20). As firefighters in Michigan's Upper Peninsula brought containment on the Duck Lake Fire, which has destroyed 136 structures, to 76%, Tahquamenon Falls State Park has reopened (21); and in Washington DC, US Forest Service joined with the National Fire Protection Association and the Ad Council to unveil a new advertising campaign to help people in nearly 70,000 communities across the United States prepare for wildfires (22). With 420 wildfire still active in Ontario, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre feels it's going to be a challenging season ahead for firefighters in that province (23); while four dozen wildfires have scorched 3,800 ha in Russia's Siberia (24). Firefighters brought a wildfire outside of the Pacific island of Fiji's second largest city under control (25). In Australia, repairs to a bushfire-ravaged tourist railroad line near Ballarat, Victoria, have been estimated at $128,545 (26); even as firefighters are conducting backburns to try to control a bushfire near Uralla, Northern Territory (27); while firefighters struggled to keep a massive bushfire away from homes outside of Darwin River (28). And finally, South Carolina Forestry wildland firefighters are headed to the state capital to show off their shiny new toys!

(1) Wildfire season begins in Valley

(2) Sequoia wildfire 55% contained

(3) Investigator scours site of Utah tanker crash

(4) Air tanker's gear door jammed in hard Nev. landing

(5) Air Tanker Crashes Stretch US Forest Service Fleet

(6) Firefighters make progress in White Rock Fire; 40% contained

(7) Wildfire near Jemez Springs grows to 400 acres

(8) Calmer Winds, Gila Fire Now 22% Contained

(9) Federal firefighting money could go dry

(10) Wildfire outlook: Signs point to a difficult year for the West

(11) Wild land fires may bring emergency declaration

(12) Fighting the Little Sand Fire, Part Eight

(13) Firefighters work to build more containment lines around northern Colorado wildfire

(14) Firefighters scramble to snuff midvalley wildfire

(15) Neptune slurry bombers return to aerial firefighting duty

(16) Giant Tankers Battle Wildfires From The Sky

(17) MT Senator: Dire Need to Modernize Forest Service's Firefighting Tankers

(18) Forest Service chief defends air tankers, says firefighting is dangerous

(19) Wildfires keeping crews busy across southcentral Utah

(20) Air attack planned for Medicine Bow wildfire

(21) Tahquamenon Falls reopens after large forest fire

(22) U.S. Forest Service, National Fire Protection Association And Ad Council Launch National PSA Campaign Encouraging Americans To Adapt And Prepare For Wildland Fires

(23) Rough start to the forest fire season will be expensive for Ontario

(24) Forest fires in Siberia more than 3.8 thousand. HA

(25) Firefighters control Lautoka bush fire

(26) Repairs to the bushfire-ravaged tourist rail line

(27) Crews battle bushfire at Uralla

(28) Rural area fire threatens homes

(29) Forestry officials show off new wildfire equipment