WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 062212

A 2-acre wildfire was reported in the Southern California community of Deer Springs Friday (1); while Santa Barbara Congressman Gallegly has introduced a bill into Congress that would require USFS to release eight MAFFS I (Mobile Airborne Fire Fighting System) units that were replaced by MAFFS II units currently used by Air Force and Air National Guard units (2). Oregon Department of Forestry announced that two retired state troopers will form an investigative team looking into the origins of arson wildfires in Bend and Klamath counties (3); and USFS Aviation Chief Tom Harbour was the keynote speaker at the Central Oregon Preparedness and Pre-Season Wildland Fire Meeting (4). Firefighters managed to bring containment of an 11,950-acre wildfire burning in Arizona's Tonto National Forest up to 25% (5); and as the tenth anniversary of the Rodeo-Chediski fire approaches, fire managers will be holding a wildfire workshop at White Mountain Wildlife & Nature Center (6). The first days of New Mexico's Little Bear Fire are summarized in a USFS report by the next article (7); but New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce spoke to Congress about the tragedy of federal fire managers letting the Little Bear Fire get out of control, destroying hundreds of structures and turning forests into moonscapes which may not regrow for 100-150 years (8); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Ware, Fire Information Officer for New Mexico State Forestry, provides details on how an illegal campfire sparked a 352-acre wildfire near Bloomfield in the next article (9); and a former Los Alamos National Laboratory researcher sounds off about how 21st century technology could improve the response to wildfires in that state (10). Firefighters hope to contain Colorado's 68,440-acre High Park Fire by July 8th (11); while the 1,145-acre Springer Fire in the Pike National Forest is up to 57% containment, with full containment expected by Sunday (12); at the same time, Colorado Sen. Mark Udall was brought up to speed on current wildfire conditions in that state, along with an update on the air-tanker situation (13); and even retirees helped battle the 2,000-acre Sand Fire (14); but some were pointing to the recovery efforts in the Hayman Fire burn area as a model to follow in rehabilitating the High Park Fire burn area (15). As a number of wildfires continue to burn across Utah, including a 744-acre wildfire burning in Utah County that was brought to 20% containment, firefighters brace for more due to a forecast of hot, windy weather this weekend (16); conditions which won't help with containment of an 800-acre wildfire that missed an explosives plant, but still forced firefighters to evacuate over 1,000 homes (17). Firefighters battling a wildfire in Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest worried about what predicted hot, dry winds would do to the fire (18); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Snyder, President of Neptune Aviation, commented on the debate over USFS using retardant that has been blamed for fish kills in the past (19). Despite recent wildfires, Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced that the Upper Peninsula's recreational facilities are open for business (20); and a New York Times article revisits the increased wildfire threat in light of the heavy air-tanker shortage (21); while U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell released an official announcement in Washington, DC, about the addition of four heavy helicopters to the firefighting fleet (22). A 22,000-acre wildfire burning in North Carolina's Croatan National Forest is now 70% contained (23); where a wildlife biologist extols the benefits of wildfire to the ecosystem (24). Although the governor vetoed a bill that would provide $15 million to South Carolina Forest Service for wildfire fighting, the House overrode the veto (25). The provincial government of Alberta, Canada, has set aside $190 million to deal with wildfires and the mountain pine beetle infestation after declaring a state of emergency (26); but the federal government has quietly ended funding for the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program which has helped municipalities across the country prepare for wildfires (27); this at a time when over three dozen wildfires are burning in Labrador, along with three others in Newfoundland (28). Indian firefighters had to once again dodge exploding land mines as they battled a wildfire in Jammu and Kashmir, along the heavily-fortified Pakistani border (29); and eleven forest fires broke out on the Indian Ocean island nation of Sri Lanka in the past week and a half (30). The tedious summer ritual of wildfire smoke from the Indonesian island of Sumatra enshrouding Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore is examined by the next article (31). And finally, a young photographer was inspired to put together photographs of the Texas wildfires of 2011 to produce a music video of the blazes!

(1) Firefighters mopping up Circle Fire near Deer Springs

(2) Gallegly Introduces Bill to Increase Firefighting AirSupport

(3) Forest arson team available for mid-valley investigations

(4) Nothing Prepares Firefighters Like Flames

(5) Arizona wildfires: Poco 25% contained

(6) Wildfire, wildlife workshops slated for this weekend

(7) Forest Service issues report on first days of Little Bear Fire

(8) New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce Presentation

(9) New Mexico Wildfire Blamed on Illegal Campfire

(10) Retired Los Alamos scientist says he has a better way to fight forest fires: Get the Air Force involved

(11) Colorado wildfire: High Park Fire expects full containment on or about July 8

(12) Full Containment On Springer Fire Expected By Sunday

(13) Udall to get briefing on Colorado wildfires

(14) Active, retired firefighters partner to contain Sand Fire

(15) Hayman Fire recovery could be blueprint for community rebounding from High Park Fire

(16) Utah firefighters brace for feared inferno conditions

(17) Fire skirts explosives plant, up to 1,400 homes being evacuated

(18) Firefighters prepare for worst on Wyoming wildfire

(19) Debate over fire retardant toxicity rages in West

(20) After Wildfire, MI Upper Peninsula Open for Business

(21) Fire Threat Up as Vintage Air Arsenal Shrinks

(22) US Forest Service adds four heavy helicopters to support wildfire suppression

(23) Update: Croatan National Forest wildfire 70 percent contained

(24) Fire Is Good For The Forest

(25) South Carolina House Overrides Veto of Insurance Tax Earmark for Wildfires

(26) Province budgets $190M to fight wildfires, beetles

(27) Feds nix forest fire, flood fund

(28) Dozens of fires burning in Labrador

(29) Forest fire engulfs LoC belt in Poonch

(30) Eleven forest fires during past 10 days

(31) Smokey Haze from Indonesian Fires Engulf Southeast Asia

(32) Devastating Texas Wildfires Inspire Young Photographer