WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 090812

Firefighters brought containment on the 4,180-acre wildfire burning in Southern California's Angeles National Forest to 78% (1); a CBS News video segment looking at the impact of fires like that one on local government budgets (2); while an update on wildfire activity in Northern California, where the Stafford Fire has grown to 2,485 acres in size, is provided by the next article (3); where the blaze in Colusa County forced the evacuation of nearly two dozen homes (4); a striking photo from the San Francisco Chronicle showing an S-2 air-tanker in mid-drop (5); even as more firefighters arrived on the firelines to help (6); but Tehama County Resource Conservation District received a $23,550 grant Thursday from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which will help with fire preparation measures (7); while an article about Napa Firewise touches on things homeowners can do to protect themselves from wildfires (8). Folks in Portland, Oregon, are choking on smoke from a wildfire across the Columbia River in Washington state (9); where hundreds of firefighters brought containment on that 1,500-acre wildfire burning in Washington state's Columbia River Gorge to 40% containment (10); a heavy air-tanker dropping on the fire being captured on film (11). A retrospective on conditions at Colorado's Trappers Lake ten years after a major wildfire scorched the area is up next (12); while an event in Denver collected 25,000 pieces of athletic equipment along with some cash to help wildfire survivors (13). As three major wildfires continued to burn in Boise National Forest, Idaho Fish and Game provided some guidelines for outdoorsmen heading into the area (14). Quick work by firefighters in San Juan, Texas, saved a home from a 1-acre grass fire (15); but a forecast of strong winds for Central Texas could cause more wildfires (16); prompting firefighters in Austin Fire Department to prepare for a busy weekend (17); while some remembered the deadly wildfires of 2011 that blazed through that region (18). Chaos reigned supreme when a wildfire on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation destroyed power lines, effectively shutting down their radio network in June (19); and as US Forest Service's Region 1 Forester settles into her new office in Missoula, Montana, she has some significant challenges ahead (20); an Op-Ed piece slamming US Forest Service on the issue of protecting watersheds in the state (21). US Forest Service declared victory over a series of wildfires burning in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (22); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Walt Darran, Safety Committee Chairman for Associated Aerial Firefighters, passed along a chilling video of testimony before New York-based American Center for Democracy discussing how terrorists could benefit from arson wildfires set across the US (23). Strong winds and heat complicated firefighting on four blazes in Portugal (24). In Australia, motorists on Queensland's Bruce Highway were hampered by smoke from two nearby bushfires (25); while a bushfire near Tanawha was blamed on a discarded cigarette (26); but firefighters have contained a bushfire near Broome, West Australia (27). And finally, we have an update on Boo Boo the bear, who was rescued from Idaho's Mustang fire by firefighters: feisty and eating like a pig!

(1) Firefighters Making Progress on Williams Fire

(2) Wildfires draining local budgets

(3) Stafford Fire nears 2,500 acres

(4) Northern California wildfires grow, 23 homes in danger

(5) Nation in Focus

(6) More firefighters arrive to help as crews struggle to contain wildfire in Colusa County

(7) Tehama County Resource Conservation district receives fire grant

(8) Napa Firewise: Developing a plan to defend against wildfire

(9) Wildfire Smoke Blows Into Portland Metro Region

(10) Evacuations lifted at White Salmon wildfire

(11) Photo of the Day

(12) Trappers Lake — 10 years after the fire

(13) Event honoring Jessica Ghawi benefits Colorado wildfire victims

(14) ID Fish and Game cautions hunters going into burn areas

(15) Texas Firefighters Save Home From Grass Fire

(16) Stong winds to bring greater wildfire risk to Central Texas

(17) AFD prepare for wildfire danger alert this weekend

(18) Family keeps alive memory of wildfire victims

(19) Radios went dead as wildfire neared homes on Northern Cheyenne Reservation

(20) Region 1's new top forester faces challenges

(21) Viewpoint: Water overlooked in forest management

(22) Fires in BWCA tamed, but some areas still closed

(23) Economic Warfare Super Panel - William Scott

(24) Fears Portugal forest fires could spread

(25) Bushfires cause delays on Highway

(26) Butt blamed for Tanawha bushfire

(27) Fire fighters control bushfire east of Broome

(28) Bear burned escaping wildfire to make full recovery