WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 092212

Evacuees have been allowed to return home after CAL FIRE brought a 15-acre wildfire outside of Julian in San Diego County, California, to 50% containment (1); but in Ventura County, 82,000 homes are considered to be at risk from wildfires (2); while an Op-Ed piece from Ukiah thanks firefighters for their heroic actions in battling the Mendocino National Forest wildfires (3); and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District reported a small wildfire that burned between 1 1/2 and 2 acres along the shores of Lake Tahoe (4); but a 230-acre wildfire north of Redding which forced evacuations is now 30% contained (5). Fire officials believe it will take fall rains to extinguish Oregon's 25,500-acre Pole Creek Fire, which is 50% contained at the moment (6); but in the meantime, folks in Sisters donated homemade cookies and brand-new socks to firefighters in appreciation for their service to the community (7). An 85-acre wildfire in Washington State's Gifford Pinchot National Forest continued to grow (8); while health officials have distributed 20,000 respirator masks for use in communities hard hit by wildfire smoke (9); a fire camp outside of Ellensburg being explored by the next article (10). NASA's Aqua satellite provides a striking photo of wildfire smoke from the Pacific Northwest reaching as far as the Atlantic Seaboard (11); while air-tankers assisted firefighters on the ground in battling a 2,000+ acre wildfire in Nevada's Pine Nut Mountains (12). As Boise County, Idaho's, 400-acre Karney Fire reaches 80% containment, the contribution of volunteer firefighters in the battle is chronicled by the next article (13); but even though fall has officially begun, firefighters in Idaho and Montana continue to battle massive wildfires (14); a 3,333-acre wildfire burning on Montana's Condon Mountain finally reaching 40% containment (15); fifty homes being evacuated near Roundup, another 50 being put on pre-evacuation notices (16). A pair of Notre Dame film students plan to make a production about wildfire recovery in Oklahoma (17); while the next article provides a summary of wildfire activity in North Dakota, where 6,000 acres have gone up in smoke (18). The Director of the Nebraska Forest Service weighs in on the need to immediately address reforestation of parts of that state scorched by wildfires this summer (19). Canadian firefighters continued to extinguish hot spots around Winnipeg, Manitoba's, Assiniboine Forest (20); while the Caribbean island of Jamaica is setting up a Forest Fire Management Programme to reduce the amount of wildfire activity in its forests (21). Wildfires have scorched 43,500 acres in Ecuador, killing five and injuring 73, prompting Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia to mount an airlift to bring in assistance (22); and thousands of almond and olive trees were damaged by a wildfire in northern Lebanon (23). With temperatures over 40° C and humidity below 10%, Queensland, Australia, is bracing for bushfires in the central northwest (24). And finally, we conclude today with another example that criminals should beware the long arm of the... fire service!

(1) East County Wildfire Expected to be Contained Saturday

(2) Wildfire risk is high for many Ventura County homes

(3) In our opinion - Firefighters deserve our thanks

(4) Wildfire burns in Round Hill

(5) Shasta County wildfire evacuations lifted

(6) Crews hoping for rain to deal with wildfires, may get lightning this weekend instead

(7) Community thanks crews battling Oregon wildfire

(8) Wildland Fire Continues to Grow South of Packwood

(9) Wildfire smoke worsens; state health provides thousands of respirators

(10) Fire camp a place to rest, recharge

(11) Image: Northwest Wildfire Smoke Reaches Atlantic

(12) Nevada wildfire grows to 3 square miles

(13) Volunteer firefighters give their time to fight Karney Fire

(14) Firefighters begin leaving Sawtooth fire camp

(15) Condon Mountain fire grows by 1,000 acres in 24 hours

(16) Wildfire threatens 100 homes near Roundup

(17) Documentary to feature wildfire recovery

(18) Wildfire blazes 6,000 acres

(19) Restoration of Nebraska’s pine forests requires immediate action

(20) Three fire crews still extinguishing hot spots in Assiniboine Forest blaze

(21) Jamaica to get forest fire management plan

(22) Fires burn more than 43,500 acres in Ecuador, leave 5 dead

(23) Forest fire in Akkar, north Lebanon

(24) High danger of bushfire as state heats up in central northwest

(25) Firefighter thwarts bank robbery, knocks out killer