WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101112

Fire crews in Oregon's Deschutes National Forest plan to conduct their first controlled burns of the season today (1); the next article taking a look at the busy season faced by Bureau of Land Management SEATs (2); while a photographer will be sharing his wildfire photographs in a program titled "Fire and Forests, East of the Cascades Divide" at the Richland, Washington, Public Library tonight (3). Fire officials in Nevada are lifting fire restrictions as fall weather reduces the wildfire danger (4). A 350-acre wildfire in Colorado's San Juan National Forest is proving popular among tourists traveling on a tourist train that frequents the area (5); while a 400-acre wildfire is spreading in Rocky Mountain National Park (6); the governor expounding on lessons learned from this summer's wildfires at a press conference in Frisco (7). A 650-acre wildfire briefly threatened structures at Magic Mountain Ski Resort near Twin Falls, Idaho (8). Small Business Administration loans are being made available to residents and businesses in Oklahoma hard-hit by wildfires earlier this year (9); where one lawmaker has declared war on the eastern red cedar, blaming it for runaway wildfires (10). Fire officials are lifting fire restrictions in South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest (11); while Nebraska Forest Service provides some useful tips to homeowners and ranchers on how to prevent wildfires in the next item (12). A pair of wildfires were apparently sparked by faulty wheel bearings on a trailer in Blue Earth County, Minnesota (13); but rain extinguished a 130-acre wildfire on Michigan's Heisterman Island (14). In Canada, West Kootenay and Boundary, British Columbia, opted out of wildfire protection grants which would have cost the communities $1.5 million of their own money (15). Scores of firefighters grappled with a 25-acre wildfire burning in the mountains above the Bulgarian capital of Sofia (16); and in the African nation of Tanzania, residents of Kongowe Ward complained about human activities, both agricultural and mining, which are sparking numerous bushfires (17). As a storm system sweeps across Queensland, Australia, rain and cooler temperatures are helping quench the bushfire threat (18); but with the approach of summer's bushfire season, South Australia is designating detour routes in advance of actual fires (19); while a massive cold front is increasing the bushfire danger in Western Australia (20). And finally, firefighters in Knoxville, Tennessee, may have to post a guard after their fire station was burglarized while they slept!

(1) Season's first prescribed burn west of La Pine

(2) Important work

(3) Photographer to share wildfire slideshow today

(4) BLM, Forest Service, & Nevada Division of Forestry Lifting Western Nevada Fire Restrictions on October 12

(5) Goblin Fire Estimated at 350 Acres

(6) Wildfire Grows In Rocky Mountain National Park

(7) Gov. Hickenlooper speaks in Frisco on lessons learned under fire

(8) UPDATE: South Hills Fire Reaches 650 Acres

(9) Disaster loans available to Oklahoma residents, businesses affected by wildfires

(10) Oklahoma lawmaker makes it his mission to remove tree that could fuel wildfires

(11) (S.D.)-Fire Restrictions Downgraded In Black Hills

(12) Extra caution urged on wildfires this fall

(13) Wildfire Burns Marsh Area West of Smiths Mill

(14) Wildfire burns about third of uninhabited Heisterman Island in Saginaw Bay; cause unknown

(15) Wildfire protection grants prove too costly for Greater Trail taxpayers

(16) Smoke Billows from 'Tamed' Wildfire Near Bulgarian Capital

(17) Coast villagers lament constant bushfires

(18) Rain helps ease Queensland's bushfire threat

(19) Bushfire detour routes for South Eastern Freeway and Dukes Highway too long for some motorists

(20) Wild weather sweeps Australia with snow, flash flooding and bushfire warnings

(21) Rural/Metro fire station burglarized while firefighters sleep