WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 110712

Fire crews have completely contained a 350-acre wildfire that blazed through Southern California's Cajon Pass (1); and Wildfire NOTD subscriber Andrew Madsen, Public Affairs Officer for the Los Padres National Forest, reported a small wildfire outside of the Santa Barbara County community of Montecito yesterday (2); while fire crews in Kern County have a number of Hazardous Fuels Reduction projects scheduled (3); but a brushfire outside of Prunedale forced evacuations of homes and a school (4); the next article providing an update on prescribed burn operations in the Lake Tahoe region (5). US Forest Service investigators believe that Oregon's 26,000-acre Pole Creek Fire was probably sparked by lightning (6); and following the destruction of 100,000 acres in Washington state's Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, the next article argues for salvage logging to reduce the fire danger (7). The impact of controlled burns on population around New Mexico's Gila National Forest is the focus of the following article (8). National Weather Service is forecasting precipitation starting Thursday across parts of Colorado still plagued by wildfires (9); which should help firefighters extinguish a two-acre blaze that cropped up yesterday in the Roosevelt National Forest (10). Two small wildfires were reported in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains as well (11). A new study in Victoria, Australia's, Black Saturday bushfire burn areas uses radionuclides to evaluate soil erosion as severe storms sweep through the area (12); and another published in the International Journal of Climatology points to an increase in the Forest Fire Danger Index near Melbourne since the 1970s (13). Department of Environment and Conservation officials are concerned that Western Australian land not managed by the DEC may pose a severe bushfire threat to the Margaret River region (14); meanwhile, a firefighter who was severely burned in an Albany bushfire has finally been released from the hospital (15); a Western Australian cop earning an award for his actions during last year's Margaret River bushfires (16). And finally, 150 biology students are learning the meaning of "only you can prevent forest fires" first hand in Colorado!

(1) San Bernardino County wildfire contained

(2) Small fire contained near Montecito

(3) Forest Service to begin prescribed burning projects

(4) Update: Shed, 4 Boats, 3 Cars Destroyed in Prunedale Brush Fire

(5) Prescribed fire operations continue

(6) Lightning likely started Pole Creek fire

(7) Management could reduce chance of catastrophic fires

(8) Recent prescribed fire in Grant County area raises interest

(9) Rain, snow could help to battle wildfires

(10) Ground, air crews fighting fire in Roosevelt National Forest Tuesday

(11) Forest: Humans caused 2 small wildfires burning in northern Bighorns

(12) Forest soil erosion in the wake of major bushfires

(13) Bushfire conditions worsen near Melbourne

(14) Margaret River residents need to prepare for bushfire threat

(15) Injured firefighter released from hospital

(16) WA cop wins top award for a second time

(17) RHS biology students take field trip to Mamm Creek