WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 113012

The Journal of Environmental Management has published a new article from Wildfire NOTD subscriber Jon Keeley, a Research Ecologist with USGS Western Ecological Research Center, that discusses the impact of prescribed burns on wildfires in Central and Southern California (1); while wildfires will be on the agenda at NASA's American Geophysical Union, which takes place in San Francisco next week (2). The following article profiles Oregon's Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, which are credited with helping reduce the damage from massive wildfires this past fire season (3). A 300-acre wildfire west of Reno, Nevada, has been contained (4); even as the Bureau of Land Management begins accepting applications for wildland firefighters for the 2013 fire season (5). Lightning is being blamed for a 120-acre blaze in Arkansas's Ouachita National Forest (6); property owners across the southwestern portion of the state being warned that the wildfire danger will be elevated this weekend (7). A Penn State study looks at the impact wildfires have on the global carbon cycle (8). A seven-acre wildfire in Buncombe County, North Carolina, was apparently sparked by construction workers (9); but portions of the Appalachian Trail closed by a wildfire near Dawson, Georgia, have reopened (10). A wind-driven wildfire sparked by an auto accident north of Palmer, Alaska, scorched 150 acres before being brought under control (11); while the International Association of Wildland Fire sent along an invitation to their upcoming wildfire conference, scheduled to take place in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, next April (12). Portugal's 2012 fire season cost €74,257,786, a 10.3% increase over 2011 (13). A 120-hectare bushfire was sparked by a fatal traffic crash outside of Yarrawonga, Victoria, Australia, yesterday (14); where delays in a Victorian Supreme Court Black Saturday class-action suit are being blamed on construction problems associated with a new courtroom (15). Fire crews continued to monitor a large bushfire burning near Glen Echo, Queensland (16); and as part of Operation NOMAD, police in South Australia will be monitoring 222 fire setters as the bushfire season officially begins (17). An out-of-control bushfire has prompted officials to warn tourists to stay away from Bremer Bay, Western Australia (18); while several firefighters were injured fighting one of five bushfires burning in Tasmania (19). And finally, there was a happy ending to the case of a bushfire memorial which vanished from Victoria, Australia's, Toolangi State Forest!

(1) Prescribed Fires Do Not Reduce Future Area Burned in Central and Southern California

(2) Wildfires, Mars And Earth's Radiation Belts Among NASA News Highlights At American Geophysical Union Meeting

(3) Rangeland fire associations prove worth

(4) Firefighters tame Steamboat Ditch Fire in west Reno

(5) BLM accepting applications for seasonal firefighters

(6) Possible lightning-caused fire in Ouachita National Forest

(7) Wildfire danger will be higher across Southwest Arkansas during weekend

(8) Research Shows Managed Fire Benefits Forest Carbon Sequestration

(9) Wildfire burns nearly 7 acres near Parkway

(10) Appalachian Trail reopens after large wildfire

(11) Palmer wildfire flares up but firefighters get it under control

(12) Western Wildfire Conference

(13) €74 million spent on fire fighting in 2012

(14) Fatal crash sparks bushfire

(15) Vic bushfire trial delay upsets victims

(16) Firefighters keep watch on Glen Echo blaze

(17) SA Police monitoring 222 firebugs as bushfire season starts

(18) Tourists warned of Bremer Bay fire on south coast

(19) Seven firefighters hurt

(20) Black Saturday bushfire memorial found