WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010212

In another complication for fighting wildfires in California, a federal judge has mandated that four federal agencies must take greater care in regards to endangered species impacted by their firefighting efforts (1); while a wildfire scorched 35 to 40 acres on the outskirts of Carson City, Nevada, over the weekend (2); and officials from Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests will meet with property owners to discuss a thinning project on January 4th (3). The fire danger which exists across the southern United States is examined by the next article (4); with firefighters in Berryhill, Oklahoma, having a tough fight on their hands getting at a wildfire burning in rough terrain (5). Residents of 48 additional Texas counties will be able to sign up for federal funds to help replace fences destroyed by wildfires in 2011 (6); but despite the damage done by wildfires to Martin Creek Lake State Park in 2011, East Texans are adapting (7). The National Weather Service ranked wildfire danger in Alabama to be "high", this after 58 wildfires have blazed through the state in the past month (8). As 2012 begins, Canadians look back at the devastating wildfire which scorched neighborhoods in Slave Lake, Alberta (9); even as a trio of wildfires scorched 23,000 hectares in the South American nation of Chile, destroying over 100 homes and a wood pulp factory, killing one elderly man who refused to evacuate (10). More details on Turkey's wildfire campaign against Greece in the 1990s is provided by the next article (11). Heading Down Under, a man has been charged with setting 17 bushfires in Melbourne, Victoria's, Dandenong Ranges in 2011 (12); where police remained on the lookout for bushfire arsonists as part of Operation Firesetter (13); while Country Fire Authority called in air support to help battle a small grass fire on the outskirts of Geelong (14). A flare lit to celebrate New Year's apparently sparked a 40-hectare bushfire near Robe, South Australia, as temperatures soared to the highest seen in over a century (15); and fearing that power lines could spark bushfires, utility companies in South Australia cut power in some regions as temperatures soared (16); followed by an update on bushfire activity in Northern Territory (17). Western Australia's Emergency Services Minister has been called upon to intervene in a case regarding an ex-gratia payment to a bushfire volunteer (18); while Fire and Emergency Services Authority brought a bushfire burning north of Perth under control (19); but elsewhere in the state some blazes continue to burn out of control, as the next two articles show (20)(21). And finally, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is on the lookout for a convict firefighter who hijacked a fire engine!

(1) Protective Efforts Still Needed for CA Forest Plan

(2) Crews battle wildfire in Carson City

(3) Forest Service to host Wallow Fire recovery meeting Jan. 4

(4) Wildfires a concern from New Mexico to S.C.

(5) Firefighters in Berryhill contain grass fire near Chandler Park; fire in rough terrain

(6) USDA opens Wildfire Assistance sign-up to 48 additional counties despite program funding backlog

(7) East Texans kick off 2012 with nature walk

(8) Weather Service: Risk of wildfires high in Alabama

(9) Wildfire turned Slave Lake neighbourhoods into infernos

(10) Chile battles 3 huge forest fires; 1 killed

(11) Greek, Turkish agents met in wake of forest fires

(12) Melbourne man starts bushfires

(13) Ballarat police hunt for arsonists

(14) Air support needed to attack grass fire

(15) New Year's flare blamed for bushfire

(16) Power cut as bushfire risk soars

(17) Flood threat remains as bushfire contained

(18) MLA on Pam’s case

(19) Bushfire near Two Rocks under control

(20) Yalgoo community and Kalgoorlie residents on alert as fires rage

(21) Heat spurs bushfire risk

(22) Inmate uses firefighting job to escape