Firebomber Publications Blog

Wildfire News Of The Day (the Firebomber Publications blog) provides comprehensive international wildfire news. Subscribers include over 10,000 personnel from fire agencies, contractors, and government entities on five continents. "BEST NEWSLETTER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY 32 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE" - San Diego Fire Department Chief Brian Fennessy.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011412

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chuck Bushey, Past-President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along an invitation to a webinar that will deal with the issue of soil water repellency, something which can a problem after a wildfire (1). Hikers in the San Gabriel Mountains, burned by Southern California's Station Fire in 2010, comment on the return of life to the moonscape-like region (2); and heightened fire danger has prompted officials to restrict open fires in the San Bernardino National Forest this weekend (3); video footage of wildfires in Southern California's Inland Empire is provided by the next article (4); while Tangent Link sent along the schedule for their upcoming aerial firefighting conference, set to kick off 1/25 in Sacramento (5); even as the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit plans to conduct controlled burns on about 10,000 acres along the southern part of that lake (6). Washington state's Department of Natural Resources has begun hiring seasonal wildland firefighters (7); but a volunteer fire chief is suing a New Mexican county over false arrest during a wildfire (8). Firefighters battled a wildfire in Bell County, Texas, that was burning on the grounds of a Girl Scout camp Friday (9); where an embattled power utility which has already paid out $6 million for wildfires begun by its equipment in 2009, and may have to pay more for fires from 2011 (10); but better wildfire education of homeowners in Austin following the blazes of summer was discussed at a public safety meeting Friday night (11); one neighborhood taking matters into their own hands by clearing excess vegetation from greenbelts (12); and Helicopter Association International sent along a reminder about their upcoming conference in Dallas in February (13). A wildfire burned around 100 acres in Montana's Sweet Grass County Friday (14); and a pilot from Nebraska looked back on a fulfilling career which included almost 800 hours of wildfire missions (15). Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources has been battling a rare winter peat fire in Polk County (16); while Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is advising property owners who have blowdown debris on their land to burn it now rather than waiting until the traditional spring burning period due to the wildfire danger (17). Escambia Fire Rescue and the Florida Division of Forestry fought a pitched battle to save thousands of dollars worth of hay from a wildfire (18); and a five-acre wildfire was reported in Santa Rosa County as well (19); but firefighters brought containment on a 115-acre wildfire burning near Daytona Beach to 75% Friday night (20). Two wildfires were reported in India: the latest in a series of blazes which may have been deliberately set on the Kadamba plateau (21); and another in Vagamon which forced the evacuation of some tourists (22). Critics took aim at Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation in regards to out-of-control prescribed burns that have scorched thousands of hectares of land in recent months (23). And finally, we have a look back at some of the horrific bushfires which have burned through Victoria, Australia, including those of 1939 which led to the founding of Country Fire Authority, currently one of the largest volunteer fire organizations in the world!

(1) EGU 2012 Session SSS5.17: Soil water repellency from nano-scale to eco-system scale: mechanisms and consequences

(2) A Hike Reveals Renewal From the Fires at Windy Gap

(3) Elevated fire danger prompts restrictions

(4) Red-flag warning in effect in SoCal; fires erupt in IE

(5) Aerial Firefighting International Airshow & Conference

(6) Massive South Shore fuels reduction project approved

(7) Seasonal Wildland Firefighters Wanted

(8) Fire chief sues county over wildfire dispute

(9) Bell County: Wildfire Breaks Out At Area Girl Scout Camp

(10) 2009 Bastrop wildfire lawsuit 'resolved'; more people join suit in 2011 blaze

(11) Occupy Austin Costs, Wildfires Discussed at Public Safety Meeting

(12) Neighborhood clears dead vegetation to reduce wildfires

(13) Heli-Expo 2012

(14) Wildfire burns in Sweet Grass County

(15) Olson has about 800 hours fighting wildland blazes

(16) Firefighters face challenging task when fighting peat fires

(17) Wisconsin DNR says to burn windstorm debris now

(18) Firefighters Battle Brush Fire, Thousands Worth Of Hay Destroyed

(19) Forest fire threatens homes in Navarre

(20) UPDATE: Daytona Beach battling brush fire

(21) Burnt forests on Kadamba plateau spark concern

(22) Fire breaks out in Vagamon

(23) DEC in the firing line

(24) Dark chapters burnt in our memories

Labels: , , , , , ,

 
www.hypersmash.com