WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 020312

A man has been arrested in connection with a 600-acre wildfire that was set in Wister Wildlife Area in Imperial County, California (1); but the federal government will be pumping $16 million into forest projects in fire-prone Amador and Calaveras Counties, California (2). A 100-acre wildfire has been reported in Arizona's Coronado National Forest (3). FEMA has announced that 30 additional Texas counties impacted by wildfires in 2011 can apply for federal funds (4); where homeowners in Randall County will be getting some assistance from firefighters evaluating the wildland fire danger to their homes (5); and US Forest Service firefighters are conducting controlled burns in Sam Houston National Forest (6). Fire officials in Calhoun County, Alabama, fear an arsonist may be setting forest fires (7); while South Carolina Forestry Commission announced controlled burns for Georgetown County (8). The continual danger to motorists driving through Florida's Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park during wildfires is examined by the next article (9); followed by a warning from Florida Forest Service that temperatures in the 70s could produce wildfires over the weekend (10). Researchers are concerned that even without forest fires, the northern forests of western Canada are putting more carbon into the atmosphere than they are absorbing (11); while Parks Canada is conducting controlled burns in Prince Edward Island National Park (12). Some in Israel's firefighting community are opposed to a move to create a national firefighting force, the direct result of the poor response to the deadly wildfires that blazed across Carmel Forest near Haifa in 2010 (13); while wildfires destroyed 10 acres of timber in Kenya's Cherangani Hills (14). As the third anniversary of Black Saturday approaches in Victoria, Australia, memorial services will be held in the towns of Kinglake, St Andrews, Calignee, Healesville and Marysville (15); while the slow recovery of people traumatized by the blazes is examined by the next article (16); nevertheless, the chief executive of Moorabool was honored with a National Emergency Medal for his work rebuilding homes in the region that were destroyed by the bushfires (17). People who survived the bushfires in Margaret River, Western Australia, were informed that a new report on the November blazes will not be out for some time (18); while volunteer firefighters discussed the emotional impact of the Perth Hills bushfires that blazed through Kelmscott and Roleystone in 2011 (19). And finally, our last article chronicles the bizarre battle between Southern California Edison and US Forest Service's San Dimas Technology Development Center over a high-tech solar array!

(1) RAMONA: Man arrested in wildfire

(2) Forest industries of Amador, Calaveras getting $16 million boost

(3) "Bruno" wildfire burning in Chiricahua Mountains

(4) FEMA: 30 More Wildfire-Affected Counties Can Apply For FEMA Public Assistance

(5) Firefighters to aid rural residents in preparedness

(6) Where there’s smoke, there may be a controlled burn

(7) Forest fires in Calhoun County believed to be arson

(8) Prescribed burns can cause heavy smoke

(9) 'Mother Nature doesn't care about interstate highways'

(10) Sunny weekend good for fun, bad for fire safety

(11) Northern Forests May Be Losing The Ability to Trap Carbon

(12) Fire breaks cleared at P.E.I. National Park

(13) Firefighters oppose gov't reform

(14) Kitale state forests destroyed by fires

(15) Bushfire towns plan memorial services

(16) Bushfire scars slow to fade

(17) Moorabool CEO honoured for bushfire recovery work

(18) Keelty fire report months away

(19) Tearful memories of bushfire nightmare

(20) Sun Stroke: SoCal Edison and the Battle Over Solar Power