WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 021612

We lead off Wildfire News Of The Day with the attached letter forwarded by Walt Darran, Safety Committee Chairman for the Associated Aerial Firefighters, from several members of the US Senate urging the Secretary of Agriculture to have the US Forest Service more seriously consider Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs) in the initial attack role due to declining numbers of large air-tankers in the US. Fire officials in Trinity County, California, are looking at ways to remove biomass from forests primed for major conflagrations (1); and the importance of controlled burns in Larimer County, Colorado, is examined by the next article (2). The Midland Texas Forest Service Task Force is ramping up personnel in anticipation of a busy, early fire season (3); while the Amarillo Globe-News is asking for wildfire survivors to send in their stories as the one-year anniversary of a major wildfire that burned through the region approaches (4). After 50 wildfires burned 1,500 acres across the state since the first of the year, Kentucky Division of Forestry officials remarked on the unusually busy year so far even before the official start of fire season (5); and the US Forest Service has determined that a 73-acre wildfire which burned in North Carolina's Uwharrie National Forest was probably sparked by an abandoned campfire (6). Firefighters in Volusia County, Florida, contained a three-acre wildfire yesterday (7); while a 20-acre wildfire destroyed two mobile homes in Hillsborough County (8). A new study from Canada shows a correlation between a massive wildfire which burned in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley in 2003 and elevated respiratory problems among residents of that area (9); but the Cuban Ministry of Interior Forest Ranger Corps remarked on the reduced incidence of wildfires in the Guantánamo region in the next article (10). Thousands of soldiers and firefighters are battling a 33-hectare wind-driven wildfire blazing through southwest China's Yunnan Province (11). Proponents of Australia's koala bears are chafing at delays in listing them as an endangered species despite massive losses in bushfires, among other things (12); where researchers doing a detailed study of the Black Saturday blazes have determined that the "stay or go" bushfire policy must be transformed before the next major bushfire or tragedy will strike again (13); but as the end of summer approaches, Country Fire Authority reminded Victorians to remain vigilant for bushfires (14); even as they called in airstrikes on a bushfire burning near Kooroocheang (15). New South Wales Rural Fire Service is easing restrictions in some parts of that state as the end of the official bushfire season arrives (16). And finally, firefighters in Pennsylvania decided to forgo the SCBA and inhale the aroma at a sausage fire!

(1) Biomass removal targeted at summit; risk of bigger wildfires would be reduced

(2) Fire now, safety year-round at Carter Lake, Horsetooth Mountain Park and the Canyon Lakes Ranger District

(3) Midland Texas Forest Service Needs Firefighters Quick

(4) Anniversary of Amarillo-area wildfires approaches

(5) Spring wildfire season begins

(6) Abandoned Campfire Likely Cause Of Uwharrie Wildfire

(7) Wildfire west of Interstate 4 near Lake Helen is contained

(8) Controlled burn rages, destroys 2 Riverview mobile homes

(9) Jump in respiratory issues linked to 2003 B.C. forest fires

(10) Guantanamo: forest fires decreases

(11) Forest fire rages in SW China

(12) Australia delays decision on koala listing

(13) Fatal flaws in 'stay or go' bushfire strategy

(14) CFA warns residents to remain alert

(15) Crews deployed for Kooroocheang bushfire

(16) Bush fire season officially over

(17) Firefighters breathe deeply at Polish-sausage blaze