WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 022012

Under pressure from Southern California lawmakers, the US Forest Service chief has nearly completed a study of nighttime firefighting practices (1); while Mesquite, Arizona, will be expanding the single-engine air-tanker base at the local airport (2). The Forest Aviation Officer for New Mexico's Gila and Lincoln National Forests discussed aerial safety over wildland fires at a presentation Saturday (3); but the lack of grass growth due to a two-year drought in that state has Southwest Coordination Center meteorologists predicting no major wildfires for the foreseeable future (4). The impact of wildfires on Denver, Colorado's, water supply is examined by the next article (5); and to practically no one's surprise, researchers with US Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station have determined that beetle-killed pine trees burn three times faster than live trees (6). Lawmakers in Utah hoped a new law which imposes stiff penalties on people who start wildfires will inject some common sense into people igniting fires (7). The next story takes a look at how volunteer fire departments in Texas are doing one year after wildfires torched millions of acres (8); where volunteers collecting furniture for wildfire survivors in Bastrop County are in need of some assistance themselves (9). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Snyder, President of Neptune Aviation in Montana, applauded the US Forest Service plan to overhaul the heavy air-tanker fleet, which could introduce new aircraft such as the BAE 146 and MD-85 into the inventory of air-tanker contractors (10); while New Jersey Forest Fire Service firefighters extinguished a small wildfire on the outskirts of Millville (11). The wildfire risk posed by 161,208 acres of hurricane-felled trees in Georgia is the topic of the next article (12); followed by one about how firefighters in Avalon Park, Florida, contained a 15-acre wildfire that briefly threatened homes Sunday night (13). An 80-acre wildfire on Hawaii's Big Island threatened homes in Paniolo Estates over the weekend (14); while a senior research scientist with Natural Resources Canada alerted the attendees at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference to the fact that wildfires were becoming unmanageable with current firefighting means and practices (15). A 4-acre wildfire was reported in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, UK, on Sunday (16); and a wildfire that scorched 33 acres in Southwest China's Yunnan Province has finally been extinguished (17). The human factor in sparking wildfires in India's Kerala state is examined by the next article (18); while residents of Chiang Mai, Thailand, are beset by wildfire smoke which is making for hazy conditions and respiratory problems (19). In Australia, Gippsland Arson Prevention Program is keeping an eye out for bushfire arsonists in Victoria (20); even as Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation reported that a 26,000-hectare bushfire near Northcliffe is contained but not yet under control (21). And finally, a nonprofit in Westchester County, New York, plans to scale new heights by reconstructing a 60-foot fire lookout tower!

(1) Forest Service still undecided on nighttime firefighting

(2) NCS, BLM Land Acquisition on Tech Review Agenda

(3) Forest Service presents "Aerial Safety Over Wildland Fires"

(4) State officials not expecting major wildfires

(5) Communities help pay for ecosystem services provided by forests

(6) Study: Beetle-killed pines burn 3 times faster than live trees

(7) New law will bill people for the fires they cause

(8) A year later, have volunteer fire departments bounced back?

(9) Wildfire Victims Still Need Help

(10) Neptune Aviation applauds Forest Service call for new firefighting fleet

(11) Millville Fire Calls

(12) Forestry officials warn of wildfire risk

(13) Brush fire forces evacuations in Avalon Park

(14) Wildfire burns 80 acres in Waikoloa

(15) Forest fires expected to gain in intensity

(16) Ashdown Forest fire prompts warning from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

(17) Forest fire put out in SW China

(18) On the guard against wildfires

(19) Forest fire worsens haze, residents' health in blanketed North

(20) 'Be your community's eyes and ears'

(21) Northcliffe bushfire 'contained but not under control'

(22) Group wants new fire tower on hilltop of Westchester's wildest nature preserve