WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 031212

An Op-Ed piece from Southern California's San Bernardino Press Enterprise laments the current sorry state of the US heavy air-tanker fleet (1); but Wildfire NOTD subscriber Walt Darran, Safety Committee Chairman for the Associated Aerial Firefighters, offers an insightful article he wrote for the International Association of Wildland Fire discussing the future of the US air-tanker fleet (2); while the next article takes a look at how plants bounced back from wildfires along California's Central Coast (3); however, rural Californians are once again up in arms about Gov. Brown's proposed $150 fire protection fee (4). The fire danger in some of Santa Fe, New Mexico's, suburbs is summarized in the following article (5). The slow recovery efforts in Bastrop County, Texas, is chronicled by the next article (6); where, having been overwhelmed by wildfires last September, Austin is determined to have all their firefighters cross-trained in wildland firefighting techniques (7). Firefighters in southwestern Montana grappled with a 104-acre wildfire burning in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness (8); while fire crews set controlled burns over the weekend in Michigan's Orion Oaks County Park (9). A number of wildfires were reported in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, over the weekend (10); and a 10-acre blaze was reported in Deer Grove Forest Preserve as well (11). A wildfire along the shores of Lake Michigan forced residents of Ogden Dunes, Indiana, to evacuate over the weekend (12); while a 30-acre wildfire in Pennsylvania's Horseshoe Curve National Historic Site underscored the fact that this winter's lack of snow could lead to worsening wildfires (13). A photo montage of nearly 3 dozen images tells the tale of wildfires outside of Boston, Massachusetts (14); and wildfire scorched several acres in Montgomery County, Maryland, over the weekend as well (15). A wildfire in Scott County, Virginia, blazed across several acres Saturday night (16); even as $117,000 in grants were received to help rehydrate peat blogs which have burned for months in the Great Dismal Swamp (17). Firefighters in Flagler County, Florida, are using a new portable dip-tank system to enhance aerial firefighting (18); while the impact of wildfires in Brazil's Amazon rainforest was examined by a recent study (19). The efforts of firefighters aided by rainfall is beginning to turn the tide on wildfires raging in Phayao, Thailand's, Muang District (20). Fire managers in the Indian state of Karnataka fear that religious ceremonies in which thousands of candles are lit will also light tinder-dry forests (21); while the impact of recent wildfires on Project Tiger, an effort to preserve that country's dwindling tiger population, is examined by the next article (22). In Australia, firefighters planned to conduct controlled burns in Yarrambat, Victoria's, Plenty Gorge Park (23). The danger from a 170-acre bushfire burning near Nannup, Western Australia, has been downgraded (24); and another by John Forrest National Park has also been contained (25); but one burning near Donnybrook is threatening homes (26); while air-tankers swung into action on Sunday when a pair of suspicious blazes were reported near Collie (27). And finally, Britain's Environment Agency warned that people filling kiddie swimming pools will be fined due to the wildfire danger in that normally rain-soaked European nation!

(1) NATION: Fire-plane failure

(2) AVIATION: Air Tankers — Where Do We Go From Here?

(3) Life After Wildfire: Studying How Plants Bounce Back

(4) Rural California homeowners blast protection fee

(5) Wildfires pose threat in northeast subdivision

(6) Recovery from Bastrop fires faces many obstacles

(7) Firefighters Across Texas Getting Certified For Wildfires

(8) Crews make progress fighting Bear Trap fire in SW Montana

(9) Wildfire crews set fires at Orion Oaks County Park

(10) Brush Fires Burn in Chicago Suburbs Over the Weekend

(11) Brush Fire Burns 10 Acres in Deer Grove Forest Preserve

(12) UPDATE: Forest, brush fire displaces residents in Ogden Dunes

(13) Brush fire burns 30 acres near Horseshoe Curve

(14) 35 Epic Photos of the Fire in the Fens

(15) Montgomery County firefighters battle brush fire in Gaithersburg

(16) Wildfire burns several acres in Scott County

(17) Efforts begin to put water back into Great Dismal Swamp peat bogs

(18) Bunnell firefighters ready for wildfire season

(19) Birds' diverse traits survive Amazon fires

(20) Wildfire Suppression Barriers Built in Phayao Province to Ease Smog Situation

(21) Forest Department fear more fire mishaps

(22) After forest fires, it’s a tiger-eat-tiger world out there

(23) Burn-offs planned for parks in Eltham and Yarrambat

(24) Bushfire north of Nannup downgraded to Watch and Act

(25) Fire near John Forrest National Park contained

(26) Bushfire threatens homes near Donnybrook

(27) Two suspicious bushfires

(28) Households to be fined for filling paddling pools as Environment Agency warns of forest fires