WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 033012

Southern California Congressman Adam Schiff criticized the US Forest Service over delays in deciding whether to fight wildfires at night or not (1); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Andrew Madsen, Public Affairs Officer for Los Padres National Forest, sent along an article about the threat of a lawsuit against US Forest Service by Los Padres ForestWatch over a 40-mile-long firebreak in Santa Barbara County (2); and the Federal Aviation Administration bestowed its prestigious Diamond Award on DynCorp International in regards to its work maintaining CAL FIRE's fleet of S-2T air-tankers (3); even as Northern California-based software company FireWhat Inc. announced the pending release of "Wildfire Home" and "Wildfire Info" for use by people living in fire-prone areas (4). Firefighters in Colorado have brought containment on the 4,100-acre Lower North Fork Fire to 45% (5); but struggled to rope it in before temperatures and wind velocity increase over the weekend (6); and although some evacuees are being allowed to visit their homes to assess damage, many are not being allowed to stay for now (7); the following article looking at the potential political fallout from the blaze for state leaders (8); and public safety officials are puzzled as to why 12% of the targeted phones did not receive the evacuation warning (9); but after a pair of small wildfires in Boulder County's Lefthand Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle area, US Forest Service has decided to close the area indefinitely (10); while a 10-acre wildfire was reported in Teller County (11). Forest owners in 16 Texas counties are eligible to participate in an Emergency Forest Restoration Program (12); the next article taking a look back at the Wildfire Preparedness Seminar in Bandera County last week (13). The Apple Fire, which has burned 546 acres in South Dakota's Black Hills, is only 15% contained (14); where two Neptune Aviation P-2Vs and a pair of South Dakota National Guard Black Hawk helicopters worked the fire (15). Dozens of students enrolled in University of Minnesota Crookston's Natural Resource Management Program learned valuable skills for wildland firefighting (16); while Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is bracing for an active wildfire season due to tall grass in the northwestern part of the state (17); even as the Chippewa Fire District warned of the wildfire danger after a grass fire burned in the area (18). A one-acre wildfire near Lehigh Township, Pennsylvania, required the attention of a helicopter with a Bambi bucket (19); and New Jersey Forest Fire Service is conducting controlled burns in Monmouth County today (20). A tree falling across power lines may have sparked a wildfire in Smyth County, Virginia (21); while an 18-acre wildfire on Pine Island, Florida, was sparked by a man using a cutting torch (22). The Himalayan nation of Nepal, which has seen 450 wildfires since the end of February, reported 86 active blazes across the country (23). Powercor Australia Limited will pay out millions of dollars to people in Coleraine, Victoria, who suffered losses during a bushfire started by PowerCor's equipment (24); but a dispute over pay raises has impacted controlled burns by Parks Victoria (25). South West Catchments Council is offering a new coastal planting guide to Western Australians impacted by bushfires (26); while a 12-hectare bushfire was quickly corralled by firefighters in Bold Park yesterday (27). And finally, a new study from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago shows that even the top predators in the age of dinosaurs had something to worry about: wildfires!

(1) Schiff Criticizes Forest Service for Delaying Night Flight Decision

(2) Fuel Break Squabble

(3) DynCorp International Earns Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Diamond Award for Excellence

(4) FireWhat Inc. will be releasing two new iOS Apps next week for those living in fire prone communities

(5) Colorado Crews Contain 45 Percent Of Deadly Fire That Claimed 4,100 Acres

(6) Crews Rush To Contain Fire Before Warm Weekend

(7) Colorado wildfire: Residents still displaced by Lower North Fork Fire to get short visits today

(8) Political Lessons From Lower North Fork Fire

(9) Colorado wildfire: Some didn't get automated emergency calls

(10) Forest Service to close Lefthand Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle area due to fire danger

(11) New wildfire breaks out in Hayman burn area

(12) Reforestation Assistance Available for Wildfire-Damaged Lands

(13) Wildfire seminar: if you weren't there, you won't be prepared!

(14) Black Hills forest fire burns 546 acres; no injuries

(15) Air tankers deliver help from on high

(16) Wildland firefighter training at UMC provides valuable opportunity for students

(17) Wisconsin prepares for bad wildfire season

(18) Firefighters remind people to be careful burning after large grass fire

(19) Helicopter's water buckets help fight Blue Mountain forest fire

(20) NJ Forest Fire Service to conduct controlled burn

(21) Forest Fire Rages In Smyth County

(22) Brush fire scorches 18 acres on Pine Island

(23) Nepal sees 86 forest fires in 24 hours

(24) Coleraine bushfire victims win compo bid

(25) Vic parks action risks lives: Ryan

(26) Help to care for our coastline

(27) Bold Park fire under control and Rochdale Road opened

(28) When Dinosaurs Roamed, Wildfire Was a Foe