WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 050312

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ed Kleiman, Wildland Fire Coordinator for GelTech Solutions, commented on a blanket purchase agreement for their FireIce product by US Forest Service in a press release (1); and their product may be needed soon, since a new manifesto titled It Is of Your Freedom to Ignite a Firebomb encourages followers of terrorist organization Al Qaeda to light wildfires in the United States, as revealed in an ABC News video segment (2); but environmental groups fear that firefighters' effectiveness may be endangering the West's black-backed woodpecker (3). Although Southern California's desert community of Hesperia relies on CAL FIRE to bolster their firefighting resources during wildfire season, this year San Bernardino County firefighters will be helping to fill the gap (4); while fire officials in Santa Barbara County reminded homeowners of the fire danger this dry year presents to that region (5). US Forest Service reported a 40-acre wildfire in Arizona's Tonto National Forest (6); and a wildfire in April underscored the risk to residents of Delta County, Colorado, posed by wildfires (7). A 248-acre wildfire burning near Toquerville, Utah, is now 75% contained (8); while Texas Forest Service firefighters battling a pair of wildfires that have scorched 24,000 acres in Jeff Davis County have brought containment of one of those blazes to 60% and hope to have the other one roped in by Thursday (9); while contractors fanned out across Wyoming's Shoshone National Forest to plant 120,000 seedlings in areas denuded by a 67,000-acre wildfire four years ago (10). Firefighters in West Virginia received some training on battling wildfires at Upshur County Citizens' Fire Academy (11); even as US Forest Service completed mopping up wildfires that blazed through Virginia's George Washington and Jefferson National Forests (12). A photo spread with the next article shows a pair of brand new Manitoba, Canada, CL-415 air-tankers inside and out (13); but two college students from Ontario are in trouble after setting a grass fire in North Kawartha Township last month (14). Wildfires ravaged 70% of the Himalayan nation of Nepal's Bardiya National Park, and additional damage may have been done to Chitwan National Park and Parsa Wildlife Reserve as over 200 wildfires burned nationwide (15); and a 30-hectare wildfire burning near Da Nang, Vietnam, is threatening a nearby ammunition dump, as that Southeast Asian nation deals with unseasonably hot weather (16). Greek-Australians planted olive trees to commemorate Black Saturday bushfire victims in Flowerdale, Victoria (17); but at the Energy Networks Conference in Brisbane, Queensland, experts debated powerline safety in regards to bushfires (18). A teenager was being treated for bushfire injuries from a blaze outside of Bullsbrook, Western Australia (19). And finally, firefighters from Redlands, California, used to rendering medical aid to humans, had a bit larger patient this time: a 1,000-pound horse!

(1) GelTech Announces Approval of Blanket Purchase Agreements for FireIce by United States Forest Service

(2) Al Qaeda Magazine Calls for Firebomb Campaign in US

(3) Bird Becoming Endangered Due to Wildfire Suppression

(4) Hesperia's other firefighters

(5) Dry Year Adds Urgency to Wildfire Warnings

(6) Crews fight 40-acre wildfire outside Superior

(7) Ward Creek wildfire points to high risk

(8) Crews looking to fully contain Toquerville wild fire

(9) West Texas wildfires almost contained

(10) 120,000 seedlings to help regenerate forest after Gunbarrel fire

(11) Wildfires Pose Different Threat For Fire Departments

(12) Service: Forest fires are out, cleanup done

(13) New/better water-bombers for firefighting

(14) Firefighting students face mischief charges for fire

(15) Nepal forest fires 'cause big wildlife loss'

(16) Forest fires wreak havoc

(17) Commemoration Ceremony Held For 2009 Bushfire Victims

(18) Rethink on powerline safety is critical, says Australian expert - Directions Magazine

(19) 16yo injured in suspicious fire in Bullsbrook

(20) California Firefighters Come to Aid of Injured Horse