WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 052312

American Helicopter Services & Aerial Firefighting Association issued a press release detailing how their members are helping fight wildfires across the Western US (1); while NOAA's Climate Prediction Center released an ominous forecast for wildfire risk for that region (2). In Southern California, Orange County Fire Authority's ability to fight wildfires after dark using night vision goggles is discussed in the next article (3); and air-tankers are keeping busy in the Southwest, with some that were fighting wildfires in Arizona being shifted over to a blaze in Nevada which is threatening homes (4). A 5,000-acre wildfire in Nevada destroyed nearly a score of structures, including two homes (5); polluting the air quality as far south as Las Vegas (6). Firefighters in Arizona brought containment of the 15,622-acre Gladiator Fire up to 26% (7); current fire conditions keeping residents unsettled, as an Arizona Public Radio segment reveals (8); and the air-tanker base at Prescott Municipal Airport busy (9); but following the devastating 2011 wildfire season in which 100 homes were destroyed, the Arizona State Senate has passed Senate Bill 1075, which will better prepare the state for wildfires of the future (10). As an 1,100-acre wildfire continues to burn in New Mexico's Gila National Forest, a precautionary evacuation of Willow Creek has been performed (11). A new one-acre wildfire has been reported near Hot Sulfur Springs, Colorado (12); while firefighters pounced on a one-acre wildfire in Silt Mesa Tuesday (13); but a fire ban has been put in place on Bureau of Land Management lands throughout the state due to worsening drought conditions (14); and Eagle River Fire Protection District first responders performed a wildfire drill as part of their preparation for the real thing (15). The next item takes a closer look at wildfire activity across Idaho, where more than half the wildfires are started by humans (16). A 2,000-acre wildfire near Hurricane, Utah, forced highway closures and threatened homes in the area (17); and continued hot weather, accompanied by wind, prompted National Weather Service to issue Red Flag warnings across the region (18). Residents of Erath County, Texas, feel that a new burn ban may be forthcoming after a rash of wildfires in the area (19); while continued rainfall in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has allowed fire officials to lift fire restrictions (20). A 1,500-acre wildfire is still burning in Michigan's Seney National Wildlife Refuge (21); but a serial arsonist is suspected to be behind a number of wildfires reported outside of Farmington, New Hampshire (22). In Canada, Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources provided an update on wildfire activity in that province (23); where fire crews are flooding into Northeastern Ontario to help battle blazes (24); and authorities have apprehended two youngsters in connection with a series of wildfires in Greater Sudbury (25); but residents of Manitoulin are being asked to exercise caution with outdoor fires due to the extreme wildfire danger throughout the province (26); while a wildfire briefly forced closure of the Trans Canada Highway in Deep Bight, Newfoundland, yesterday (27). Firefighters in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province have extinguished two wildfires (28); but approximately 2,000 more firefighters have been dispatched to battle a blaze in Inner Mongolia's Hanma National Nature Reserve (29). A report on regional telecommunications to the Australian government indicated that disaster alert systems in Victoria and Queensland still have not corrected some flaws that proved deadly in the past (30). As an inquiry into the Kimberly ultramarathon bushfire which severely injured runners continues in Western Australia, FESA officials have testified that they were not informed that the bushfire had burned across the course until the following morning (31); even as the Bushfire Front argued for more prescribed burns (32); but six months after Margaret River was ravaged by a bushfire started by a controlled burn, the Bushfire Recovery Working Group announced a commemorative gathering (33). A public radio segment discusses Tasmania's new bushfire threat from climate change (34). And finally, German researchers feel that black fire beetles may hold the key to a new early warning system for forest fire detection!

(1) Aerial Firefighters Deploying More Aircraft To Colorado and Arizona Wildfires

(2) Western U.S. Faces ‘Extreme’ Wildfire Risk Now and Later

(3) Night Vision To Allow Firefighting Pilots To Battle Blazes At Night

(4) Air tankers from Gladiator Fire moved to fire in Nevada

(5) Homes, structures destroyed in Nev. wildfire

(6) Northern Nevada wildfire leads to air quailty advisory in Clark County

(7) Arizona wildfires: Crews making progress on Gladiator blaze

(8) Fire Season Has Arizonans On Edge

(9) Prescott Municipal Airport Helps Keep Airtankers Flying

(10) Officials stress preparation

(11) Wildfire prompts precautionary evacuations in summer community in southwestern NM

(12) Wildfire burns near Hot Sulphur Springs

(13) Firefighters battle small Silt Mesa blaze

(14) Fire ban issued for BLM lands

(15) Exercise prepares responders for big wildfire

(16) Wildfire Officials Caution Idahoans to Take Personal Responsibility

(17) Hurricane wildfire burns 2,000 acres of southwestern Utah

(18) Heat relief in northern Utah, but hot and dry in the south

(19) Wildfires spark talk of another burn ban

(20) Forest Service Lifts BWCAW Fire Restrictions

(21) Blaze consumes 1,500 acres in wildlife refuge

(22) N.H. Officials Suspect Arson in Rash of Brush Fires

(23) Forest fire danger high to extreme in northeast region; portions evacuated

(24) Fresh fire crews being rushed to Timmins and Kirkland Lake

(25) Police arrest two kids in connection with bush fire

(26) Manitoulin fire hazard now ‘extreme’

(27) Forest Fire at Deep Bight

(28) Forest fire put out in NE China

(29) Forest fire rages in Inner Mongolia

(30) Disaster alert systems 'still lacking'

(31) FESA not told of ultramarathon fire

(32) Burn-offs caution 'puts WA at risk'

(33) Margaret River fires: six minths on

(34) Tasmania's new bushfire threat

(35) Fire Beetles May Revolutionize Early-Warning Systems for Forest Fires