WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 052912

In Southern California, a 256-acre wildfire burning near Lake Mathews in Riverside County was contained on Monday (1); while CAL FIRE's Santa Clara unit reminded homeowners that the arrival of Memorial Day signaled the beginning of wildfire season for that region (2); something emphasized by a 100-acre wildfire that was contained southwest of Taft (3). An article from Klamath Falls, Oregon, takes a look back at the increasing cost of battling wildfires over the past couple of decades (4). Nevada Division of Forestry is imposing fire restrictions in the western part of that state today (5); a state assembly member writing an Op-Ed piece about the impact of climate change on forests in the Southwest (6); wildfire activity making for some smoky skies around the Four Corners region over the weekend (7). An update on wildfire activity in Arizona is provided by the next article (8); where Tubac Fire District held wildfire preparation meetings to help people learn how to cope with blazes until the monsoon rains arrive in July (9). A 152,000-acre wildfire burning in southwestern New Mexico's Gila National Forest is nearing the record for the largest wildfire in that state's history (10); which was threatening the Depression-era Bearwallow Mountain Lookout Cabins and Shed (11); residents of El Paso, Texas, complaining about smoke from the wildfire drifting over their city (12). Firefighters in Fremont County, Colorado, contained a 1.5-acre wildfire apparently started by coals over the weekend (13); and favorable weather helped firefighters battling two other wildfires as well (14). An army of firefighters and aircraft grappled with an 8 mi.² wildfire burning outside of Paradox, Colorado (15); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Snyder, president of Missoula, Montana-based Neptune Aviation, commenting on the retirement of a P-2V air-tanker as its first BAE-146 air-tanker prepared to begin firefighting operations (16). Firefighters in Michigan's Upper Peninsula brought a 22,000-acre wildfire that has destroyed nearly 100 structures to 47% containment (17); with a little help from Minnesota's air-tankers (18); evacuees and firefighters alike needing some bare necessities to keep going (19). Canadian wildfires sullied the air in New Hampshire (20); while 125 firefighters from across the East Coast have registered for firefighting courses at Mid-Atlantic Wildfire Training Academy being hosted by West Virginia University (21). Rainfall from Tropical Storm Beryl has snuffed over two dozen wildfires, according to Florida Forest Service (22). Canadian firefighters in Kamloops, British Columbia, were battling a two-hectare wildfire with an assist from a pair of helicopters (23); while another blaze near Prichard scorched 4 ha before being extinguished (24). An Op-Ed piece takes a look back at the history of forest fires in northern Ontario (25); where rainfall helped dampen 27 wildfires burning in northern Ontario, even as power was restored to a gold mine which had been cut off by the Kirkland Lake blaze (26); allowing authorities to lift the state of emergency for that community (27); so that evacuees could return home (28); but the Ministry of Natural Resources indicated that a total of 400 wildfires have been reported in the province so far this year, double the number by this date last year (29). Firefighters finally declared victory over a 700-hectare wildfire burning on Newfoundland's Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay (30). Arsonists were blamed for a wildfire in County Down, Ireland (31); and the Irish Defense forces deployed aircraft to help fight a wildfire in County Kerry which may have also been sparked by arson (32). An Australian National University professor explains how methods used by Aborigines could be the key to controlling bushfires today in his book "The Biggest Estate on Earth" (33); but although the devastation wrought by Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires was considerable, scientists have found it to be a treasure trove of information (34); where the Emergency Services Minister announced that 50 automated bushfire risk signs would be deployed across the state ahead of the next fire season (35). Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is conducting controlled burns in the southwestern portion of that state (36); but the legal tangle over a bushfire in Kimberly, Western Australia, which burned several ultramarathon runners has grown even more complicated (37). And finally, a Washington state senator got got some hands-on training in firefighting!

(1) UPDATE: Lake Mathews fire contained

(2) Cal Fire Offers Tips to Protect Your Home from Wildfire

(3) Fire burns in Temblors southwest of Taft

(4) Methods for fighting fires remain the same, costs ever increasing

(5) Fire restrictions in western Nevada start tomorrow

(6) Climate change is killing our forests

(7) Wildfires bring smoky skies to Four Corners

(8) Arizona wildfire fight aided by cool weather

(9) Wildfire season here, and fire district reaches out

(10) Gila fire close to becoming largest in NM history as 1,100 firefighters race to battle blaze

(11) New Mexico historic sites at risk in forest fire

(12) Smoke from NM wildfires reaches El Paso

(13) Crews contain wildland fire in Austin Bluffs subdivision

(14) Weather helping firefighters contain two Colorado wildfires

(15) 400 firefighters, 5 copters at western Colorado wildfire

(16) Neptune Aviation retires air tanker with cracks, but jet gets contract

(17) Crews work to protect structures in Mich. wildfire

(18) MN Helps Fight Massive Wildfire in Michigan

(19) Duck Lake Fire firefighters have specific needs: bananas, beef jerky, moleskin and more

(20) Smoke from Canada wildfires drifts over New Hampshire

(21) Wildfire Training Academy set at WVU in June

(22) Beryl quenches area wildfires

(23) Fire crews rush to contain bush fire in Kamloops

(24) Wildfire quickly beat down

(25) Northerners fear forest fires: COLUMN

(26) Fires simmer in Ontario, more mines restart

(27) State of emergency lifted in Kirkland Lake, Ont., after forest fire held

(28) Wildfire evacuees return home, still on notice

(29) Current forest fires already double last year's numbers

(30) Fire out near Labrador military base

(31) Minister condemns forest arsonists

(32) Defence Forces and Air Corps fight forest fires

(33) Prevent bushfire the Aboriginal way

(34) Evidence in ashes

(35) Vic to get automated fire risk signs

(36) Controlled burns set for region

(37) Legal warning on fire probe

(38) Rep. Joe Fain of Covington attends firefighter and emergency response training simulation