WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 061812

Firefighters grappled with a 2,200-acre wildfire in Riverside County, California (1); and an 800-acre wildfire burning outside of Campo in San Diego County that forced evacuations is now 5% contained (2); all of which underscores the fact that wildfire season has arrived in Southern California (3). Fire officials in Eastern Nevada warned of worsening wildfire conditions across the region (4); but ten years later, residents of Arizona look back on the Rodeo-Chediski Fire, which burned 468,000 acres, destroying 268 structures (5). Although a wildfire burning in New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest has damaged timber in Smokey the Bear Ranger District, flames have avoided the national symbol's gravesite so far (6). An ABC News segment provides an update on Colorado's High Park Fire, where 1,750 personnel have brought containment on the 90 mi.² blaze to 45% (7); but the weather isn't helping any (8); while the plight of evacuees is examined by the next article (9); and the potential danger posed by looters is broached by the one that follows (10); but the toxic potential of fire retardant towards wildlife and water supplies is of concern to some (11); while a 300-acre wildfire has also been reported in Pike National Forest (12); and in the midst of it all, there are still some who feel that the number of heavy air-tankers is woefully inadequate to the task (13). Nearly 50 wildland firefighter trainees from numerous agencies completed a week's training outside of Fairfield, Idaho (14); while wildfire activity in Wyoming is the focus of the next article (15). An article from New Jersey takes a look at the impact of wildfires on soil erosion (16). US Forest Service is teaming up with the North Carolina Forest Service to conduct air-tanker training exercises in DuPont Recreational State Forest (17); and a video segment covers a 3,000-acre wildfire burning in the Croatan National Forest (18). Environmentalists fear that allowing commercial logging into Alaska's Tongass National Forest could accelerate climate change, fuelling wildfires (19). A Canadian CL-415 air-tanker is being credited with helping bring a wildfire burning in Natuashish, Labrador, under control Sunday (20). Forest fires continued to blaze across Greece (21); and nearly 200 wildfires are burning in Russia's Siberian region (22). A wildfire outside of Islamabad, Pakistan, is threatening Quaid-e-Azam University (23). Ideal wildfire conditions have Malaysian fire agencies on high alert (24); one wildfire quickly being snuffed out by firefighters in Kampong Pandan (25); while a member of Parliament urged the government to do more to curb thick smoke generated by nearby Indonesian wildfires (26). In Australia, a small bushfire outside of Cairns, Queensland, was quickly contained by firefighters (27). And finally, biologists in fire-ravaged New Mexico's Gila National Forest have a new rallying cry: save the trout!

(1) Wildfire burns 2,200 acres in California, meanwhile residents near San Diego County are being

(2) Wildfire grows in San Diego County overnight

(3) Wildfire Season Begins

(4) Wildfire Conditions Update

(5) Rodeo-Chediski Fire: Painful memories linger

(6) New Mexico wildfire threatens Smokey the Bear's home

(7) Colo. Firefighters Face More Powerful Winds

(8) Colorado firefighters face harsh weather

(9) Colorado wildfire: High Park fire evacuees finding shelter, coping day-to-day

(10) Colorado High Park Fire: Potential Looters Pose New Threat

(11) High Park fire: Red slurry's toxic dark side

(12) Colorado's Springer fire erupts at Pike National Forest in Park County

(13) Officials disagee on ability of nation's old, thin air tanker fleet

(14) Would-be Firefighters Gather for a Week of Wildfire Readiness Training

(15) Grass fire Sunday destroys homes in Natrona Co; new forest fire burning south of Glenrock

(16) Farmer's Forum: Wild fires and soil erosion

(17) Firefighting training planned for NC state forest

(18) UPDATE: Firefighters battle Croatan National Forest wildfire

(19) Alaska's Tongass forest sparks battle over logging

(20) Water bomber brings Natuashish forest fire under control

(21) Forest fires raze land, no injuries

(22) Forest fires ravage parts of Russia

(23) Margalla bushfire reaches Quaid-e-Azam University

(24) Heatwave sparks forest fire alert

(25) Firefighters Battle Kg Pandan Bushfire

(26) Backbencher Feels Indonesian Enforcement Can Curb Haze Causing Forest Fires

(27) Bushfire concern near Forest Gardens

(28) Raging NM fire prompts rescue of threatened fish