WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072312

A wildfire northwest of Vacaville, California, has scorched 75 acres (1); while firefighters brought a 520-acre wildfire burning in Yolo County to 85% containment (2); and firefighters had to do a little hiking to reach a two-acre blaze burning along Point Reyes National Seashore (3); but an estimated 571 lightning strikes pummeled the Tahoe National Forest in Placer County, raising fears of resultant fires (4). Firefighters in Nevada grappled with a dozen wildfires over the weekend, including a 1 1/2 mi.² blaze in the Pine Mountain Range (5); while Apache County, Arizona, is implementing a forest program that hopes to nip wildfires in the bud (6). Firefighters gained the upper hand on several lightning-sparked wildfires over the weekend outside of Basalt, Colorado (7); but a 4-acre wildfire in Moffat County flared up over the weekend (8); and lightning sparked a 500-acre wildfire outside of Durango, Colorado, Sunday (9). The Bureau of Land Management identified three wildfires in southwest Idaho as being human-caused (10); and as firefighters gained the upper hand on two wildfires in Utah, a third blaze broke out on the Shivwits Indian Reservation (11); while the next article takes a closer look at what it takes to be an air-tanker pilot (12). A grass fire in Creek County, Oklahoma, was reported Sunday afternoon (13); and wildfire activity in Montana is up next (14). Wildfires in South Dakota is the topic of the following article (15); but a tiny community in Nebraska was overrun by a wildfire which has scorched 150 mi.² so far (16). Hot weather didn't help firefighters in northwest Minnesota with a large wildfire that destroyed a structure (17); while attempts to preserve habitats in New Hampshire, which has seen 177 acres go up in smoke so far this year, is covered by the next item (18). In Washington DC, Pres. Obama refuses to take a position on whether climate change is sparking wildfires across the West (19). Forest fires in northern Manitoba, Canada, forced the evacuation of over 200 homeowners (20); while wildfire activity around Carp, Ontario, is provided by the next article (21); a second wildfire being reported on Canadian Forces Base Petawawa (22); one of over two dozen wildfires currently burning in that province (23); producing smoky skies in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma (24). Four people have died because of wildfires in Spain, two of them falling from a cliff while fleeing a wildfire (25); the next item providing some photos from the fire lines (26); and Portugal is still grappling with wildfires (27); while blazes in Croatia forced evacuations as well (28); the following item providing a map that shows the fire danger across Europe (29). In a season which has seen 15,710 wildfires across Russia, nearly 180 are currently burning (30); some of which have scorched 190,000 hectares in the Urals Federal District (31). New software from AIR Worldwide provides detailed modeling of bushfire threats in Australia and Tasmania (32); while a radio segment from Victoria once again warns residents of the bushfire threat posed by less rainfall, which is blamed on climate change (33). And finally, the president of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes expounds on ways to turn one's home into a fortress against wildfires!

(1) Wildfire northwest of Vacaville burns about 75 acres

(2) Firefighters gain ground on Yolo County fire

(3) Firefighters hike in to fight Point Reyes blaze

(4) Lightning causes new Placer County forest-fire alert

(5) Wildfire burning in the Pine Mountain Range

(6) Apache County forest program cited as cure for ‘disease’ of growing wildfires

(7) Crews snuff wildfire near Basalt

(8) Knez Wildfire flares up over weekend in Moffat County

(9) Wildfire grows to 500 acres near Durango

(10) Firefighters dealing with several human-caused fires

(11) Two wildfires, including new OMG, burning in Utah

(12) Aerial firefighter a rare breed with demands for highly skilled flying, fighter pilot's nerves

(13) Firefighters Battling Grass Fires in Creek County

(14) Crews work to get ahead of weather as new fires flare in western Montana

(15) Progress made with western SD wildfires

(16) Lightning sparks Nebraska wildfire amid drought

(17) Firefighters battle large brush fire in NW Minn.

(18) Fewer Forest Fires Mean Fewer Habitats

(19) White House won’t say if climate change is responsible for natural disasters

(20) 214 fire evacuees arrive in Brandon

(21) Carp firefighting efforts expected to wrap up today

(22) Second Forest Fire At CFB Petawawa “Growing Slowly”

(23) New forest fire reported in Sault area

(24) Forest fire smoke rolls into Sault and Algoma

(25) 2 Dead in Seaside Cliff Fall Fleeing Spain Fire

(26) In pictures: Spain's wildfires

(27) Forest fires destroy homes in Portugal

(28) Fires in Spain kill four, Croatia evacuates tourists

(29) EFFIS - Current Situation

(30) 179 forest fires raging across Russia

(31) The fire has destroyed nearly 190 k. HA of forest in the Urals

(32) AIR Worldwide Expands Suite of Catastrophe Models for Australia

(33) Victoria warned of more bushfires, less rainfall as climate change takes hold

(34) Is your home asking for it from wildfires?