WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 080112

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Jon Keeley, a Research Ecologist with the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, sent along a study about how understanding pine life history is critical to both conservation and fire management (1). As fire season in California heats up, some 1,500 inmate firefighters may be unavailable for state fire crews (2); where CAL FIRE's Chief Ken Pimlott commented on the recent RAND study that advocated more scooping aircraft to replace aging heavy air-tankers (2); meantime, wildfires in Northern California are the focus of the next article (3). A US Forest Service district ranger in New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest defended fire suppression efforts on the Little Bear Fire (5); while Larimer County, Colorado, appealed to the federal Emergency Watershed Protection program for funding to restore watersheds in areas scorched by the High Park Fire (6). A wildfire in Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest exploded to 3,700 acres in size (7); and a summary of wildfire activity in Utah is up next (8); where a professor of geography at the University of Utah posits that a "Little Ice Age" led to a reduction in forest fires across North America in the 1500s (9). Wyoming's wildfires have evidently had a negative impact on the tourist trade (10); while a complex of fires in Montana's Gallatin National Forest has grown to 8,000 acres in size (11); one of several fires burning across the state (12). The next article takes a look behind the scenes at the massive wildfire that just blazed through Nebraska (13); where a road crew was commended for their firefighting efforts as well (14). Firefighters battled a two-acre wildfire in Wisconsin's Devils Lake State Park (15); while the Michigan Forest Products Council praised Department Natural Resources firefighters on quick action snuffing a wildfire that could have had deleterious effects on the state's economy (16). Officials in Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest believe it will take until the end of the week to fully contain a 400-acre wildfire (17); and a new wildfire was reported south of Warren, Arkansas (18). An article from the Washington Post shows that it will take many years for areas hit by Western wildfires to recover completely (19); while the next article from Virginia provides a summary of military C-130 MAFFS drops, which constitute 368 sorties so far this year (20). Evacuation orders may be lifted in Wilson's Landing, British Columbia, as Canadian firefighters brought a 27 ha blaze to 75% containment (21). Wildfires continue to scorch Russia's Far East (22); where Greenpeace is blaming cuts to the Russian forest service for much of the damage (23). Although Australia's Bushfires Royal Commission Implementation Monitor found that construction costs and liability issues have slowed the creation of bushfire refuges, Victoria's Premier vowed that more will be built (24); a bushfire scientist weighing in on just how much vegetation should be burned off before bushfire season (25). And finally, an artist in Colorado is using embers from the Waldo Canyon Fire to create art that helps wildfire survivors!

(1) Ecology and evolution of pine life histories

(2) Felon firefighter forces dwindling

(3) CA firefighters split on study of aircraft use

(4) Two wildfires still cooking in Plumas National Forest

(5) Ranger dispels rumors about Little Bear Fire suppression

(6) Larimer County joins effort to restore watersheds impacted by High Park Fire

(7) Salmon-Challis Forest Fire Jumps to 3,700 Acres

(8) Utah firefighters hemming in last of big wildfires

(9) "Little Ice Age" Led to Fewer Forest Fires

(10) Wyoming wildfires hurt park visitation

(11) Elbow Pass fires force evacuations, trail closures

(12) Bitterroot fire crews corralling blazes ahead of predicted high winds

(13) Bloomfield Firefighters Lend A Hand With Wildfires

(14) Commissioners Recognize Road Crew For Firefighting Efforts

(15) Firefighters battle blaze at Devil's Lake State Park

(16) MFPC Commends Michigan Department of Natural Resources for Decisive Action on Duck Lake Fire

(17) Forest fire rages in Ozark County

(18) Forest Fire Along Highway 63 South of Warren

(19) Recovery from Western wildfires likely to take years, cost millions, to make areas livable

(20) Air National Guard, Reserve MAFFS-equipped C-130s integral part of wildfire suppression

(21) Wilson's Landing wildfire evacuation alerts might be lifted Wednesday (with video)

(22) In the far East, Ural and Siberia continued to fight wildfires

(23) Russia forest fires leave ‘green deserts’

(24) Vic will have more fire refuges: premier

(25) Burning target must stay says fire expert

(26) Ashes to art: Artist paints with wildfire embers