WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 081012

We lead off today with a US Forest Service Request For Information (RFI) on internal tank systems that would convert a C-130 or C-27 into an air-tanker, contributed by an anonymous Wildfire NOTD subscriber. A pair of small wildfires were reported outside of the Southern California community of Anza (1); and to the south, a 900-acre wildfire is burning in San Diego County (2); while an 18,681-acre wildfire burning in Plumas National Forest is now 10% contained (3); and a 225-acre wildfire has been reported in the Stanislaus National Forest's Carson-Iceberg Wilderness (4); but a 3,700-acre wildfire in Lassen Volcanic National Park is only 5% contained (5). Fifteen families in Lake County, Oregon, were being advised that they may have to evacuate (6); a summary of wildfire activity in Oregon and Washington, including an update on a 123,551-acre blaze that burned across from Nevada into southeastern Oregon, being provided by the next item (7). Lightning strikes sparked a 200-acre wildfire in Arizona's Tonto National Forest (8); while a 100-acre wildfire is currently active in the Kaibab National Forest (9). An 80-acre wildfire continues to burn in Custer County, Colorado (10); and multiple blazes were sparked by a car with mechanical problems near Breckenridge (11); fire officials easing fire restrictions in the Routt National Forest (12). A 36,814-acre wildfire burning in Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest is now 3% contained (13); and Boise National Forest reported that a 30,000-acre wildfire is also 5% contained (14); but Southern Idaho is bracing for more lightning-sparked wildfires due to a storm system moving through the area today (15). A 5,684-acre wildfire burning on the grounds of Utah National Guard's Camp Williams is now 30% contained (16); the next article providing a behind-the-scenes look of Utah's high-tech wildfire command center (17). Fire officials have determined that four of the six wildfires which devastated Cleveland County, Oklahoma, were arson (18). In an eerie reminder of last year's wildfires, two new blazes are burning near Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas (19); and it's been a busy time at the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge, where four wildfires have burned in less than two weeks time (20); but following last year's devastating wildfires, the President of the Austin Firefighters Association is lobbying for a new wildland firefighting division to be established by that community (21); a former Austin mayor lobbying hard to accept the Firefighters Association's proposal in an Op-Ed piece (22). Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will be granting $4,550 to three fire departments in Schuylkill County that protect communities from forest fires (23); and North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing, one of whose C-130s crashed in South Dakota, killing four crew members, will finally return to the firelines again in Idaho on Monday (24). Heading to Canada, British Columbia Wildfire Management Branch indicated that 100 wildfires were sparked by lightning strikes in the province (25); and firefighters in Penticton battled a blaze near an industrial complex Thursday (26); while a 25-hectare wildfire continued to burn on Mount Thompson (27); Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources reporting five dozen wildfires burning in that province (28). A photo spread of wildfires in Portugal is provided by the next item (29); firefighters in Israel stating that a rash of wildfires may be arson-caused (30). International Association of Wildland Fire sent along Australia-based Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre's August newsletter which discusses their work with the French on a 3D fire suppression simulator (31). Queensland Fire and Rescue Service have finally brought a bushfire that closed Warrego Highway near Minden under control (32); one of several that have cropped up over the state so far this week, as indicated by the next two articles (33)(34). And finally, firefighters battling wildfires in southern Bosnia faced an additional hazard: minefields!

(1) UPDATE: Anza fire burns about 5 acres

(2) 900-acre wildfire burning in San Diego County

(3) Chips Fire continues to resist containment

(4) Forest fire northeast of Stockton burns 225 acres of fir

(5) Meeting set to probe Reading Fire in Lassen Volcanic National Park

(6) Southern Oregon fire flares up, prompts advice to evacuate

(7) Crews Gain on Wildfires in Washington and Oregon

(8) Crews battle forest fires lit by lightning

(9) East Fire grows to 100 acres in Kaibab National Forest

(10) Custer County wildfire grows to 80 acres

(11) Car causes multiple wildfires on Highway 9 near Breckenridge on Tuesday

(12) Fire restrictions lifted for Routt National Forest

(13) Halstead Fire at 43K acres

(14) Trinity Ridge fire forces evacuations, expands to 30,000 acres

(15) Weather In South Hills Area Will Continue To Hamper Firefighting Efforts Today

(16) Utah’s Pinyon Wildfire has Herriman residents on standby

(17) New center on firefighting front line

(18) Oklahoma Wildfires: Officials say arson cause of Cleveland County fire

(19) Wildfires Burn Near Possum Kingdom Lake

(20) Wildfires Force Officials To Close Texas Wildlife Refuge

(21) New station, division requested to combat Austin wildfire threat

(22) Next Central Texas wildfire could be worse

(23) State grant combats forest fires

(24) Charlotte airmen to return to fire fighting mission after deadly crash

(25) Lightning sparked 100 fires

(26) Firefighters douse Penticton brush fire

(27) Crews battling forest fire east of Creston on Mount Thompson

(28) Forest fire threat down

(29) Forest fire flares in Portugal

(30) No proof of arson as fires rage in Galilee, Jerusalem

(31) Bushfire CRC's Fire Update August Newsletter

(32) Bushfires west of Brisbane under control

(33) City on bushfire alert

(34) Crews monitor Tallai bushfire

(35) Wildfires Set off Explosions in Bosnia Minefield