WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 120712

Applications for seasonal firefighter positions with the Bureau of Land Management in Northern California are now being accepted (1). Officials in Ruidoso, New Mexico, having seen wildfires devastate the area over the past couple of years, debated the virtue of putting firework sales under local control (2); while the benefits of hydromulching burn areas around Bonito Lake are discussed in the next article (3). As firefighters brought the Fern Lake Fire to 45% containment in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, evacuees are being allowed to return home (4); the following item providing a striking photo that shows all of that state's 2012 wildfires superimposed on a map (5). A string of suspicious wildfires has firefighters in Union County, Tennessee, concerned that a serial arsonist is at work in the area (6); but in Washington DC, Sen. McCain's Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act, which would provide 14 surplus C-27J fixed-wing aircraft to the US Forest Service to be converted to air-tankers, was passed in the Senate and now moves on to the House of Representatives for consideration (7). The Delaware Forest Service will begin conducting wildland firefighting classes in January (8); while a $2,000 reward is being offered for information about a wildfire arson case in Dickenson County, Virginia (9). Georgia Tech researchers have begun a three-year study of how controlled-burn smoke impacts air-quality (10); but there is a bit of a debate over the importance of funding wildland firefighting and fire prevention in Central India (11). As bushfires continue to break out in Australia, the next item offers some bushfire preparation tips to homeowners (12). Officials in Victoria welcomed two massive Erickson Air-Crane heli-tankers back for a new bushfire season (13); even as Country Fire Authority's chief officer lamented the bushfire complacency of rural homeowners in that state (14); but CFA is tapping into social media to get the word out about bushfire conditions (15). The bushfire situation in Queensland is summarized by the next article (16); where there was some confusion in regards to the Department of Community Safety's bushfire warnings (17). Improvements in the weather have eased the bushfire situation in New South Wales (18); while Country Fire Service crews pounced on a bushfire which broke out in South Australia's Yorke Peninsula (19). A bushfire which was burning on Western Australia's Doubtful Island Peninsula has been extinguished (20); but because it may have been caused by people rather than a lightning strike, as first believed (21). A pair of Air Tractor 802s were flown in from Victoria by the Tasmania Fire Service as weather forecasters predicted windy, hot conditions (22). And finally, firefighters in Detroit, Michigan, who complained weeks ago about having to buy their own toilet paper may begin selling some through their fire stations as 70,000 rolls arrived from Procter & Gamble!

(1) BLM announces openings for firefighting positions

(2) Chamber outlines legislative priorities

(3) Pilot supports hydromulch for Bonito Lake area

(4) Wildfire evacuees return home

(5) All Of The 2012 Wildfires In One Stunning Picture

(6) Union County faces another suspicious fire streak

(7) McCain Wildfire Aircraft Transfer Amendment Passes The Senate

(8) Delaware Forest Service offers wildland fire training classes starting Jan. 5

(9) Reward offered in wildfire arson case

(10) Air quality study could impact power plant, car use one day

(11) Minister's cold shoulder to forest fire fighters

(12) How to prepare for a bushfire

(13) CFA aircrane ‘Gypsy Lady’ to call Ballarat home

(14) Chief warns of bushfire complacency

(15) CFA officers blaze a social media trail

(16) Crews continue to battle bushfires across Qld

(17) Emergency warning confusion as bushfire season starts

(18) Bushfire problems start to ease-up

(19) Bushfire threat eases on Yorke Peninsula

(20) WA peninsula burnt out by bushfire

(21) WA bushfire cause now believed to be human

(22) Water bombers on alert

(23) More than 70,000 rolls of toilet paper arrive for Detroit firefighters