Firebomber Publications Blog

Wildfire News Of The Day (the Firebomber Publications blog) provides comprehensive international wildfire news. Subscribers include over 10,000 personnel from fire agencies, contractors, and government entities on five continents. "BEST NEWSLETTER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY 32 YEARS IN THE FIRE SERVICE" - San Diego Fire Department Chief Brian Fennessy.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 122012

It was a busy year for the Red Cross, which provided 159,000 meals and 4,000 overnight stays in its shelters to wildfire survivors in nine US states during the summer (1); the next item tabulating some of the natural disasters of 2012 in the US, including wildfires that burned over 9 million acres (2). US Forest Service will be resuming their prescribed burn program in the San Bernardino National Forest following winter storms (3); while an update on an article from June shows that 300 military vets were hired into the California Conservation Corps for wildland firefighting duty over the past 18 months (4). A small grass fire near a home in McLoud, Oklahoma, drew a sharp response from firefighters (5). A Texas Parks and Wildlife Diversity Biologist discusses how drought and wildfires may rejuvenate the black bear population in Texas (6); while officials in Bastrop County evaluated the progress on the rehabilitation of areas burned by wildfires 15 months ago and determined that they need more money to complete the project (7). There was trouble in paradise again, as a trio of wildfires spread across the island of Molokai, Hawaii (8); as well as a 15-acre blaze on the Big Island (9). Windy weather in the Canadian province of Alberta prompted wildfire alerts from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resources (10). Heading to Australia, the Queensland Agriculture Minister will donate $100,000 to cattle ranchers impacted by recent bushfires (11); while in New South Wales, fire crews have brought a bushfire in Sydney's southwest under control (12); a pair of boys being charged with lighting the blaze (13); even as Rural Fire Service is teaming up with Fire and Rescue NSW and police to deal with arsonists who cause an estimated 35% of the bushfires in that state (14). Western Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued another reminder to rural homeowners to prepare for bushfires following a fivefold increase in bushfire warnings during the spring (15). And finally, our last news item today asks the question: do firefighters fight that many fires anymore?

(1) Red Cross Busy in 2012

(2) Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters of 2012

(3) Prescribed Winter Burn Program to Resume in San Bernardino Nat'l Forest

(4) CA firefighters program for military veterans

(5) Firefighters Put Out Grass Fire Burning Near Home In McLoud

(6) How Drought and Wildfire Could Bring Bears Back to Texas

(7) Bastrop wildfire recovery continues

(8) Molokai Crews Battle 3 Brush Fires

(9) Update: Firefighters battle brushfire on Big Island

(10) Wind sparks wildfire warning

(11) Queensland Government offers funding to feed bushfire-affected cattle

(12) Bushfire now under control in Sydney's south west

(13) Boys charged with lighting NSW bushfire

(14) Strike force to target arson

(15) DFES reminds landholders to be bushfire ready

(16) Firefighters Talk About Not Fighting Fires

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