WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 122112

Wildfires in the Western US added to the tableau of natural disasters tied to extreme heat in 2012 (1). With the arrival of cooler temperatures and recent rains to Southern California, the fire season in the Cleveland National Forest has come to an end (2); and San Diego Gas & Electric customers will not have to pay for that utilities wildfire losses (for now) (3); but the Utility Consumers Action Network warned that SDG&E could still charge customers millions (4); while a CAL FIRE captain explains how she went from being an ROP member to drawing maps used for brush abatement and fuel management in the next article (5). US Forest Service and the Colorado Procurement Technical Assistance Center teamed up to find small businesses in the state which will work to provide support to wildland firefighting efforts (6); while Air Force Academy firefighters from the 10th Civil Engineer Squadron received medals for their work in staving off the Waldo Canyon Fire, which damaged or destroyed over 800 homes in Colorado Springs this summer (7). Texas Forest Service reported that a wildfire in Wood County burned between 45 and 50 acres (8); dry conditions prompting fire officials in New Zealand to close Hira Forest for recreational purposes due to the bushfire danger (9). Disaster declarations for parts of New South Wales, Australia, which were hard hit by bushfires will free up more funding to help with recovery (10); but a pair of boys accused of sparking a bushfire which threatened a neighborhood outside of Sydney have made their first court appearance (11). NASA explains why bushfires in the Western Australian outback outshine cities in the next article (12). And finally, some in Victoria, Australia, have a new weapon against bushfires: poetry!

(1) Extreme forecast dead-on in 2012: Hot and either too dry or too wet, just as experts warned

(2) REGION: National forest officials lift fire restrictions

(3) Customers Won’t Pay SDG&E Wildfire Losses — For Now

(4) SDG&E may still raise rates to pay for wildfires

(5) Catey Trenner creates firefighting maps

(6) Forest Service seeks small businesses to provide support to firefighting efforts

(7) Academy firefighters recognized for Waldo Canyon Fire efforts

(8) Update: Wood County wildfire burns 50 acres, officials report

(9) Extreme fire danger closes Hira Forest

(10) Disaster help for bushfire-hit areas

(11) Just like Doomsday: Bushfire witnesses

(12) What Produces More Light Pollution in Australia: Cities or Wildfires?

(13) Poetry of bushfires