WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 010713

First up today, Wildfire NOTD subscriber Walt Darran, Safety Committee Chairman for the Associated Aerial Firefighters, sent along the following meeting announcement:

AAF annual meeting at the El Dorado Hotel & Casino, Reno, NV, 13-14 January, 2013.

Sunday (13th) will be check-in, catch-up at hospitality room (1700-?), beverages and pu-pus. Monday will be our business meeting (0830-1000) and industry presentations, including Q&A, starting at 1000 (presentations by MAFFS, BAe146, FireBoss, BE200, MD87, American Valley Aviation, Fire Chemicals, and more), followed by a debrief in the hospitality room.

Admission is free for all paid-up AAF members; Paid-up members can each bring one guest at no charge. Admission for additional guests and non-members is $25 each. Admission and delinquent membership fees are payable at the door. This meeting provides an opportunity to meet and network with wildland aerial firefighters from across the nation.

For more information, contact:

Jim Barnes, aapilots@sonic.net, (415) 488-4618

Walt Darran, flyandsail@aol.com, (530) 898-0792


Room rates – $49.99 per night; reservations 800-648-5966, group block “Associated Aerial Firefighters”, group code MAAFF13.


Elsewhere in the news, US Forest Service will be conducting controlled burns on 100 acres near the Upper Echo Lakes in El Dorado County, California (1); while an article from Yuba County tries to sort out some confusion on the controversial Fire Prevention Benefit Fee (2); and the California Fire Science Consortium sent along their January newsletter (3). In Colorado, the Lower North Fork Wildfire Commission has released a long-awaited report on that blaze, which burned 4,000 acres near Conifer, killing three people, destroying 23 homes and costing $11 million to suppress (4); while Larimer County will reap a $1.9 million windfall from FEMA to help pay for last summer's High Park Fire (5); but US Senator Udall is incensed that the Senate failed to restore $653 million to the U.S. Forest Service's Wildland Fire Management Fund (6). The Northern Rockies Coordinating Group thanked fire departments across Montana, North Dakota and Idaho for their help battling wildfires in 2012 (7); a wildland firefighter recounts what it's like to fight wildfires in Western Idaho (8); and a news segment from Montana takes a closer look at Neptune Aviation and the future of the US heavy air-tanker fleet (9); but South Dakota's Wildland Fire Suppression team has requested additional funding to better handle wildfires along the Nebraska border (10). The plight of ponderosa pines in northwest Nebraska, which have been devastated by wildfires, is examined by the next article (11); while Searcy County, Arkansas, holds the dubious distinction of having the most wildfires in that state over the past five years (12). The International Association of Wildland Fire sent along two items: an announcement about pre-conference workshops at their 4th Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference to be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, on February 18th (13); and a call for abstracts for their upcoming conference in Vienna, Austria, this coming April (14). The next article looks back on wildfires in Nova Scotia, Canada, which scorched 817 ha of woodlands (15); while over three dozen villagers from Bağpınar, Turkey, were fined for not helping put out a wildfire last September (16). Forest personnel in Thithimathi, India, are clearing out dry vegetation to reduce the bushfire danger in the area while using fire towers to keep an eye out for arsonists (17); but Rural Fire Service firefighters battled a lightning-sparked blaze in New Zealand's Maitai Valley (18). A video segment from CBS News summarizes bushfire activity across Australia, including 90 bushfires burning in New South Wales (19); while high winds and hot conditions fanning bushfires prompted a total fire ban across Australia Capital Territory (20). Homeowners near Victoria, Australia's, Lower Glenelg National Park reported embers from a nearby bushfire drifting over their homes last night (21); meanwhile, Country Fire Authority has 60,000 personnel on duty to deal with bushfire outbreaks (22); a psychiatrist providing some insight on the mental trauma bushfires invoke on survivors (23). New South Wales faced its most dangerous fire-risk day on record as NSW Parks and Wildlife patrolled popular camping areas (24); a video segment providing more details (25). Authorities in the Northern Territory warned residents to keep an eye out for bushfire arsonists (26). In Tasmania, a pilot from New Zealand is battling devastating bushfires that have leveled over 100 homes (27); even as authorities detained a man accused of accidentally starting a 10,600-hectare blaze (28); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tyler Miller sending along an article about survival stories emerging from the fires (29); while financial help for displaced families is being provided through donations to the Tasmanian Bushfire Fund by the Melbourne Victory football team (30); and South Australia is contributing $250,000 as well (31); Australia's Prime Minister visited the Tasmanian firelines, warning that climate change could increase bushfire activity across the country (32). And finally, you find the darndest things at a bushfire, like the cache of unexploded grenades uncovered by one in the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland!

(1) Wildfire protection project will cover 100 acres

(2) Since You Asked: Confusion abounds over Yuba County fire fee

(3) January 2013 Newsletter

(4) Lower North Fork Wildfire report: better notification system needed

(5) Larimer County High Park fire crews receive $1.9 million FEMA grant

(6) Noted: Senate rejects fire funding

(7) Golden Pen Award: Quick wildfire Reponses saved homes

(8) Fighting Wildfires in Western Idaho

(9) Despite warnings, aging firefighting aircraft still flying -- and crashing

(10) Fire bosses plan for intense KOTA Territory fire season

(11) After wildfires, ponderosa pines burned out of Pine Ridge

(12) Searcy County leads state in 5-year wildfire average

(13) Pre-Conference Workshops

(14) Past, present and future of fire interactions in boreal ecosystems and fate of organic matter

(15) Dry weather sparked more forest fires

(16) Villagers fined for forest fire

(17) Efforts to control forest fire in Thithimathi

(18) Lightning sparks forest fire

(19) Wildfires raging across southern Australia

(20) Summer stalks capital again

(21) District under fire

(22) Telcos, emergency services battle Aussie bushfire season

(23) Professor says bushfire survivors will struggle with range of emotions

(24) Nation on alert as bushfires spread, Gillard warns NSW residents to be vigilant

(25) Fires blaze as state prepares for heatwave

(26) Be alert to fire bugs, says Bushfires NT

(27) Stories of survival emerge from Tas inferno

(28) Southern pilot in air fighting bushfires

(29) SA to help with Tas bushfire relief

(30) Man facing charge as Tasmania bushfires rage on

(31) Victory help bushfire fund

(32) Australia fires burn 50,000 acres of farmland and forest

(33) Bushfire turns up cache of old grenades near Ravenshoe in far north Queensland