WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 012113

Fire crews grappled with a 28-acre wildfire near the Southern California community of Temecula over the weekend (1); while the public comment period for the Humboldt County Community Wildfire Protection Plan has been extended to February 15th (2). Oregon's Forest Industry Council comments on a proposed bill which would change the balance of wildfire payments made by the forest industry, which currently stands at 82% (3); and the Nature Conservancy's Arizona chapter discusses the importance of forest thinning to reduce the wildfire danger in the next item (4). Firefighters contained an 80-acre wildfire north of Fort Collins, Colorado, which began as a controlled burn (5); while an out-of-control backyard burn scorched 12 acres in Rowan County, Kentucky (6). US Forest Service will be conducting controlled burns on 2,100 acres in Jackson County, Mississippi, today (7); but a wildfire which broke out in India's Anthiyur Forest Range Saturday night is indicative of current dry conditions, with more wildfires are expected in the future (8). Smoke from Australian bushfires continues to color the skies in New Zealand (9); kiwi fire crews who had fought Tasmanian bushfires finally returning home (10); but a bushfire burned between three and 4 acres in Upper Moutere, NZ, yesterday (11). An article from Australia takes a closer look at the importance of cultural and social factors in determining how people prepare for, respond to, and recover from, disasters like bushfires (12); while a new study published in the Australian National University journal Agenda claims that some funding should be taken away from bushfire prevention efforts (13). A bushfire which blazed through 50 ha, threatening homes at Wolin, Victoria, has been contained (14); while a man who died trying to evacuate from a bushfire outside of Seaton was remembered in a family tribute (15); and a firefighter who died preparing for bushfires in Tasmania was also honored (16); meanwhile, a collection of slides shows bushfire activity across Gippsland (17). Officials from Queensland's Rural Fire Warwick cautioned onlookers to keep their distance from bushfires for safety (18). A bushfire which burned over 500 ha in New South Wales' Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is finally under control (19); meanwhile, recovery efforts have begun in communities around Warrumbungle National Park, where a bushfire torched 53 homes and 113 outbuildings (20); a former policeman being selected to head the bushfire recovery efforts in Warrumbungle Shire (21); and ambulance crews are lending a hand in Coonabarabran as well (22). Northern Territory's Parks and Wildlife Commission was concerned about the impact of bushfires on endangered nocturnal wallabies (23). Although one bushfire was still out of control south of Adelaide, South Australia, Country Fire Service officials said that the bushfire danger had eased in the southeast (24); but the bushfire near Greenways was throwing flames 60 meters into the air (25). A 300-hectare bushfire is burning in Western Australia's Benger Swamp Nature Reserve near Harvey (26); and a six-hectare bushfire was sparked by the torching of a stolen car near Lower Chittering (27); the state government aiming to crack down on bushfire arsonists, who light 50% of the blazes, the highest incidence of deliberately lit bushfires in the nation (28). Tasmania's government is once again coming under criticism for its response to recent bushfires (29). And finally, firefighters from Nebraska's Norfolk Fire Division had a grueling task to perform: posing for the 2013 Norfolk Firefighter Calendar!

(1) County Fire Crews Battle Wildfire Near Aguanga

(2) Public comment sought for Wildfire Protection Plan

(3) Bill aims to share Oregon wildfire costs

(4) Forest Restoration Initiatives Reduce Wildfire Risk, Produce Responsible Timber

(5) Firefighters contain 80-acre wildfire northwest of Fort Collins

(6) Rowan County Forest Fire

(7) U.S. Forest Service set to burn 2,100 acres in northwest Jackson County today

(8) Foresters brace for wild fires in the wake of dry weather

(9) Smoke from Aussie bushfires turns skies over NZ orange

(10) Fighting Aussie bushfires 18 days of tough, filthy work

(11) Winds fan flames

(12) Fighting and dying: blokes and bushfire in Australia

(13) Too much money spent on bushfire prevention, says insurance researcher

(14) Grassfire warning contained after blaze threatens homes at Wallan

(15) Family pay tribute to Vic bushfire victim

(16) Fallen Vic firefighter remembered

(17) Bird's eye view of the bushfires

(18) Bright sparks warned to keep distance from bushfire battles

(19) Bushfire in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park under control

(20) Bushfire recovery underway as weather improves

(21) Former cop to head NSW bush fire recovery

(22) Broken Hill crews help with bushfire relief

(23) Bushfires kill endangered nocturnal wallabies

(24) SA bushfire safety threat has reduced

(25) Flames from forest fire top 60 metres

(26) Threat from bushfire near Harvey downgraded

(27) Thieves torch car, start bushfire

(28) Bushfire arsonists to be tracked with GPS

(29) Questions over bushfire response

(30) Firefighters grin, bare it for calendar