WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 040613

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Brad Tuttle, General Manager at Southern California-based 10 Tanker LLC, sent along an interesting video on air-tanker operations in the US carried out by MAFFS-equipped C-130s, SEATS, and the massive 11,600-gallon DC-10 (Wildfire NOTD subscriber and DC-10 owner Rick Hatton providing some commentary on that aircraft beginning at 5:50 on the 13+ minute video) (1); while the elite Dalton Hotshots celebrated their 60th anniversary of protecting the Angeles National Forest at a ceremony in Glendora (2); and with strong winds forecast for the weekend across the region, the Hotshots may be needed (3); but at least the Federal Aviation Administration has delayed closure of the control tower at Ramona air-tanker base in San Diego County until June 15th (4). In Colorado, the Pueblo West Fire Department provided some useful tips to property owners to cut down the danger from wildfires (5); even as dozens of firefighters attended the Red River Valley Wildfire Academy to prepare for fire season in Texas (6). Although an aerial forest health survey conducted by the USDA Forest Service and the Wyoming State Forestry Division shows less trees were killed by mountain pine beetles in 2012, the State Forester is still expecting an active fire season (7); while in Montana, the Fort Ellis Fire Department warned of an elevated spring wildfire danger following two blazes over the past week (8). US Forest Service has announced a meeting to take place in Hettinger, North Dakota, which will discuss a controlled burn that scorched 22 mi.² in North and South Dakota when it breached containment earlier this week (9); and a firefighter was injured battling a 25-acre wildfire in Parma Township, Michigan (10). An air-tanker was slated to make a demonstration drop at Arkansas' Second Annual Aerospace Day being held at Hot Springs Memorial Field (11); but as firefighters battled half a dozen wildfires in Eastern Kentucky, the Division of Forestry warned residents of the elevated wildfire danger (12). Massachusetts arson investigators labeled a one-acre wildfire which broke out in Freetown-Fall River State Forest earlier this week suspicious (13). Multiple Long Island fire departments battled a 3-acre wildfire in Suffolk County, New York (14); but the Beukendaal Volunteer Fire Department is in hot water after violating an open burn ban (15). Irish fire officials pointed to the extreme fire danger being faced by counties Galway, Mayo, Donegal and Dublin over the weekend (16); while a 1,500-acre gorse blaze broke out in Dartmoor, UK (17). Nearly 200 wildfires are raging across the Himalayan nation of Nepal, according to the Regional South Asia Wildland Fire Network (18). And finally, Smokey Bear made an appearance at the Wildfire 2013 event at Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos, New Mexico!

(1) Load & Return - 2013 Refresher

(2) Dalton Hotshots Firefighting Team Celebrating 60 Years

(3) Strong winds expected through the weekend in Los Angeles area

(4) Ramona, Brown Field Tower Closures Delayed: FAA

(5) Prepare property before wildfires

(6) Firefighters Prepare for Wildfire Season

(7) Despite reduced beetle kill, state forester forecasts a heavy fire season

(8) Be aware of spring wildfire danger

(9) Forest Service sets meeting to talk about fire

(10) Parma-Sandstone firefighter suffered burns to hands, face while battling afternoon grass fire

(11) Look to the sky at Hot Spring's Aerospace Day

(12) Warm, windy weather leads to forest fire fears

(13) Freetown FD: Suspicious forest fire spread to 1 acre

(14) N.Y. Firefighters on Long Island Battle Brush Fire

(15) Firefighters ignite open-burn violation

(16) Officials on high alert for more wildfires

(17) Firefighters tackle Dartmoor blaze

(18) Forest fires raging across Tarai

(19) Smokey the Bear Visits Wildfire 2013 Event at Fuller Lodge