WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 050313

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ty Bonnar, Vice President of Global Operations at Southern California-based Flexible Alternatives, sent along a press release from US Senator John McCain asking Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack about the status of plans to use seven surplus C-27J Spartan aircraft offered to US Forest Service as air-tankers under the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 2012 (1); this at a time when US Forest Service is asking states to return $17.9 million in subsidies due to the sequester (2). A summary of wildfire activity in California is provided by the next item (3); where the Angeles National Forest Fire Lookout Association will begin training fire lookouts in San Fernando on May 9th (4); but the report of a tree on fire in the San Bernardino National Forest turned out to be a small dust storm instead (5); while firefighters battling the 2,956-acre Summit Fire outside of Banning in Riverside County brought containment to 65% (6); and FEMA has approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant which will pay 75% of the costs of battling that blaze (7); but a 10,000-acre wildfire which is threatening Naval Base Ventura County is still only 10% contained (8); high winds forcing the grounding of air-tankers at a critical time during the blaze yesterday (9); CBS News providing some video from the firelines in the next item (10); an LA Times reporter recounting her own experience fleeing her Newbury Park home ahead of the fire (11); the next article exploring the connection between wildfires and climate change (12). A report from the San Diego County Grand Jury cited concerns about the impact the California Public Safety Realignment Act could have on inmate firefighting crews (13); a Washington Post article providing more details on the legislation causing the crisis (14); meanwhile, a dry winter has led to early fire restrictions in the Sequoia National Forest (15); followed by an update on the Panther Fire, which is burning near Chico in Northern California (16); where a reporter from Sacramento got to feel what it was like to be on the fireline when an air-tanker dumped its load on him (17); but a representative of the Kentfield Fire Protection District urged CAL FIRE to get their air-tankers airborne sooner to perform initial attack on wildfires (18); in the meantime, firefighters have nearly contained the 125-acre Yellow Fire near Yountville (19). A runaway debris fire in Gales Creek, Oregon, was quickly contained by firefighters (20). Arizona's Kaibab National Forest planted 100,000 new ponderosa pine seedlings in the burn area of a 60,000-acre 2006 wildfire near Jacob Lake (21); but having already seen 200 wildfires blaze across her state so far this year, Gov. Jan Brewer approved $4 million in funding for the Arizona State Forester (22). Firefighters in New Mexico revised the size of the Piedra Fire down from 50 acres to only 30 (23); while the Lincoln National Forest announced tighter fire restrictions beginning tomorrow (24). Local experts briefed six members of Congress in Denver, Colorado, who were considering legislative steps to better mitigate wildfires (25); but a man accused of impersonating a firefighter at two Colorado wildfires will have his day in court in October (26). Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection warned residents of that state that warmer weather equates to more wildfires (27); while preparations for Alberta, Canada's, fire season are underway at Edson Air-Tanker Base (28). Heading to Europe, Ireland's Minister for Agriculture warned of the high fire danger faced by parts of that country (29); even as a wildfire was reported in Stamateika, Greece (30). And finally, firefighters in Harford County, Maryland, performed their good deed for the day rescuing a fox kit trapped in a storm drain!

(1) Sen. McCain Urges Administration To Detail Plans To Transfer Surplus Military Aircraft To Help Fight Wildfires

(2) Forest Service tells states to give federal subsidies back due to sequester

(3) Firefighters Battling Wildfires Across California

(4) Volunteer lookouts needed as fire season arrives

(5) San Bernardino County Forest reports of a single tree on fire was dust

(6) Firefighters Making "Good Progress" on 3,000-Acre Summit Fire in Riverside County

(7) California Secures Federal Financial Aid to Assist Firefighting Efforts in Riverside County

(8) Thousands flee Calif. wildfires; naval base threatened

(9) California wildfires: High winds ground air tankers

(10) Calif. wildfires: Thousands of acres burn, hundreds evacuate

(11) California wildfire: Fleeing the flames, reporting the story

(12) Wildfires, naturally occurring forest fires and climate change

(13) Inmate Firefighting Concern Outlined in Grand Jury Report

(14) Calif. may speed inmate releases, ease rules for inmate firefighters to cut prison crowding

(15) Dry Winter Leads to Early Fire Restrictions in Sequoia National Forest

(16) Panther Fire Triples in Size, Engulfing 7,000 Acres

(17) RAW VIDEO: Air Tanker Dumps on Reporter at Fire

(18) Marin Readers' Forum for May 3

(19) Firefighters make major progress on 'Yellow Fire'

(20) First brush fire of season in Gales Creek contained by Forest Grove Fire, other agencies

(21) Arizona wildfires: Crews plant trees on Arizona forest scarred by fire

(22) Arizona forest official says crews ready to fight wildfires

(23) Piedra Fire burns for second day

(24) Sacramento Ranger, Smokey Bear forest districts have stage 1 fire restrictions

(25) GOP Congress members plan for forest fire season

(26) Trial moved to Oct. for accused firefighter poser

(27) DEEP: Elevated Forest Fire Danger This Weekend, Early Next Week

(28) Forest fire preparations ramping up

(29) Warning over threat of forest fires issued

(30) EFFIS - Current Situation

(31) For a night, a baby fox finds comfort from firemen