WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 053013

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Mikel Robinson, Executive Director of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a reminder that nominations for their Ember Award for excellence in wildland fire science will end May 31st (1); the following article providing some wildfire safety tips to campers (2). An LA Times article indicates that the 2,000-acre White Fire burning near the Southern California community of Santa Barbara is now 90% contained (3); and Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rick Halsey, Director of the California Chaparral Institute, speaks to the wildfire danger to homes in San Diego County, which has seen over 3,700 residences go up in smoke since the turn of the century, in a KPBS radio segment (4); but a man could face up to three years in prison after being convicted of starting a wildfire in the Sequoia National Forest in 2009 with fireworks (5); while air-tankers were dispatched to a vegetation fire in Stanislaus County (6). A 21-acre wildfire in Arizona's Tonto National Forest has been contained (7). Florida Forest Service fire crews responded to several wildfires in Santa Rosa County yesterday (8); but wildfires in southwest Escambia County have been contained (9). Following nearly 30 fires over the Memorial Day weekend, fire officials in Alaska deem humans a bigger threat than lightning strikes in starting wildfires (10). As the summer wildfire season approaches in Hawaii, Honolulu Fire Department is urging residents to prepare (11); and even the U.S. Army is gearing up for wildfire battles (12). Several new wildfires were reported in Ontario by the Ministry of Natural Resources (13). Heading to the Mediterranean, wildfires were reported in Costa Verde, Santa Margherita di Pula, and Roseto Capo Spulico, Italy, Kyparissia, Chania, and Aeropoli, Greece, and outside of Manisa, Kas, Yatağan, Denizli, and Canakkale, Turkey (14); but as arson attacks by Arabs take place daily in Jerusalem, Israel, a video segment chronicles a wildfire on Ammunition Hill (15). A bushfire continued to rage in Libya's Jabl Akhdar region, firefighters gaining the upper hand on another blaze east of Benghazi (16). A new study from Australia's National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility discusses a three-way comparative case study of the 2009 Victorian bushfires, the 2011 Perth Hills bushfires, and the 2011 Brisbane floods with an eye towards disaster risk management (17); but the man who admitted starting South Australia's Cherryville bushfire, which destroyed one home and blackened 600 ha, is being sued (18); while a radio segment from Tasmania discusses how the Lions Club is helping with relief efforts in Dunalley (19). And finally, firefighters in San Rafael, California, had to perform an unusual rescue: using a crane to get a horse out of a well!

(1) Ember Award for Excellence in Wildland Fire Science

(2) Wildfires and camping: What you need to know to stay safe

(3) Firefighters getting control of Santa Barbara wildfire

(4) Preparing For Wildfires With Fire-Safe Home Construction And Retrofits

(5) Man convicted of 2009 forest fire

(6) Air Tankers Up

(7) Wildfire on Tonto National Forest is contained

(8) Wildfires break out in Santa Rosa

(9) Southwest Escambia wildfires contained

(10) Careless Alaskans biggest wildfire threat right now, but lightning is coming

(11) Officials encourage residents to prepare for possible wildfires as summer swiftly approaches

(12) Wildfire season poses extra danger for parts of Hawaii

(13) Latest forest fire update for the Northeast region

(14) EFFIS - Current Situation

(15) Video & Photos: Forest Fire on Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem

(16) Bushfire near Benghazi

(17) Rethinking disaster risk management and climate change adaptation

(18) Lawsuit looms over Cherryville bushfire as man who started it says sorry

(19) The TOOL Library - Lions Hobart Bushfire relief

(20) Firefighters use crane to rescue horse trapped in well