WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 061013

Fire crews brought a 1,500-acre wildfire burning outside of the Southern California community of Banning to 15% containment (1); but a storm system rolling through Northern California produced at least 400 lightning strikes, some of which ignited wildfires (2). Officials at Oregon's Siuslaw National Forest are asking visitors to pay attention to fire safety precautions to ward off wildfires (3); while a 10,000-acre wildfire burning between Moxee and Zillah, Washington, has been fully contained (4). Lightning strikes ignited at least 16 wildfires on the Nevada side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range (5); but an article from Arizona showed how the Nature Conservancy is taking a high-tech approach to forest thinning (6). The 2 mi.² Silver Fire, burning in New Mexico's Gila National Forest, forced the evacuation of the small town of Kingston (7); and progress by firefighters battling the 32 mi.² Thompson Ridge Fire in the Santa Fe National Forest allowed traffic to begin flowing again on State Route 4 (8). Two wildfires in Idaho's Magic Valley burned nearly 500 acres between them over the weekend (9). Fire crews outside of Tooele, Utah, expecting to have a 90-acre wildfire completely contained this afternoon (10); but the two following articles take a closer look at the impact of wildfire smoke on nearly a third of Americans who have breathing problems (11)(12). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Chris Mehl, Communications Director for Montana-based Headwaters Economics, sent along a backgrounder to earlier material that discusses the rising costs of wildfires and the federal role in dealing with them (13); while a fire warden from Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation compared two wildfires 86 years apart, discussing how wildland firefighting has changed in the past century (14). An update on the wildfire situation in Manitoba, Canada, is provided by the next item (15); where 200 people were forced to flee from the First Nations settlement of Ilford due to an approaching wildfire (16); while over two dozen wildfires were reported by Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources in that province (17); Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services CL-415s getting a workout battling the blazes (18). Wildfires continued to crop up in Europe, where several wildfires broke out in Wales, UK (19); and blazes were reported outside of Chejelipes, La Gomera and Bocairent, Spain, Lithaire, France, Emponas, Rhodes and Vasilies, Greece, and Bucak, Turkey (20); union officials in Greece complaining about a shortage of personnel and equipment as wildfires become more frequent (21). Four people will receive Order of Australia awards for their actions during Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 (22); and a police officer received an Australian Police Medal for his efforts during the Black Saturday bushfires as well (23). The Tasmanian Bushfire Recovery Taskforce reminded people impacted by the January bushfires that financial assistance was still available (24). And finally, students at Florida's Flagler Palm Coast High School may have given us a glimpse of the future with a new amphibious firefighting vehicle!

(1) Wildfire sparked near casino burns at least 1,500 acres in San Bernardino National Forest

(2) Firefighters monitor lightning strikes in tinder-dry hills

(3) Siuslaw National Forest: Heed fire safety precautions

(4) UPDATE: Central Washington Wildfire Contained

(5) Red Rock Fire Nearly Contained; Evacuations Over

(6) Arizona forest fires: High-tech equipment aids fight

(7) Town of Kingston,NM wildfire evacuation

(8) NM highway reopened as firefighters block wildfire

(9) Wildfires Consume 383 Acres near Buhl and Gooding

(10) Tooele Co. wildfire grows to 90 acres

(11) Experts: Weather changes, forest growth making wildfires harder to control

(12) Hooper girl’s life revolves around asthma, wildfire smoke

(13) Summary: Wildfire Costs, New Development, and Rising Temperatures

(14) Townsend blazes 86 years apart highlight advances made in firefighting

(15) Forest Fires: Slowly Gaining Control

(16) 200 evacuated amid northern Manitoba forest fires

(17) Northwest forest fire threat may ease with rain

(18) MNR crews and aircraft battle northern forest fires

(19) Incredible scenes as helicopter helps crews battle forest fires for 18 hours

(20) EFFIS - Current Situation

(21) Firefighting union says Greece short of personnel and equipment to counter blazes

(22) Black Saturday figures honoured

(23) Top honour for our brave bushfire hero

(24) Assistance is still on offer after bushfires

(25) FPC students to design amphibious firefighting vehicle