WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072613

As Southern California's 27,500-acre Mountain Fire reaches 92% containment, the number of personnel have shrunk from a high of 3,350 to only 146 (1); the cause of that fire being attributed to faulty electrical equipment on private property (2); but a new wildfire in Summit Valley that scorched 75 acres yesterday is now 80% contained (3); firefighters battling a wildfire near Frazier Park stumbled across a marijuana grove (4); while a lightning-sparked wildfire that has scorched between 2,000 and 3,000 acres near Huntington Lake in the Sierra National Forest continued to challenge fire crews (5); four hikers becoming disoriented by smoke from that fire, triggering a search and rescue effort (6); and 250 kids had to be evacuated because of the fire (7); a photo spread providing scenes of a wildfire burning north of Sacramento (8). An update on wildfire activity in Oregon is provided by the next article (9); where Douglas Forest Protective Association has deployed resources to battle some of the 60 wildfires sparked by lightning strikes (10); while the Kah-Nee-Ta resort reopened following an evacuation (11); but a former wildland firefighter laments what she sees as the end of the Golden Age of wildland firefighting in the next item (12). Evacuation notices have been issued to two towns in Klickitat County, Washington, as a nearby wildfire expanded to 4,600 acres in size (13); smoke from that fire drifting into the area around Kennewick (14). Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado and Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona introduced an amendment to create two sites for Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs) that would focus on wildfire monitoring, mitigation and containment (15); while the important role that First Responders played during Colorado's Black Forest Fire is addressed by the first of a series of articles (16); even as families impacted by the Black Forest Fire received support from two groups: Waldo Canyon Fire survivors (17); and Aurora Theater shooting survivors (18); while a Colorado Master Gardner expounds on the virtues of Firewise landscaping (19). A summary of wildfire activity in Idaho, where 10 major fires continue to burn, is provided by the next article (20); a professor at Idaho State University weighing in on the longer, fiercer fire season in that state (21). An update on a 430-acre wildfire outside of Cedar City, Utah, is provided by the next article (22). An eight-acre wildfire was reported in Montana's Bitterroot National Forest near the 4,295-acre Gold Pan Fire (23); and a 60-acre blaze in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest was 0% contained (24). Seven firefighters from Pennsylvania returned from Alaska with stories of wildfires they had battled there (25). Canadian air-tankers received priority clearance over commercial flights as a three-hectare wildfire burned north of Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia (26); but heavy smoke from a 24,000-acre wildfire in Manitoba forced more evacuations from the Tataskweyak Cree Nation's Split Lake reserve (27); and two new wildfires were reported near Sudbury, Ontario (28); where the Ministry of Natural Resources has committed $47 million to improvements in wildfire response (29). Wildfires continue to break out across Europe, with blazes reported in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Croatia and Turkey (30); firefighters in Serbia battling a 15-hectare blaze on Mokra Gora (31). The devastation caused by wildfires on Indonesia's island of Sumatra, most of them allegedly set by palm oil consortiums, are shown in a series of photos snapped by an Indonesian cameraman for Greenpeace (32). The Australian Capital Territory Auditor-General made 24 suggestions to correct perceived shortcomings in that area's bushfire preparedness plan (33); but the Victorian farmer named in a class-action suit as being responsible for the 1,300-hectare Chepstowe bushfire in January denies responsibility for sparking the blaze (34); a NASA satellite providing a striking photo of wildfires burning in the Northern Territory (35); while Western Australia's new Victims of Crime Commissioner will draw on her work with survivors of Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires to better serve in her new role (36); where the Margaret River Bushfire Recovery Working Group will tour coastal areas impacted by bushfires to conclude their recovery activities (37). And finally, a photo spread from the London Daily Mail shows what it's like being a Hotshot firefighter in the US!

(1) Firefighting Resources Cut Dramatically As Mountain Fire is 92 Percent Contained

(2) Massive California wildfire sparked by faulty electrical gear

(3) Wildfire Threatens Homes, Closes Part of Highway 138 in Summit Valley

(4) US Forest Service finds marijuana grow while fighting "Water fire" near Frazier Park

(5) Large forest fire burns near Huntington Lake

(6) 4 hikers reported lost in Sierra forest fire smoke

(7) Church Camp: 250 Kids Forced To Evacuate Wildfire

(8) Wildfire burns North Sacramento along American River

(9) Oregon Firefighters Make Progress in Wildfire Battles

(10) Crews Respond to Lightning-Caused Fires

(11) Firefighters make progress against wildfires, Kah-Nee-Ta resort re-opens

(12) Emerick: I will fight fire no more

(13) Wildfire grows to 4,600 acres near Goldendale

(14) Tri-Cities may catch smoke from wildfires

(15) Drones can be used in Colorado and Arizona to study firefighting, senators suggest

(16) Unsung Heroes of the Black Forest Fire, Part 1

(17) Fire survivors to mentor Black Forest residents

(18) Aurora Theater Victims Reaching Out To Black Forest Fire Victims

(19) Year Round Gardening: Preparing your yard for the next wildfire

(20) Wildfires currently burning in Idaho

(21) Early wildfire starts in central Idaho bode for fire until October

(22) Cinder Pit Fire (UPDATED)

(23) Second blaze spotted near Gold Pan fire on Bitterroot Forest

(24) Forest fire breaks out southwest of Philipsburg

(25) 7 local firefighters return from battling wildfires in Alaska

(26) Wildfire grounds flights at Kelowna International Airport

(27) NE136 forest fire about eight kilometres northwest of Split Lake

(28) Two new forest fires in Sudbury area

(29) Improving Forest Fire Protection

(30) EFFIS - Current Situation

(31) Serbia: Fire on Mokra Gora engulfed 15 hectares of forest and spreading

(32) Slideshow: devastating fires sweep through Sumatran forests

(33) Shortcomings found in ACT bushfire preparedness

(34) Snake Valley farmer denies he acted negligently over Chepstowe fire

(35) Fires in Northern Territory Australia

(36) Victims of crime given a voice

(37) Hike to wrap up bushfire recovery activities

(38) 'Hotshot' firefighter shows what it's really like risking everything to battle America's deadly wildfires