WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 080513

A 60-acre wildfire outside of the Southern California community of Beaumont has been contained (1); while Stanislaus National Forest officials reported a wildfire of between 3-4 acres (2); and Eldorado National Forest fire crews grappled with three wildfires (3); CAL FIRE crews stopping a 45-acre wildfire before it could reach structures on Sunday (4). A summary of wildfire activity in Oregon is provided by the next article (5); where fire crews on the Douglas Complex fought to protect 470 homes threatened by the fire (6); while the governor and both US senators received a briefing on the fires in southern Oregon at Glendale (7); firefighters continuing to mop up a host of small wildfires in Lane County (8); and fire officials plan to hold a town hall meeting in Camp Sherman tonight to update residents on the fire situation (9); but a forecast of hotter weather and more lightning may challenge firefighters across the state (10). Although firefighters made considerable progress on wildfires in Washington state over the weekend, hot, dry conditions will require fire bans to remain in place (11); and even though the city of Wenatchee received substantial rainfall, a nearby wildfire was hardly touched (12). While federal wildfire policy is mired in politics, the plight of Nevada's sage grouse may force some changes (13); an editorial from the Las Vegas Review-Journal once again slamming federal fire policy following the 28,000-acre wildfire on Mount Charleston (14). A retired fire and aviation manager from Arizona disputes the notion that fighting wildfires should be like warfare in an Op-Ed piece (15); the next article touching on the impact of the deaths of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots on the brotherhood of firefighters (16). After hiring 40 veterans to help fight fires in the state this year, New Mexico's governor hopes to hire another 60 to help next year (17). A small wildfire northwest of Fort Collins, Colorado, is being blamed on an unattended campfire (18); while the Great Basin Incident Management Team reported that good relations with El Paso County greatly facilitated operations during the Black Forest Fire (19); but adding to the misery of Black Forest Fire survivors, torrential rains washed out a road leading into their neighborhoods (20). Windy, dry conditions prompted the National Weather Service to issue Red Flag warnings for Eastern and Central Idaho through tonight (21). One Oklahoma fire department reflects on the damage done by a 60,000-acre wildfire that destroyed 400 homes in Freedom Hill one year ago (22); while a fast-moving wildfire was reported in Mesquite, Texas, over the weekend (23). A 340-acre wildfire is burning near Bondurant, Montana (24). Lightning sparked 200 wildfires in British Columbia, Canada, over the weekend (25); but although Kamloops Fire Centre indicated that there were no new wildfires in their neck of the woods, 22 active blazes continued to burn (26); while cabin-owners in Wabush, Labrador, have a long road ahead as they rebuild dozens of cabins destroyed by wildfires (27). Wildfire activity increased over the weekend in Europe, with 23 wildfires being reported in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus (28); a brief summary of Spanish wildfires being provided by the next article (29); and more details on wildfires in Greece being provided by the two that follow (30)(31); but although wildfires in Siberian Russia didn't do damage to human habitations, the damage to wildlife habitat was substantial, according to Greenpeace (32). The International Association of Cryospheric Sciences has proposed studying the acceleration of Himalayan glacier melting due to wildfire smoke (33); while corruption of local officials is being blamed by environmentalists for Indonesia's runaway wildfires on the island of Sumatra (34). The benefits of using GIS to locate bushfires started by power lines in Australia is the focus of the next article (35). Four months after the devastating bushfire in Dereel, Victoria, one couple struggles to rebuild (36); the Victorian government getting an earful from property owners upset over construction restrictions in bushfire-prone areas (37). A bushfire near Freemans Waterhole, New South Wales, was sparked by a truck fire (38). And finally, it pays to be a firefighter who battled Southern California's Mountain Fire because they will get free admission to next weekend's Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines festival!

(1) Beaumont brush fire, visible from I-10, contained

(2) Fire In Stanislaus National Forest

(3) Update: Firefighters busy battling blazes throughout region

(4) UPDATED: Fire burns 45 acres in southwest Redding

(5) Wildfires grow in Oregon but crews make progress

(6) Firefighters Work to Protect Homes

(7) Governor Kitzhaber Receives A Wildfire Briefing

(8) Crews continue to mop up small forest fires in eastern Lane County

(9) Fire meeting set for Camp Sherman

(10) Oregon fires: Hotter weather, more lightning ahead

(11) Crews getting upper hand on wildfires

(12) Chelan County rain misses wildfire

(13) One strange bird could pave way for more fire prevention funds

(14) Editorial: Change in forest policy could avert fire devastation

(15) 'Firefighting is not war'

(16) Family ties run deep for Ariz. firefighters

(17) NM to expand use of veterans in fighting wildfires

(18) Wildfire reported in Poudre Canyon northwest of Fort Collins

(19) Black Forest fire report emphasizes good relationships with local agencies

(20) Black Forest wildfire victims blocked by washed-out road

(21) High wildfire threat Sunday and Monday in Eastern, Central Idaho

(22) Freedom Hill Fire Department Recovering From 2012 Wildfires

(23) Firefighters Battle Large Brush Fire in Mesquite

(24) Crews fighting 340-acre wildfire near Bondurant

(25) B.C firefighters battle 200 forest fires sparked by lightning across province

(26) No new wildfires burning in Valley

(27) Labrador cabin-owners rebuilding after forest fires

(28) EFFIS - Current Situation

(29) Wildfire rages west of Spain’s capital, Madrid

(30) Fire rages near Athens

(31) Forest Fires Hit Fokida, Marathona

(32) All forest fires out in Siberia - but risk remains

(33) Is dust pollution speeding up melting of Himalayan glaciers?

(34) Indonesia's burning question

(35) Expert urges rethink on bushfire prevention for utilities

(36) 'It's harder for us now': Dereel couple on rebuilding after March bushfire

(37) Landholders urge more bushfire zone building changes

(38) Truck starts bushfire

(39) MOUNTAIN FIRE: Free Firefighter, EMT jazz festival admission