WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 082413

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Jon Keeley, a Research Ecologist with US Geological Survey, sent along a study which discusses the impact of land use planning on housing losses in fire-prone areas (1); while a Los Angeles Times article provides some useful tips for Southern Californians to protect their homes from wildfires (2); but as the 200 mi.² Rim Fire entered Yosemite National Park, Gov. Brown declared an emergency for San Francisco due to the threat to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir which provides much of the city's water (3); the next article containing some photos and video from the firelines (4); while the 1,715-acre wildfire in Tehama County is 15% contained (5); and a rash of lightning-sparked wildfires in the Plumas National Forest are mostly under control now (6). As several major fires continued to burn in Oregon, the next article provides more details on the blazes (7). An article from Arizona summarizes the past week's revelations about the dwindling US Forest Service air-tanker fleet even after nine studies commissioned by the agency (8); meanwhile, the first building permit has been issued in Yarnell following the deadly wildfire there (9); even as the first of three newborns arrived to the widow of a Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighter killed in that fire (10); but the debate over full-time benefits for the families of the fallen firefighters could help decide the mayoral race (11). A Forbes Magazine article discusses the economic opportunity in Sun Valley, Idaho, brought about amid the media hype over nearby wildfires (12); while rainfall helped quench five wildfires burning in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park (13). Montana's Lolo Creek Complex Fire was 30% contained after burning 9,500 acres and threatening 1,200 homes (14); the governor visiting Red Lodge to survey the firelines for himself (15); while rainy weather is helping to tame the massive blaze (16); but hot, dry weather forced officials in the Custer-Gallatin National Forest to tighten fire restrictions (17). A resident of Illinois reflected on what it's like to be a member of the Midewin Interagency Hotshot Crew (18); and Ohio Department of Natural Resources has dispatched another 20-person crew to help with wildfires in California (19). Wildfire smoke from British Columbia, Canada's, Kootenay National Park, as well as from American wildfires, is making for smoky skies in Calgary, Alberta (20); while fifteen new wildfires were reported across Europe in France, Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Bulgaria (21). And finally, firefighters in Windsor, Vermont, had a stinky problem to deal with: a pile of goat manure which burst into flames!

(1) Land Use Planning and Wildfire: Development Policies Influence Future Probability of Housing Loss

(2) Your home's wildfire risk may be higher than you think

(3) Yosemite fire prompts state of emergency in San Francisco

(4) Photos From the Massive Yosemite Wildfire

(5) Tehama County foothill fire up to 1,715 acres

(6) Lightning fires under control in Plumas National Forest

(7) Forest Fire Update for August 24, 2013

(8) Forest Service Aircraft Dwindling

(9) In Yarnell, first building permit signals recovery

(10) Wife of Arizona firefighter killed in June gives birth

(11) Firefighter deaths factor into Ariz. mayoral race

(12) Western Wildfires: Economic Devastation And Opportunity

(13) More rain helps cool Yellowstone wildfires

(14) Crews make progress on Lolo wildfires

(15) Red Lodge blaze about 10 percent contained on Friday morning

(16) Calm, rainy day helps firefighting on Lolo complex

(17) Fire restrictions in effect within Custer-Gallatin National Forest

(18) Kankakee man, 25, fighting forest fires

(19) Another Ohio fire crew to fight California fires

(20) Haze from wildfires reaches Calgary

(21) EFFIS - Current Situation

(22) Spontaneous goat manure fire stinks up Vt. town