WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 102513

Wildfire NOTD subscribers Eric Boldt, a Warning Coordination Meteorologist with NOAA, and John Todd, Deputy Chief at Los Angeles County Fire Department, discuss the wildfire situation in Southern California on the 10th anniversary of a devastating fire siege (1); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Brian Fennessy, Assistant Chief at San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, commenting on wildfires in his region in 2003 in a KPCC segment (2); and sending along a press release about a presentation today that detailed how the region’s fire prevention and response capability has been vastly improved since 2003’s firestorm (3); a summary of those wildfires being provided by the next article (4); but as prosecutors consider legal action for Yosemite's Rim Fire, the next article provides some background on how fire starters have been prosecuted in the past (5); the toll of that fire on local tourist businesses being examined by the article which follows (6); the plight of the sage grouse, whose habitat in California and Nevada was severely damaged by wildfires, being revisited (7); while the Two Rivers Tribune looks back on the Dance Fire and Salmon River Fires which blazed through the Klamath and Trinity Rivers region (8). Oregon Youth Authority’s wildland firefighters are profiled in the next article (9); and a wildland firefighter from Idaho recounting his experiences battling range fires in a new book titled "Ahead of the Flaming Front: A Life On Fire" (10). A wildfire was reported in Jefferson County, Texas (11); a slideshow offering airborne views of the blaze (12). A 250-acre wildfire on the grounds of Hawaii's Schofield Barracks required the use of military helicopters as it burned in inaccessible terrain (13); but fire crews will be conducting controlled burns on 10 ha in British Columbia, Canada's, Heritage Hills (14). A 70-hectare wildfire was reported near Cruz de Tejeda on Spain's Gran Canaria island (15); while authorities in Indonesia named two Malaysians suspected of setting forest fires on Sumatra island (16). Firefighters began to gain the upper hand on bushfires ravaging New South Wales, Australia (17); but homeowners were warned not to become complacent as the danger passes (18); the Prime Minister continuing to deny that climate change has anything to do with increased bushfire activity in NSW (19); while the Australian press lambasted US-based NBC News for sensationalizing Australian bushfires (20); bushfire damage to railways impacting the bottom line at Australia's largest national rail freight company, Asciano (21); but the next article chronicles "uncivil behavior" by some individuals (22); the toll on Australian wildlife being chronicled in the article that follows (23). A lightning-sparked bushfire in Western Australia's Pilbara region forced evacuation of the Cloudbreak iron ore mine (24). And finally, firefighters in North Las Vegas, Nevada, revived a pair of puppies trapped in a house fire, showing once again that firefighters are a dog's best friend!

(1) Wildfires: an ever-present danger in Southern California

(2) 2003 wildfires: Memories linger, firefighting techniques evolve after the largest fire in California history (map)

For the remainder of the stories in today's Wildfire News Of The Day, please subscribe to the Wildfire News Of The Day newsletter