WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 011913

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dave Baskett, President of International Emergency Services, discusses plans to bring 10 Russian-built BE-200 air-tankers to Santa Maria, California, to help fight wildfires (1); but a reduced snowpack in New Mexico's mountains may herald a busy fire season this summer (2). Texas Forest Service firefighters battled a 15-acre wildfire in Upshur County Friday (3); while volunteers from Pennsylvania helped rebuild homes destroyed by the 2011 Bastrop County Complex Fire (4). The New Jersey Forest Fire Service will be conducting controlled burns on Monmouth Battlefield State Park (5); but fire crews in Chandrapur, India, have a fun job ahead: cutting fire lines in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve! (6) Australian bushfires are making for spectacular sunsets on New Zealand's North Island (7); while alert forest personnel managed to contain an arson bushfire outside of Kaikohe before it got out of control (8). According to the Australian Psychological Society, among the many preparations residents need to make for bushfires, steeling themselves mentally is important (9). Fire crews in Victoria and New South Wales made progress on bushfires as the weather turned cooler (10); nevertheless, the residents of Maffra, Victoria, have been told to prepare to evacuate (11); and a 200-hectare lightning-sparked bushfire was reported in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, New South Wales (12); a video conveys images from Victoria's fireline in the next item (13); where homeowners are anxious to return to see if their homes are still standing in Heyfield (14); while Victoria's Fire Services Commissioner discusses how best to dance with the bushfire demon (15); New South Wales' acting Premier applauding firefighters for their heroics fighting bushfires (16); even as arson investigators sift through the ashes to determine the cause of a 50,000-hectare blaze in Gippsland, Victoria, that destroyed nine homes, killing one man (17). And finally, why did the roo cross the road? To get away from the bushfire, mate!

(1) From Russia, with water: Firm seeks to import fire-fighting tanker plane

(2) Little snowpack may compound drought, fire danger

(3) Friday fire in Upshur County burns 15 acres, threatening two homes

(4) Volunteers continue to help rebuild after wildfires

(5) NJ Forest Fire Service to Control Burn Monmouth Battlefield

(6) FDCM starts measures to check forest fires in Tadoba

(7) Aussie bushfires makes for spectacular sunset

(8) Close call in forest fire

(9) Tips on coping with threat of bushfires

(10) Cool change helps firefighters contain blazes

(11) More days of fire pain ahead, as Maffra warned to 'batten down'

(12) Lightning strike starts bushfire in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

(13) On Victoria's bushfire front

(14) Heyfield residents angry as they are blocked from checking homes after bushfire

(15) Men and women who dance with the bushfire demon

(16) Acting Premier applauds firefighters

(17) Police seek clues to cause of Gippsland bushfire

(18) Kangaroo escapes Australia wildfire as heat wave breaks records