WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 020813

Activists are trying to block a 452-house sub-development plan for Southern California's Chino Hills area due to the wildfire danger in the region (1); and the California Fire Science Consortium, sent along a link to a survey dealing with the effectiveness of the Joint Fire Science Program’s publications (2). The Eastern Nevada Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs put out the word that it will be hiring on-call wildland firefighters through April 19th (3). Colorado's US Senators have introduced a bill in Congress that would allocate $60 million to Emergency Watershed Protection projects in that state (4); while a meeting of a group of military and civilian officials discussed three of the state’s worst fires (5); even as firefighters had to hike into the backcountry to battle a three-acre wildfire in the Roosevelt National Forest (6). A reworked Utah Senate bill has been reintroduced in an effort to reduce wildfires caused by target shooters (7); one of a pair of bills that aim to help prevent and fight wildfires in that state (8). A former volunteer firefighter from Muskogee County, Oklahoma, pled guilty to setting numerous wildfires (9); but fire officials from the Georgia Forestry Commission are still trying to estimate the size of a wildfire that burned at least 25 acres north of Clarkesville (10). In an ironic twist, a declining population in the Peruvian Amazon is leading to a worsening wildfire situation (11); while fire crews remained overnight to monitor a 30-hectare bushfire in New Zealand's Waipoua Forest (12). Bushfire damage in several Australian states has topped $100 million in insurance claims (13). Shifting winds and continued dry conditions have firefighters in Victoria's Gippsland and alpine region bracing for more bushfires (14); but Western Australia's Kwinana Freeway has reopened following a two-hectare bushfire in Baldivis (15). Aerial firefighters are targeting four bushfires covering 2,000 hectares across Tasmania (16). And finally, a quick-thinking Scottsdale, Arizona, battalion chief and former Golden Gloves boxer once again demonstrated that criminals should beware the long arm of the... fire service!

(1) New housing projects stir up memories of wildfire

(2) JFSP Publication Survey

(3) On-call Summer Firefighters needed

(4) Udall, Bennet Introduce Bill To Aid Wildfire Recovery Efforts in Colorado

(5) City, county, state talk response to wildfires

(6) Firefighters hiking to wildfire near mouth of canyon west of Loveland

(7) Bill restricts target shooting during wildfire season

(8) Pair of bills seek to help prevent, fight wildfires

(9) Former Muskogee County Volunteer Firefighter Pleads Guilty To Setting Fires

(10) Forest fire chars large acreage north of Clarkesville

(11) Researchers warn of more wild fires as Peruvians migrate to the big city

(12) Waipoua forest fire burns 30 hectares

(13) Bushfire, flood and storm insurance claims cost hundreds of millions

(14) Wind changes a worry for firefighters

(15) Kwinana Freeway open as Baldivis fire controlled

(16) Water bombers target bushfires

(17) Firefighter foils carjack suspect