WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 022113

A Colorado State Forest Service spokesman pointed out in a lecture in Woodland Park that the Pike National Forest could experience a catastrophic wildfire due to its overgrown vegetation (1); while the Pueblo West Fire Department prepared for the upcoming wildfire season amid an ongoing drought (2). Dry, windy conditions have prompted fire officials to issue a wildfire warning for Bexar County, Texas (3); and a South Carolina Forestry Commission spokesman tried to clarify outdoor burning laws in Aiken County, where nine out of ten wildfires are started by debris burns (4); but having seen 1.3 million acres go up in smoke over the last 10 years, Florida Forest Service reminded residents that the fire season is year-round now (5). In a follow-up to yesterday's article from the Caribbean island nation of the Dominican Republic, two wildfires which destroyed 1,200 ha of forest are now believed to have been arson (6). A European Union-funded project has yielded a new wildfire warning system called Firesense which is intended to monitor cultural and archaeological sites across the continent to protect them from wildfires (7); while, as part of Russian Helicopters Global Helicopter Firefighting Initiative, the company will be demonstrating a firefighting helicopter in action in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, from 26 February to 3 March (8). A 90-hectare bushfire outside of Kaipara, New Zealand, continues to challenge firefighters (9); while investigators are deeming a bushfire which burned between 10 and 20 ha outside of Wellington suspicious in its origins (10); a photo spread chronicling a bushfire at Owhiro Bay (11). A University of Melbourne researcher discusses the impact of Australia's bushfires on its forests (12); while the next article takes a look at the impact of bushfires, among other natural disasters, on Insurance Australia Group's bottom line (13). Country Fire Authority crews continued to grapple with a bushfire in the Grampians which is threatening homes in Glenisla and Cherrypool (14); and prompting alerts in nearby farming communities as well (15); smoke from the 25,000-hectare bushfire in Grampians National Park continuing to sully the skies in South Australia (16); but even as bushfires continue to burn across the state, Blaze Aid is helping farmers to rebuild fence line (17). Fire crews are attempting to contain a three-hectare blaze burning in difficult terrain outside of Gerogery, New South Wales (18); while a man has pleaded guilty to starting a 475-hectare bushfire at Long's Point on New Year's Eve with illegal fireworks (19). A 2,000-hectare bushfire in Gingin, Western Australia, continues to threaten homes on its eastern flank (20); prompting road closures near Armadale (21); and a 12-year-old boy has been charged with starting a bushfire outside of Geraldton that burned 15 ha earlier this week (22); while the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Helitacs are profiled by the next article (23). Victoria-based Hawthorn Football Club donated 100 tickets to Tasmanian bushfire survivors (24). And finally, a new movie about the impact wildfires and poaching have had on elephants got the big screen treatment from a Mission Impossible film director!

(1) Woodland Park residents want mass fire mitigation effort

(2) PW Fire prepares for wildfire season

(3) Wildfire warning issued for Bexar

(4) Important laws for outdoor fires

(5) Wildfire season is upon Florida; officials say summer will bring fire

(6) Arson suspected in Central Mountain fire that charred forest

(7) Optical sensing creates wildfire warning system

(8) Russian Helicopters Launches Global Helicopter Firefighting Initiative

(9) Firefighters struggling to contain blaze on DOC land

(10) Wellington blaze suspicious: firefighters

(11) Owhiro Bay Bush Fire

(12) Comment: What the 2013 bushfires could do to our forests

(13) IAG lifts forecasts and dividend

(14) Emergency warning for Grampians bushfire

(15) Bushfire threatens farming communities

(16) More smoke drifts over from Victorian bushfires

(17) A fence closer to bushfire recovery

(18) Fire fighters battle "inaccessible" bushfire

(19) Guilty plea to starting Long Point bushfire

(20) Bushfire threat eases in Bindoon

(21) Bushfire sparked near Armadale

(22) Boy, 12, charged with starting Geraldton bushfire

(23) Helitacs seen as last line of defence

(24) Free footy tickets for bushfire victims

(25) Wildfire Prevention and Environmental Awareness Through New Hollywood film