WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 040213

A lack of rainfall has increased the danger of wildfires across Ventura County, California (1); while Kern County will be hosting the Wildfire Awareness Expo at the Kernville Rodeo Grounds towards the end of this month (2). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Ware, Fire Prevention and Outreach Program Manager for New Mexico State Forestry, discussed plans on the hiring of military vets to help fight wildfires in that state this summer (3); a report on Colorado's Waldo Canyon Fire showing how New Mexicans could prepare for wildfires of their own (4). In Massachusetts, Boston Fire Department was interested in questioning a man who was found near a wildfire they fought along the Muddy River over Easter weekend (5); and dry, windy conditions have increased the danger of wildfires in Staten Island, New York (6). With burning restrictions in place, residents of Maryland with breathing disorders were warned that tinder dry fuel and breezy conditions across the state could cause them problems due to wildfire smoke (7); while survivors of South Carolina's Carolina Forest wildfire that destroyed over 100 condominiums have received cash donations to help with their losses (8). A lack of rain combined with dry fuel and low humidity prompted Florida Forest Service to warn that more wildfires are likely across the state (9); a 50-acre blaze being reported near Central Florida's Withlacoochee State Forest (10); while helicopters were brought in to help fight a 20,000-acre wildfire burning in the Big Cypress National Preserve (11); but a 1,200-acre wildfire in Brevard County doesn't appear to be an immediate threat to the Kennedy Space Center (12). An elderly gardener was apparently killed by a bushfire in the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad & Tobago (13). Muirburns to clear pastureland are being blamed for some of the 100+ wildfires fire crews dealt with in Scotland's Highlands and Islands over the past few days (14); the next article praising firefighters for their efforts battling wildfires across the region (15); while far to the south, fire crews tackled a small wildfire in East Sussex, UK's, Ashdown Forest (16). Mikel Robinson, Executive Director of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along sponsorship information for the Russian Edition of the 4th Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference, to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, this coming July (17); and Civil Defense crews battled a 3 km² wildfire on the outskirts of Jeita, Lebanon (18). A bushfire which has burned between 70 and 100 acres in Wairarapa, New Zealand, is being deemed suspicious in origin (19); while a researcher from the University of Canterbury is working with Australia's Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre on a project to help reduce the fire risk in bushfire-prone regions (20). Australia's Climate Commission has released a new study titled "The Critical Decade: Extreme Weather" (21). As donations continue to pour in to help bushfire survivors in Dereel, Victoria, one couple expressed their thanks in the next article (22); while a newly-discovered species of freshwater fish impacted by bushfires that blazed through Gippsland in March has been relocated to Arthur Rylah Institute in Melbourne (23). With the onset of rain and cooler temperatures, the bushfire danger across southern New South Wales has diminished (24). And finally, Austrian firefighters had a slightly different duty to perform: cattle herding!

(1) Scant rainfall may bring big fires in Ventura County

(2) Wildfire awareness information event scheduled

(3) New Mexico to hire veterans to fight wildfires

(4) Report says mitigation measures lessen the impact of wildfires

(5) Boston Firefighters Find Burned Man Near Brush Fire

(6) Increased risk of wildfires on Staten Island on Tuesday

(7) Allergy, wildfire seasons approaching as spring blooms

(8) Carolina Forest Fire victims begin to see cash donations

(9) No rain? Expect wildfires, and more of them

(10) Firefighters winning battle over Dade City brush fire

(11) Crews continue to battle 20,000-acre fire in Big Cypress

(12) 1,200-acre brush fire burns in Brevard

(13) Gardener killed in bush fire

(14) Wildfires across Highlands and Islands spark warning to land managers

(15) Fort William wildfires: Brave firefighters tackle wall of flames in Scottish Highlands

(16) Firefighters battle Ashdown Forest fire

(17) Sponsorship Information - St. Petersburg, Russia

(18) Forest fire spreads in 3 square km near Jeita

(19) Wairarapa forest fire suspicious

(20) UC Researcher Helping Australian Learn From Bush Fire

(21) Climate change increases weather extremes

(22) Dereel couple say thanks for help after bushfire

(23) Fish rescued from Victorian bushfire hit zone

(24) Bushfire danger period eases

(25) Cops vs. cattle: Austrian police, firefighters chase herd through town, 2 firefighters injured