WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 040913

The author of "Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy" weighs in on how outdated information may be impacting the vast majority of forest restoration projects across the US (1). A wind-driven wildfire outside the Southern California community of Fillmore that burned 170 acres is now 80% contained (2); but requests for an air-tanker to help fight the blaze went unfulfilled (3). The US Fish and Wildlife Service is considering the black-backed woodpecker, which lives in the Sierras of California and eastern Cascade Range of Oregon and has been impacted, in part, by fire suppression, for endangered species listing (4); and although 17 wildfires have already been identified on land protected by Washington state's Department of Natural Resources, the official start to wildfire season doesn't begin until next week (5). A resident of Mesa, Arizona, who sparked an 18,000-acre wildfire in the Tonto National Forest while target shooting has asked for probation (6). Bizarre weather ignited a 2,600-acre wildfire in Sterling County, Colorado while dropping snow less than 50 miles away (7); while Mesa County will be adding some much-needed apparatus to their wildfire-fighting force (8); even as Colorado Springs unveiled a brand-new Emergency Operations Center (9). Firefighters in Powell, Wyoming, battled a wildfire near Willwood Dam (10). An update on wildfire activity in Eastern Kentucky is provided by the next article (11); one wildfire breaching containment lines on Fonde Mountain (12); while Bath County issued a burn ban as firefighters tackled a 50-acre blaze (13). Firefighters in Jackson County, Illinois, contained a 14-acre wildfire that broke out in the Shawnee National Forest (14); a summary of wildfire activity across Pennsylvania being provided by the next article (15). West Virginia Division of Forestry provided tips on how to prevent forest fires during the spring forest fire season (16); while Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants are being handed out to departments across Massachusetts to help mitigate the wildfire danger (17). The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag warning for Long Island, New York, today (18); and New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported on the wildfire situation in a state which has already seen 230 wildfires so far this year (19). A 400-acre wildfire burning in Florida's Ocala National Forest that threatened 200 homes is now 50% contained (20). A video discusses wildfires that raged through Donegal, Ireland's, boglands (21); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber David Cant, Business Development Manager for South Australia-based BlazeTamer380, sent along a press release about their company's debut in the European firefighting market at Tangent Link's Aerial Firefighting Conference being held in Aix-en-Provence, France, this week (22). An estimated 1,500 ha of forest in India's Navegaon National Park has been damaged by deliberately-set wildfires (23); and a report on a bushfire that burned outside of Prebbleton, New Zealand, last January has been released (24). More assistance for Australian farmers impacted by bushfires that blazed across Dereel, Victoria, is being requested by government officials (25). Treasury officials revealed that bushfires that raged through Tasmania in January added up to $45 million in costs (26); where a South Australian police commissioner will head an investigation into the blazes (27). And finally, firefighters in Gulfport, Florida, came to the rescue of some wayward ducklings who ended up in a storm drain!

(1) Challenging the Wildfire Paradigm

(2) Fillmore Wildfire Burns 170 Acres, 80% Contained

(3) Fillmore fire forces residents out of homes Monday night

(4) Protection considered for bird that needs wildfire

(5) Rain or shine, wildfire season begins

(6) Mesa man asks for probation on wildfire charges

(7) Wild weather brings wildfire, blizzard and severe storms

(8) Equipment approved by Mesa County commissioners

(9) New EOC just in time for floods, wildfires

(10) Willwood wildfire burns near dam

(11) Forest Fires Burn in Eastern Kentucky

(12) Fonde Mountain forest fire rages on

(13) Bath County Issues Burn Ban As Officials Fight Forest Fires

(14) Shawnee National Forest fire contained

(15) More wildfires scorch region

(16) Spring forest fire season highlighted

(17) Fire chiefs receive wildfire grants

(18) Increased chance of wildfires on Long Island today, according to National Weather Service

(19) N.J.'s warming weather prompts caution on wildfires

(20) Ocala wildfire now 400 acres, smoke could linger for weeks

(21) Donegal boglands destroyed in wildfires

(22) BlazeTamer 380 to make its European debut at aerial firefighting conference

(23) 1,500 hectares damaged as miscreants set Navegaon National Park on fire

(24) Report into Canterbury bush fire brings closure

(25) Residents urged to donate to bushfire victims

(26) Bushfire costs hit budget to tune of $45m

(27) Ex-SA top cop to head Tas bushfire probe

(28) Firefighters rescue ducklings stuck in storm drain