WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 041313

CAL FIRE and the California National Guard are holding a joint aviation training exercise in Amador County this weekend in preparation for wildfire season (1). The National Weather Service warned that this weekend would see ideal wildfire weather in the vicinity of Prescott, Arizona (2); while the livestock industry weighed in on the benefits of the Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act following four decades of what they defined as "severe mismanagement of our national forests" (3). As military vets received wildland firefighter training at Bernalillo, New Mexico, Friday, Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Ware, Fire Prevention and Outreach Program Manager for New Mexico State Forestry, praised their efforts (4); and fire crews will be conducting controlled burns in Utah's Dixie National Forest over the next few days (5). The hazards of burning debris in Wisconsin, where 30% of the wildfires are caused by debris burns, are tackled by the next article (6); but one year later, folks in Pennsylvania's Berks and Chester counties are reflecting on last year's French Creek Forest Fire, which scorched 741 acres and became the longest-running wildfire in state history (7). Rainfall helped firefighters bring a 3,400-acre wildfire on Virginia's Quantico Marine Base under control (8); more details on the fire being provided by the next item (9). The damage wrought by South Carolina's Carolina Forest Fire has been estimated at around $11-$15 million (10). Residents of the Greater Tampa Bay, Florida, region are being advised to prepare for wildfires in a state which has already seen over 1,000 scorch 20,430 acres so far this year (11); while firefighters in St. Lucie County brought a 360-acre wildfire to 90% containment (12). Colorado's epic 2012 fire season was closely examined at the Western Wildfire 2013 conference in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada (13); but following a week in which over 100 wildfires engulfed forests around Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the airport was forced to close due to poor visibility (14). An 1,800-hectare wildfire continues to challenge firefighters in Resunga, Nepal (15); and another wildfire is burning out of control in the Yapel Community Forest in Solukhumbu district (16). Firefighters successfully snuffed a 70-acre wildfire that blazed through Thailand's Phukradung National Park (17). And finally, a firefighter from New York's Edmeston Volunteer Fire Department has found the perfect way to raise money for fallen firefighter families: a demolition derby!

(1) Cal Fire And National Guard train for fire season

(2) Warm, Dry, Windy This Weekend: Recipe For Wildfires

(3) Livestock Industry Supports Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act

(4) Enlisting to fight fires

(5) See smoke and flames at Dixie National Forest? It may be intentional

(6) Open burning hazardous to air, leading cause of wildfires

(7) Firefighters reflect on historic Pa. forest blaze

(8) Heavy rain helps douse wildfire at Quantico base

(9) Base firefighting officials: largest fire in 25 years

(10) County, forestry officials release Windsor Green fire damage estimate

(11) Wildfire Threat Remains High in Land O' Lakes Area

(12) Firefighters return to familiar scene as winds rekindle St. Lucie wildfire

(13) Experts: Communities must step up in face of wildfire risk

(14) Smoke from nearby forest fires forces 4-hour closure of airport for Honduras' capital

(15) Resunga forest fires out of control

(16) Solu forest catches massive fire

(17) Phukradung National Park forest fire doused

(18) Firefighter to smash car for cause