WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY 041713

AccuWeather.com's Long Range Forecasting Department is projecting that limited moisture from thunderstorms and drier than average conditions will lead to above-average wildfire activity across the western US this summer (1). An article from the Southern California mountain community of Idyllwild takes a look at proposed cuts to the US Forest Service’s Wildland Fire Management budget (2); but following two wildfires in Kern County, fire officials reminded homeowners that they only have until June 15th to complete fuel reduction on their property (3). As Placer County prepares for what could be an active fire season due to the drought, the next story looks back at last year's Robbers Fire, which scorched 2,630 acres and destroyed four structures (4); while NASA will be showing off a US Forest Service Cessna Citation jet equipped with its Autonomous Modular Sensor, which is being used to track wildfire activity, at Moffett Field tomorrow afternoon (5). Firefighters have finally contained the 35-acre Fisher Fire, which has been burning near Flagstaff, Arizona, since Saturday afternoon (6); and Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Ware, Fire Prevention and Outreach Program Manager at New Mexico State Forestry, stated that a 10-acre wildfire outside of Shiprock is now 90% contained (7). Wildfire survivors won a victory in the Colorado Legislature yesterday with improvements to insurance protection from wildfires (8); even as US Sen. Mark Udall questioned US Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell about the 2014 budget in a U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing (9). Bastrop County, Texas, will be getting a $1.6 million short-term grant to help with wildfire recovery (10); while a letter to US Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell from a South Dakota congressional delegation urged him to accept C-27J aircraft as air-tankers to better protect that state from wildfires (11). Michigan's Department of Natural Resources provided some useful homeowner tips to reduce the danger from wildfires in the next item (12); and officials in Vermont's Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forest notified surrounding communities that 500 acres of controlled burns will make for smoky skies across the region (13). Following a number of wildfires earlier this month, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reminded property owners that the spring fire season is in full swing (14); while firefighters on the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica battled a wildfire at Sangster Airport yesterday (15). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ed Keating, a Senior Economist with the RAND Corporation, provided a heads-up about Spanish company Nitrofirex, which made a splash at the Tangent Link Aerial Firefighting Conference held in Aix-en-Provence, France, last week with a revolutionary firefighting drone able to fight wildfires at night (16); something they could have used over a 10-hectare wildfire reported outside of the French town of Les Malausses (17). As Strike Force Toni continues to search for bushfire arsonists in New South Wales, Australia, one suspect has been denied bail (18); but residents of bushfire-ravaged Dunalley, Tasmania, are concerned about sewage runoff from settling ponds during heavy rains (19). And finally, firefighters in Kentucky rappelled down a 200-foot cliff to save a stranded dog, once again proving that firefighters are a dog's best friend!

(1) West Rough Wildfire Season Ahead With Building Drought

(2) Forest Service 2014 budget cuts fire staff

(3) 'Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires', But You Need To Do A Lot Of Clean-Up First

(4) Robbers fire in Placer County a cautionary tale as early fire season predicted

(5) Media Invited to View NASA Wildfire Sensor on US Forest Service Jet

(6) 35-acre wildfire near Flagstaff is fully contained

(7) Wildfire near Shiprock, N.M. nearly contained

(8) Wildfire victims make inroads on Colorado insurance overhaul

(9) Sequester Forces Firefighting Cuts, Udall Questions Forest Service Chief

(10) Bastrop County gets more wildfire recovery help

(11) Delegation Encourages Forest Service To Use Retired C-27J Aircraft To Fight Wildland Fires

(12) Protect your home from wildfires

(13) U.S. Forest Service to use fire in forest health management

(14) Only you can prevent wildfires

(15) Massive bush fire near Sangster Airport

(16) Nitrofirex Presents UAS Able to Fight Forest-Fires at Night

(17) Fire in Les Malausses, France

(18) Man accused of lighting blazes in bushfire season denied bail

(19) Dunalley residents fear sewerage fallout

(20) SEE IT: Firefighter rappels down 200-foot cliff to save stranded dog