WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051413

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Eversole, Executive Director of the American Helicopter Services & Aerial Firefighting Association, sent along a press release which disputes the readiness of most of the air-tankers that won the US Forest Service's recent award of Next-Generation air-tanker contracts (1); US Forest Service Aviation Chief Tom Harbour responding that they will rely more on military aircraft in the interim (2); former US Forest Service Chief Mark Rey recommending more heavy air-tankers to reduce the incidence of wildfires across the US in a radio segment (3). A summary of wildfire activity in Southern California, where wildfires were burning near Lytle Creek and Lake Castaic, is provided by the next article (4); NASA satellite data prompting scientists at Jet Propulsion Laboratory to identify a "double jeopardy" wildfire danger posed by recent rainfall (5); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rick Halsey, Director of the Chaparral Institute, sending along a KPBS radio segment in which he discusses Governor Brown's recognition of California's need to adapt to changing climate conditions and wildland fire patterns (6); while the Lake County Fire Safe Council will be hosting a Wildfire Safety Expo in Kelseyville this Saturday (7); CAL FIRE's outlook for the state's wildfire season being examined by the next article (8). US Sen. Ron Wyden, concerned about the 2013 fire season in Oregon, is looking at ways to boost fire detection (9); and fire officials in Arizona are projecting an average fire season which, 20 years ago, would have been classified as anything but (10). New Mexico's Sierra Blanca Regional Airport will soon be home to two SEATs and a firefighting helicopter (11); and in anticipation of a busy fire season, Angel Fire Resort has established the Northern New Mexico Firefighter Fund to assist firefighters with the resources they need to fight wildfires (12). Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is showing signs of recovery in the Fern Lake Fire burn area (13); while fire officials will be hosting a Wildfire Preparation Workshop in Glade Park today (14). Texas Forest Service reported that a 100-acre wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake is now 25% contained (15); while fire officials in Austin are seeking public input at three weekly wildfire prevention meetings which begin tonight (16). The DC-10 has been forward-deployed to Wyoming's Casper/Natrona County International Airport in preparation for the summer wildfire season (17). The fire outlook for Western Montana is covered by the next article (18); a 200-acre wildfire near Philipsburg serving as a reminder of the fire season ahead (19). South Dakota State Wildland Fire is spinning up the Single Engine Air Tanker Base at Hot Springs for what is forecast to be a busy wildfire season (20). The National Weather Service says the eastern parts of Minnesota and Iowa could see pockets of wildfires tomorrow (21); and a pair of wildfires near Minnesota's Red Lake Reservation have already blazed across 1,200 acres (22). A National Fire Prevention and Education Team dispensed wildfire knowledge to property owners from Polk and Haralson counties, Georgia (23); but a late snowpack in Alaska bodes well for a late start to the wildfire season in the Last Frontier (24). The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has determined that disrupted fuel flow led to the crash of a firefighting helicopter outside of Lillooet, British Columbia, in 2010 (25); but evacuation orders have been lifted in Ashcroft due to the diminished danger posed by the 1,400-hectare Spatsum Creek wildfire (26). A pair of wildfires in West-Central Alberta continued to defy firefighters (27); while recommendations of a 237-page report on Alberta's Lesser Slave Lake wildfire of 2011 have been accepted by the provincial government (28); but nearly a dozen wildfires are currently active in Saskatchewan (29); Ontario reporting no new fire activity in their province (30); air-tankers helping to bring a wildfire near Glovertown, Newfoundland, to heel (31). In Europe, new wildfires were reported outside of Castanheira de Pera, Portugal, and Santovenia del Monte, Spain, while several others continued to burn in France and Romania (32); and the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus plans to raise public awareness and increase the efficiency of the fire department to reduce the number of wildfires this summer (33); even as record temperatures were reported in Moscow, Russia, spawning dozens of wildfires across the Central Federal District (34). South Australia's Bundaleer Forest is slowly recuperating from a 2,300-ha bushfire that blazed through the region three months ago (35). As the inquiry into Tasmania's January bushfires continues, some are complaining that communications problems hampered fire suppression efforts (36); while young people will be the focus of the first round of awards from the Tasmanian Bushfire Appeal (37); but the president of the Rebels Motorcycle Club had to appear in court on a charge of running a police roadblock during the Dunalley bushfire in January (38). And finally, despite the fact that a South Carolina couple lost everything when their Windsor Green condominium was destroyed in March's Carolina Forest Fire, their wedding still went ahead as planned!

(1) Aerial Firefighting Industry Disputes Near-Term Air Tanker Readiness

(2) Forest Service additions to aerial firefighting fleet remain uncertified

(3) How to Reduce Forest Fires and Keep Wood Supply Flowing

(4) Firefighters in SoCal are battling two wildfires

(5) Satellite images show 'double jeopardy' wildfire danger

(6) Adapting To The New Reality Of Increased Wildfire Danger

(7) Wildfire Safety Expo planned

(8) Could be a long, hot summer for firefighters

(9) Wyden concerned about firefighting resources for 2013

(10) New ‘Average’: Officials Say Wildfire Seasons Growing Worse

(11) Second fire-fighting plane to be stationed at airport

(12) Angel Fire establishes wildfire fund

(13) New life springs from ashes of Fern Lake fire

(14) Glade Park Fire Dept. Hosting Wildfire Preparation Workshop

(15) Wildfires Force Evacuations In Texas Community

(16) Wildfire prevention planners seek public input

(17) Massive Air Tanker Moving To Casper

(18) Early fire season likely in western Montana; 500 fewer on lines across U.S.

(19) Rumsey Gulch Fire, near Philipsburg, "running and gunning" late Monday

(20) Firefighters prepare Hot Springs SEAT base for season

(21) Pockets of Midwest run risk of wildfires

(22) Crews Battle Wildfires Near Red Lake Reservation

(23) Firefighters grow knowledge of wildfire prevention

(24) Wildfire Season Expected To Start Later Than Normal

(25) Disrupted fuel flow likely led to 2010 firefighting helicopter crash

(26) Evacuation order lifted as wildfire spares homes near Ashcroft

(27) Persistent forest fires still burning in Nordegg and Lodgepole

(28) Province accepts all recommendations from review of 2011 Slave Lake wildfires

(29) 10 wildfires burning in Saskatchewan

(30) Forest fire report: Monday update

(31) Forest Fire Near Terra Nova River

(32) EFFIS - Current Situation

(33) Forest fire warning ahead of long, hot summer

(34) Officials Gear Up for Wildfires Amid Record Temperatures

(35) Bundaleer Forest recuperates from bushfire

(36) Communications a problem in Tasmanian bushfires

(37) Youth to benefit from bushfire funding

(38) Bikie boss denies running bushfire roadblock

(39) After fire destroys home, couple marries with nothing but each other