WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051513

A new study conducted at Japan Building Research Institute's Fire Research Wind Tunnel Facility by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology shows that terra-cotta and cement roofs are vulnerable to embers (1). San Diego County, California, faces an ominous fire danger according to a new study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Services (2); while a resident of Pacifica who does wildland firefighting with AmeriCorps, is profiled in the next article (3). Fire crews in Arizona's Prescott Valley dealt with two small wildfires yesterday (4); the wildfire outlook in northern Colorado being provided by the next article (5). Texas Forest Service announced that a 40-acre wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake is mostly contained now (6); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rick Hatton, CEO of 10 Tanker LLC, discusses his operation's move to Casper, Wyoming, in the next article (7). In Montana, Helena National Forest officials reported that a 100-acre wildfire was 10% contained (8); while a 350-acre wildfire near Philipsburg continued to challenge firefighters (9); the Flathead County Fire Manager reminding homeowners to create defensible space to better protect their property from wildfires (10). Wildfires in northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin have scorched 12,000 acres and destroyed numerous structures (11); the next item providing photos from the firelines (12); fire officials from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources investigating whether logging operations sparked an 8,700-acre blaze in Douglas County (13). Following a year in which Louisiana saw nearly 1,000 wildfires statewide, the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry feels that this will be a better year (14); and fire crews brought a small wildfire outside of Gulf Breeze, Florida, to 25% containment (15). Although evacuees from Lodgepole, Alberta, are being allowed to return home, they are on a two-hour notice to be evacuated again if a 1,200-hectare wildfire heads their way (16); but a 741-acre blaze near Nordegg is losing headway (17); while over a dozen wildfires are active in Saskatchewan at the moment (18). Heading to the Mediterranean, new wildfires were reported in Covilha, Portugal, and Santovenia del Monte, Spain, as well as Chambi, Tunisia (19); and the Federation of Community Forestry Users in Kathmandu, Nepal, is utilizing NASA satellites to provide timely intel on wildfires in all 75 districts of that Himalayan nation (20). Victoria, Australia's, planning Minister unveiled a new iPad application that will greatly improve bushfire safety (21); a Country Fire Authority family reflecting on a bushfire which blazed through Dereel in March (22). Busselton, Western Australia, will be hosting the Fire, Weather and Risk Workshop, a three-day event which keeps fire managers abreast of the latest developments in dealing with bushfires (23); this at a time when Department of Fire and Emergency Services is assessing the bushfire danger to holiday homes in the Perth region (24). And finally, FDNY had to come to the rescue of NYPD when a policeman attempted to retrieve a treed feline and got stuck in the tree himself!

(1) Terracotta and cement roofs vulnerable in wildfires, study finds

(2) New study outlines wildfire dangers facing Southern California area

(3) Chain-sawing, firefighting Pacifican finds life's path through AmeriCorp

(4) Local photo: Crews quell pair of local wildfires

(5) Grand County’s wildfire potential ranked at normal

(6) Wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake mostly contained

(7) One-of-a-kind air tanker operator lands in Casper

(8) Wildfire burning near Canyon Ferry

(9) Rumsey Gulch Forest Fire has Burned 350 Acres by Tuesday Afternoon

(10) Flathead officials look to residents to prevent wildfires

(11) Wildfires destroying homes, forcing evacuations in N. Minn., N. Wis.

(12) PHOTOS + INFO: Wildfires in Minnesota, NW Wisconsin Read more: Wildfires in Minnesota, NW

(13) UPDATE: Wildfire Started Near Logging Operations

(14) Wildfire risks less for Louisiana compared to other states

(15) Crews gaining ground on Gulf Breeze wildfire

(16) Lodgepole residents returning home

(17) Wildfire losing strength

(18) 14 wildfires burning in Saskatchewan

(19) EFFIS - Current Situation

(20) Nepal: Remote Sensing Forest Fire Detection

(21) App a world-first in bushfire safety

(22) Bent and blackened, but Dereel's spirit lives on after bushfires

(23) National forum tackles bushfire

(24) Busselton tops firies' hot property list

(25) Firefighters rescue cop rescuing a cat