WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 051713

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Mikel Robinson, Executive Director of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a notice that nominations for their Ember Award will close by the end of this month (1). Although cooler weather was helping firefighters battling Southern California's 4,100-acre Grand Fire, the fire is still only 35% contained (2); while CAL FIRE mounted a furious assault on the ground and in the air against a 10-acre wildfire in San Diego's East County Thursday (3); firefighters and air-tankers also bringing a 31-acre wildfire outside of Coachella to 90% containment (4). Residents of Summit County, Colorado, were advised to prepare their property for fire season at a Wednesday Forest Health Task Force meeting (5); while Berthoud Fire Protection District scored a new fire engine from the state to help defend Northern Colorado from wildfires (6). A 349-acre wildfire burning in Montana's Rumsey Gulch that destroyed five homes is now 90% contained (7); but a former volunteer firefighter from Helena was charged with setting a dozen wildfires (8). The promise of rain may help dampen Northern Minnesota's 7,100-acre Green Valley Fire, which is now 65% contained (9); where helicopters used thermal imaging equipment to find hotspots (10); the Salvation Army doing its part to help crews on the firelines (11). Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources indicated that they will not charge a logging company deemed responsible for an 8,131-acre wildfire that destroyed 17 homes (12); a power equipment company in Charlotte, Vermont, offering its wares to help people prepare for wildfire season (13); while Connecticut's Department of Environmental Protection, which typically sees 1,300 acres go up in smoke each year, issued forest fire warnings across the state (14). A car's exhaust system may have sparked several wildfires in Mitchell County, North Carolina (15); and Florida Forest Service fire crews grappled with a five-acre wildfire north of Lakeland that forced closure of the Gator Creek Reserve (16). Residents of Nordegg, Alberta, are being allowed to return home five days after being evacuated by Canadian authorities due to a wildfire (17); but following a fire season that saw 59 wildfires burn 83,554 ha last year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is keeping a close eye on the North Slave area this year (18). Mexico's Forest Institute of Quintana Roo reported that six wildfires on the Yucatán Peninsula have burned 1,900 ha (19). A Baptist minister discusses the phenomenon of Australia's bushfires in the next item (20); while Tasmania's Bushfire Appeal Distribution Committee will be disbursing $2.6 million from its $9 million fund, retaining $1.5 million for the long-term needs of bushfire survivors (21). And finally, Smokey Bear has a new message according to an environmental activist opposed to fracking: only you can prevent faucet fires!

(1) Ember Award for Excellence in Wildland Fire Science

(2) Grand Fire Burns 4,100 Acres; 35% Contained

(3) Brush fire in East County quickly doused

(4) Brush fire in Coachella consumes 31 acres

(5) Residents urged to prepare for fire threat

(6) Berthoud, state team up on wildfires

(7) Forest Service says Rumsey Gulch fire about 90 percent contained

(8) Helena-area man charged with arson in connection with multiple wildfires

(9) Wildfires getting contained in northern Minnesota, and rain's on the way

(10) Helicopter searches for wildfire hotspots in northern MN

(11) Salvation Army helping those who are battling wildfires

(12) Wisconsin wildfire started by logging operations

(13) Unusually Dangerous Wildfire Season Requires Extra Precautions

(14) High forest fire warning issued

(15) Mitchell County Wildfires

(16) Wildfire Forces Closing of Gator Creek Reserve

(17) Nordegg evacuation order lifted after forest fire

(18) North Slave 'area to watch' for forest fires

(19) Forest fires remain active in Quintana Roo

(20) Australia's bushfire hell and the destruction of a home

(21) Bushfire funding test

(22) Smokey the Bear Recruited to Fight Fracking: Forest Service Not Amused