WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 052013

A summary of wildfire activity in Southern California is up first today (1); followed by an article by Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rich Brooks, a Reporter for the Riverside Press-Enterprise, discussing the USFS leadership's obsession with buying C-130s to replace the aging US air-tanker fleet with Wildfire NOTD subscriber Walt Darran, Chairman of the Associated Aerial Firefighters (2); firefighters quickly dousing a two-alarm wildfire in Oakland's Joaquin Miller Park Sunday (3); while authorities in Contra Costa County took a woman into custody on suspicion of sparking a four-acre wildfire that threatened homes (4); but a FEMA grant could fund removal of 85,000 trees in the East Bay hills in efforts to mitigate the risk of wildfires (5); authorities in Madera County stating that a 91-acre wildfire south of Yosemite National Park has destroyed one home and several outbuildings (6); the next article revisiting the vital contribution 4,000 inmate firefighters make to fire crews in the Golden State (7). A 300-acre wildfire could be seen burning on Arizona's Picacho Peak (8); and a 2,000-acre blaze is churning through the Coronado National Forest near Nogales (9); a pair of suspicious wildfires outside of Flagstaff sparking a search for arsonists (10). A Colorado native provides several safety tips for people enjoying the outdoors to avoid sparking wildfires (11); while a wildfire in Wildridge provided an opportunity for fire officials to speak about steps homeowners could take to protect themselves from future blazes (12); Fremont County reporting that lightning strikes ignited two wildfires (13). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Mikel Robinson, Executive Director of the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a reminder about their Large Wildland Fires conference, which will take place in Missoula, Montana, next year (14). In South Dakota, homeowners in the community of Boulder Canyon received some pointers from fire officials on how to protect their property from wildfires (15); but some cabin owners in Wisconsin got a graphic demonstration of the importance of defensible space last week when the Germann Road fire blazed through the state (16). In British Columbia, Canada, few wildfires were reported in the Interior by the Kamloops Fire Centre despite increased crowds due to the Victoria Day weekend (17); and two years on, the next article provides a look back on Bracknell, UK's, Swinley Forest fire, the largest in southeastern Britain since World War Two (18). Russia's Siberian Federal District currently has 27 forest fires covering over 2,500 ha (19). Pakistan's Capital Development Authority is preparing for wildfires in Islamabad's Margalla Hills National Park this summer (20); but adequate funding is being cited as having reduced the number of major forest fires in India's Sanjay Gandhi National Park (21). Authorities from the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducted wildfire awareness training at San Jose, La Libertad in Negros Oriental (22); even as a 40-hectare wildfire near Dungun, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo (23). Heading to Australia, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service has implemented "Operation Cool Burn" guidelines aimed at preparing fire-prone areas for bushfire season (24); while plans for redevelopment in Mitcham, South Australia, include adding a bushfire and natural disaster education center to the Blackwood Library (25). And finally, firefighters from Parma, Ohio, performed a tricky extrication: getting a deer out of a trench!

(1) Crews gain on wildfires in Castaic, Los Padres National Forest (Map)

(2) AIR TANKERS: After a decade, still stuck with antiques

(3) Firefighters extinguish Oakland hills brushfire

(4) Police: Concord Woman Suspected of Sparking Wildfire

(5) UC Berkeley among applicants for tree-cutting grant to mitigate wildfires

(6) Wildfire near Yosemite destroys home, buildings

(7) Inmates crucial in fighting wildfires

(8) Wildfire burning north of Picacho

(9) Arizona wildfire near Nogales grows to about 2,000 acres

(10) PD: 2 Flagstaff wildfires intentionally set

(11) Prevent Wildfires With These 5 Important Tips

(12) Wildfire in Wildridge is quickly contained

(13) Lightning causes two wildfires off Highway 9

(14) Large Wildland Fires: Social, Political & Ecological Effects

(15) Fire officials help protect homeowners against wild fires

(16) Creating 'defensible space' can be key to homes surviving wildfires

(17) Slow weekend for forest fires

(18) Swinley Forest: Two years on from devastating forest fire

(19) Forest fires in Siberia shrink six-fold within three days

(20) Summer side-effects: CDA bracing for forest fires on the Margallas

(21) Fewer forest fires in national park this year, officials say

(22) DENR-7 conducts training on forest fire prevention

(23) Forest fire razes 40 hectares in Dungun

(24) Firefighters get busy to prepare for next bushfire season

(25) Mitcham Council plans for disaster education centre as part of Blackwood Library redevelopment

(26) Parma firefighters rescue deer trapped in trench