WILDFIRE NEWS OF DAY - 060713

A National Geographic photographer describes the experience of shooting fires in Southern California in our first article today (1); where fire crews gained the upper hand on a 40-acre wildfire in Simi Valley (2); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Lasser, a retired California National Guard Lt. Colonel, sent along an invitation to an air show in Lake View Terrace at the end of this month which will feature fire service helicopters (3); and in San Diego County, the Santa Ysabel Tribe held a Preparedness Fiesta to get the community ready for the inevitable wildfires of summer (4); but two wildfires that burned in 2004 and 2008 have cost Pacific Gas & Electric and affiliated contractors $50.5 million (5); the California Fire Science Consortium sending along their June newsletter (6). An update on three major wildfires burning in New Mexico is provided by the next article (7); where a 42-acre lightning-sparked wildfire in the Gila National Forest threatened homes (8); but four new ones have cropped up in the northern part of the state (9); the next article providing a post-op evaluation of wildfire training that took place in Lincoln County yesterday (10). Colorado's US Sen. Mark Udall declared victory as Neptune Aviation withdrew its protest to the US Forest Service's "Next-Generation" air-tanker awards (11); and Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Eversole, Executive Director of the American Helicopter Services & Aerial Firefighting Association, sent along a press release in which Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dan Snyder, Chief Operating Officer at Neptune Aviation, discusses three years of successful operations with their jet-powered BAe 146 air-tanker (12). As fire crews hone their wildfire-fighting skills, the National Interagency Fire Center is forecasting a challenging fire season in Idaho this year (13); but almost a year after a 58,283-acre wildfire blazed through Creek County, Oklahoma, the next article takes a look at how the vegetation is recovering (14). An Op-Ed piece from Wyoming rails at the impact of sequestration cuts on US Forest Service personnel, but does give a thumbs up to the relocation of 10 Tanker LLC to that state (15). Heading to Europe, firefighters in Sussex, England, finally managed to rope in a 60-hectare wildfire that may have been sparked by arson in the Ashdown Forest (16); while wildfires were also reported outside of Frigiliana, Spain, Piliou and Domokos, Greece, and Bodrum, Turkey (17). Australian telecom Telstra indicated that resistance to putting up a phone tower reduced mobile phone coverage during Victoria's Dereel bushfire that destroyed numerous homes in March (18); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Nathan Maddock, Communications Officer for Bushfire CRC, sent along their June fire update newsletter (19). And finally, firefighters from Washington state's Clark County Fire & Rescue had a tricky extrication to perform: getting a deer out of a gate!

(1) What It's Like Taking Pictures Inside an Inferno

(2) Firefighters Gain Control Of 40-Acre Grass Fire In Simi Valley

(3) American Heroes Air Show

(4) Santa Ysabel Tribe Holds Community Emergency Event on Wildfires

(5) Firms to pay feds for roles in wildfires

(6) June 2013 Newsletter

(7) NM wildfire update and fire forecast

(8) Fire near Quemado threatening 100 homes in two nearby subdivisions

(9) Four new wildfires spark in northern N.M.

(10) Practice makes perfect: SEAT training

(11) Udall claims 'clear victory' for Colorado as air tanker protest withdrawn

(12) Power House Fire Marks Neptune Aviations Three Years Of New Generation Tanker Operations

(13) Firefighters Train for Potentially Explosive Idaho Wildfire Season

(14) Trees making recovery following historic wild fire

(15) A forest disservice

(16) Ashdown Forest fire could be arson

(17) EFFIS - Current Situation

(18) Bushfire victims demand better mobile phone coverage

(19) June 2013 Bushfire CRC Fire Update newsletter

(20) WA Firefighters Free Deer Trapped in Gate