WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 061413

With wildfires in the news, an article about the insurance industry's National Interagency Coordination Center discusses steps homeowners need to take to protect their homes from wildfires (1). In Northern California, the Sacramento Valley was under Red Flag fire restrictions (2); with wildfires reported in Stockton, Roseville, and Sacramento (3); more details on the 237-acre wildfire near Roseville provided by the next article (4). Oregon's House Bill 2050, which allows the Oregon Department of Forestry to respond more quickly to small wildfires, is revisited in an article from the Capital Press (5); while an editorial from Central Washington praises firefighters for their efforts at controlling wildfires outside of Kennewick and Finley (6). Two wildfires in New Mexico have consumed over 20,000 acres between them and flooded Albuquerque with wildfire smoke (7). The Colorado wildfires continued to rage for another day, Colorado Springs' Black Forest Fire having burned 400 homes and killed two people while forcing evacuations of 38,000 (8); a CBS News video providing some additional footage on the fire (9); air-attack bases in the area servicing a growing fleet of air-tankers (10); while strike teams from Minnesota arrived to help (11); and Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Lasser, a retired Lt. Colonel with the California National Guard, sent along a Defense Department press release about additional National Guard air and ground units deploying to fight those wildfires (12); followed by an update he sent on the support military bases are lending to the effort (13); which included contingents from the Fourth Infantry Division and the U.S. Air Force Academy (14); as well as support from AFNORTH at Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base (15); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Kate Dargan, CEO of Intterra, whose SituationAnalyst wildfire software is being used by US Forest Service to help keep firefighters, chiefs, and politicians briefed on the wildfires, sending along a video segment from NBC News in which US Forest Service Aviation Chief Tom Harbour discusses the current situation (16); the plight of evacuees being examined in the next article (17); dramatic video showing firefighters battling to save a home (18); but some evacuees found out that their homes, which survived the initial flames, succumbed to succeeding waves (19); an article from the Denver Post providing some before-and-after photos of the areas ravaged by the Black Forest Fire (20); Aetna Insurance doing its part to help wildfire survivors cope (21). With a hot, dry weekend ahead, fire crews in Utah worked frantically to snuff current wildfires and prepare for new ones (22); but a teenager has been accused of starting numerous wildfires in Helena, Montana, in order to get some work as a firefighter (23). In Europe, a new wildfire was reported outside of Elazig, Turkey, as others continued to burn in that country, as well as in Italy, on the island of Cyprus, and in the North African nation of Tunisia (24). And finally, a New Jersey homeowner's efforts to kill bedbugs got a little out of hand when he set his house on fire!

(1) Home Insurers: Only You can Prevent Wildfires

(2) Firefighters Urge Caution Amid Red Flag Warning

(3) 3 fires keep firefighters busy Thursday

(4) UPDATED: Firefighters Contain 237-Acre Grass Fire Near Roseville

(5) Forestry bill makes 'historic' change in handling firefighting costs

(6) Our Voice: Mid-Columbia never should take firefighters for granted

(7) Forest fires rage with little restraint

(8) Firefighters in Colo. gain on tragic wildfire

(9) Killer Colo. wildfire standing still, for now

(10) Broomfield air tanker base assisting in Black Forest Fire fight

(11) 40 Minn. Firefighters En Route To Battle Raging Co. Wildfire

(12) More Guard Members Join Firefighting Effort

(13) Military Bases Support Colorado Firefighting Effort

(14) Academy firefighters step up efforts to combat Black Forest blaze

(15) Tyndall AFB Supports Colorado Firefighters

(16) Wind, lightning feed killer Colorado wildfire

(17) Colo. residents cope with aggressive wildfire

(18) Watch dangers firefighters face while saving a house from raging wildfire

(19) Black Forest fire: Homes initially reported as safe later destroyed

(20) Black Forest Fire before-and-after photos

(21) Aetna Helps Members Affected by Wildfires in Colorado

(22) Crews douse Utah wildfires, scramble to keep ahead of new ones

(23) Teen accused of starting wildfires says he needed firefighting work to pay debts

(24) EFFIS - Current Situation

(25) NJ man sets house on fire trying to kill bedbugs