WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 072213

Providential rainfall allowed 3,350 firefighters to bring Southern California's 42 mi.² Mountain Fire to 68% containment (1); even as teenagers returned home to tell of their own encounter with that blaze at the Center for Spiritual Living Youth Camp (2); while friends, family, and colleagues bid a final farewell to two firefighters killed in Arizona's Yarnell Hill Fire in a service at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach on Saturday (3); and a 722-acre wildfire near Lebec was 92% contained (4); Tangent Link sending along an announcement about their upcoming Aerial Fire Fighting 2014 conference, to be held in Sacramento next March (5). A trio of wildfires are burning in Oregon, including a 25,000-acre blaze north of Warm Springs (6); and fire crews near Elko, Nevada, announced 70% containment on a 2,759-acre wildfire that briefly threatened homes (7); but Arizona's monsoons have significantly reduced the wildfire threat on the Kaibab National Forest (8). Following a CoreLogic report that Colorado has more homes in danger from wildfires than other Western states, fire departments are advocating Fire Adapted Communities (9); but although some like the concept, they don't like the associated price tag (10); the toll wildfires are taking on homeowners insurance rates being touched upon by the next article (11); even as suspicious wildfires continue to crop up in the Black Forest Fire burn areas (12). Two major wildfires in Idaho's Boise National Forest continued to expand (13); prompting the US Forest Service to relocate a DC-10 to Pocatello over the weekend (14); more details on the 7,000-acre Brown Butte Fire being provided by the next article (15); while a 6000-acre wildfire closed trails around the Middle Fork of the Salmon River (16). The wildfire situation in Utah is summarized by the next article (17); where strike teams from Iowa have arrived to help battle the blazes (18); but a Summit County rancher is suing US Forest Service for damages done to his ranch by a 2003 controlled burn that became a wildfire (19). Nebraska Emergency Management Agency officials discuss their preparations for new wildfires in the next article (20). Strike teams who deployed to Alaska to fight wildfires have returned home to Pennsylvania (21); while Florida firefighters and bar patrons joined together to collect money for the families of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots killed in Arizona's Yarnell Hill Fire over the weekend (22); but there was trouble in paradise as a 1,000-acre wildfire forced hundreds to evacuate on Hawaii's Big Island (23). A five-hectare wildfire was apparently sparked by fireworks in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada (24); while 785 people have been evacuated from Manitoba's Tataskweyak Cree Nation due to a wildfire which has burned over 16,000 acres (25); and two small wildfires have been reported in Ontario (26); fire crews from that province being dispatched to help with wildfires in Manitoba, Northwest Territories, and Quebec (27); while weekend rainfall helped quench a 24,000-hectare on Gull Island in Labrador (28). Firefighters from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service continued to battle wildfires in the UK, at least one of which reignited (29); while Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations announced the planned deployment of a BE-200 firefighting aircraft to Serbia later this month (30). A striking satellite image provides a birds-eye view of wildfire smoke over the Indonesian island of Sumatra which forced two Dumai-bound flights to return to Pekanbaru (31). A $1 million price tag has forced Campbelltown, South Australia, to shelve plans to reduce the bushfire risk in Athelstone's Wadmore Park (32); but charities in Tasmania are being overwhelmed by requests for help, in part by bushfire survivors (33). And finally, a National Geographic article takes a look back at firefighting in the previous century!

(1) Firefighters Attack Northern Flank of Mountain Fire

(2) Valley teens evacuate camp due to Riverside wildfire

(3) O.C. memorial honors 2 firefighters killed in Arizona wildfire

(4) Rancho Fire 92 percent contained

(5) Aerial Fire Fighting 2014

(6) Wildfire outside Warm Springs grows overnight

(7) Northeast Nevada wildfire 70 percent contained (see map of fire perimeter)

(8) Arizona monsoon storms ease wildfire risk

(9) After big Colorado burns, homeowners, communities try to fire-proof

(10) Black Forest homeowner likes concept of fireproofing, but not the cost

(11) Wildfires, Hail Take Toll on Colorado Homeowners Insurance

(12) Suspicious Fire Near Black Forest Burn Area

(13) Two major wildfires in Boise Nat'l. Forest burning strong

(14) Wildfires force evacuations of Central Idaho camping areas

(15) Fire Burns 7,000 Acres Near Richfield

(16) Forest trails closed Sunday due to Papoose Fire west of Salmon

(17) Crews battle heat, dry conditions as they hem in Utah wildfires

(18) Iowa wildland firefighters headed to Utah

(19) Rancher sues Forest Service for damages in 2003 fire

(20) Nebraska officials brace for new wildfire threat

(21) Pennsylvania firefighters return home from battling Alaskan wildfires

(22) Local event raises thousands for fallen firefighters

(23) Dozens of firefighters battling 1,000 acres brush fire in Kona

(24) West Kelowna wildfire fought by attack crew, helicopter, air tankers

(25) Forest fire forces 785 to flee northern reserve

(26) MNR updates forest fire situation

(27) Latest Northeast region forest fire update

(28) Rains Helps in Forest Fire Fight

(29) Llandderfel, Gwynedd: Forest fire flares for second time

(30) Russian firefighting aircrafts to arrive in Nis in late July – Maric

(31) Haze thickens over Dumai in Riau province

(32) Campbelltown Council does not have money to tackle bushfire risks in Athelstone's Wadmore Park

(33) Charities call for help as demand soars

(34) Picture Archive: Wildfire Firefighters, 1925