WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 073113

A US Geological Survey study shows that prolonged droughts are causing more trees to die in wildfires in the Western US (1); a study done by Wildfire NOTD subscriber Anthony Westerling, an Associate Professor at California's University of Merced, being cited by an article discussing a sixfold increase in major wildfires in the West (2); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Erik Litzenberg, Chief of New Mexico's Santa Fe Fire Department, testifying before the Congressional Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change about the need to increase funding for the federal Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant to better prepare for wildfires (3); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Ray Rasker, Executive Director of Headwaters Economics, discusses the issue of home construction in wildfire-prone areas exacerbating wildfire costs in the next item (4); but as 19 lightning-sparked wildfires continue to burn in the California's Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, US Forest Service directed campers to their "One Less Spark-One Less Wildfire" program for advice on how to avoid starting some of their own (5); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Janet Upton, Deputy Director of Communications at CAL FIRE, discussing what's next now that a a Superior Court judge let Sierra Pacific Industries off the hook for paying suppression costs associated with 2007's Moonlight Fire (6); the next tale chronicling the efforts of people who defied orders to evacuate in order to protect their cabin which was threatened by a wildfire in the Sierra National Forest (7). As 1,200 personnel grappled with a wildfire outside of Glendale, Oregon, residents prepared to evacuate (8); and the governor declared an emergency for Josephine and Douglas Counties as wildfires blazed across the state (9); Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center keeping a tight leash on six aircraft based at Redmond Air Tanker Base (10); Oregon Department of Forestry issuing a press release about the largest mobilization of firefighting resources in over a decade (11); while the National Weather Service warned that an approaching storm could rain dry lightning strikes down on the Cascades and foothills in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington (12); but as FEMA agreed to pay most of the firefighting costs for blazes in Washington's Chelan and Kittitas counties, the approaching weather front could complicate the fight (13); difficult terrain hampering firefighting efforts on a 70-acre blaze in Spokane County (14); wildfire smoke fouling the air over Lake Chelan (15). The Arizona Deputy State Forestry Director stirred up controversy by blaming the Granite Mountain Hotshots team leader for the deaths of 19 firefighters last month (16). An Op-Ed from Colorado discusses forest fires (17); where Black Forest Fire survivors who lost their battle against that wildfire may lose another battle against an unwanted water tank project (18); while Summit County firefighters discuss the virtues of defensible space as they briefed the Summit Board of County Commissioners on the Black Forest Fire (19); US Sen. Mark Udall introducing legislation that would allow FEMA to fund the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to better protect communities from wildfires (20); and now that FEMA has approved disaster funding for the Black Forest Fire, El Paso County Commissioners have begun planning how to spend the money to effect repairs (21). As Salt Lake City, Utah, looked set to break a record for the warmest July ever, Red Flag warnings for the northwest quarter of the state went up (22). A 252-acre wildfire outside of Smithville, Texas, breached containment lines, burning an additional 20 acres (23); one former California resident telling about his preparations for evacuations during wildfires in Bastrop County (24). The next article discusses the availability of four US Forest Service air-tankers based in Missoula, Montana (25). A Canadian Type I Command Team has taken over responsibility for a 97-hectare wildfire burning outside of Winlaw, British Columbia (26); but despite the fact that 80 wildfires have burned 285 ha in British Columbia, Canada, so far this year, the Southeast Fire Centre considers it to be a slow year (27); nevertheless, after 33 days without rain, New Westminster Fire and Rescue Service said that the fire danger in their area was high (28); but as Ontario continues to enjoy a relatively quiet fire season, crews have been dispatched to Québec to fight wildfires there (29). A total of 18 wildfires were reported in Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, and Turkey (30); a 20 km² blaze in Turkey's Marmara Province continuing to challenge firefighters (31); and NASA satellite photos show an immense smoke vortex covering parts of Russia, including the city of Yekaterinburg (32). An out-of-control wildfire in northern Lebanon prompted calls from the government to British forces on the island of Cyprus to assist Lebanese Army helicopters battling the blaze (33); a Time Magazine article revisiting the issue of wildfire haze clouding the skies of Southeast Asia (34). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Nathan Maddock, Communications Officer at Australia's Bushfire CRC, sent along a Fire Note that outlines research assisting fire agencies gain a better understanding of potentially toxic emissions and their exposure concentrations at fires in the rural/urban interface (35); but plans to build up to 1,400 homes in Maiden Gully has Country Fire Authority concerned due to the potential bushfire danger (36); and four years after the Black Saturday Bushfires, the Bushfires Royal Commission Implementation Monitor slammed Victoria's government for failing to build fire refuges and questioned the 5% burn off target the state proposed (37); even as a resident of Churchill plans to sue a Black Saturday arsonist for the death of her partner (38). With the commencement of New South Wales' Bush Fire Danger period, residents of Guyra, Glen Innes, Inverell Tenterfield, Armidale, Uralla and Walcha will have to obtain permits to light outdoor fires (39); while Western Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services has dispatched additional fire units to the Kimberley region due to forecasts of an early bushfire season (40). And finally, we've probably all heard of "Snakes on a Plane", but how about snakes at a house fire?

(1) Drought-Weakened Trees More Likely to Die in Fires

(2) Big Wildfires in the West: Why, How, What To Do?

(3) Congressional Task Force Links Worsening Wildfires to Climate Change

(4) A Nation On Fire: Climate Change And The Burning Of America

(5) Lightning fires keep forest on high alert

(6) Judge rejects Calif. lawsuit over forest fire

(7) Calif. Residents Defy Warnings to Save Cabins

(8) Evacuation order for S. Oregon wildfire

(9) Wildfires cause state of emergency to be declared in southern Oregon

(10) Red flag: More fires may be on way for High Desert

(11) State mobilizes its largest wildfire response in more than decade

(12) NWS: Storm forecast increases chance of forest fires in east Clark County

(13) High winds, thunderstorms could hinder firefighting efforts

(14) Wildfire near Dover Rd. grew to 70 acres

(15) Wildfires bring some smoke to popular Lake Chelan

(16) Arizona official says Hot Shots leader put firefighters in harm's way

(17) OPINION: Fired up about forest fires

(18) Black Forest Fire Victims Upset Over Tank Construction

(19) Summit County firefighters: Black Forest burn area looked like home

(20) Udall introduces wildfire legislation

(21) Black Forest fire recovery meeting scheduled

(22) Utah forecast: Salt Lake City on verge of warmest July ever

(23) Official: Origin of stubborn grass fire was Saturday lightning strike

(24) Fire crews wrap up Bastrop County wildfire

(25) Air tankers ready as Montana fire season flares up

(26) Perry Ridge wildfire a provincial priority

(27) Fire season smooth running so far

(28) Fire inspector issues warning after bush fires

(29) Very low forest fire activity; nearest fire is west of Terrace Bay

(30) EFFIS - Current Situation

(31) Fire hits forest northwestern province of Balıkesir

(32) A Giant Vortex of Wildfire Smoke Is Hovering Over Russia

(33) Forest fire surges in north Lebanon, government seeks help

(34) The Southeast Asian Haze Is Back and Worse May

(35) Assessing toxic emissions at the rural/urban interface

(36) Maiden Gully housing plans spark bushfire fears

(37) State fails to build promised fire refuges

(38) Woman whose partner died in Black Saturday bushfire seeks compensation

(39) Bush Fire Danger period commences

(40) Mobile firefighting fleet arrives in the Kimberley as crews tackle early bushfires and arson attacks

(41) Firefighters discover 28 snakes in Clearfield home after responding to fire