WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 081213

US Forest Service unveiled a new wildland fire website which will provide information on state-of-the-art technology, wildfire activity, and much more (1); even as the Agriculture Secretary urged Congress to find better ways to fund firefighting in order to reduce the impact on prevention efforts (2). A Christian Science Monitor article discusses California's wildfire season, which is already 43% above normal (3); while fire crews brought Southern California's 20,292-acre Silver Fire, which injured 12 people and destroyed 26 structures, to 90% containment Sunday night (4); and a fundraiser was held in Rancho Cucamonga to raise funds for the families of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, killed in Arizona's Yarnell Hill Fire (5); and firefighters gave a tip of the hat to five fallen US Forest Service firefighters at the Esperanza Fire Memorial (6); while a 20-acre wildfire near Oakhurst was quickly squelched by firefighters (7); and the 1,070-acre Power Fire, burning in the Stanislaus National Forest, was 97% contained as of last night (8); lightning strikes sparking new wildfires in the Mendocino National Forest (9); a blogger in Redding providing a spectacular shot of the DC-10 in action snapped by Corona Fire Department (10). As 7,000 firefighters battled blazes across Oregon, an estimated 10,000 lightning strikes sparked some more (11); 10 small lightning-sparked wildfires being reported in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (12); more than 728 lightning-strikes causing new wildfires in the Umpqua National Forest as well (13); and 2,000 strikes in the Willamette National Forest spawned dozens of wildfires (14); but a bulldozer operator apparently died while working on the Grassy Mountain Fire (15); and the Douglas County Sheriff's office warned that an evacuation scam was apparently underway in the Myrtle Creek area (16). A 300-acre wildfire in Washington state's Naches Ranger District forced closures of some forest roads (17); while rainfall slowed a 6,000-acre wildfire near Malaga, although it did wash out a couple of roads (18); and as more wildfires were sparked by lightning in Central Washington, firefighters shared some tips with homeowners on how better to protect their homes from wildfires in the next article (19). The role Phoenix, Arizona's Gateway Airport played in battling wildfires in that state is examined by the next article (20); the meticulous process of discerning why the Granite Mountain Hotshots were overrun by a wildfire being undertaken by a team of investigators (21); but after six years, 23 dead firefighters and 1.8 million acres up in smoke, only a few changes suggested by a landmark report have been implemented (22). A Colorado Springs, Colorado, consultant indicated that the C-27J Spartan could only carry 1,100 gallons of retardant if equipped with a Mobile Airborne Fire Fighting System (23); an NPR radio segment discusses a new book titled "Apocalypse Planet: Field Guide to the Future of the Earth", in which a Colorado resident discusses the impact of wildfires on his life (24); torrential rains causing deadly mudslides from areas burned by last year's wildfires in Manitou Springs (25); while Black Forest Fire survivors will have access to additional crisis counseling due to a $90,000 FEMA grant (26); a Black Forest Fire survivor penning a song which sums up the plight of many wildfire survivors (27). Two wildfires blazed across southeastern Idaho, forcing evacuations (28); the next article offering additional information on fires burning in that state (29); and firefighters in Utah were busy with several lightning-sparked blazes as well (30); dozens of photos showing the impact of the wildfire smoke (31). An 86-acre wildfire outside of Nacogdoches, Texas, has been contained (32). Smoke from wildfires in Idaho and Wyoming sullied the skies of Helena, Montana, over the weekend (33); but officials in the Bitterroot National Forest discovered nearly 2 dozen abandoned campfires in the past week (34). New Jersey Forest Fire Service is investigating a marsh fire that broke out over the weekend in Absecon (35). Three dozen wildfires were sparked by lightning across British Columbia, Canada, over the weekend (36); fire crews in Saskatchewan still battling a month-old 21,000-hectare blaze along the shores of Lake Athabasca (37); and wildfire smoke across parts of Manitoba sparked air quality warnings (38); while the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources reported two new wildfires over the weekend (39). Heading to Europe, the next article examines the EU's Emergency Management Center in Brussels, Belgium, which will monitor wildfires and other natural disasters 24/7 (40); a forest fire being started accidentally near Thetford, UK (41); and over 30 wildfires were reported in the Mediterranean Basin nations of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Bosnia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Turkey, as well as in the North African nations of Morocco and Algeria (42); 173 forest fires scorching 639 ha in Algeria between July 31 and August 6 alone (43). In Australia, a pair of Rural Fire Service helicopters were called in to deal with a bushfire burning south of Tweed Heads, New South Wales (44); RFS officials cautioning landowners against careless burn-offs that can turn into bushfires (45); but although it's officially still winter, Queensland is baking as wildfires broke out in Brisbane and Gladstone (46); while residents of Gowrie Mountain put their lives at risk battling a grass fire (47); and a paramedic is being honored for his work in Kinglake, Victoria, during the Black Saturday bushfires with a National Emergency Medal (48). And finally, Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Lasser, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the California National Guard, sent along a video that shows the Canadian philosophy on dealing with vehicle fires in remote areas: if you can't send a fire engine, use an air-tanker instead!

(1) Forest Service Launches New Wildland Fire Website

(2) Ag secretary Tom Vilsack says funding for firefighting must be fixed

(3) California wildfire season: 43 percent more fires, so far

(4) California wildfire that has injured 12 nearly contained

(5) Fundraiser Held In Rancho Cucamonga To Aid Families Of Firefighters Killed In Arizona

(6) Silver Fire firefighters visit Esperanza memorial

(7) Wildfire in Oakhurst burns 20 acres

(8) Power Fire in Stanislaus National Forest Update for Sunday Evening, August 11, 2013

(9) Firefighters work on lightning fires on Mendocino National Forest

(10) DC-10 Air Tanker

(11) Around the state, rain complicates firefighting

(12) Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest fighting small fires after thunderstorm

(13) Umpqua National Forest reports new lightning-caused fires

(14) 2000 lightning strikes spark dozens of fires in Willamette Natl. Forest

(15) Firefighter Dead after Being Found Unresponsive at OR Wildfire

(16) Sheriff's office warns of wildfire evacuation scam in Douglas County

(17) Forest roads closed due to Conrad Complex Fire

(18) Rain slows Mile Marker 10 wildfire; starts mudslides

(19) Firefighters share ways to protect your home from wildfires

(20) Gateway Airport a hub for firefighters

(21) Yarnell findings may prevent future firefighter deaths

(22) Arizona's wildfire solutions languish

(23) C-27J has low fire retardant carrying capacity, says analysis

(24) Wildfires Destroyed 'Big Chunks Of My Childhood'

(25) How last year's Colo. forest fires trigger deadly mudslides

(26) Grant sought to offer crisis counseling for Black Forest fire victims

(27) Song speaks to dilemma facing many who lost homes in Black Forest fire

(28) Hundreds of Evacuations Ahead of Idaho Wildfires

(29) Wildfires lead to evacuations, many closures

(30) On ground and in air, crews counterattack Utah wildfires

(31) Photo gallery: Wildfires fill Utah skies with smoke

(32) Crews extinguish forest fire near Nacogdoches

(33) Wildfires create haze in Helena

(34) Bitterroot Forest officials discover 23 abandoned campfires

(35) Firefighters respond to marsh fire Sunday

(36) Lightning sparks wildfire evacuation alert west of Lillooet

(37) Province keeps eye on lengthy forest fire in northern Sask.

(38) Forest fire smoke expected to cloud skies

(39) Two new forest fires reported

(40) EU emergency center to manage disasters full-time

(41) Forest Fire Started Accidentally

(42) EFFIS - Current Situation

(43) Algeria Forest Fires Destroy 639 Hectares Of Land In First Week Of August

(44) Two helicopters called in to help fight bushfire on Tweed coast

(45) Careless control of burn-off blazes can be costly warn bushfire authorities on NSW north coast

(46) Fire crews battle blazes in Keperra and Gladstone

(47) Residents risk their lives to fight grassfire

(48) Ambo honoured for bushfire bravery

(49) Water Bomber