WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 082313

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Bruce Courtright, Chairman of the National Institute for the Elimination of Catastrophic Wildfire, sent along a letter with the following message:

"Hi folks here is a letter of support for the upcoming Farm Bill and HR 1526, 'Restoring Healthy Forests For Healthy Communities'. This letter was written by the Sustainable Forest Action Coalition, a well-respected Group that we support. It is extremely well written and makes the case for passage of these Bills eloquently. I'm asking you to pass this letter on to all of your network with the request to make sure that all US Legislators see a copy and know that we expect their support of The Bills" (1).

A summary of 50 major wildfires burning in the western US is provided by the next article (2); CBS News furnishing some photos from the firelines (3); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Bob Roper, Chairman of the International Association of Fire Chiefs' Wildland Fire Policy Committee, discussing how to be more proactive about protecting communities from wildfires in a Popular Mechanics article (4); a Washington Post article citing some of the shortcomings of Congress contributing to the problem (5); the one which follows detailing the impact on state budgets (6); budget problems prompting US Forest Service officials to approach the Pentagon and Canada to ask for help (7); all this at a time when the US Forest Service is reevaluating its methods for preventing forest fires as part of a 30-year process (8). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Lasser, a retired Lt. Colonel in the California National Guard, sent along a video of CAL EMA Chief Kim Zagaris discussing 11 wildfires burning in the state at the moment (9); including the Gobblers Fire, which has burned 335 acres in Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest (10); while the 100 mi.² Rim Fire forced tourists to flee Yosemite National Park as 1,849 firefighters and nine helicopters could only bring the fire to 1% containment (11); forcing the evacuation of Camp Tawonga (12); a California Air National Guard Lt. Colonel providing some cockpit video of a C-130J dropping on the Rim Fire (13). Rainfall is being credited with reduced spread of an 11,000-acre wildfire in The Dalles, Oregon (14). Fire crews in Washington state already battling several wildfires fear that lightning strikes may spark some more (15); where the 1,000-acre Conrad Lake Fire was filling the Naches Valley with smoke (16). Firefighters battling a trio of wildfires in Nevada's Reno-Tahoe region reported good progress (17). Arizona's 836-acre French Gulch Fire, which is burning outside of Yarnell, is now 85% contained (18); an editorial from Flagstaff taking a closer look at how the US Forest Service funding shortfall could impact that region (19); while US Senators McCain and Flake expressed concern over the Government Accountability Office's report on the air-tanker shortage (20); but numerous charities raised nearly $8 million for the families of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots killed in the Yarnell Fire in June (21). People living below Colorado's burn areas dodged a bullet as heavy rain fell far enough away not to spark mudslides in their areas (22); and our next story touches on the significance of a tattered, burned American flag that survived last summer's Waldo Canyon Fire (23). In Idaho, several new wildfires have been reported (24); air support costs for the Beaver Creek Fire alone adding up to over $2 million (25); lighting being blamed for 13 new wildfires in the Boise National Forest (26); while Sun Valley Resort plans to dedicate Saturday's ice show proceeds to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation to support families of fallen firefighters (27); but Huey Lewis and the News canceled their planned performance due to concerns about smoky air (28); and US Forest Service biologists were bothered by the impact of the Elk Complex Fire on wildlife (29). Dallas, Texas-based NBC News Coordinating Producer Al Henkel, probably the only member of the media who holds a "red card", reports from the firelines in the West (30); followed by a summary of wildfire activity in Montana (31). The uncle of one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots was collecting photos in Wisconsin for a scrapbook which honors his fallen nephew (32); while Wildfire NOTD subscriber Mikel Robinson, Executive Director at the International Association of Wildland Fire, sent along a reminder about their upcoming International Smoke Symposium, to be held in Hyattsville, Maryland, October 21-24 (33). After a relatively slow start to the fire season in Ontario, Canada, Ministry of Natural Resources crews now have several wildfires to deal with (34). The US is not the only place being pummeled by wildfires, as Europe reported 42 new starts in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and Turkey (35); the next article providing more details on the Portuguese wildfires, where one firefighter was killed and nine injured when the wind suddenly shifted (36); more details on the firefighter death being provided by the next article (37); but one firefighting helicopter found a handy watering hole in which to reload two years ago (38); a summary of wildfires in Spain being provided by the next article (39). Arab Terrorists hurling Molotov cocktails at passing cars were blamed for a wildfire near Benyamin, Israel (40). A teenager who accidentally started a bushfire on New Year's Eve outside of Adelaide, South Australia, will have to pay compensation for damage done by the blaze (41); while four city councils in the Kimberley region of Western Australia will be turning over bushfire control to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services as a first test of concept (42). And finally, firefighters in New Orleans, Louisiana, had a merry chase trying to free an endangered hawk entangled in fishing line!

(1) Sustainable Forest Action Coalition Farm Bill Letter

(2) Significant Wildfires Burning in the Western US

(3) Western wildfires

(4) Let's Get Proactive About Fighting Wildfires

(5) Wildfires keep getting worse. Why is Congress so unprepared?

(6) Fire season stretches state budgets

(7) U.S. wildfire managers weigh help from military, foreign countries

(8) Smokey The Bear Facing Retirement As Forest Service Considers Letting Fires Burn

(9) RAW: California's Mutual Aid Fire Chief Interviewed About Wildfires

(10) Gobblers fire in San Bernardino National Forest burns 335 acres

(11) Visitors flee as wildfire bears down on Yosemite

(12) Forest fire forces evacuation at Camp Tawonga

(13) Caught On Camera: National Guard Air Tanker Battles Rim Fire

(14) Rains temporarily keep wildfires near The Dalles at bay

(15) Crews battle fires near Leavenworth, Cle Elum, Conrad Lake

(16) More progress made on forest fires as smoke blankets the valley

(17) Crews report progress on 3 wildfires impacting Reno-Tahoe area

(18) Ariz. wildfire near Yarnell nears full containment

(19) Firefighting shortfall elsewhere in West affects Flagstaff, too

(20) Senators Mccain And Flake On Gao’s Report On Forest Service Air Tanker Shortage

(21) Charities raise nearly $8M for fallen firefighters' families

(22) Colo. Wildfire Areas Spared From Heaviest Rain

(23) Flag Burned in Waldo Canyon Fire Has Special Place

(24) "Shoo Fly", "Cow" and "Swan" are among latest fires

(25) New Fires Reported On The Boise National Forest

(26) Air Support for Beaver Creek Wildfire: 350 Hours, $2.2 Million

(27) Sun Valley on Ice: Show to Benefit Firefighters Foundation

(28) Beastly wildfire disrupts Idaho vacation heaven

(29) Forest Service: Fast -moving Elk Complex Fire took its toll on area wildlife

(30) How NBC News reporter and firefighter Al Henkel covers wildfires

(31) Red Lodge blaze about 10 percent contained on Friday morning

(32) Tribute to a firefighter: Uncle of late Hotshot building scrapbook in his honor

(33) International Smoke Symposium

(34) Forest fires spring up

(35) EFFIS - Current Situation

(36) 600 Portuguese firefighters battle deadly blazes

(37) Firefighter killed as Portugal wrestles with forest fires

(38) Today's Viral Video: Poolside firefighting

(39) Firefighters battle wild blazes in Spain

(40) Arab Terrorists Ignite Forest Fire in Israel

(41) Teenager to fork out for New Year's firework bushfire damage

(42) Bushfire control a WA first

(43) New Orleans firefighters rescue imperiled hawk in City Park