WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 082613

First up today, Wildfire NOTD subscriber Bruce Courtright, Chairman of the National Institute for the Elimination of Catastrophic Wildfire, sent along an analysis of The Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy with the following message:

For several years a dedicated team of fire folks have been working on a project directed by Congress in return for added flexibility for Federal agencies in their fire budgets. The effort is called The Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy [draft is available for review here and companion doc here MJA]. Many of us have heard of it and had some involvement in its development, but few of us really know the effect it will have on us and our Fire Programs. Marcia Armstrong County Supervisor for Siskiyou County, a talented Researcher and Writer has put together an excellent look at the Strategy and its possible effects to rural Fire program. I think it would be valuable for your readers to hear her thoughts and be better prepared for the possible impacts of the New Strategy (1).

Elsewhere in the news, 50 major wildfires continued to burn in 9 western states (2); CNN providing some useful statistics on wildfires in the next item (3); while another legacy of wildfires in the West, flash floods, has reared its ugly head (4). Two CL-415 air-tankers and an Erickson Air-Crane went online at Southern California's Van Nuys Airport on Monday as part of the annual leasing agreement to provide additional wildfire protection to the region during the fall fire season (5); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Dave Baskett, President of Santa Maria-based International Emergency Services, sent along a video produced by Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tony Morris, Communications Director of Wildfire Research Network, of the Russian BE-200 in action as they lobby to get permission to operate the aircraft on fires in the western US (a PowerPoint presentation for US Forest Service on the aircraft's capabilities can be seen here) (6); but nearly 4,000 firefighters continued to grapple with the 149,000-acre Rim Fire burning near Yosemite National Park (7); which is threatening San Francisco's water and power supply at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (8); while the Fish Fire in Sequoia National Forest's Golden Trout Wilderness has burned 1,000 acres and is only 5 percent contained (9); and the 10,325-acre Deer Fire, burning near Chico, was 45% contained (10); as six major blazes were active across the region (11); suppression costs this season approaching the $50 million mark (12); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Tom Lasser, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the California National Guard, sending along a video of a UH-60 Black Hawk from Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos in action over the Rim Fire (13); a press release detailing the importance of communications on that fire (14). An Oregon politician discusses the difficulties getting East Coast politicians on board with preventing wildfires in the West (15); even as new wildfires broke out in the Willamette National Forest (16). Folks in Reno, Nevada, had a relatively smoke-free day after several smoky ones brought on by wildfires in California (17). Lighting strikes spawned fourteen new wildfires in Idaho's Boise National Forest over the weekend (18); but Boise State University cut students fighting wildfires across the West some slack in applying for fall classes (19). A 7-acre wildfire was reported north of Helena, Montana (20); and as more air-tankers are needed at wildfires continuing to rage across the US, Missoula-based Neptune Aviation's contract woes are examined by the next article (21). Minnesota is facing an elevated fire danger due to dry, windy conditions combined with a heat wave through tomorrow (22); an Assistant Professor of Forest Resources at Penn State University weighing in on the connection between climate change and wildfires (23). Maine Forest Rangers are on the trail of a serial arsonist who set several wildfires in Washington County over the weekend (24); but lightning is being blamed for a 1/2-acre blaze in Piscataquis County (25). A Florida Forest Service Senior Ranger returned home after nearly three weeks fighting wildfires in the West (26). Rainfall diminished the wildfire threat over the weekend in Ontario, Canada (27); but two women have been charged with a scam involving a forest fire appeal in Labrador (28). Heading to Europe, 16 wildfires broke out over the weekend in France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Turkey (29); more details on wildfires in Portugal being provided by the next article (30). In Australia, New South Wales's $62.5 million fuel treatment program is examined in detail (31); something which may be vital considering the bushfire season being predicted for the coming summer (32). As fire agencies gear up for controlled burns in South Australia, officials reminded residents that bushfire season is really year round (33); and former model Turia Pitt revealed her badly-burned face two years after her encounter with a bushfire in Western Australia's Kimberley region (34). Despite devastating bushfires in Tasmania earlier this year, only one in ten people are prepared for the upcoming season (35); but the Tasmania Fire Service has high hopes for a brand-new CAFS-equipped fire truck's capabilities against future bushfires (36). And finally, a composition inspired by the Black Saturday bushfires has won the Australian orchestral Work Of The Year at the 2013 Arts Music Awards in Sydney, NSW!

(1) Comments on the The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and Risk Analysis

(2) Wildfires Sweep Across Western U.S.

(3) Wildfires Fast Facts

(4) First Fire, Then Floods in Besieged Western Forest

(5) New Water-Dropping Aircraft Go Into Service In Preparation For 2013 Fire Season

(6) Be 200 "We Need It NOW"

(7) Yosemite wildfire burns area the size of Chicago, threatens homes

(8) Yosemite wildfire threatening San Francisco's water and power supply, as well as giant sequoias

(9) Major fire burning in Sequoia Forest

(10) 9 a.m. update: Deer Fire at 10,325 acres

(11) Of 6 weekend wildfires, firefighters contain only 2

(12) California's firefighting costs hit $44 million

(13) Video of JFTB-based California National Guard helping to fight Rim Fire near Yosemite

(14) Communications Are Vital to Fighting RIM FIRE in Yosemite National Forest

(15) DeFazio: Blame Congress for wildfires

(16) Crews work to control new Willamette forest fires

(17) Smoke from CA wildfires clears over NV

(18) Fourteen new fires in Boise National Forest result from lightning Saturday

(19) Extensions provided to firefighting students

(20) Firefighters battle blaze north of Helena in Sieben Flats

(21) Neptune focuses on getting planes ready to fly; still no USFS contract

(22) Forest fire risk rises in dry parts of Minnesota

(23) Explained in 90 Seconds: How Climate Change Fuels Wildfires

(24) Wildfires set in Washington County

(25) Lightning causes small forest fire in Piscataquis County

(26) Jeff Curl, a Port St. Lucie firefighter, returns home after battling Oregon wildfires

(27) Rain drops fire threat

(28) Fraud charges laid over phony forest-fire appeal

(29) EFFIS - Current Situation

(30) Portugal calls for more help to tackle deadly forest fires

(31) Bushfire program goes up in smoke

(32) Extreme bushfire season expected

(33) Bushfire prevention is twelve months a year

(34) Bushfire survivor Turia Pitt opens up about outback marathon fire

(35) Research finds only one in 10 prepared for fires

(36) $700k truck to boost firies' artillery

(37) Black Saturday composition wins award