WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 090313

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Bruce Courtright, Chairman of the National Institute for the Elimination of Catastrophic Wildfire, sent along a letter from Tom Bonnicksen which argues against letting mega-fires run wild in wilderness areas like Yosemite (1); but although 11,000 firefighters were still on the firelines over Labor Day weekend, the National Interagency Fire Center has lowered the national preparedness level due to reduced demand for fire assets nationwide (2); the next article taking a look at the technology used to fight wildfires (3); followed by a tribute to wildland firefighters (4). An article from the fire-prone Southern California community of Santa Clarita questions the "let it burn" philosophy that allowed mega-fires like the Station Fire loose (5); and as Yosemite's Rim Fire reached 235,841 acres in size, fire crews brought in to 75% containment (6); a time-lapse video of the fire offering a unique perspective (7); firefighters from Central Valley fire departments rotating home after two-week stints on that blaze (8); even as more from the Central Coast headed to the firelines (9); and additional National Guard aircraft deployed to California to help fight it as well (10). Crews continued to search for a missing firefighter who was last seen patrolling the perimeter of a 25-acre wildfire in New Mexico's Santa Fe National Forest (11). Firefighters quickly snuffed a small wildfire in Huerfano County, Colorado (12); while the Vail Fire Department is helping homeowners clear vegetation to reduce their fire danger (13); but an editorial from the Denver Post argues that the Obama Administration needs to better fund the thinning of overgrown forests to reduce Western wildfires (14). Oklahoma's Cherokee Fire Dancers, who just arrived back home from fighting wildfires in Oregon may be shipping out to Yosemite National Park soon (15); and two years on, the Bastrop County Long Term Recovery Team has rebuilt 80 homes for Texans who lost their places in the Bastrop County Complex Fire (16). An update on wildfires in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park is provided by the next article (17). Air-tankers bombed an 80-acre grassfire on the outskirts of Missoula, Montana, into submission (18); but adding new complications to the Lolo Creek Complex Fire, flash flood warnings have been issued for Missoula County through today (19); a quartet of firefighters returning to New York State after two weeks of fighting that fire (20). Although air-tankers which were stationed at the Provincial Airtanker Centre at Kamloops Airport in British Columbia, Canada, have departed, fire officials warned residents that the fire season is not over yet (21); as a 4-hectare blaze outside of Castlegar demonstrated (22). New wildfires were still being reported in the European nations of France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey (23); additional details on fires in Portugal, where 48 new starts were reported, are provided by the next article (24); but as summer winds down, an article from Turkey evaluates the forest fire season this year (25). Greenpeace International revealed that the Palm Oil industry accounted for approximately one quarter of the deforestation across Indonesia from 2009-2011 in a new report (26). Heading to Australia, a class-action lawsuit over a bushfire sparked by construction workers outside of Blampied, Victoria, has gotten under way (27); while the Melbourne Fire Brigade will be deploying two unmanned aerial vehicles to better survey bushfires over the next year (28); motorists in New South Wales being warned about a bushfire outside of Wyee (29); a mild winter prompting Rural Fire Service officials to warn of an elevated bushfire danger for South Coast residents (30); firefighters in Bilambil adding a new Community Fire Unit trailer to their bushfire toolbox (31); and South Australia's Country Fire Service feels that the North-West Pastoral and Flinders regions will have an above-average fire season as well (32); while a 240-acre bushfire in West Kimberley, Western Australia, that forced evacuations has been contained (33); but as the Department of Fire and Emergency Services prepares for bushfire season, officials are advising property owners to do the same (34). And finally, Australian vets at New South Wales' Currumbin Wildlife Hospital are struggling to help a baby echidna who was badly burned in a bushfire!

(1) Feeding The Fire Monster

(2) Preparedness level drops as wildfires demand fewer resources

(3) Incredible Technology: How to Fight Wildfires

(4) A Heart-Felt Tribute to Our Forest Fire Fighters

(5) Facing the flames: Natural disasters in the SCV

(6) Rim fire in and around Yosemite is 75% contained, officials say

(7) Time-lapse video shows Yosemite's Rim Fire burning through forests

(8) Valley firefighters trickling home from Rim Fire

(9) Local crews help battle wildfire

(10) Aircraft deploy to California to aid firefighting

(11) Crews brave hazardous terrain for missing New Mexico firefighter

(12) Wildfire burning on Greenhorn Mountain in Huerfano County

(13) Vail forest work cuts fire danger

(14) Western wildfires deserve more attention

(15) Cherokee Fire Dancers On Standby For California Wildfire Relief

(16) Bastrop's recovery 2 years after devastating wildfires

(17) Yellowstone wildfires grow little

(18) Missoula wildfire danger lessens, but still 'very high'

(19) Flash flood watch issued for Lolo Creek Complex burn area

(20) Local DEC forest ranger, employees and volunteer return after fighting Montana forest fires

(21) Fire season far from over

(22) Yet another forest fire in region mobilizes crews

(23) EFFIS - Current Situation

(24) Wildfires continue to rage through Portugal

(25) Forest fires continue to destroy greens nationwide

(26) New Findings On Palm Oil Forest Destruction, Forest Fires

(27) Blampied bushfire: class action launched

(28) Drones may be used to help battle bushfires this summer

(29) Bushfire at Wyee

(30) Warm winter brings bushfire alert for South Coast residents

(31) New equipment for firefighting at Bilambil welcomed

(32) Regions put on bushfire alert

(33) Bushfire threat to Junjuwa community at Fitzroy Crossing eases

(34) Plan for bushfire risk now

(35) Baby echidna fights bushfire burns