WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 091113

A summary of wildfire activity in Northern California is provided by our first article today (1); where fire crews have brought an 11 mi.² wildfire in Shasta County to 40% containment (2); and the Tuolumne River Trust began a campaign to help with recovery efforts in the Rim Fire burn area (3); but as firefighters fought a wildfire north of San Francisco, their fire station was being burglarized! (4) Two new wildfires were reported in Oregon and Washington, where hot, dry conditions were expected through the weekend (5); the next article taking a look at Oregon's summer of fire (6). Wildfire NOTD subscriber Walt Darran, Chairman of the Associated Aerial Firefighters, sent along an ABC News video which asks whether Arizona's 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots could have been saved if air-tankers had been available (7); researchers at the University of Arizona commenting on California's Rim Fire in the next article (8). The results of a year-long study by US Forest Service's Missoula, Montana, Fire Lab on whether target shooting causes wildfires are discussed in the next article (9); while US Forest Service fire crews from Vermont's Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forest are heading West to help fight wildfires (10). Fire crews in Volusia County, Florida, conducted a 118-acre controlled burn in the Lake George Conservation Area (11). In Canada, the British Columbia Forest Service estimated that it spent $125-million fighting wildfires this season (12); fire conditions in Ontario's Northumberland County Forest prompting officials to impose a fire ban (13); where, despite nine active wildfires, falling temperatures are reducing the fire danger in the region (14). Forest fires in four Argentinian provinces forced evacuations (15). UK-based BAE Systems Spokesman David Dorman sent along an announcement from the company about partnering with companies in North America to convert 10 BAe 146 aircraft into air-tankers (16); while quick-thinking firefighters doused a blaze in Bracknell's Swinley Forest that could have led to a catastrophic wildfire (17); but nearly a dozen wildfires were reported in the European nations of Portugal, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey (18); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Johann Goldammer, Director of the United Nations' Global Fire Monitoring Center in Freiburg, Germany, sending along links to two new fire-related publications he edited: "Vegetation Fires and Global Change" (19); and "Prescribed Burning in Russia" (20). A 200-hectare bushfire was reported outside of Canterbury, New Zealand (21). Photos and video from the firelines in New South Wales, Australia, are provided by the next article (22); where Fire and Rescue NSW is under fire for station closures during those blazes (23); but with dropping temperatures, the bushfire danger is receding (24); nevertheless, with a difficult bushfire season forecast, the double-edged sword of back burns is under discussion (25); while residents of Winmalee commented on the sudden approach of a 500-hectare bushfire in the Blue Mountains which forced evacuations (26). And finally, the Baltimore Ravens football team gave one Black Forest Fire survivor from Colorado a day to remember!

(1) Calif. wildfires dying down, leave trail of destruction

(2) Containment lines holding in Calif. wildfire fight

(3) Campaign Launched To Restore Forest Burned In Rim Fire Near Yosemite

(4) California Fire Station Burglarized as Firefighters Battled Wildfire

(5) 2 new wildfires flare in Northwest, with lightning expected Thursday

(6) Oregon’s Massive Wildfires, As Seen Through Google Glass

(7) Official: 19 Firefighters Possibly Saved Had Air Tankers Responded

(8) UA professors provide insight on Yosemite wildfires

(9) US Forest Service study links rifle ammunition to wildfires

(10) Area Forest Service members fight western wildfires

(11) Prescribed fire burns Lake George-area acreage

(12) Province went over budget fighting summer forest fires

(13) Forest fire permit ban a council decision

(14) Fire scene cools off

(15) Forest Fires Rage Across 4 Argentine Provinces

(16) BAE Systems provides design engineering expertise to BAe146/Avro RJ airtanker (aerial firefighter) conversion programmes in North America

(17) Quick-thinking firefighters praised after Swinley Forest blaze

(18) EFFIS - Current Situation

(19) Vegetation Fires and Global Change

(20) Prescribed Burning in Russia

(21) Wind starts 200ha forest fire in Canterbury

(22) Bushfire season: photos, video

(23) NSW fire service defends closure of stations during bushfires

(24) Bushfire emergency eases as temperatures drop

(25) NSW braces for tough bushfire season after yesterday's early outbreaks

(26) Residents recount lucky escape from bushfire at Winmalee in the NSW Blue Mountains

(27) Despite loss, Ravens make day of fan devastated by Black Forest Fire