WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 101413

The role of General Atomics' MQ-1 Predator over California's Rim Fire this summer is explored by the our first article today (1); Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rick Halsey, Director of San Diego-based California Chaparral Institute, weighing in on the double-edged sword of controlled burns (2); while the Lake County Supervisors plan to discuss the impact of two wildfires that burned 7,934 acres between them this summer at Tuesday's meeting (3); in the meantime, firefighters roped in an 8-acre wildfire outside of Ukiah on Saturday (4). The agency of moisture stress preventing conifer forests from regrowing after wildfires was revealed by a new study from Oregon State University (5). The widow of a Granite Mountain Hotshot killed in a burnover in Yarnell, Arizona, in June has give birth to a daughter (6); funds to help the families of those fallen firefighters coming in from a Wisconsin community (7). An article from Colorado revisits plans to levy a special tax and building restrictions in wildfire-prone parts of that state (8); a new study from Harvard offering a grim forecast for that state's future vis-a-vis wildfires (9). The Nature Conservancy reports on the recovery of Nebraska's Niobrara Valley Preserve following a 76,000-acre in 2012 (10); a list of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Forest Fire Protection grant recipients being offered by the next article (11). A Mississippi Hotshot discusses wildland firefighting 50 years ago (12). In Canada, the city of Nelson, British Columbia, has implemented their Wildfire Fuel Reduction Program now that fire season is past (13); while two wildfires were reported in Europe over the weekend: a 30-hectare blaze at Rethymnon, Greece, and a 120-hectare fire at Gazipaşa, Antalya, Turkey (14). Firefighters in the Philippines spent six hours suppressing a wildfire in Surigao del Norte Province (15). More than 140 bushfire experts gathered in Australia's capital of Canberra to digest the findings of 60 years of bushfire research at a three-day conference (16); this at a time when a challenging summer may be ahead nationwide (17); while Erickson Aircrane has inked a $60 million 3-year contract with Australia's National Aerial Firefighting Centre to provide six of their massive S-64 heli-tankers to the defense of several states (18). Queensland Fire and Rescue Service battled a 100-acre bushfire outside of Bauple (19); an update on the fire situation in that state being provided by the next article (20); but bushfire mitigation efforts in Highfields have prompted concerns about the effect of tree felling on wildlife habitat (21). With above-average temperatures and abundant fuel across parts of New South Wales and Victoria, forecasters say that the bushfire risk in the coming years could increase significantly (22); bushfires having destroyed at least six homes and 100 cars in the latest bushfire outbreak (23); sparking powerlines being blamed for a 50-hectare bushfire in Port Stephens that destroyed a number of homes (24); Fire and Rescue NSW unveiling a new fire truck with which to handle bushfires in Tamworth (25). Homeowners seeking compensation from SP AusNet for damages done by a bushfire allegedly sparked by its equipment in 2009 lodged a protest with the court over a test done by the utility company (26); while Western Australia's government is focused on how local councils could impact bushfire response as it reviews the Emergency Services Act (27). And finally, firefighters in Fairbanks, Alaska, are helping disadvantaged kids with an important task in the Last Frontier: keeping warm in the winter!

(1) Wildfires vs. Predator

(2) Preventing wildfire with prescribed burns comes with risks, rewards

For the remainder of the stories in today's Wildfire News Of The Day, please subscribe to the Wildfire News Of The Day newsletter