WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 102913

Wildfire NOTD subscriber Rick Hatton, CEO of 10 Tanker Air Carrier, discusses the private firefighting business battling wildfires across the US in our first article today (1). In Southern California, La Verne Fire Department is preparing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan which it hopes to unveil in December (2); and Colorado State University’s Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship launched a new Center for Managing WUI Wildfire Risk to provide science-based answers to critical questions following the most destructive wildfires in that state's history (3). The next article looks at Idaho's Clearwater Collaborative, which brings together environmentalists, tribal leaders, timber industry reps, motorized recreation groups and sporting groups to improve forest management in that state (4); but a member of the Missouri Prescribed Fire Council argues against a Congressional proposal to limit controlled burns in the Mark Twain National Forest (5). Controlled burns on about 4,500 acres will be conducted in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, through December (6); a 3-acre wildfire was reported in Prospect, Connecticut (7); but despite the approach of winter, residents of Anchorage, Alaska, were advised to trim vegetation now to protect against wildfires in the spring (8). Two new wildfires were reported in Europe: a 12-hectare blaze on the French island of Corsica near Ponte Novu, and a 17-hectare blaze outside of Sultanhisar, Turkey (9). Australia's Prime Minister continues to be savaged in the press for his denial that climate change is worsening bushfires (10); the Opposition Leader asking the PM to extend bushfire relief funds even to those who didn't lose homes in the New South Wales bushfires (11); while it's been estimated that $1.4 million was spent advertising to NSW bushfire evacuees over a 10 day period spanning October 18 – 27 (12); an Op-Ed piece pointing out the danger of allowing more real estate development in high-risk bushfire portions of the Blue Mountains (13); while Suncorp has already received 400 insurance claims totaling upwards of $70 million from policyholders impacted by bushfires in New South Wales (14); but the military has agreed to help out the town of Lithgow following a 50,000-hectare bushfire sparked by Army training (15); which may be part of a "charm offensive" ahead of potential class-action lawsuits (16). Residents of Queensland's Sunshine Coast being warned to remain vigilant after a bushfire was quenched in the Toolara Forest (17). South Australia Country Fire Service has launched a new public safety announcement campaign reminding people that they may be in a bushfire danger zone and not even realize it (18); while a professor at Queensland University of Technology is hoping to find out if his bushfire-proof housing project in Western Australia can stand up to the flames (19). And finally, firefighters from Watertown, NY, had an unusual cat to get out of a tree!

(1) Fighting Fires is Big Business for Private Companies

(2) Calif. Firefighters Developing Wildfire Protection Plan

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