WILDFIRE NEWS OF THE DAY - 111113

A civilian was burned in a three-acre wildfire near the Southern California community of Muscoy (1); and two endangered California condors were found dead in open-air water tanks used by firefighting heli-tankers in the Tehachapi area (2); while an off-road vehicle was blamed for a 75-acre wildfire outside of Atascadero (3); and a vegetation fire that scorched nearly 3 acres in Northern California knocked out power to 1,450 PG&E customers (4); while the Tahoe National Forest is seeking volunteers to help rehabilitate sections of trails damaged by the 27,440-acre American Fire this summer (5). The disparity between what the Obama administration is allocating to wildfire mitigation efforts ($296 million) versus what Western lawmakers feel is required (around $1 billion) is examined in an article from Reno, Nevada (6); while in Colorado, Denver Water customers may benefit from a US Forest Service thinning project which could result in upwards of 4,000 debris piles going up in smoke per day (7); and the mayor of Pinedale, Wyoming, weighs in on the importance of local airports for, among other things, air-tanker operations (8). Fire crews battling a week-old wildfire in Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest used burnouts to help contain the blaze (9); while a 100-acre wildfire has been reported in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest (10). An 80-acre wildfire outside of New Jersey's Hamilton Township continues to burn out of control (11); and a two-acre wildfire was reported in Lakewood Township as well (12). As sugar cane harvesting season nears its end in the Fiji Islands, the National Fire Authority reported a commensurate decline in bushfires (13). A host of Australian celebrities will gather at the Twenty20 cricket match in Sydney on Sunday, November 17, to raise funds for bushfire survivors in New South Wales (14); and rugby players will be doing their part as well (15). A bushfire was reported near Lewiston in Victoria (16); while Bushfire CRC sent along their November newsletter (17); the Digital Media Manager for Country Fire Authority discussing the importance of being a trusted source of information through social media prior to a bushfire (18). An 80,000-hectare bushfire has forced authorities in Western Australia to keep Karijini National Park closed for a few more days (19); but despite a recommendation for a new penalty for bushfire offenses that result in fatalities by the Tasmania Sentencing Advisory Council, the Attorney General disagreed (20). And finally, in honor of Veterans Day, our last story chronicles how the military vets in the US have found a new career as firefighters!

(1) Civilian burned in 3-acre wildfire in Muscoy

(2) 2 endangered CA Condors found dead in firefighter water tanks

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