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September 30
Jury awards largest damages in California wildfire
Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday ordered two construction companies to reimburse the government for $36.5 million in damages from a 2002 wildfire, in the largest such award and the first-ever damages for environmental harm, prosecutors said.
How did D.C. get $2.8 million of wildland fire mgmt. funds?
Little Chicago Review
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) is stomping out a U.S. Forest Service plan that gives $2.8 million of wildland fire management funds to Washington, D.C.
Scientific and social challenges for the management of fire-prone wildland–urban interfaces
environmentalresearchweb.org
At their worst, fires at the rural–urban or wildland–urban interface cause tragic loss of human lives and homes, but mitigating these fire effects through management elicits many social and scientific challenges. This paper addresses four interconnected management challenges posed by socially disastrous landscape fires.
Flap over federal cash for trees hits Idaho
Boise, Meridian and Nampa will get stimulus money for urban forestry - funds Idaho's senators voted to refuse for the nation's capital.
Idaho Statesman
Idaho's Republican senators co-sponsored the amendment last week that stops the Forest Service from spending money listed in the stimulus law under "wildland fire management" in Washington, D.C.
Fire Research on Smoke Management, Better Forecasts Being Funded
Occupational Health & Safety
The Joint Fire Science Program, a partnership of six federal wildland management and research agencies that addresses problems associated with managing wildland fuels, fires, and fire-impacted ecosystems, is accepting proposals until Nov. 20 for as many as 30 research projects, including projects to improve the accuracy of fire weather forecasts and issues surrounding the public’s perceptions of smoke management in wildfires. Total funding available for these projects is $8-10 million, according to the project announcement issued Sept. 25.
September 29
GUEST VIEWPOINT: Most forest fires ought to be managed, not extinguished
The Register-Guard
If not for the cloak of smoke that has shrouded skies recently over Eugene and Springfield, most residents hardly would have been aware of the wildfires that have been burning for two weeks on the Willamette and Umpqua national forests.
Station fire victims call for U.S. probe into Forest Service's response
Los Angeles Times
Big Tujunga Canyon residents and others reeling from the Station fire called Monday for a federal investigation into what they termed a poor initial response to the deadly blaze by the U.S. Forest Service.
With care, the forest will live
Los Angeles Times
Brent Roath quickly recast the question. Yes, he agreed, the U.S. Forest Service scientists who have spent the last two weeks in the San Gabriel Mountains examining the effects of the Station fire are like forensic pathologists combing a crime scene.
Except in this case, the patient is still alive.
September 28
BLM firefighters raise money for the late Brett Stearns
Craig Daily Press
Somewhere among the live music, dancing and reminiscing of another fire season gone by, Bureau of Land Management firefighters raised more than $5,000 in the name of a fallen comrade.
FLAME Act would restructure wildland firefighting
Washington State Deptment of Natural Resources
Federal, state and local firefighting agencies coordinate their responses to fire events, including larger ones like the Oden Road Fire last August.
Steps to Keep Your Home Safe From Fire
New York Times
Whether or not you live in a part of the country prone to raging wildfires, protecting your family from fire is still of paramount importance. While there's no such thing as a fireproof home, there are plenty of things that you can do to make your house safer.
September 27
Station fire's strength was miscalculated
Forest Service and L.A. County fire officials downsized the fight before the blaze intensified.
Los Angeles Times
U.S. Forest Service officials underestimated the threat posed by the deadly Station fire and scaled back their attack on the blaze the night before it began to rage out of control, records and interviews show.
September 26
Tree of the Week: Do we need to help nature recover from fires?
Los Angeles Times
Although the Station Fire is fresh in our minds, it is almost a year since the Sayre fire burned in the Sylmar area last November and a little over two years since the May 2007 Griffith Park fire. Our original native landscape, be it sagebrush, chaparral or woodland, is adapted to periodic fires occurring at intervals of 25 to 100 years and doesn’t need our assistance to recover. As much as we love to help nature, she does quite well on her own. Buried seeds of native annuals and perennials will sprout but, exciting as it is to see wildflowers come up during the first spring and the gradual changes thereafter in the landscape, the recovery of mature brush and perennials will take many years. Even the resident animals will gradually return. Human fire recovery efforts, such as seeding slopes with nonnative grass, have usually done more harm than good.
NTSB report on copter crash draws no conclusions about cause of nine deaths
The (Grants Pass) Daily Courier – Medford Mail Tribune
The National Transportation Safety Board released hundreds of pages about the August 2008 helicopter crash that killed several local wildland firefighters.
September 25
USFA: Stress, Crashes Killed Firefighters in '08
Firehouse.com News
EMMITSBURG, Md. -- For the second consecutive year, a gripping picture of nine flags graces the cover of the 2008 firefighter fatality report compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration.
No forest fire funding should go to U.S. capital, Senate says
Billings Gazette
CHEYENNE - Following outrage by Western senators, the U.S. Senate on Thursday killed an earmark that would have sent millions in federal wildfire-management funds toward restoring public parks and watersheds in the District of Columbia.
FF/Cancer Survivor: Practices Need to Change
Firehouse.com News
As wildfires continue to burn out west, Los Angeles County Firefighter Mike Dubron worries firefighters in those areas may fall victim to a foe more subtle than the blazes they battle.
September 23
Fewer firefighters available to loan to other areas
Union-Tribune
SAN DIEGO — In the recent past, when a large wildfire burned elsewhere in California, San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman offered six strike teams, composed of firefighters and 30 engines, as part of the the state's mutual-aid system.
Study: Dead trees key
The Press-Enterprise
When forest fires ripped through the San Bernardino Mountains six years ago, areas covered with mostly living trees burned just as severely as places with heavy concentrations of dead trees, according to a study made public this week.
September 24
Senator Wyden: Funds to fight wildfires
naturalresourcereport.com
Washington, D.C – Recognizing the high cost of fighting large-scale forest fires, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today co-sponsored an effort to set aside millions of dollars to help pay the cost of fire suppression on federal land.
September 19
Nice weather tough on wildland fire contractors
Helena Independent-Record
BILLINGS - Stuart Andersen is proud of his hand-washing stations.
He built the two trailers himself, each equipped with 12 sinks, soap dispensers and mirrors, a water tank, water heaters and fairly roomy living quarters for the person running the station. Each trailer is pulled by a big diesel pickup.
September 18
Gird End Fire restoring forest
Ravalli Republic
In the smoky haze, Rick Floch stood next to the Gird End Fire on Thursday, watching it creep along and burn a blackened mosaic across the cluttered floor of the Bitterroot National Forest.
September 17
FEMA Reimburses State Of Colorado For Wildfire Costs
Media Newswire
(Media-Newswire.com) - DENVER - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) has obligated more than $1 million to reimburse the Colorado State Forest Service, for costs associated with fighting the New Castle Fire.
September 16
Feds say firefighter helicopter that crashed was pushing weight limit
The Oregonian
An Oregon-based firefighting helicopter that crashed last year and killed nine men was 2,000 pounds heavier than U.S. Forest Service guidelines recommend, documents from the National Transportation Safety Board show.
In Fighting Wildfires, They Also Serve Who Keep the Books
Mrs. Fork's Band of Bean Counters Lives, Works in Firefighter Camps; 'Mommy, Nana's at a Fire'
Wall Street Journal
SANTA FE DAM RECREATION AREA, Calif. -- Hours before sunrise, Teresa Fork rolled out of her tent, laced up her boots and got to work on the biggest fire in Los Angeles County history.
September 15
Federal stimulus funds on way for Calif. side of Tahoe
Sierra Sun
TAHOE CITY, Calif. — The U.S. Forest Service will fund about $89 million in fuels reduction and forest health projects nationally with federal stimulus funds, with about $10 million coming to California and $500,000 to Nevada.
September 14
Private Aerial Firefighters Playing Major Role in Far West Wildland Fires Containment
Vertical
Air tanker and firefighting helicopter operators have played a significant part in combating wildland fires throughout a late-blooming, and ongoing fire season throughout much of the Far Western US.
September 13
Editorial:
Taking back the Angeles National Forest
The resolve that created the picturesque recreation area will be needed again to undo the damage of fire and neglect.
Los Angeles Times
Just as it strains the imagination to picture a universe that stretches to infinity, we struggle to visualize a quarter of the Angeles National Forest burned to the ground. What does that look like, 160,000 blackened acres? It looks like forever.
A memorial display for two firefighters is seen outside Dodger Stadium
Washington Post
Two veteran firefighters who died trying to save the lives of dozens trapped in the largest wildfire in Los Angeles County history were remembered as heroes Saturday in a memorial service at Dodger Stadium attended by Vice President Joe Biden and others.
Who Needs Science When the Gods Are Managing Your Forests?
SOS Forests: Western Institute for Study of the Environment Commentary
Fire Gods and Federal Policy, an essay by Dr. Thomas M. Bonnicksen, Ph.D. published in American Forests in 1989, was controversial then and remains so. It is also an honest and accurate assessment of the a-scientific, mythology-based management philosophy of the National Park Service, and is as true today as it was in 1989.
September 11
Video: Erickson Air-Crane Helitankers Dampen Wildfires in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest
Reuters
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 11 -- Four of Erickson's Helitankers are flying long hours battling the large "Station Fire" consuming homes and forcing thousands of evacuations.
More Work Needed to Manage Wildfires:
Improvements in wildfire planning and response, still trail escalating risk, report finds.
International Association of Wildland Fire
Federal agencies have taken important steps forward in making communities and resources less susceptible to damages from wildland fire, but additional strategic action Is needed to capitalize on those Steps, according to a new GAO report.
USDA announces economic recovery projects for Forest Health Protection
The Gov Monitor
78 projects in 20 States and the District of Columbia will receive a total of $89 million to address problems caused by fire, insects, invasive species and disease Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for forest health protection projects. These 78 projects will receive almost $89 million and are located on forested lands in 30 states. This funding will be used to restore forest health conditions on Federal, State, and private forest and rangelands recovering from fires, forest insects and disease outbreaks. These conditions weaken affected lands and threaten the benefits these lands provide, including clean water, clean air, habitat for wildlife, resistance to wildfire, and recreational opportunities for the public.
Power & Gas Utility - Rates and Tariffs: California utilities propose establishment of wildfire cost recovery mechanism
SNL Financial
On Aug. 31, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas, and Pacific Gas and Electric filed a joint request with the California PUC to establish a mechanism that would enable the utilities to recover wildfire expenses that are not reimbursed by insurance and exceed the amounts included in base rates.
September 10
While some firefighters were out battling the Station fire, it destroyed the very places where they live
Los Angeles Times
While some firefighters were out battling the Station fire, it destroyed the very places where they live.
Obama nominates Coloradan Harris Sherman to oversee U.S. Forest Service
The Oregonian
President Barack Obama today selected Harris Sherman as his nominee for Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
If confirmed, Sherman, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, would oversee the U.S. Forest Service, an agency that manages vast swaths of Oregon and the West.
September 9
Blaze could signal conflagration ahead when Santa Anas hit
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
The mountain inferno that exploded into the biggest fire in modern Los Angeles history foreshadows the long wildfire season ahead - one that could make the past two weeks look mild by comparison.
Two injured in blaze
Lake County Record-Bee
LAKE COUNTY Two injuries were reported in what has been labeled the Oasis Fire. Two firefighters were taken by ambulance to the hospital with heat-related injuries Wednesday from the Oasis Fire south of Highway 20 and west of Highway 16, according to CalFire.
September 8
The wildland fire problem
Science Alert – FAO Media Centre
Every year fires affect an estimated 350 million hectares of land, with damage to property, livelihoods and frequently loss of life. Uncontrolled vegetation fires also contribute to global warming, air pollution, desertification and loss of biodiversity. Fire prevention is one of the most effective counter measures, and efficient fire monitoring can help in early warning, intervention decision- making and measuring impacts.
September 7
As the Station Fire subsides, the ecological debate rages on
Whittier Daily News
Every big fire in Southern California sparks the same familiar debates: Should more brush be cut down around homes and structures? Should fires be allowed to burn longer to eat up surplus brush? Would more controlled burns prevent larger fires?
September 6
Editorial:
L.A. fires a sign of forest neglect
Our nation's forests are a valuable resource that we must act to protect. More thinning of underbrush, small trees is needed.
The Denver Post
The raging wildfires that swept across southern California last week — and the ensuing smoke that clung to the Mile High City — point out, again, the need to improve the health of our forests.
Slow fire year idles contractors
The Daily Inter Lake
The two 48-foot trailers have been handsomely customized, with satellite and Internet communication systems, copy machines and map plotters and generators for power.
Opinion: Thomas Cahill: Manage our forests better to curb wildfire pollution
The Sacramento Bee
As smoke plumes hover over Southern California and Tahoe forests stand plagued by dangerous fuel accumulations, it's time to consider how wildfire smoke affects people and develop solutions that leverage the air-cleansing potential of managing forests.
Fire fast turning Los Angeles playground into a wasteland
Business Mirror
LOS ANGELES—The relentless Station fire has scoured nearly 242 square miles of the Angeles National Forest, burning through not just picnic areas and campgrounds, but the raw, solitary beauty that has long been a refuge for a sprawling city.
September 5
How do we do nothing after the fire?
Blog: In the Watershed
People are asking what they can do – and blaming those who they think didn’t do enough – before the fire is even put out. I heard that in the past people accepted that fires would happen every year and didn’t worry too much but viewed the fires more as entertainment. That was probably in the days when there were not so many people living so close to the forest, and those who did were a hardier sort. Now, so many new developments have brought people who don’t understand or don’t want to think about what it means to live right next door to native chaparral. They are searching for someone to blame, and recently they have settled on the Forest Service. It must be the fault of the managers, right?
September 4
In wildfires, it takes a city to save a city
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES – "Good morning!" Capt. Chip Paulson shouts from the canvas deck chair beside his fire engine. Never mind that it's just shy of 4 p.m.
Setting fires lets crews fight on their own terms
Burnouts and backfires leave the earth blackened, depriving raging blazes of fuel. The tactics require skill, planning and experience.
Los Angeles Times
The V-shaped ridge reaches down from the San Gabriel Mountains into La Crescenta, hugged by houses on both sides. Crammed with dense shrubs and oak, it was a torch waiting to be lit.
Audit: Firefighting planes soon too old to fly
The Washington Times
U.S. Forest Service executives were starkly warned just weeks before the California wildfires ignited that they risked losing the ability to fight future blazes by air because they had been unable to devise a politically acceptable plan to replace half-century-old aerial tankers that soon will be unworthy for flight.
Perspective on SoCal Wildfires - Station Fire, 2009
The following news release from The California Chaparral Institute provides a long range perspective on the Los Angeles area Station Fire.
California Green Solutions
It is important to understand that massive events like this need to be prevented -- prevention is definitely the better part of valor. Lives can be saved by respecting the uniqueness of the Southern California terrain and ecological tendencies toward wildfire, flood and drought.
September 3
EXCLUSIVE: Forest Service was warned on fire prevention: Inspector general says agency failed reforms
The Washington Times
LOS ANGELES | Months before it dispatched its famed firefighters to California's historic inferno, the U.S. Forest Service was warned by its internal watchdog that it could not reliably decide which forests were most vulnerable to wildfires or take pre-emptive actions because it had failed to follow through on reforms it promised to make in 2006.
Wildland Firefighter Loses Home to Blaze
Firehouse.com
A U.S. Forest Service firefighter lost his home to a wildfire on Sunday while battling the Station Fire, according to KXTV.
L.A. Now: Southern California -- this just in
Wildfire mapping: Times' photos mapped, new icons and good news from the front
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times photographers spread out across a wide area to cover the Station a new interactive map showing where the photos were taken.
Wildland Firefighter Falls 20 Feet at Calif. Blaze
Firehouse.com
ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. -- A firefighter was injured Wednesday after falling 20-feet down a cliff and had to be airlifted to a local hospital, officials said.
Study: Greenhouse gases from wildfires damaging
The Press-Enterprise
Wildfires raging across California have belched out hundreds of millions of tons of greenhouse gases since the beginning of the century, significantly adding to the problem of global warming, a new study has concluded.
September 2
Not my fire:
Public Forum Letter
Salt Lake City Tribune
As I listened to yet another politician argue for federal dollars to bail out American citizens, I grew angry. I refer to Gov. Gary Herbert's call for the U.S. Forest Service to cover firefighting costs associated with the Mill Flats fire ("Guv criticizes fire policies," Tribune, Aug. 31). The Forest Service's policy of letting the fires burn on federal lands is sound fiscal policy, for fighting fires merely consumes limited tax dollars that could be returned to us taxpayers.
Feds didn't clear brush in wildfire area
San Francisco Examiner
LOS ANGELES — Federal authorities failed to follow through on plans earlier this year to burn away highly flammable brush in a forest on the edge of Los Angeles to avoid the very kind of wildfire now raging there, The Associated Press has learned.
Dust-Up:
Fighting wildfires in a cash-strapped state
Los Angeles Times
Today's topic: Experts forecast that climate change will increase the frequency of deadly wildfires. Do state and local governments have enough resources to prevent and fight fires (in other words, will taxes have to be raised to pay for more services), or should the private sector play a bigger role in disaster response?
Wildfires – the causes and solutions
Christian Science Monitor
Whenever we read about or see photos of the latest big wildfire, most of us wonder if something couldn’t have been done to prevent it. And if we live in the other 49 states, another question often arises: Why do wildfires occur so often in California?
AirTalk
KPCC 89.3
Southern California Public Radio
In a special three-hour broadcast, Larry Mantle checks in with KPCC reporters live at the scene of Southern California's wildfires. (Among other topics –FUSEE)
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FUSEE is a non-profit organization dedicated to public education on fire ecology and management issues. We believe this news service to be 'Fair Use' of the cited copyrighted material for educational purposes and will advance awareness, understanding, and public discussion of issues relating to firefighter safety, ethical land management, environmental protection, ecological restoration, and other issues in the public interest.