http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/wildfire/ en-us Tue, 3 Nov 2009 23:49:11 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377809/posts DIAMOND BAR, Calif. — A cluster of brush fires erupted along the fringes of suburban neighborhoods in eastern Los Angeles County on Tuesday. Helicopters and SuperScooper airplanes roared low over homes to drop loads of water on the flames in hilly terrain just outside back yards. Lines of widely separated flame moved across rolling grasslands. Weather appeared to be on firefighters' side, with little wind evident. County Fire Inspector Steve Zermeno said reports of five to eight separate fires near State Route 60 came in about 11:45. The area is about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. About 150... AP via Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377809/posts#comment Tue, 3 Nov 2009 23:49:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2332284/posts LAKE VIEW TERRACE, Calif. (KABC) -- It was an emotional tribute for the 1,200 to 1,500 firefighters that gathered early Friday morning to say their personal goodbyes to the two firefighters killed in the Station Fire. Capt. Ted Hall and firefighters Arnie Quinones both died Sunday afternoon when their vehicle went over the side of a mountain. ..."It was just important to bring closure," said Paul Lowenthal from the Santa Rosa Fire Department. "It's not only a family within your own station. It's a family across the state, across the country, so we all look out for one another, and... KABC TV Los Angeles http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2332284/posts#comment Fri, 4 Sep 2009 18:21:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2329689/posts The so-called Station Fire, which now covers more than 120,000 Southern California acres and is burning largely uncontained, continues to threaten the century-old Mount Wilson Observatory, home to astronomer Edwin Hubble at the time he made his landmark observations of the universe's expansion. The observatory is currently unmanned due to the fire threat and the attending smoke, but a webcam atop Mount Wilson's 150-foot solar tower has provided observatory managers and concerned observers with a view from the scene. At 12:55 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) the camera showed a great deal of smoke but no flames. ...According to the Los... The Scientific American http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2329689/posts#comment Tue, 1 Sep 2009 19:54:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330448/posts LOS ANGELES – A U.S. Forest Service official says the huge wildfire burning in the mountains north of Los Angeles was human-caused. Deputy incident commander Carlton Joseph said Wednesday that it's not known specifically how it was started. Investigators will be trying to determine whether it was accidental or arson. Carlton says investigators have leads that brought them to the conclusion but he will not give any further information. Carlton notes that the options were lightning or a human cause and lightning has been ruled out. AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330448/posts#comment Wed, 2 Sep 2009 16:37:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2329403/posts Cooler temperatures Tuesday could help firefighters slow down a fast-moving, deadly wildfire that has charred more than 105,000 acres in Southern California. ... The fire, which has sent thick smoke spiraling as much as 20,000 feet into the air, is creating its own wind patterns, officials said. As a result, it has become unpredictable. ... Triple-digit temperatures combined with low humidity helped the Station Fire more than double in size on Monday from at least 40,000 acres to more than 100,000 acres. CNN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2329403/posts#comment Tue, 1 Sep 2009 14:50:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2328414/posts AUBURN, Calif. -- A fast-moving wildfire burned dozens of homes and scorched hundreds of acres Sunday afternoon in Placer County, prompting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency. The fire started near Highway 49 and Bell Road in north Auburn at about 2:20 p.m. (map). It destroyed at least 60 structures, many of them homes in the North Park and South Park subdivisions, and the blaze burned about 275 acres overall. "It's absolute devastation. My sister's house is up there, and we think it's the only one standing," resident Jody said. "We weren't able to get back into... KCRA-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2328414/posts#comment Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:01:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2328358/posts The fire burning in Angeles National Forest is approaching the historic solar observatory and television transmission towers atop Mt. Wilson, according to Los Angeles County fire officials. The communications towers house transmitters for every major television station in Los Angeles. “We expect it to get there in the next two to four hours,” said county fire Capt. Mark Savage. Crews were clearing brush around the structures, but fire officials were not sure if they could leave personnel on the mountain to fight the flames because of the danger and limited escape routes. The fire is less than two miles away. LA Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2328358/posts#comment Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:42:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2325142/posts LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Smoke filled the skies over the Los Angeles Basin Wednesday as a quick-moving wildfire expanded to 750 acres in the mountains north of the city, officials said. With high temperatures and dry winds fueling the flames, firefighters said just 10 percent of the fire was contained by morning. The National Weather Service said temperatures were expected to reach triple digits in the valley, the Los Angeles Times reported Campgrounds in the Angeles National Forest were evacuated Tuesday after a brush fire broke out near the Morris Dam north of Azusa in late afternoon. About... UPI http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2325142/posts#comment Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:33:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2323938/posts ATHENS (Reuters) - Wildfires that tore through suburbs of Athens and forced thousands of people to flee their homes were contained on Tuesday as the government's handling of the disaster became an election issue. Likely to face voters early next year, the conservative government said very strong winds had made it difficult to fight fires in east Attica where swathes of forest and more than 150 homes were destroyed. "If what we experienced in Attica is the best this government can do, then it is obvious we must urgently replace it," the liberal daily Ethnos said in its main editorial.... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2323938/posts#comment Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:56:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320019/posts PALMER: Destructive thieves take everything that's not nailed down and then some at headquarters. Daniel Skriloff, an Alaska wildfire fighter, had just come off the line, battling the oppressive heat and smoke of the 12,000-acre Hardluck Creek blaze near Fairbanks, when he got the bad news. Back at the Palmer-based headquarters for the Pioneer Peak Hotshots, thieves -- as part of a storm of theft and destruction -- broke into and stole his Subaru Legacy from the gated parking lot. "It sucks," said the third-year firefighter, who was back in Palmer dealing with insurance forms on Tuesday. "You name it,... Anchorage Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320019/posts#comment Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:21:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318072/posts LOS ANGELES -- David Gerboth is a captain in the San Diego Fire Department, but he spent most of last summer crisscrossing California putting out wildfires. There were the 16 days battling a fire in Hayfork, 720 miles to the north. Then he spent 21 days fighting other blazes that burned 86,500 acres. As California's wildfires consume more land each year, the state is increasingly relying on firefighters like Mr. Gerboth. Under state mutual-aid agreements, he and thousands of other local firefighters are organized into teams that can be quickly dispatched to fight a fire in a neighboring county --... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318072/posts#comment Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:58:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2316143/posts A California wildfire forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 people near the surfing town of Santa Cruz, emptying wineries and rustic homes on Friday. Billowing white smoke, punctuated by orange flames, covered rolling hills in television footage of the coastal mountain fire about 80 miles south of San Francisco. Reuters/YahooNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2316143/posts#comment Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:56:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2247118/posts SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Powerful winds during a night in which "all hell broke loose" have pushed a raging wildfire to the doorstep of this wealthy coastal city, threatening to destroy dozens more homes and leading to the evacuation of more than 20,000 people. Firefighters were putting out roof fires Friday as gusts drove the flames down from the steep canyons above Santa Barbara and started burning homes in the residential flatlands. Once tame, the fire front now stretches for five miles, city Fire Chief Andrew DiMizio said. "Literally last night, all hell broke loose," he said. AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2247118/posts#comment Fri, 8 May 2009 19:18:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2246290/posts 11:22 a.m. update: Winds have remained relatively calm in the morning hours, much as fire officials had expected. Crews are attacking lines vigorously in anticipation of heavy winds this afternoon. "Today is supposed to be a carbon copy of yesterday," County Fire Chief Tom Franklin said, noting that wind gusts were measured yesterday at up to 70 mph. "There's nothing you can do at that point." He also dismissed any notion that there is a lack of urgency among firefighters or officials, pointing out that approximately 1,400 firefighters have been assigned to the blaze. "The bulk of these people are... The Sound http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2246290/posts#comment Thu, 7 May 2009 18:50:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2245739/posts SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Gusty winds have driven a wildfire into outlying neighborhoods of Santa Barbara, Calif., and residents of more homes have been told to leave. ... The fire lay dormant most of the day. But strong winds with gusts up to 50 mph arrived in the afternoon and stoked the fire. The sheriff's office says an evacuation order covering 1,200 homes has been expanded to 2,000 homes. AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2245739/posts#comment Thu, 7 May 2009 00:35:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2194473/posts The town’s defensible space proposal — and how it might be enforced — has some Breckenridge property owners frustrated with the prospect they’ll have to pay to cut down the very trees they were once told to protect. More than 40 residents visited Breckenridge town hall Tuesday afternoon for lively discussion on the future of their landscaping and wildfire protection. The aging forest and spread of mountain pine-beetle infestation have made the possibility of catastrophic wildfire reasonable enough for council to consider the proposal. The idea behind defensible space is to create buffer zones between structures and forests. Officials with... summit daily news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2194473/posts#comment Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:01:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2182166/posts http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20090208/as-australia-wildfires/images/417f3c42-5c21-4520-bd23-dad1d9f5d76a.jpg"> news.google http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2182166/posts#comment Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:02:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2180835/posts FIFTY people are confirmed dead in bushfires that have devastated several Victorian communities. Police have just confirmed the new figure. 640 houses have been destroyed. While firebugs are being blamed for several blazes ravaging Victoria, the Country Fire Authority has confirmed that several fires are being deliberately relit by arsonists. CFA deputy chief Steve Warrington said an arsonist is hampering firefighters’ efforts in Churchill with an intense blaze taking hold. "We know we do have someone who is lighting fires in this community. While we often think it's spotting, we also know that there are people lighting fires deliberately," he... Herald Sun http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2180835/posts#comment Sun, 8 Feb 2009 06:12:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138354/posts BESMAYA RANGE COMPLEX — A group of Iraqi Soldiers stepped up to help California residents victimized by recent wildfires raging throughout the state. Iraqi Army Col. Abbas Fadhil, Besmaya Range Complex commander, and his team of “Abbas’ Eagles” raised $500 for wildfire relief. “We want to send a message to the American president and the American people,” Abbas said. “We feel that we are a family — one body. When one part of the body suffers, the other parts suffer, too.” This is the fourth donation the Soldiers of Besmaya have sent to the American people recently. In September, they... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138354/posts#comment Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:57:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2078474/posts Forest Service Investigator Believes Barton Lied About Letter. The lead U.S. Forest Service investigator looking into the cause of Colorado's largest wildfire testified Tuesday that she doesn't believe a burning letter sparked the fire. Agent Kimberly Jones was testifying in a Denver federal civil case where five insurance companies and several property owners are suing the federal government for more than $7 million because a Forest Service employee was responsible. That employee, Terry Barton, was convicted of starting the 2002 Hayman wildfire and spent nearly six years in a federal prison. When Jones testified that she didn't believe there ever... The Denver Channel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2078474/posts#comment Tue, 9 Sep 2008 21:40:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062986/posts Our view:It’s criminally negligent when politicians can’t set aside differences long enough to talk for a morning about an urgent public safety hazard The organizers of a wildfire forum in Sacramento on Wednesday brought together three members of the U.S. Congress and half a dozen state lawmakers. They drew the California fire marshal, the head of the state Fire Safe Council, Forest Service researchers and officials, and county supervisors from around the region. STORY TOOLS E-mail story Comments iPod friendly Printer friendly News alerts Subscribe to the paper Submit a news tip More Editorials Delta overhaul can't undercut northern rights... Redding Record Searchlight http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062986/posts#comment Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:08:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041350/posts Nearly 2,000 firefighters made a stand Saturday on Highway 1, near famous inns and spas bereft of tourists on this holiday weekend, as crews sought to beat back the out-of-control Basin Complex wildfire in Big Sur in advance of a heat wave expected to start rolling into the area today. SF Chronicle/SF Gate.Com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041350/posts#comment Sun, 6 Jul 2008 06:22:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031273/posts Vast Peat Fire May Burn for Months in North CarolinaWillie Drye for National Geographic NewsJune 13, 2008 About 450 firefighters are battling a 40,000-acre (16,000-hectare) blaze in northeastern North Carolina that could burn for months unless the drought-stricken region gets a downpour. The fire, which was sparked by a lightning strike on June 1, is currently the largest active wildfire in the United States. Containing and extinguishing the fire is posing a unique challenge, because it is burning in highly flammable peatland. Peat is partially decomposed plant matter formed in wetlands that can be harvested as fuel. It can be... National Geographic News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031273/posts#comment Sun, 15 Jun 2008 02:05:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019712/posts Firefighters are evacuating residents near a wildfire that is burning out of control this morning in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire has burned about 500 acres. Sheriff's deputies from Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties are in the process of evacuating residents living in a three-mile stretch near Mount Madonna Road, according to Chris Morgan, a fire prevention specialist. Morgan estimates there are at least 20 homes in the are being threatened by the fire. "Our main priority is evacuations, getting people out safely," Morgan said. "Then we can start... Santa Cruz Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2019712/posts#comment Thu, 22 May 2008 15:11:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011070/posts Along the fringes of land scorched by last fall's massive wildfires, pockets of oat grass are sprouting from the Malibu canyons to the San Diego suburbs. A damp winter has suppressed large fires this year, but encouraged the growth of combustible grasses, highlighting an irony of wildfire season that has become a punch line of sorts for firefighters. "If rainfall is normal, it will be a terrible fire season. If it's a drought year, it will be a terrible fire season," said Thom Porter of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The number of acres burned this year... AP on Bakersfield Californian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011070/posts#comment Sun, 4 May 2008 16:35:40 GMT