There are 34 active fires in Ontario, bringing the season total to 388 with 7,448 hectares (18,500 acres) affected, well above the 10-year average for this time of year, the ministry says.
In the Northwest, aerial detection patrols continue over the edges of a storm front which moved through the region on Monday.
There were three new fires reported in the West Fire Region by 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Fire information officer Mitch Miller said Wednesday that investigators are looking into whether the fires were caused by lightning in Monday‘s storm system.
Heavy rainfall and more than 62,000 lightning strikes were recorded during the storm.
The fire hazard remains high to extreme in the lower half of Thunder Bay and Nipigon districts, as well as in Quetico Provincial Park.
Persistent, strong spring winds have been drying taller and heavier than usual grasses and lowland brush in California. El Nino rains brought tall grass and thicker than normal brush to California and the West. Fuel loads are higher so wildland firefighters can expect hotter and more explosive conditions than normal.
History tells us summers in an El Nino year see less seasonal acres burn. Consensus among wildland firefighters and statistical charts back that up. You can sift through Cal Fire numbers here and measure against El Nino event years here.
This year may be different because of the persistent Spring wind. I saw a grassland pasture go from swampy wet to close enough to burn in a two week stretch in mid May, the result of an almost daily blast of near gale force winds.
Southern California is ready, a few fires in the Southland and Central Coast have been tackled by Cal Fire and supporting agencies. The Pedley Fire took out nearly 1,000 acres May 12 and the Cotton Fire that burned 2,000 acres in San luis Obispo County May 15 -18.
Portions of the Sierra Nevada Range have received 167% of normal snow. Have a look at some of the high Sierra webcams. There is a good chance the high country can escape the summer with no major events. Lightning strikes will keep crews busy off and on but high country campaign fires seem unlikely.
I shot the video below near Mariposa County in mid May. This is grazed pasture land in an area known for fast running range fires. This is the wind we’ve experienced daily for more than a month.
Finally here is an image I shot in Yosemite Valley two weeks ago. There is no fire value in it but if you are familiar with Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite Valley you can appreciate the volume of water coming over the edge.
The proposed 2010-2011 budget for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, “Cal Fire” has been published. Governor Schwarzenegger was kind to Cal Fire as he has been throughout his two terms. The key to the 2010-2011 budget is the use of funds through the “Emergency Response Initiative”.
From eBudget.ca.gov; The budget includes a reduction of $200 million in General Fund and replacement with revenue generated from a 4.8 percent surcharge on all residential and commercial property insurance statewide.
Beginning in 2011-12, the Emergency Response Initiative will provide funding to enhance the state’s emergency response capabilities, including enhancements for CAL FIRE, the California Emergency Management Agency, the MilitaryDepartment, and assistance to local first response agencies in support of the state’s mutual aid system.
Infrastructure improvement outlays seem extremely generous. No less than 48 infrastructure improvement projects including relocation or replacement of fire stations, regional headquarters, helitack bases and other facilities are budgeted. I can find nothing in the way of station closing or staff reductions. There might be such references in the budget but I did not see it on the first read.
In fact Resource Management (foresters) will will be funded higher in 2010-2011 than last year.
Fire districts around the country and municipalities within California will be envious. Somehow even as California is sinking in red ink the state’s wildland firefighting force escapes unscathed for at least another year.
The one regret, I cannot find a reference to either the DC-10 Supertanker or the Evergreen 747 Supertanker. Surely both will be seen in the sky over the state this Summer.
CAL FIRE Emergency Fire Suppression Expenditures —
A decrease of $32.8 million for CAL FIRE’s emergency fire costs. Based on expenditures to date, CAL FIRE’s emergency fire suppression expenditures are estimated to be $255.8 million in 2009‑10. In 2010‑11, the Governor’s Budget proposes a total of $223 million. General Fund for CAL FIRE’s emergency fire expenditures, which reflects the historical average of emergency firefighting costs over the past five years and
additional federal reimbursements.
Full Cal Fire budget hits will be forthcoming. The cuts in “Emergency Fire Suppression Expenditures” looks like it can be worked around. Typically an El Nino year fire season claims fewer acres. This “hit” looks like an easy one for the Governor to make and for Cal Fire to absorb.
The first wildfire of the California and west coast wildfire season has invited a full dispatch with Cal Fire Air Attack, hand crews and helitack resources. The “Pedley Fire” is burning in Riverside County near Highway 60 and Glen Avon. Reports are 60 acres, potential for many hundred acres working in 15 mph (non Santa Ana) winds.
“OAKLAND — The police department is investigating why officers shot a male deer in an East Oakland neighborhood Saturday, officials said today.
Police and animal control officials were called to an Oakland Housing Authority property in the 1700 block of 90th Avenue around noon Saturday, where a young deer had wandered into a back yard, police said.
Tranquilizer guns may not have been available, police said, but the officers’ actions remained under investigation and officials said they are looking into ways to prevent such shootings.
Polices spokesperson Holly Joshi said there were many children in the area, and the officers decided the deer was a threat to public safety…”. Full story here.
Contrast that action to the work of firefighters in Oxnard California that rescued a 200 pound black bear stuck in a tree. Story at Statter911
Readers of this blog will recall the bear cub rescued from a fire in Trinity County in 2008 that was nursed back to health in a rehab facility near Lake Tahoe. If the firefighter that found “Little Smokey” had adopted the Oakland PD policy he might just have just taken a shovel to the cub’s head.
Here is a video of the keystone cops putting 7 (SEVEN) rounds in the cornered fawn. Not recommended for the faint of heart!
Fordson High School team in Dearborn, Mich., school practicing at night for Ramadan - ESPN http://es.pn/cpngUc FFS, what is going on here? 2 weeks ago
Dropping HotAir.com http://hotair.com/ from my conservative blog reading list. They blatantly refuse to air out the Ground Zero Mosque issue 3 weeks ago
