Total of 29 Homes Destroyed

THE WIND-WHIPPED GRASS FIRE THAT took out more than six square miles in just over two days near Reno, Nevada,has been fully contained according to the fire officials.  Aiding the containment was a 2-inch rainfall that dumped on the area early Saturday.

Fox News

The blaze sprung up Thursday and was blown up by 80+ mph winds, but was finally controlled after 400 firefighters were rushed to the area.  At least 29 homes were destroyed and the body of a 93-yr.-old woman was found in a small apartment next to her daughter's home afterward.  It is not yet known if her death was related to the fire or not.

An unidentified elderly man voluntarily came forward Saturday and disclosed that he had accidentally started the fire by not disposing of his fireplace ashes properly.  The police describe him as "extremely remorseful" and the local prosecutor has not decided whether to charge him.

The Associated Press filed this post-fire video report:

The AP also has this late REPORT.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Severe Weather a Major Factor

A BRUSH FIRE THAT SPRUNG UP around noon Pacific near Reno, Nevada, on Thursday has raced through six square miles and burned at least 27 homes so far.  The fire was beyond control most of the day because of 80+ mph winds whipping it along.

Reuters / Glover

Firefighters working all night have temporarily halted the progress of the front line of the fire which was traveling directly toward Reno.  Early this morning the fire bosses said that the fire has been 50% contained, but they could lose that edge if the high winds continue.

MSNBC has posted this brief home video that captures some of the fast destruction:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

More than 10,000 people had been evacuated from the threatened area, however all but 2,000 have been allowed to return home.

Some fire crews from California were dispatched to help, but the storm has dumped a heavy snowfall closing the Donner Pass forcing them to turn around and return.  A light rainfall during the night has created some hope for the firefighters that they will be able to get ahead of the fire.

The Associated Press via KNRV-TV has some more raw video:

The state of emergency is still in effect at the time of this posting.  The story will be updated when appropriate.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Wildfire Runover

A CREW OF TEN WILDFIRE FF's WERE overun at a fire Thursday  that is believed to be purposely set.  Of the ten, six perished as they all huddled together after being surrounded.  The London Telegraph explains:

The 10 firefighters, private contractors for forestry company Mininco, were trapped by a blaze raging in a mountainside forest in the Araucania region. A helicopter succeeded in pulling the four injured to safety.

"The fire suddenly surrounded them because of the wind, they drew closer together, one against another, and saw the fire pass above them," local governor Miguel Mellado told Canal 13 television.

For more than a week firefighting teams have been tackling a series of blazes in Araucania and the neighbouring Biobio region, rural areas located some 500 to 700 kilometres (310-435 miles) south of the Chilean capital Santiago.

"We have reliable information that makes us presume there is criminal intent behind these fires," President Pinera said. "I believe that we ought to combat not only the fires, but also the criminals behind the fires." The president, who pledged his government would do everything possible to find those responsible, evoked anti-terror laws that could allow for tougher punishments.

Rescue crews remove two of the victims.  (Andrade / Reuters photo)

So far, nearly 50 fires have started in the woodlands along the Pacific coast, fueled by unusually dry conditions during a drought and whipped up by El Nino winds.

Firefighter Nation has MORE.

The Telegraph has also posted some raw video from the fire line:

BBC News image

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Six-Hour Flight For the 2nd-Due

Four Teams of Reinforcements Flown From Paris

REUNION ISLAND IS A FRENCH TERRITORY in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar.  The approx. 1,000 sq. mile island is home to about 800,000 French citizens and also the home of Reunion National Park, a primal forest containing many rare and endangered species of trees and flowers. 

AFP

Last Tuesday, 25 October, two arsonists started a wildfire that is still burning as this posting is being written. The major fire that is moving through a mountainous region grew larger than the 400 firefighters that were rounded up on the island could handle and the call for help went to the head of the national fire service in Paris.  Initially 171 firefighters were sent on the 6-hour flight to Reunion to assist, but more help was needed.

AFP

Over the next few days three more groups of additional firefighters, making a total of 820 FF's on the line, were sent along with 50 tons of equipment.  Large firefighting airplanes are impractical because the local airport cannot accommodate them, but several helicopters were flown over to assist.  By this morning the fire was contained but will still be burning for a while.  So far, only one dwelling, a farmhouse has been lost to the fire.  The Minister of Ecology announced that the fire is a "major ecological disaster."

20minutes has the STORY.
Le Nouvel Observateur has MORE.
Clicanoo has fire zone overlays on satellite photos HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Pilot Escapes Serious Injury

AN AERIAL TANKER WORKING A SCRUB FIRE in southern France Saturday afternoon crashed while making a drop and paritally burned.  The pilot of the Morane class plane was able to extricate himself and escape the flames with only minor injuries.

TF1 News

The Herault region has been experiencing unusually hot and dry climate for several months and on Saturday the wind was blowing at 50 to 80 km/h as at least 13 wildfires sprang up.  Two hundred firefighters were mobilized in the area along with a dozen aircraft including two helicopters.  A Morane-type aerial "bomber" was making a drop on one of the fires when a sudden and violent wind burst slammed it into the ground.  The pilot suffered a head injury, but was able to get out of the wreckage that soon became mostly consumed with a fire.  He will be ok, the medical authorities have said.

In the late afternoon the winds died down and all the fires were either extinguished or brought under control before the sun set.

TF1 News has the STORY.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

100 Homes Evacuated

A LIGHT PLANE CRASHED SUNDAY MORNING near Tehachapi, California, killing the pilot and starting a destructive grass fire. A stiff breeze with 40 mph gusts fanned the fire in the sparsely occupied area and before fire units were notified and responding, it grew to several hundred acres and consumed one home.

Tehachapi News

The Cessna 210 went down at 11:30 am killing the pilot and his passenger on impact.  Initially 30 homes were evacuated, but later it was expanded to 100 homes.

The Associated Press prepared this video report prior to the discovery of the 2nd victim:

By 9:30 pm Sunday night the fire had grown to cover 3,500 acres with 0% containment.  There are 600 firefighters on the scene, but extra-rugged terrain is preventing them from getting an effective perimeter around the fire.  Seven air tankers and four helicopters joined the fight before dark.

The Bakersfield Californian has the STORY.
KERO-TV has MORE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Vacated Army Base From WW II

A GRASS FIRE IN FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS, swept into what was the hospital center for the Fort Chaffee Army Post Wednesday night and consumed approximately 110 long-vacated buildings that made up the 80-acre medical complex.  The entire post had been abandoned by the U. S. Army more than 20 years ago, but the Arkansas National Guard has been using it for training exercises since then.

Fort Smith Times Record

The fire blew up Wednesday night about 10 pm and winds swept it into the collection of old, wooden buildings where the firefighters could not get enough water to control it.  In the middle of the night it was decided to forego trying to save the buildings and instead set backfires to meet the fire line and get it under control.  That action subsequently led to the total destruction.  One official estimates that only one of the 120 buildings will have survived the fire.

KFSM-TV posted this raw video of the main hospital building burning:

Reuters posted some historical notes on the former base:

Fort Chaffee possesses a rich history with many movies, including "Biloxi Blues," filmed on the property. It is best known in popular culture as the site where Elvis Presley entered the Army in 1958 and had his hair shorn in a crew cut.

The government began Camp Chaffee in 1941, paying $1.35 million to acquire the land. The first soldiers arrived on December 7, 1941 – Pearl Harbor Day. It served as a training camp as well as a German prisoner-of-war camp.

Fort Chaffee was a processing center for refugees from the Vietnam War in the mid-1970s. It has also housed Cuban refugees and Hurricane Katrina evacuees, but many of the buildings that housed them burned in 2008.

"The hospital … was a structural record of what military medical care here used to be like," Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Claude Legris told Reuters.

"Although that part of the complex had not been renovated, it's difficult when a natural disaster such as this one eliminates future restoration as an option."

The medical complex had also become a popular spot with paranormal enthusiasts in recent years, with some ghost hunters visiting the hospital every weekend.

The fire was started accidentally Wednesday afternoon by National Guard troops who were training with weapons.

KFSM-TV has a video report on the fire that includes some good fire footage:

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Fire Out by Saturday Night

THE STUBBORN WILDFIRE THAT THREATENED the entire island of Brac in Croatia has been extinguished.  (See the Firegeezer report from Saturday HERE.)

The fire was virtually out except for some hot spots Saturday evening, but as a precaution the fire service kept 372 firefighters on standby in case the wind whipped up again.  A long portion of the fire line is inaccessable to ground crews, so a carefull watch was required.  Sunday morning the situation had remained cool and non-threatening.

At 11:30 Saturday night the Prime Minister of Croatia, Jadranka Kosor arrived and spent today visiting the fire area and thanking the hundreds of firefighters, volunteers, and residents for their hard work in preserving the island with only one resident injured and no homes destroyed.

Updated story in Dnevnik HERE.

Over 25% of Island Burned So Far

A wildfire that started Thursday night has destroyed 1/4 of the occupied island of Brač in Croatia.  Our correspondent Nenad Ilisic has sent us this report on the situation there:

Thursday July 14 a wildfire fire started on the island of Brač in Croatia.

24 Sata

A strong south wind spread the fire very quickly. Although more than 120 400 firefighters, 40 75vehicles, 4 CL-415 and 1 AT-802 airplanes were engaged, they couldn't stop the fire and the first day ended with more than 2500 burned hectares. Heavy terrain in combination with wind constantly changing direction are the reasons why ground forces were not able to get the fire under control.

24 Sata

Friday, early at sunrise, 5 CL-415, 3 AT-802 and 2 Mi-8 helicopters started to aid firefighters on the ground, who fought the fire all night, with minor success. 250 firefighters are at the moment engaged with more reinforcement on the way. More than 200 persons (tourists and residents) were evacuated. For now there are no reports of injured people. More than 250 sheep didn't survive. Many vineyards and olive groves are destroyed. Last information says that more than 4000 hectares are burned that is almost 1/4 of the island surface. Almost all air forces were engaged during the day to their limits until there was no more visibility to fly.

This Video Shows the Canadair Tankers Refilling From the Sea

Just another day at the beach!

The fire is easy to see from Split. Ash from fire ''snowed'' on the town 17 km away. There is one more night of uncertainty for all people on the island, firefighters included. The only hope is that if the wind weakens during the night, there is large possibility for firefighters to take control of the situation Saturday.

Additional photos available:
24 Sata has a 34-image photo gallery HERE.
Jutarnji has a 30-image gallery HERE.

This graphic animation illustrates the area involved:

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Bring the action to the folks watching at home…

*  *  *  *  *  *  *