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| Raw Video of Tonga Undersea Volcano Posted: 19 Mar 2009 12:31 PM PDT Editor Note: Pretty spectacular beginning to a new island!  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 19 Mar 2009 12:08 PM PDT TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII. A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII EFFECTIVE AT 0831 AM HST. AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS ORIGIN TIME - 0818 AM HST 19 MAR 2009 COORDINATES - 23.0 SOUTH 174.8 WEST LOCATION - TONGA ISLANDS REGION MAGNITUDE - 7.7 MOMENT EVALUATION: THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER HAS ISSUED A NON-EXPANDING REGIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING FOR A PART OF THE PACIFIC NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE. BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA THERE IS NO DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII. HOWEVER... SOME COASTAL AREAS IN HAWAII COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL NON-DESTRUCTIVE SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR UNUSUAL CURRENTS LASTING UP TO SEVERAL HOURS. ------------------- ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS  Tonga earthquake mapEarthquake Details
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| City of Salinas Fire Department: Fire Chief finalists Posted: 19 Mar 2009 08:28 AM PDT SALINAS, Calif. - While a lot of the focus in Salinas has been on the search for a new police chief, the city is also looking for a new fire chief. Ed Montes officially retired late last year. City Manager Artie Fields says he received more than 60 applications for the top post. None of them were in-house candidates. After reviewing the applications, they've narrowed down the field and are about to make a final decision. The finalists are all from California and are current fire chiefs. One of the finalists is 52-year-old Kim Raddatz, who's the fire chief for the Coronado Fire Department. He has 30 years of experience with fire service, including working for CALFire and the Lakeside Fire Protection District in San Diego County. He says, he's hoping to help with strategic planning and develop the department internally, which he did under a five-year plan in Coronado. Another finalist is Seaside Fire Chief Jerry Wombacher, who's 50 years old. He has more than 25 years of experience, including working for the Monrovia and Monterey Park Fire Departments. He's served as fire chief for Seaside for more than seven years. Wombacher says, as a local fire chief, he wants to continue to work closely with the rest of the agencies in the area to tackle issues. Mayor Dennis Donohue says, "We've got to maintain the professionalism of the department, service levels of the department. We also want create some revenue opportunities. Chief Montes had the same level of passion and commitment towards training." The city is doing background checks on the finalists and hopes to announce the new chief in a matter of days. If everything goes as planned, the new fire chief will start the first week in May. His salary will be around $204,000. On a side note, Fields says, the city is also in the final stages for a new police chief in Salinas. He hopes to have a new police chief hired by the first week of April. Salinas Fire Department: Salinas City limits cover approximately 19.25 square miles. The Salinas Fire Department presently has six stations with the plans and land allocated for station seven. Salinas has a contract with Salinas Rural Fire Protection District to provide fire protection services to a portion of their Fire Protection District. This brings the total protection area for Salinas to approximately 35 square miles. Source: www.kcba.com - Link  | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Morro Bay City Council against fire-service contract with CAL FIRE Posted: 19 Mar 2009 08:16 AM PDT
Morro Bay leaders have decided against contracting the city's fire services with the state, instead vowing to come up with other ways to boost staffing and service levels in the coastal community. The move was more than a year in the making. It comes as officials look for ways to cut costs while increasing fire protection in parts of the city. The Morro Bay Firefighters Association requested in 2007 that the city explore the possibility of contracting fire services with County/Cal Fire. Chief among the union's concerns about the plan was historically short staffing levels, the department being very busy with simultaneous fire and increased medical calls, and improving response times to north Morro Bay. Mayor Janice Peters said the council decided not to pursue a contract mainly because of the state's budget crisis. "It was very hard to make an accurate comparison of the numbers because of the different salary levels and because of the huge question mark as to where the state is going to go with all the budget difficulties," Peters said. Other concerns stemmed from the inability to have control over service cuts, should they be made by the state. Peters said the city could revisit the idea in the future. Most of the union's nine firefighters said they were disappointed the city chose not to pursue an agreement with the state. Ariane Leiter, president of the Morro Bay Firefighters Association, said union members will continue to plan the department's long term goals. However, city staff and leaders will need to address the most crucial issues such as reducing response time and increasing staffing levels, she said. Leiter said she also hopes firefighters who were opposed to a contract will offer their ideas.Initial estimates provided to the city showed that a contract for four firefighters would have saved the city about $53,000 annually and up to $1.2 million by 2017, based on figures provided by County/Cal Fire last year. But those estimates were based on a hypothetical staffing situation without any information about the salaries or benefits for Morro Bay firefighters. Councilmembers Carla Borchard — who served as a Morro Bay reserve firefighter for 10 years — and Betty Winholtz voted against the city not pursuing a contract. "I was a little frustrated and am frustrated because I'm concerned with the lack of financial resources and how we're going to afford the (union) contracts we have," Borchard said, referring to salary increases promised in the union's most recent labor contract. To address staffing issues while considering costs, the council has asked Fire Chief Mike Pond to explore a variety of potential staffing options for the city. Chief among the options he'll explore are possibly using Cal Fire to a lesser extent and providing additional staffing using part-time reserve firefighters. The city could look into taxing property owners as a way to raise money to help fire services. A parcel tax — which can be approved with a two-thirds majority vote — would be levied regardless of the value of a property, according to Kris Vosburgh, executive director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, a Sacramento-based tax watchdog group. City leaders would have to specify what the money would be used for, Vosburgh said. Parcel taxes are often used to provide additional funding for school programs such as class size reduction and libraries. The council also voted to form an ad hoc committee to continue exploring ways to address fire service needs in the area. Info source: www.sanluisobispo.com - LinkPhoto Source: http://morrobayphotos.com - Link  | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Forest Fires around the world today Posted: 19 Mar 2009 12:52 PM PDT  Korea: Forest Fires prelude to War?: Forest Fire in DMZ Put out after 7 HoursA forest fire on the North Korean side of the inter-Korean border that managed to spread to the South Korean side was put out after seven hours early Thursday. The fire started within the North's side of the demilitarized zone a little past dawn Thursday and spread to the South, where it then burned around 50 hectares of fields. The Korea Forest Service and the South Korean military mobilized five helicopters and some 100 firefighters to put out the blaze. Authorities at the forest service office estimate that more forest fires are likely to occur in the demilitarized zone and that preparations are being made to block the spread of fires to the South's side. Source: Link China: Wildfire in Zanhuang County - Chinese wildland firefighting: Cammo Fatigues, Leaf blower and Red ball?  Some firefighters withdraw from the scene in Zanhuang County, north China's Hebei Province, March 19, 2008. The fire in Zanhuang County has been put out and no casualty has been reported. Soldiers and armed policemen participating the firefighting activity have withdrawn from the scene, while three professional firefighting teams, local officials and residents stayed there to prevent the extinguished fire from burning again.(Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) Source: Link Vietnam: 20,000 hectares of Mekong forest on fire alert - fire-risk level four
Around 20,000 hectares of cajuput forest are in tinder-dry condition and face a serious threat of fire, the Forest Fire Prevention team reported March 18. Nguyen Van The, director of the U Minh Ha National Park in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, said 7,600 ha of the park have been affected by drought, with over 1,500 ha placed at fire-risk level four. Another 6,500 ha are at levels 4-5. Local teams including various forces are on 24-hour alert against fires, and forest management authorities have sought cooperation from local authorities, police, and local residents who have been posted on duty at high-risk areas. Source: Link Nepal: Over 80 yaks killed in wildfire today Kantipur Report Source: Link SANKHUWASABHA, March 19 - More than 80 yaks were killed in a wildfire at Pawakhola VDC-7, Sankhuwasabha district on Thursday. An unidentified cattle herder also went missing in the wildfire that started from Jumlingkharka area. A team of police from nearby Num VDC was deployed to control the fire from spreading further. Meanwhile, wildfire that started at Makalu VDC 13 days ago has still not come under control. The fire has already destroyed over 1000 hectares of forestland, including the parts of Makalu Barun National Park. Fire that broke out at Tinjure, Milkey and Jaljale region three days ago has also not been contained. Seven persons sustained burn injuries while trying to douse the wildfire at Pakani forest of Goganey VDC-9. The wildfire has destroyed a five kilometer long water pipeline rendering hundreds of villagers thirsty.
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| Redwood City: Arsonist pleads not guilty Posted: 19 Mar 2009 04:27 AM PDT By Michael Manekin San Mateo County TimesPosted: 03/18/2009 11:13:51 AM PDT REDWOOD CITY — A former security guard who worked at buildings in South San Francisco and Redwood City has pleaded not guilty to seven felony counts of arson. He is accused of setting fires compulsively in trash cans, Dumpsters, portable toilets and, in one case, a bush. Jason Glines, 22, of San Bruno, provided statements to local law enforcement that implicate him in the setting of seven individual fires between January and early this month, Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. Glines has lit shredded paper in a trash can, ignited cardboard in Dumpsters, kindled a bush and leaves, and set aflame paper toilet covers inside portable toilets, according to the District Attorney's Office. Glines always reported the fires to 911 immediately after setting them, and none except for the burning bush posed much danger, Wagstaffe said. Authorities arrested Glines on March 8 after he reported two fires in one day and investigators noted that he possessed the same brand of matches used to set both fires, authorities said. Glines faces up to seven years in prison for the felony arson charges. He is expected to return to court April 13 for a preliminary hearing. He remains in custody in lieu of $70,000 bail. Source: www.mercurynews.com - Link  | ||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego Fire-Rescue Department: 1 dead in bed Posted: 19 Mar 2009 04:02 AM PDT 2:00 a.m. March 19, 2009 SAN DIEGO: One man was killed yesterday morning when a fire sparked by a cigarette gutted the interior of his San Carlos home, firefighters said. The victim was the sole occupant of the bungalow on Spruce Lake Avenue, south of Jackson Drive, said battalion chief John Fisher of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. The man was found dead inside after the fire was extinguished, the Medical Examiner's Office said. Fire investigators believe the blaze might have started while the victim was smoking in bed, said fire department spokesman Maurice Luque. Damage was estimated at $400,000. The fire was reported shortly after 9:20 a.m. About 25 firefighters on four fire engines and one truck had the flames extinguished in about five minutes, Fisher said. By then, however, the fire already had blown out windows and patio doors at the rear of the house and torn through the roof. "This was a very hot fire, very intense," Fisher said. –G.G.  | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Esperanza wildfire arsonist - Jury recommends death sentence Posted: 19 Mar 2009 04:58 AM PDT  Oyler, 38, was convicted of five counts of first-degree murder, 20 counts of arson and 17 counts of using an incendiary device. At sentencing, set for April 3, the judge still could give him the punishment the defense had urged jurors to choose: life in prison without the possibility of parole.RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A jury recommended the death penalty Wednesday for a man convicted of murdering five federal firefighters who were overrun by one of several wildfires he ignited in Southern California in 2006. Jurors took less than a day to decide that Raymond Lee Oyler deserved to die. Prosecutors cited the horrific pain the fire crew suffered and the terror the auto mechanic's fires caused in rural areas of Riverside County. Prosecutors cited the horrific pain the fire crew suffered and the terror the auto mechanic's fires caused in rural areas of Riverside County. Outside court, Maria Loutzenhiser, the wife of slain fire Capt. Mark Loutzenhiser, thanked jurors and prosecutors "for putting an end to everybody's misery and giving everybody peace of mind." "I'm grateful they put Oyler in jail and that he's there and he can't do this anymore," she said. Gloria Najera-Ayala lost her son, firefighter Daniel Hoover-Najera, in the wildfire. "To the man responsible, I harbor no anger, only hope," she said. "Hope that you will understand the depth of pain you have caused so many families, including your own." After the verdict was announced, Oyler's daughter echoed his lawyers' claim that he never intended to kill anyone. "That was not in his mind. My dad is not this monster they paint him to be," 21-year-old Heather Oyler said outside the courtroom. Prosecutor Michael Hestrin told jurors in closing arguments of the trial's penalty phase that Oyler was not a casual arsonist but instead sought the power to end people's lives. Oyler was convicted of setting numerous fires in rural areas of Riverside County in 2006. The fatal blaze, known as the Esperanza Fire, roared to life that October as fierce Santa Ana winds swept through valleys and mountains about 90 miles east of Los Angeles. Jurors began penalty phase deliberations when closing arguments ended Tuesday afternoon. The crew of San Bernardino National Forest Engine 57 was overwhelmed after deploying to protect an unoccupied house perched at the top of a steep drainage in the San Jacinto Mountains. Three firefighters died there and a fourth died soon after at a hospital. The fifth died five days later, the same day Oyler was arrested. Prosecutors showed jurors graphic photos of the firefighters: Jason McKay, 27; Jess McLean, 27; Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20; Pablo Cerda, 23, and their captain, Mark Loutzenhiser, 43. Judge W. Charles Morgan previously ruled Oyler mentally competent after an evaluation by a psychologist.  |
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