Tornado Death Toll in US for April

Death toll from Southern tornadoes now at 340, making it second-deadliest tornado outbreak in U.S. history.

House Fire Paso Robles CA

The City of Paso Robles Fire Department responded to a single family dwelling fire at 3:52 am. Upon arrival firefighters found smoke coming from the garage area of the home at 476 Kenton Court. Smoke detectors were sounding and the family escaped without injury. The fire was contained to the garage in make shift sound studio. Unknown dollar loss.

The Future of Wildland Fire Management

Advance Briefing Report
For the Quadrennial Fire Review Working Panels


http://www.nifc.gov/QFR/QFRResearchAdvanceBriefingReport.pdf

Texas Wildfires

April 26, 2011

Large fire activity increased in Texas where seven new large fires were reported. New large fires were also reported in Florida (2) and New Mexico (1). Fire managers are prepared for critical fire weather conditions today in New Mexico, and parts of Arizona and Texas.

The 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte, NC and the 153rd Air Wing, Cheyenne, WY are providing one MAFFS C-130 aircraft each, along with two from the 146th Air Wing, Channel Islands, CA, and support personnel to the state of Texas. The aircraft and personnel are based at Dyess Air Force Base under the command of Colonel Jack Pittman.

Year to date acerage: 2011 (1/1/11 - 4/26/11)
Fires: 22,500
Acres: 2,298,444

Rock House (Texas Forest Service): 224,956 acres at 75 percent contained. This fire is at Fort Davis. Structures are threatened.
Information: Call 432-688-9234 or visit the incident website.

PK West (Texas Forest Service): 126,734 acres at 80 percent contained. This fire is 16 miles northeast of Breckenridge.
Information: Call 979-229-7921 or visit the incident website.

Wildcat (Texas Forest Service): 159,308 acres at 80 percent contained. This fire is 19 miles southwest of Bronte. Numerous residences are threatened.
Information: Call 432-688-9234 or visit the incident website.

Pipeline (Texas Forest Service): 7,101 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire started on private land 10 miles northeast of Kountze.

* Deton Cole (Texas Forest Service): 4,300 acres at zero percent contained. This fire is 37 miles southwest of Ozona. Residences are threatened.

* Spade Ranch (Texas Forest Service): 4,000 acres at 75 percent contained. This fire is 43 miles southwest of Lubbock.

* Fuller (Texas Forest Service): 1,800 acres at zero percent contained. This fire is 15 miles northwest of Snyder.

* TBAR Ranch (Texas Forest Service): 1,200 acres at 66 percent contained. This fire is 24 miles southwest of Lubbock.

* Taylor (Texas Forest Service): 500 acres at 75 percent contained. This fire is six miles northeast of Eden. As structure is threatened and an evacuation is in effect.

* 3 Goats (Texas Forest Service): 453 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire is nine miles southwest of Mason. One residence is threatened.

* Mathis (Texas Forest Service): 300 acres at 50 percent contained. This fire is two miles north of Paducah. One residence is threatened.

Wildfire San Bernardino CA

Wildfire: Needles CA 150 acres, Wind Driven San Bernardino County, Near Colorado River, 2 type 3 strike teams ordered by BDC.

Wind Warning

GUSTY WEST TO NORTH WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION TODAY AND CONTINUE TONIGHT. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH AND BELOW PASSES AND CANYONS OF THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE INCLUDING PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH COAST OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY...THROUGH THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR...AND IN THE WESTERN FOOTHILLS OF THE ANTELOPE VALLEY. HIGH WIND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THOSE AREAS.

Texas Firefighter LODD

We regret to advise you that the Cactus (Texas) Firefighter who suffered 3rd degree burns a week ago last Saturday at a huge grassfire has died in the Line of Duty. FF Elias Jaquez suffered burns to 60% of his body in that fire. FF Jaquez, 49, a husband and father of four daughters, has been a Volunteer Firefighter at the fire for slightly less than two years.

As you will recall, FF Jaquez, and 3 other Firefighters were injured after a Dumas and Cactus fire apparatus became stuck in the rough terrain. The Cactus crew was going on to de-flank the fire, the Dumas truck got stuck in the sand and the Cactus fire crew came up beside them grab the other FF’s, and then they got stuck. The heroic attempts took FF Jaquez’s life. As always, our most sincere condolences to all those affected, especially the family of FF Elias Jaquez.

Church Fire Hacienda Heights: LACOFD

Photography Zimmerman Media LLC, Jeff Zimmerman

Greater Alarm Structure Fire Hacienda Heights:The blaze destroyed St. John Vianney Catholic Church at 1345 Turnbull Canyon Road, causing an estimated $8 million in damage. Approximately 100 Los Angeles County Firefighters responded to the second alarm blaze. County firefighters stated that they could see walls of flame several miles away as they were responding. first arriving officers went into a defensive fire attack as they reported a 300x100 foot church, two stories well involved with fire. It took the better part of an hour using master streams to control the blaze.

By Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times

April 17, 2011, 8:35 p.m.
Alice Ameluxen wept as she stared Sunday at the burned-out shell that was the St. John Vianney Church. An arsonist's fire destroyed the stained glass windows that had cast a warm golden glow on the dark wood pews, the massive pipe organ and the simple wood crucifix that hung above the stone altar.

The 43-year-old had grown up in the Hacienda Heights Catholic church. A half-century ago, her parents were among its founding parishioners. Nearly every milestone in Ameluxen's life, from taking her first Communion to getting married to grieving at her parents' funerals, had taken place within its walls.

"My happiest and saddest memories are here," she said, clutching the hand of her 7-year-old daughter, Jean. "I just feel like I lost my home."

That was a common sentiment on Palm Sunday, as more than 5,000 members of the parish and others from the community struggled to come to terms with an arson the previous day that had destroyed the building.

Bishop Gabino Zavala, who lives two blocks away, was awakened by a neighbor pounding on his door just after midnight Saturday morning. He ran to his front lawn and saw flames shooting 150 feet in the air. He rushed to the church, finding himself alongside priests and parishioners helplessly watching flames destroy the church and the rectory.

"I was unfortunately here to witness the horror of watching our church go up in flames," said the Rev. Msgr. Tim Nichols. "The challenge is not to look backward. It's heartbreaking."

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the fire along with L.A. County authorities.

"The investigators have been quite definitive to me, this was very definitely a deliberate act," said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Department, who said he could not release additional information because of the ongoing investigation. "They're following up these leads as we speak."

On Sunday, a hastily rearranged Mass was held at a parish hall on the church property that is typically used for wedding receptions, Bible study and other events. More than 1,000 people attended the 10 a.m. gathering, spilling out of the hall. Many lined the walls, while others stood outside, craning their necks to try to hear the service.

Sunday was Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, when Christians mark Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion. The pre-Easter message about Jesus' suffering, betrayal and crucifixion was especially poignant given what the parish had seen over the preceding 36 hours. The first reading was from the Old Testament book of Isaiah: "I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame."

Church leaders vowed to rebuild the church, which they said could cost $10 million and take two to three years.

"On this Passion Sunday, we focus on the death of Jesus but more importantly, we're looking at resurrection. So we're going to rise again with a new church. Praise the Lord," Nichols said, as the crowd cheered loudly.

Despite the attempts to carry on with business as usual, stark reminders of the parish's straits were obvious. There were no hymnals, because they had burned in the pews, so many people did not know the words to the songs. Before taking Communion, parishioners knelt on the hard linoleum floor. The blessed wafers and wine were distributed at the front of the church, but also outside, to ease congestion.

Nichols said the physical location of the Mass didn't matter. "The good news is that we're not in church today, but the church is here because the church is in our hearts," he said. "And we are the people and we are the church."

St. John Vianney was an institution that reached well beyond its Catholic parishioners. Hacienda Heights residents would frequently attend the church carnival and Early California Days festival. This weekend, that community began to extend a hand. Residents left flowers along the property's edge. The local Mormon church and a high school offered facilities for worship, though Nichols said parishioners wanted to stay close to the church building.

Parishioners tried to put on a brave face, but they struggled, especially as they looked at the ruins of the church, which was ringed in safety fence and yellow police tape. A sign deemed the building "unsafe." Sections of Spanish-tile roof and brick wall remained, but the inside was nearly unrecognizable. An acrid smell was heavy in the air.

"I believe this whole world is going to hell in a handbasket," said Reinhold Leiser, an 82-year-old usher at the church. "It's going to be a struggle. But we're going to come out of it, and we're going to build the most beautiful church. I'm convinced of it."

Ameluxen strained as she thought of the person who set the blaze.

"There aren't even words," she said. "I'm sorry for them. I'm sorry they would feel so evil they could do something so terrible."

"I hope God can forgive them for this," she said, before adding. "I'm sure he will."

Texas Plagued With Wildfires, Red Flag Warning

One of the worst days on record for wildfires in Texas, story below....RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR ALL OF THE TEXAS
AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES...

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

* AFFECTED AREA: IN OKLAHOMA...CIMARRON...TEXAS...BEAVER. IN
TEXAS...DALLAM...SHERMAN...HANSFORD...OCHILTREE...LIPSCOMB...
HARTLEY...MOORE...HUTCHINSON...ROBERTS...HEMPHILL...OLDHAM...
POTTER...CARSON...GRAY...WHEELER...DEAF SMITH...RANDALL...
ARMSTRONG...DONLEY...COLLINGSWORTH.

* WIND: WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND
55 MPH WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN TEXAS
PANHANDLE INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. ACROSS THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE
AND NORTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30
MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EARLY
EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THIS AREA. THE FRONT WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH THROUGH THE TEXAS PANHANDLE THIS
EVENING...TURNING WINDS TO THE NORTHWEST AND HELPING SPEEDS TO
GRADUALLY DIMINISH.

* HUMIDITY: RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL REMAIN IN THE 5 TO 15
PERCENT RANGE LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND DRY GRASSES WILL
CREATE FAVORABLE WEATHER FOR RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND SPREAD.

AVOID ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE OPEN FLAMES AND SPARKS. WITH
EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN PLACE...ACCIDENTAL
SPARKS OR OPEN FLAMES WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO QUICKLY DEVELOP
INTO WILDFIRES.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/11/us-wildfires-texas-idUSTRE7383DF20110411.