Wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear meltdown and a police officers shot and killed ... WHY?

With the disaster that is still unfolding in Japan, wildfires are probably taking a back seat, that is unless one of these wildfires impact you personnaly. There are (at this time) no very large major wildfires occuring BUT there are numerous fires still occuring fron the east to the west.
Eventhough some of these fires are small many are quite challanging to the emergency responders and forestry agencies as they are occuring the the WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE. Very few wildfires occure anywhere that dont seem to involve homes and people.
The following 2 stories are presented with credit going to the Chattanooga Times Free Press and KOB Eyewitness News 4.

Fire personnel contained a 12- to 15-acre Signal Mountain brush fire fewer than four hours after it was reported, officials said.

The first emergency call came at about 2:15 p.m. after a resident burning kudzu on Sunset Drive lost control of the fire, according to Hamilton County Emergency Services spokeswoman Amy Maxwell.

Rough terrain and narrow driveways plus the remoteness of the fire made it difficult for firefighters to battle the blaze, officials said, but more than 50 personnel from 12 different agencies were able to control the burning before it could damage homes or property.

The circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire are under investigation by the Tennessee Department of Forestry.

The video below is a great example of how even a small wildfire can impactthose living the the wildland urban intrface. I know some think just because the word urban is used it relates to the "city" in reality the wui can be a few homes in a very remote location to multiple (hundreds) of homes in gated communities. More on this discussion in a later blog.
Depending on your connection this may take awhile to load, its worth it though.

Several homes were in the line of fire as a brush blaze broke out in the Carnuel area Sunday afternoon.

The Bernalillo County Fire Department says it was a relatively small fire in terms of acreage and were able to contain it quickly. What concerned them was how close the flames were to houses; several homes were in immediate danger.

Wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear meltdown are not the only tragedies unfolding in this world and many are very close to home. In Virginia (the western part) several families of local law enforcement officers are dealing with the senseless shootings recently and my thoughts and prayers go out to them.

March 15, 2011

Details emerge in Va. shooting

By KATE COIL Bluefield Daily Telegraph The Bluefield Daily Telegraph Tue Mar 15, 2011, 05:00 AM EDT

GRUNDY, Va. — Details continue emerging about a weekend incident where a shooter injured two officers and killed two others with the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department.

The assailant was identified as Randy Gilbert Newberry, 52, of Vansant who was shot and killed during an altercation with police Sunday afternoon, according to Sgt. Steve E. Lowe with the Virginia State Police.

During the spree, Newberry shot and killed Buchanan County Sheriff's Deputies Cameron Neil Justus, 41, of Hurley and William “Billy” Ezra Stiltner, 46, of Maxie. Newberry also injured