(Reuters) - Fire has engulfed much of Bosnia's Hutovo Blato nature reserve, killing many birds and animals, the park manager said Saturday.
The blaze broke out early Friday in an inaccessible section of the park and was fanned by strong winds across 80 percent of Bosnia's largest reserve before being extinguished on Saturday afternoon.
"The fire killed many birds, as well as mammals and reptiles. The vegetation was destroyed totally and the feeding chain is completely disturbed," said Nikola Zovko, manager of the park that attracts thousands of tourists every year.
"The damage is enormous," he said, adding the fire may have been started deliberately.
Hutovo Blato, on the list of Bird Life International's Important Bird Areas, is a unique natural reserve composed mainly of sub-Mediterranean marshland near the Adriatic coast created by an underground system of the Krupa river.
It is home to more than 240 types of migrating birds. In the migration season, tens of thousands of birds fill the lake and its surroundings.
(Reporting By Maja Zuvela)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/10/15/us-bosnia-fire-park-idUKTRE79E1VZ20111015
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Biologists: BWCA fire will help moose habitat
St. Paul, Minn. - Count Minnesota's moose experts among those quietly celebrating the fire that has burned more than 150 square miles in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Wildlife biologist Mike Schrage has taken many flights over the area of the Boundary Waters where the fire is burning while researching Minnesota's moose population. And he's noticed fewer moose there compared to other areas of northeastern Minnesota.
The fire - and the new forest growth that follows in the next few years - could change that, he said.
"As soon as I heard there was a fire up there, I thought - woo-hoo! I can't say that very loudly because there's people in Isabella who are quite inconvenienced by it, but I think moose will benefit from this fire," said Schrage, who works for the Fond du Lac Band's Resource Management Division.
In the coming years, it could also benefit the thousands of people visiting the Boundary Waters who hope to catch a glimpse of one.
Estimates by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources of northeastern Minnesota's moose population show a decline from about 8,000 moose during the middle of the last decade to less than 5,000 this year. Biologists are trying to figure out why. Parasites and stress from warmer temperatures are possibilities, and Schrage said a large-scale fire could kill some of the winter ticks that feed on moose and weaken them.
There has also been some concern about whether moose have adequate habitat. A group of conservation organizations have even proposed to start using money from the state's Legacy Amendment to restore moose habitat in northeastern Minnesota.
Moose like to eat new growth, such as tree saplings, so a fire clears out some of the older, woody, trees and shrubs and allows new plants and trees to grow. There are even certain types of trees, including black spruce and jack pine, that need fire for their cones to open and scatter seeds.
Schrage said research across North America has indicated that moose numbers increase in areas where fires have caused new growth. And he's seen anecdotal evidence of that in the area that burned during the Ham Lake fire of 2007 and the Cavity Lake fire of 2006.
"I think slowly we're seeing some moose respond to those fires," he said.
How well suited the forest will be for moose will depend on how hot or how long a fire burned in an area. Steve Merchant, DNR wildlife programs manager, expects the land affected by the fire will be a mix of areas that don't burn and areas that burn a lot. That means that in a few years, moose will have both the new growth for food and the older areas where tall trees still stand and offer thermal cover during the winter and summer, he said.
"That interspersion is what really creates that ideal moose habitat," Merchant said.
The Boundary Waters, of which roughly 10 percent has burned in the fire, is home to a significant portion of Minnesota's moose population, Merchant said. Prescribed burns have taken place in the area over the years, but the total size of the areas burned in a given years is much less than the area
burned by the Pagami Creek fire.
One thing biologists aren't worried about is losing moose in the fire. The animals are able to walk long distances and are good swimmers.
"They're going to run from the fire," said Ron Moen, a researcher at the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota-Duluth who monitors dozens of moose that have been fitted with radio collars and GPS units.
Moen said the closest moose he's monitoring is several miles away from the fire, and so far the research team hasn't detected any unusual movements. He said he'll be watching for moose to soon move into areas that weren't burned as severely.
"When these new trees come in, and shrubs and saplings, moose that are on the edge of that area will start moving into it. And then they'll gradually move further out as it grows and there are more moose around," he said.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/16/bwca-fire-moose/
Wildlife biologist Mike Schrage has taken many flights over the area of the Boundary Waters where the fire is burning while researching Minnesota's moose population. And he's noticed fewer moose there compared to other areas of northeastern Minnesota.
The fire - and the new forest growth that follows in the next few years - could change that, he said.
"As soon as I heard there was a fire up there, I thought - woo-hoo! I can't say that very loudly because there's people in Isabella who are quite inconvenienced by it, but I think moose will benefit from this fire," said Schrage, who works for the Fond du Lac Band's Resource Management Division.
In the coming years, it could also benefit the thousands of people visiting the Boundary Waters who hope to catch a glimpse of one.
Estimates by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources of northeastern Minnesota's moose population show a decline from about 8,000 moose during the middle of the last decade to less than 5,000 this year. Biologists are trying to figure out why. Parasites and stress from warmer temperatures are possibilities, and Schrage said a large-scale fire could kill some of the winter ticks that feed on moose and weaken them.
There has also been some concern about whether moose have adequate habitat. A group of conservation organizations have even proposed to start using money from the state's Legacy Amendment to restore moose habitat in northeastern Minnesota.
Moose like to eat new growth, such as tree saplings, so a fire clears out some of the older, woody, trees and shrubs and allows new plants and trees to grow. There are even certain types of trees, including black spruce and jack pine, that need fire for their cones to open and scatter seeds.
Schrage said research across North America has indicated that moose numbers increase in areas where fires have caused new growth. And he's seen anecdotal evidence of that in the area that burned during the Ham Lake fire of 2007 and the Cavity Lake fire of 2006.
"I think slowly we're seeing some moose respond to those fires," he said.
How well suited the forest will be for moose will depend on how hot or how long a fire burned in an area. Steve Merchant, DNR wildlife programs manager, expects the land affected by the fire will be a mix of areas that don't burn and areas that burn a lot. That means that in a few years, moose will have both the new growth for food and the older areas where tall trees still stand and offer thermal cover during the winter and summer, he said.
"That interspersion is what really creates that ideal moose habitat," Merchant said.
The Boundary Waters, of which roughly 10 percent has burned in the fire, is home to a significant portion of Minnesota's moose population, Merchant said. Prescribed burns have taken place in the area over the years, but the total size of the areas burned in a given years is much less than the area
burned by the Pagami Creek fire.
One thing biologists aren't worried about is losing moose in the fire. The animals are able to walk long distances and are good swimmers.
"They're going to run from the fire," said Ron Moen, a researcher at the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota-Duluth who monitors dozens of moose that have been fitted with radio collars and GPS units.
Moen said the closest moose he's monitoring is several miles away from the fire, and so far the research team hasn't detected any unusual movements. He said he'll be watching for moose to soon move into areas that weren't burned as severely.
"When these new trees come in, and shrubs and saplings, moose that are on the edge of that area will start moving into it. And then they'll gradually move further out as it grows and there are more moose around," he said.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/16/bwca-fire-moose/
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Upton Heath fire police hunt two young men
10 June 2011
Two young men are being sought by police following the largest heath fire in Dorset for 35 years.
The pair were seen walking toward the A35 footbridge leading to Heights Road in Upton on Thursday.
Residents living nearby have returned to their homes after being evacuated when the fire spread rapidly over about one sq km (247 acres) of heath.
At its height, 200 firefighters were tackling the blaze which started at about 1400 BST.
Det Insp Jim Beashel, from Dorset Police, said: "This was a major incident that had a considerable impact on the community.
"I believe that those responsible are likely to have told friends or family about their involvement and would urge anyone with information to contact us urgently."
'It was panic'
Dorset Fire and Rescue's Neil Rickett said: "This fire was extremely difficult given the access and the high winds. The heath is quite marshy so it was difficult to get vehicles onto the heath."
Four people were treated after breathing in smoke and one firefighter was taken to hospital with exhaustion.
Another firefighter suffered minor burns to his arm, during what the fire service said was Dorset's biggest heath fire since 1976.
Resident Russell Bourton had water pumped from his swimming pool to fight the flames.
He said: "Within an hour the smoke was getting closer and closer. At one point I thought we were going to lose the house."
The flames came to within 100m (330ft) of Claire Graves' house.
She said: "We realised immediately it was around our house.
"It was panic - we didn't have time to pick anything up. We just had to get out for our own safety."
Fire crews remained on the site damping down on Friday, helped by rainfall during the morning.
Ecosystem affected
Dorset Wildlife Trust said the damage has put wildlife development in the area back about 25 years.
Steve Davis, from the trust, said it will have "massive implications".
He added: "It's not just the bigger animals that have been affected... it is the whole ecosystem, the insects, for example, would have been taken out by the smoke.
"The site is internationally important, it has all six species of British reptiles which are only found in a few selected locations in the south coast."
Homes in Beacon Road and Kingcup Close were among those evacuated. Properties in nearby Long Meadow Lane were also under threat at the height of the blaze.
Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around and at one point was blowing across parts of the A35.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-13723882
Two young men are being sought by police following the largest heath fire in Dorset for 35 years.
The pair were seen walking toward the A35 footbridge leading to Heights Road in Upton on Thursday.
Residents living nearby have returned to their homes after being evacuated when the fire spread rapidly over about one sq km (247 acres) of heath.
At its height, 200 firefighters were tackling the blaze which started at about 1400 BST.
Det Insp Jim Beashel, from Dorset Police, said: "This was a major incident that had a considerable impact on the community.
"I believe that those responsible are likely to have told friends or family about their involvement and would urge anyone with information to contact us urgently."
'It was panic'
Dorset Fire and Rescue's Neil Rickett said: "This fire was extremely difficult given the access and the high winds. The heath is quite marshy so it was difficult to get vehicles onto the heath."
Four people were treated after breathing in smoke and one firefighter was taken to hospital with exhaustion.
Another firefighter suffered minor burns to his arm, during what the fire service said was Dorset's biggest heath fire since 1976.
Resident Russell Bourton had water pumped from his swimming pool to fight the flames.
He said: "Within an hour the smoke was getting closer and closer. At one point I thought we were going to lose the house."
The flames came to within 100m (330ft) of Claire Graves' house.
She said: "We realised immediately it was around our house.
"It was panic - we didn't have time to pick anything up. We just had to get out for our own safety."
Fire crews remained on the site damping down on Friday, helped by rainfall during the morning.
Ecosystem affected
Dorset Wildlife Trust said the damage has put wildlife development in the area back about 25 years.
Steve Davis, from the trust, said it will have "massive implications".
He added: "It's not just the bigger animals that have been affected... it is the whole ecosystem, the insects, for example, would have been taken out by the smoke.
"The site is internationally important, it has all six species of British reptiles which are only found in a few selected locations in the south coast."
Homes in Beacon Road and Kingcup Close were among those evacuated. Properties in nearby Long Meadow Lane were also under threat at the height of the blaze.
Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around and at one point was blowing across parts of the A35.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-13723882
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Vietnam forest fires threaten rare crane
Apr 28, 2010, 8:11 GMTHanoi - Forest fires in a national park are threatening the habitat of the endangered red-crowned crane, Vietnamese officials said Wednesday.
The fires have destroyed 200 hectares of Tram Chim National Park in the Mekong Delta, the latest in a record-setting year of forest fires caused by low rain and hot weather.
The official Vietnam News reported Wednesday that over 500 firefighters, soldiers and police were fighting the blazes using water pumps drawing from nearby canals, but had failed to control them.
'Forest fires are much worse this year than last year,' said Nguyen Huy Loi, head of the Forest Management Department in the central province of Ha Tinh.
Loi said fires in the northern mountain district of Sapa and in southern Bu Gia Map National Park had already consumed thousands of hectares of forest. The fires near Sapa alone destroyed 1,700 hectares of forest before being extinguished in mid-February.
In the first two months of 2010, the Forest Protection Department said forest fires were running at over 10 times the rate for 2008 and 2009, when just 140 hectares were destroyed.
Loi blamed 'climate change,' resulting in lower rainfall and humidity.
The red-crowned crane is among the most endangered birds in the world, with some 1,500 believed to remain in the wild, mainly in China. The population in the Mekong Delta is believed to be about 200, according to a report by the local biosphere preserve.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1551543.php/Vietnam-forest-fires-threaten-rare-crane
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