AP: Feds Call Reinforcements for Wildfires

[Eugene]

Feds Call Reinforcements for Wildfires

By CHRISTOPHER SMITH
The Associated Press
Monday, July 31, 2006; 10:42 PM

BOISE, Idaho -- Federal land management agencies are being asked to make more
employees available to fight wildfires because crews and equipment have been
stretched to the limit by nearly 60 major blazes around the West.

For the first time since 2003, the National Interagency Fire Center over the
weekend raised its response status to the highest threat level, a move triggered
when nearly all available crews and firefighting resources are committed.

The move allows federal firefighting coordinators to summon additional federal
employees, military reinforcements and foreign fire crews if necessary.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/31/AR2006073101374.html

[Kagemusha]

1. Shh! Don't tell Sen. Burns. He says they're lazy bums.

Paid to sit around and stuff.

[Erika]

2. Yet, Senator Burns R-Montana criticized those fire fighters

fighting Western fires. Doesn't do much for enlistment purposes.

Boise, Idaho was chosen as the coordinating location because of geographics. Burns also criticized their employees even though they don't manage regional fires. They leave those decisions to the states where the fires are.

[alarimer]

3. The reinforcements and their equipment are in Iraq

Sorry, Montana, Sorry Idaho.