Kiwis off to do battle in US wildfire season

[Judi Lynn]

Kiwis off to do battle in US wildfire season

Friday August 11, 2006

American firefighters take a break and a well-earned drink before being joined in their battle against wildfires by 10 New Zealanders who left yesterday for the US.

The Kiwis will meet up with 40 Australians, and they'll help to control the huge numbers of fires that break out during the dry season.

Southland officer Mike Grant said the trip followed an agreement between Australia, New Zealand and the US to help each other where firefighting resources were stretched to the limit. August was traditionally a dry month in the US, he said. "Most of the fires start after lightning strikes in tinder-dry conditions. When firefighting resources are stretched, supervisory experience is needed most."

About 50 major fires are raging in the northwest corner of the country including Idaho, Montana, Washington State, Oregon and Northern California.
(snip/)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10395574

[Warpy]

1. They won't have to worry about most of NM

I think we're too damp to burn.

There are washed out roads all over the state, lots of people have lost everything due to flooding. Nobody has died that we know of, though, and that's a good thing.

They'll have to worry about fire in September this year when all the weeds that have grown up from the torrential rains dry out.

[Divernan]

2. Just keep that ingrate GOP Sen. Conrad Burns away from them!

It's refreshing to read of a rare POSITIVE action by the US in regards cooperating with other nations without any neocon corporation raking in bucks from the deal.

Thanks to New Zealand and Australia.

[flyarm]

3. its because so many of our firefighters and national guard

are deployed in iraq!

we don't have enough bodies to fight forrest fires!!

the gov's of Calif & Montana warned of this!!

fly