1 dead in US fires amid pleas for more help
Source: Agencies |
June 13, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ONE person was dead as massive wildfires in drought-parched Colorado and New Mexico burned out of control, while Western lawmakers pleaded for updates to an aging US aerial firefighting fleet needed to combat a fire season that lasts year-round.
About 600 firefighters were expected to be battling the fire by yesterday, said incident commander Bill Hahnenberg. "We are a very high-priority, nationally. We can get all the resources we want and need," he said.
The Colorado fire has destroyed at least 118 structures, and hundreds of people have been forced to abandon their homes.
The US Forest Service said Monday it would add more aircraft to its firefighting fleet, contracting one air tanker from the state of Alaska and four Canada. Two more tankers were being activated in California.
The announcement came after Colorado's congressional delegation in Washington demanded that the US Forest Service deploy more resources to the fire, which is uncontained.
The Larimer County sheriff's office confirmed Monday that one person had died. The family of Linda Steadman, 62, issued a statement saying she died in the cabin she loved.
In a letter to the Forest Service, Colorado's congressmen said the need for firefighting aircraft was "dire." Colorado US Sen. Mark Udall urged President Barack Obama to sign legislation that would allow the Forest Service to contract at least seven large air tankers to add to its fleet of 13, which includes the two on loan from Canada.
The forest service has deployed 10 air tankers, 62 helicopters and 4,000 personnel to more than 100 fires nationwide. At least 18 large wildfires are burning in nine US states. The National Interagency Fire Center said 4,000 of 15,000 federal firefighters are deployed at fires around the country.
One of the region's most potent aerial firefighting forces, two Wyoming Air National Guard C-130s fitted to drop slurry, sat on a runway in Cheyenne, 80 kilometers north of the Colorado fire. The reason: The US Forest Service, by law, cannot call for military resources until it deems that its fleet is fully busy.
About 600 firefighters were expected to be battling the fire by yesterday, said incident commander Bill Hahnenberg. "We are a very high-priority, nationally. We can get all the resources we want and need," he said.
The Colorado fire has destroyed at least 118 structures, and hundreds of people have been forced to abandon their homes.
The US Forest Service said Monday it would add more aircraft to its firefighting fleet, contracting one air tanker from the state of Alaska and four Canada. Two more tankers were being activated in California.
The announcement came after Colorado's congressional delegation in Washington demanded that the US Forest Service deploy more resources to the fire, which is uncontained.
The Larimer County sheriff's office confirmed Monday that one person had died. The family of Linda Steadman, 62, issued a statement saying she died in the cabin she loved.
In a letter to the Forest Service, Colorado's congressmen said the need for firefighting aircraft was "dire." Colorado US Sen. Mark Udall urged President Barack Obama to sign legislation that would allow the Forest Service to contract at least seven large air tankers to add to its fleet of 13, which includes the two on loan from Canada.
The forest service has deployed 10 air tankers, 62 helicopters and 4,000 personnel to more than 100 fires nationwide. At least 18 large wildfires are burning in nine US states. The National Interagency Fire Center said 4,000 of 15,000 federal firefighters are deployed at fires around the country.
One of the region's most potent aerial firefighting forces, two Wyoming Air National Guard C-130s fitted to drop slurry, sat on a runway in Cheyenne, 80 kilometers north of the Colorado fire. The reason: The US Forest Service, by law, cannot call for military resources until it deems that its fleet is fully busy.
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