10,000 fight U.S. fires

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 8

10,000 fight U.S. fires

NZPA-Reuter Fresno, California Ten thousand firefighters aided by gangs of prisoners on Sunday fought brush fires in four western United States states that have driven 2500 people from their homes.

With the United States in its annual forest-fire season, fires were burning across at least 14,000 ha in California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. “The fire nearly ran us down,” said Melissa Roberts, who had ridden a horse to safety. “It was

scary and the horse reared up, but we got through.” William Bruno of the California state Forestry Department said the fire there was believed to have been started by an arsonist. He said hot winds, temperatures of up to 38 deg and dryness had created conditions far worse than usual. Prisoners paid SUSI an hour are working round the clock to help firefighters keep back the flames. In Idaho, firefighters struggled to prevent 100

small fires, mostly started by lightning, from joining together. More than 3000 firefighters have joined in the battle and Governor Cecil Andrus ordered the state National Guard militia to stand by. In the Boise National Forest of Idaho, fires threatened salmon spawning beds. Several ranches in Oregon have been evacuated because of a fire burning through 2200 ha of national forest land. In Washington state, a fire close to the Canadian border has destroyed 300 ha of brushland.