Week after week of spreading wildfires up and down the Pacific coast and inland to the Mountain west have depleted the resources of fire-fighting units to the point that some firefighters are working 65 hour stretches with time for just 20 minute naps. According to the linked report from the Associated Press, only midway through the fire season, states like California, Oregon and Washington are soliciting help from others, having maxed out their resources for the year:
"Fire crews have been summoned from at least nine states and other countries, including Canada and Israel. Hundreds of agreements for agencies to offer mutual assistance have been maxed out at the federal, state and local levels, [Washington State Forrester George Geissler] said.Sociopathic climate change denier and "climate arsonist" Donald "Sweep The Forests" Trump's one visit to the area was notable in his response to California's Natural Resources Agency chief when he said, "I don't think science knows" the facts on climate change. Knowing the malicious, transactional Trump, it's likely he'll give the "blue" Pacific states short shrift as far as Federal resources are concerned, despite Federal lands / parks / installations accounting for a significant percent of those states' land (CA: 45.4%, OR: 52.3%, WA: 28.6%).
'We know that there’s really nothing left in the bucket,' Geissler said. 'Our sister agencies to the south in California and Oregon are really struggling.'
Demand for firefighting resources has been high since mid-August, when fire officials bumped the national preparedness level to critical, meaning at least 80% of crews were already committed to fighting fires, and there were few personnel and little equipment to spare."
BONUS: Oregon Republican State Senator Fred Girod found his home burned in the Beachie Creek fire. He was one of 11 Rethug senators who blocked climate change legislation last year by refusing to show up so that the state senate had a quorum. Karma burns.
(photo: NBC News)
