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Highest wildfire alert for Western states | 07.20.2007 | 08:55:18 | Views: 5327 | ID: July 20 '07: Firefighting officials in the Western states have raised the fire alert and preparedness level to its highest, the Associated Press reported. The hot summer weather, coupled with drought conditions and high winds have created "perfect conditions" for the blazes, CNN reported. Additionally, firefighter manpower resources are low, so officials have said there is a chance of international recruitment from Canada and Australia. A full list of incidents can be found on the InciWeb Page, a cooperative effort between several federal agencies. The U.S. Fire Administration also has released a wildfire preparedness guide for residents. According to Randy Eardley, a spokesman for the National Interagency Fire Center, the wildfires are being "driven by a couple of things: The number of large fires we have, and also the fires are occurring in several states and in several geographic areas. ... The resources we have are being stretched thin." The AP reported that the alert designation allows "fire managers to request help from additional crews, including from Canada and Australia, and soldiers with National Guard units could be mobilized. About 15,000 U.S. firefighters were battling nearly 70 fires bigger than 100 acres in 12 states."
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