California is facing catastrophe. More than 300 wildfires are burning today, pushing our firefighting resources to the breaking point — and it’s still early in the fire season.

We’ve seen 1,781 wildfires in the past two weeks – most started by unprecedented swarms of dry lightning – and they’ve burned more than 688,000 acres, an area nearly the size of Rhode Island.

California is hot, dry and highly combustible. There’s a drought, with record amounts of dry brush. Last month fires burned an area five times the size of what burned in the first six months of 2007 – and six times the five-year average for this time of year.

California needs help. There are 24,000 firefighters, including from 41 states and the District of Columbia – and it’s not enough. Governor Schwarzenegger has asked the President for 41 helicopters, 616 fire engines, and 302 hand crews.

He’s also warned the President that California can no longer adequately protect lives and property. This is a national problem – the U.S. Forest Service alone has already expended more than $704 million out of $1.2 billion available for firefighting this year.

That’s why I am seeking $910 million in emergency federal fire funding for the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior.

It includes:

$610 million for wildfire suppression;

$125 million for State and private lands fuels reduction;

$100 million for rehabilitation;

$50 million for Federal lands fuels reduction; and

$25 million for firefighter recruitment and retention in high-risk areas.

California and the nation face what may be an unprecedented fire season this year. Lives, property and our priceless wildlands are on the line. This emergency funding is vital to ensuring we do all we can to prevent wildfires, and to field a fully staffed, fully equipped firefighting corps.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 11th, 2008 at 9:55 am and is filed under Politics .