“It makes a significant difference when you have somebody in the statehouse willing to take the lead.”–W’s ‘Heckuva job, Brownie’ to Arnold.
Ca. Fire Documents Conflict With Reports
By AARON C. DAVIS – 13 hours ago
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Several aircraft were able to fly in strong winds on the first full day of last month’s Southern California firestorms, contradicting officials’ earlier claims that the weather had grounded virtually all aircraft, according to documents released Saturday.
Twenty-eight of 52 aircraft the state was tracking for firefighting efforts remained grounded that day, and high winds were not listed in the documents as the reason.
The documents attempt to answer charges by federal lawmakers, military officials and others that the state did not effectively marshal all its available air resources as a series of blazes began roaring out of control, eventually destroying more than 2,000 homes and killing at least 10 people.
An earlier Associated Press investigation revealed that military helicopters sat grounded for days, in part because of a shortage of state fire “spotters” who are required to be on board military aircraft used for firefighting.
Images: (Arnold) Getty Images via businessweek.com; (fire) via idl.idaho.gov (quote) cbsnews.com, October 27, 2007;