[Posted on Phoenix just prior to Firestorm 92]

Four days of 100 plus degree temperature has done what the
environmentalists could not do...

Yesterday morning the Commissioner of the Department of Natural  Resources
ordered a shut down of all full-time logging operations in Eastern
Washington and furthermore banned all fireworks displays of any kind on all
public land in Washington State. He also set in motion a series of
activities, some in conjunction with the National Forest Service, to further
prepare for what may be one of the driest summers in Washington State's
history.

 All rural fire departments in Eastern Washington Counties have  been placed
on standby alert, and have been ordered to participate in a state-wide test
of the Mutual Aid Network, the latter being a system where fire departments
can communicate with/assist one another in an emergency. One of the crucial
events that took place during Firestorm 91 was the inability of many rural
fire departments to either access or request Mutual Aid, due to procedural
errors and radio difficulties, thus slowing down fire suppression efforts.

The resources of manpower and equipment available to Eastern  Washington
also took a drastic upturn yesterday as eighty additional D.N.R. fire trucks
and their crews left the west side of the state destined for Eastern
Washington. Here are just a few of their destinations:

        Colville National Forest                8 units 
        Chewelah District Office                2 Units 
        Boise Cascade, Kettle Falls             2 units 
        Spokane Regional Office                 31 units 
        Okanogan National Forest                10 units
        Wenatchee Regional Office               22 units
        Republic Regional Office                19 units 

According to a local D.N.R. supervisor, this is a normal annual  procedure,
unusual only in that this transition usually takes place in late July/early
August, and that '...the numbers are about double last year at this
time...they must have cleaned out some offices...'

In addition, two borate bombers and their support crews have been  placed on
loan to authorities by the Fire Center in Missoula, Montana and should
arrive at Felt's Field in Spokane by Friday. Two additional bombers,
purchased earlier this year, will be available, if needed, at the Boise,
Idaho Fire Control Center. The Pima, Zuni and Navajo fire teams in Arizona
have been put on alert status. Both events are taking place nearly two
months earlier than usual.

The NASA geosynchronous satellite which earlier this month was in  use
surveying Eastern Washington timber reserves, has been temporarily made
available to D.N.R. and the National Forest Service for a diversity of tasks
including monitoring Relative Moisture Content, damage assessment and
control much the same as it was used during the Yellowstone fire/controlled
burn.

[information courtesy of Stevens County Rural Fire District, The  Department
of Natural Resources ]

In short, don't EVEN think about any kind of open fire or  fireworks in the
rural area(s) unless we get some moisture before the Fourth of July. Woodsy
the Owl will be pissed, and furthermore, you could be fined $10,000 for your
efforts.