Governor declares wildfire emergency
by Jon Robinson (webmaster) | posted: May 29, 2003
Joanna Dodder writing for Big Bug News reports:
"Gov. Janet Napolitano signed an emergency proclamation last Thursday that seeks federal money to combat Arizona’s extreme wildfire danger.
The governor’s disaster proclamation notes that six counties and five communities in Arizona already have issued disaster proclamations related to wildfire danger. The counties are Apache, Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee and Navajo. The communities are Crown King, Camp Verde, Clarkdale, Flagstaff and South Tucson.
Four other states also have declared wildfire emergencies: California, New Mexico, Montana and Wyoming.
A prolonged drought and unhealthy forest conditions have led to a bark beetle epidemic that has killed more than 800,000 acres of trees in Arizona’s forests, the proclamation notes."