Western Governors Press Forest Service Over Firefighting Cuts

RENO, Nev. - Western governors are pressing the Forest Service to restore firefighting resources they say were quietly shifted away even as this summer's lightning siege blackened more than a million acres in California.

Nevada's governor, who has sparred with the agency since a 2007 wildfire destroyed homes near Lake Tahoe, said the state would no longer accept assurances that federal crews would arrive in time.

California endured its worst fire season on record this summer, with more than 2,000 fires burning simultaneously at the June peak. Smoke from the blazes drifted as far as the East Coast.

The Forest Service acknowledges that firefighting now consumes more than 40 percent of its budget, forcing cuts elsewhere, but says it maintained full readiness through the season.

Fire scientists warn that climate change and a century of fire suppression have loaded Western forests with fuel, and that fire seasons are arriving earlier and lasting longer than a generation ago.

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Associated Press writers contributed to this report.

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