Nevada Governor Chides Forest Service Over Fire Response

RENO, Nev. - Nevada's governor accused the Forest Service of learning too slowly from past disasters as crews mopped up a range fire that threatened homes outside Reno, the latest flashpoint in a long feud over firefighting resources in the fast-growing West.

Gov. Jim Gibbons said the state would seek reimbursement and a formal review after what he called a delayed federal response to the weekend fire, which blackened thousands of acres in the mountains south of the city.

The governor has tangled with the agency since the 2007 Angora fire near Lake Tahoe destroyed more than 250 homes. Nevada has since built up its own firefighting capacity rather than rely on federal crews.

The Forest Service said its response was timely and that extreme winds drove the fire faster than any crew could move. A spokesman said the agency welcomed the review.

The dispute reflects a broader Western anxiety: millions of new homes have been built in fire-prone wildlands this decade, and this summer's siege of California fires showed how thin firefighting resources stretch when everything burns at once.

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Associated Press writers contributed to this report.

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