Florida battles 400 wildfires, two firefighters die
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Pastor Dale Morgan
Jun 21, 2011, 3:22:13 PM6/21/11
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Perilous
Times and Climate Change
Florida battles 400 wildfires, two firefighters die
By Michael Peltier | Reuters
TALLAHASSEE, Fla (Reuters) - Florida's tough wildfire season has claimed the lives of two firefighters as the tinder-dry state on Tuesday battled more than 400 active blazes.
Two forest rangers with the state Division of Forestry were killed on Monday while fighting a fire in Hamilton County in north Florida. They were the first firefighters in the state in 26 years to be overcome while battling a wildfire.
"The wildfires have ravaged our state, burning more than 200,000 acres, and now, they have taken the lives of two of our very own men," Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Tuesday in a statement.
"My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of Josh Burch and Brett Fulton, two courageous heroes who sacrificed their lives for the safety of others."
Putnam told reporters his department would investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Since May 1, state and local firefighters have battled more than 1,500 wildfires that have burned nearly 200,000 acres across the state, making it one of the busiest wildfire years in recent history.
Florida firefighters face an average of 31 new wildfires every day, most caused by lightning strikes.
May is typically the peak of wildfire season in Florida, but a lack of rain in June has exacerbated fire conditions.
"It's been a very active season that is extending quite a bit longer than normal," said Sterling Ivey, spokesman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
"In June, we normally see the rate of fires coming down. We're not seeing that this year."
On June 3, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed an executive order directing the state Division of Emergency Management to oversee relief efforts as fires raged throughout the state.
"The bottom line is we need rain," Ivey said. "Lots of it."
Nationally, more than 4.3 million acres have burned since January 1, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jerry Norton)
Florida battles 400 wildfires, two firefighters die
By Michael Peltier | Reuters
TALLAHASSEE, Fla (Reuters) - Florida's tough wildfire season has claimed the lives of two firefighters as the tinder-dry state on Tuesday battled more than 400 active blazes.
Two forest rangers with the state Division of Forestry were killed on Monday while fighting a fire in Hamilton County in north Florida. They were the first firefighters in the state in 26 years to be overcome while battling a wildfire.
"The wildfires have ravaged our state, burning more than 200,000 acres, and now, they have taken the lives of two of our very own men," Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Tuesday in a statement.
"My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of Josh Burch and Brett Fulton, two courageous heroes who sacrificed their lives for the safety of others."
Putnam told reporters his department would investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Since May 1, state and local firefighters have battled more than 1,500 wildfires that have burned nearly 200,000 acres across the state, making it one of the busiest wildfire years in recent history.
Florida firefighters face an average of 31 new wildfires every day, most caused by lightning strikes.
May is typically the peak of wildfire season in Florida, but a lack of rain in June has exacerbated fire conditions.
"It's been a very active season that is extending quite a bit longer than normal," said Sterling Ivey, spokesman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
"In June, we normally see the rate of fires coming down. We're not seeing that this year."
On June 3, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed an executive order directing the state Division of Emergency Management to oversee relief efforts as fires raged throughout the state.
"The bottom line is we need rain," Ivey said. "Lots of it."
Nationally, more than 4.3 million acres have burned since January 1, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jerry Norton)
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