Antonovich: FOREST SERVICE'S FAILURE TO UTILIZE L.A. COUNTY'S AIR SUPPORT PREVENTED FIRE'S EARLY SUPPRESSION

 

 

 

      

 

PRESS RELEASE

Contact:  Tony Bell, Communications Deputy Office:     (213) 974-5555  Cell: (213) 215-5176 E-mail:     tbell@bos.lacounty.gov

  November 13, 2009                                                                                                                                                                                For Immediate Release

 

forest service’S FAILURE TO UTILIZE L.A. County’s Air support PREVENTED fire’s EARLY suppression  

  

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich issued the following statement in response to the release of a Forest Service Station Fire report called “Initial Attack Review: Report of the Review Panel:”

 

“The Forest Service conclusion that aircraft use in the Station Fire’s earliest stage would have been ineffective is a false assertion to justify their failure.  Our Los Angeles County firefighting aircraft sat on the tarmac waiting to be called into action, while the Angeles National Forest burned.  Had the County’s Fire Air Support been fully activated by the Forest Service while the fire was still manageable, it would not have spread into a 160,000+ acre disaster taking the lives of two firefighters and destroying over 100 homes and structures.”

 

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