THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE SAID FRIDAY IT’S OPERATING IN CRISIS MODE, fully deploying firefighters and maxing out its support system as wildfires continue to break out across the U.S. West. — WESTWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service said Friday it’s operating in crisis mode, fully deploying firefighters and maxing out its support system as wildfires continue to break out across the U.S. West.
The agency says it has more than twice the number of firefighters working on the ground than at this point a year ago, and is facing “critical resources limitations.”
An estimated 6,170 firefighters alone are battling the Dixie Fire in Northern California, the largest of 100 large fires burning in 14 states, with dozens more burning in western Canada.
It has destroyed more than 1,000 structures in the northern Sierra Nevada. It continues to threaten several forest communities.
