US forest service chief reportedly pressed staff for more support for wildfire near his ranch
Summary
Michael Boren, a top agriculture official who oversees the US Forest Service, contacted staff to ask why more planes were not used to fight a small wildfire near his Idaho ranch. The fire started from an unattended campfire, burned about 7 acres, and was fully contained within a few days. Officials said the firefighting effort was larger than usual for a fire of this size, but a USDA spokesperson said Boren did not pressure staff to send more resources.Key Facts
- Michael Boren is the US undersecretary of agriculture overseeing the US Forest Service.
- A fire near Boren’s 480-acre ranch in Idaho started around July 12 from an unattended campfire.
- The Cabin Creek fire burned about 7 acres and was 100% contained by July 15.
- Boren contacted forest service officials multiple times about the fire response.
- Approximately nine aircraft, including helicopters and air tankers, fought the fire.
- Some aircraft were diverted from other fires in Idaho to fight this blaze.
- Six current and former forest service officials said the response was bigger than normal for such a small fire.
- A USDA spokesperson said Boren’s contacts were normal and he did not order or pressure more resources to fight the fire.
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