California's US Forest Service manager says the number may seem overwhelming but firefighters do have the 800 wildfires in the state in check, at least for now. Randy Moore says he's concerned about the weekend weather forecast which calls for more periods of dry lightning. That's lightning strikes without rain which started most of the fires across northern California now.
Moore says if this keeps up he's ready to ask Governor Schwarzenegger to declare a statewide ban on fireworks during the Fourth of July. Regulations for firework use are handled by local governments. But, Moore says the forest service should step in and ask for a uniform policy during "this emergency situation."
Moore: "Since we do have a 20% land base in the state, I think it's important to remember that implementing land policies in one part of the state without doing the entire state doesn't do any good."
Moore says he's also ordered use of the so-called “supertanker” airplane be sent to California from its home in Alaska. He says that craft can hold nearly double the capacity of water to douse fires as the DC-10 the state uses now.
