Oklahoma calls on firefighters outside state

[Thom Little]

Oklahoma called on firefighters from across the South to help battle wildfire outbreaks that have already killed one person, charred 30,000 acres and destroyed about 100 homes across the state.

The state has been locked in a dry spell, and 50 mph winds, low humidity and temperatures in the 70s and 80s were forecast for Sunday.

"That all adds up to very dangerous and extreme wildfire conditions," said Michelann Ooten, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

She said firefighting teams from Alabama and Tennessee arrived in the state Saturday, and additional teams were expected from Florida and North Carolina. State officials asked for 14 teams in all, each with two bulldozers, two fire engines and eight firefighters.


http://dwb.newsobserver.com/24hour/nation/story/3023020p-11715244c.html

[Flabbergasted]

1. Am I The only one...

Who finds it odd to have a major wildfire in the Midwest in December

[Chipper Chat]

2. Moses said to Pharoah "Let my people go"

or I will bring plagues & fires upon this land. Pharoah refused.
Pat Robertson always has an answer for disasters. Will he blame it on Oklahoma's gay citizens for not moving to Massachusetts as Tom Coburn suggests?

[Erika]

3. Oklahoma is part of the Bible Belt big time

Maybe God is telling them that W's war for profits and policies to give the rich our wealth aint cutting it.

[Divernan]

6. Will they screen volunteers? Straights & born agains only need apply.

And god forbid any volunteer Democrat firefighters from blue states? No? Oh, when it's their lives and property on the line, common sense suddenly makes an appearance? I'm sure there are long suffering dems in Oklahoma, but some of the worst, arrogant, hate-filled, racists are from Oklahoma. Not to mention Brownie! They should call on him for guidance.

[Nicole]

8. No, we aren't screening volunteers

Nor do we screen those we help when disasters strike their areas.
We sent help to blue NY after 9/11. We forgot to ask if any of those people were straight or born again.

Talk about arrogant & hate filled. Do you think maybe it's possible that we can bury our dead & shelter our homeless before you resume posting your hate filled assumptions?

[lyonn]

7. Msg. from the gods to Tom Coburn

Tom's the evil one. We had a perfectly good Dem. candidate and he ran a pretty good race, but of course the creepy tv adds worked aginst the Dem. who was either a Rhodes Scholar or candidate for one.

[Rainscents]

4. It seems like, most of the shit is happening in read states!

I wonder if GOD is trying to warm them.

[lebkuchen]

5. "An" Army national guard helicopter is helping

There is only one available?

Where are the guard units? Why not tap into the states' prison population to help fight the fires? OK must have an abundance of folks behind bars that are relatively low risk in an emergency situation.

[daleo]

9. I suspect they are all busy somewhere else. n/t

[rainbow4321]

10. Oklahoma Communities Lagging In Disaster Plans

http://www.kotv.com/main/home/stories.asp?whichpage=1&id=96384


Many Oklahoma communities could miss out on federal funds for disaster protection because they don't have detailed prevention plans in place.

Communities were supposed to develop the plans by November 2004. Extensions were granted when plans weren't completed on time. Right now, only 105 Oklahoma cities and 28 counties have plans in place.

Emergency officials say those who haven't come up with a plan will miss out on money to protect against disasters such as tornadoes, ice storms and wildfires.