politics
US Forest Service chief reportedly pressed staff for more support for wildfire near his ranch
Michael Boren requested more aircraft for 7-acre Cabin Creek fire, some of which were diverted from other fires
TL;DR
- US Undersecretary Michael Boren reportedly asked Forest Service staff to deploy more aircraft to a 7-acre fire near his Idaho ranch.
- The Cabin Creek fire, which started on July 12, spread across several acres in Idaho's Sawtooth national forest and was 100% contained by July 15.
- Forest service officials said the response was greater than typical for a fire of its size and posed no significant threat.
- Some aircraft responding to the Cabin Creek fire were reportedly diverted from efforts to contain other fires in Idaho.
- A USDA spokesperson stated that Boren's contact was normal and denied he pressured leadership or ordered more resources.