By Kevin Freking
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Western state lawmakers from both parties say they are worried that the federal government’s firefighting efforts don’t place enough emphasis on prevention, and the result is the kind of devastation taking hold in eastern Arizona, where more than 733 square miles have burned.
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., told a Senate committee on Tuesday that the focus on suppressing fires rather than preventing them has to change.
He said that firefighters in Arizona reported that flames burned lower to the ground and more slowly in areas that were treated, saving some communities.
The U.S. Forest Service reported that the agency reduced hazardous fuels on nearly 3 million acres last year — about twice the level of a decade ago.
Yet lawmakers made clear they believe that more should be done.