[CPEO-MEF] MUNITIONS, ENCROACHMENT: Cample Pendleton (CA) fires

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Unspent shells make firefighting even trickier

Homes' presence near Marine base also cited

By Rick Rogers
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE (CA)
October 19, 2008

CAMP PENDLETON - The fire that scorched about 4,000 acres at Camp 
Pendleton this week underscores a little-discussed complication to 
battling wildfires on the base: unexploded shells that make some places 
too dangerous for firefighters to tread and could hamper efforts to stop 
fires from spilling off base.

Housing areas that have crept to the edges of the base add to the 
pressure of trying to contain wildfires.

That's the assessment of state and local fire experts familiar with the 
sight of smoke rising from the sagebrush and rattlesnake weed on the 
sprawling base of 125,000 acres. Bill Metcalf, chief of the North County 
Fire District, which operates six fire stations in Fallbrook, Bonsall 
and Rainbow, said the base makes an effort to limit military training 
exercises in fire season.

...

For the entire article, see
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20081019-9999-1m19base.html

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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