US forest service chief reportedly pressed staff for more support for wildfire near his ranch

Michael Boren, the US undersecretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment who oversees the US Forest Service, reportedly pressed agency staff last month to deploy more aircraft to a 7-acre (2.8-hectare) fire that was burning near his Idaho ranch, according to a Washington Post report on Friday.The Cabin Creek fire in Idaho began on about 12 July as a result of an unattended campfire, and spread across several acres in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest. By 15 July, the forest service said that the fire was 100% contained.In the Post report, a forest service official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the outlet that Boren, whom the Post reports owns a 480-acre ranch in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, contacted forest service officials at the regional and national levels multiple times while the fire was burning, questioning why more aircraft were not being used to fight the blaze.Six current and former forest service officials told the newspaper that the response was greater than is typical for a fire of its size that posed no significant threat to life or property.The Cabin Creek fire in Idaho Photograph: US Forest Service - Sawtooth national forestThe Post said it also reviewed communications sent during the response to the fire, which it said corroborated that Boren personally contacted forest service staff about the fire. The Post also conducted an analysis of flight paths, which it said revealed that there were about nine aircraft, including helicopters, air tankers and tactical planes, responding to the blaze on 12 July.According to the analysis and two agency officials who spoke to the newspaper, at least some aircraft were diverted from efforts to contain other fires in Idaho.A USDA spokesperson issued a statement on Friday, saying: “Mike Boren is expected to have regular contact with the agencies he oversees. The fact that a senior government official would be monitoring and communicating with other government officials about an event he oversees is a non-story. Under Secretary Boren did report a fire that was near property he owns, just as one would hope any citizen in an area under threats from wildfires would do. However, at no point did he pressure leadership or order more resources to fight this or any other fire.”