Free Republic

Biscuit fire nearly surrounded 08/24/02ALEX PULASKI Firefighters pushed control lines closer around the Biscuit fire Friday, and hope to have its 240-mile perimeter sewn up by this weekend. From Our Advertiser Twenty-plus miles of line remained to be built around the Biscuit blaze, the biggest fire in the United States this year. The most critical stretch remains along the fire's western edge, near the Pistol River. Randy Shepard, a fire spokesman, said 10 hand crews were pressing south in rough terrain. Aided by bulldozers and three crews working toward the north to meet them, firefighters hope to tie the two...

Fires burning across Oregon The Associated Press8/23/02 10:22 AM Major wildfires were burning on about 565,362 acres in Oregon on Friday. About 8,944 firefighters were fighting five major fires around the state. The Northwest Interagency Communication Center is tracking five major fires in Oregon. Top priorities for fire officials Monday were the Biscuit fire, covering 492,342 acres, the 7,400-acre Apple fire and the 62,200-acre Tiller Complex. BISCUIT FIRE (formerly called Florence Fire; name changed on 8/11/02) Started: Florence fire started 26 miles west of Grant Pass, 07/13/02; Sour Biscuit started 17 miles southwest of Cave Junction. Size: 492,342 acres. Containment:...

Bush's message to Oregon: His forest plan equals jobs 08/23/02, TOM DETZEL "Times are tough, but let me tell you something -- so is America," he added. Bush issued a stinging critique of the forest policies that led to this year's record fire season -- policies expected to cost taxpayers more than $1.5 billion for fire suppression. Nationwide, nearly 6 million acres, an area the size of New Hampshire, have burned. He said red tape, regulations and "endless litigation" have become the tools for delaying worthwhile thinning projects. His plan would allow emergency thinning in the highest-risk areas while speeding...

<p>As firefighters battle wildfires throughout Oregon, another war is smoldering over what will become of the burned trees.</p> <p>Environmentalists have been pressuring the U.S. Forest Service to commit to keeping the burned areas off limits to cutting.</p> <p>Timber industry representatives want the agency to offer logging sales ? known as post-fire salvage sales ? in areas that burned. They say that will underscore the Forest Service's commitment to continuing to harvest trees and extract economic value from forest products.</p>