In a 2007 wildfire case involving a large logging company, the US Forest Service was found to have repeatedly lied under oath and falsified its investigation regarding a wildfire in the Plumas and Lassen National Forests.
The Forest Service Ranger manning the fire lookout was too high on marijuana to call the fire in during its initial stages when it could easily have been put out.
The investigation initially wrongfully blamed a logging company for starting a fire which destroyed 65,000 acres of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. Which is small peanuts compared to the 850,000 acres of wildfires that same year the Forest Service let go virtually unchecked across Idaho, Oregon and Montana in a single wildfire event that would have been easy to stop in its initial stages.
The same Forest Service that lets 850,000 acre wildfires roam freely across private, state, city, county and public lands does not like being blamed for a 65,000 acre wildfire in California. Especially when it can kill two birds with one stone and try to use its clout to sway public opinion against a logging company.
Nevermind the fact that the Forest Service ranger in the lookout tower was too high on marijuana to call the fire in during its initial stages. The Forest Service thought it could just lie about who was responsible for the fire, rather than do their jobs and actually fight it.
A decision which would ultimately force a multimillion dollar judgement against the Forest Service and rob them of what little credibility an agency known for burning down little old ladies' homes might have.
"On October 9, Sierra Pacific filed a motion asking the federal court to vacate the settlement because prosecutors allegedly allowed fire investigators from the U.S. Forest Service and CalFire to “repeatedly lie under oath about the very foundation of their investigation” into the origins of the Moonlight Fire."
Read more:
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/federal-prosecutors-accused-corruption-california-wildfire-case
The Forest Service Ranger manning the fire lookout was too high on marijuana to call the fire in during its initial stages when it could easily have been put out.
The investigation initially wrongfully blamed a logging company for starting a fire which destroyed 65,000 acres of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. Which is small peanuts compared to the 850,000 acres of wildfires that same year the Forest Service let go virtually unchecked across Idaho, Oregon and Montana in a single wildfire event that would have been easy to stop in its initial stages.
The same Forest Service that lets 850,000 acre wildfires roam freely across private, state, city, county and public lands does not like being blamed for a 65,000 acre wildfire in California. Especially when it can kill two birds with one stone and try to use its clout to sway public opinion against a logging company.
Nevermind the fact that the Forest Service ranger in the lookout tower was too high on marijuana to call the fire in during its initial stages. The Forest Service thought it could just lie about who was responsible for the fire, rather than do their jobs and actually fight it.
A decision which would ultimately force a multimillion dollar judgement against the Forest Service and rob them of what little credibility an agency known for burning down little old ladies' homes might have.
"On October 9, Sierra Pacific filed a motion asking the federal court to vacate the settlement because prosecutors allegedly allowed fire investigators from the U.S. Forest Service and CalFire to “repeatedly lie under oath about the very foundation of their investigation” into the origins of the Moonlight Fire."
Read more:
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/federal-prosecutors-accused-corruption-california-wildfire-case
"This is a heavy but incredibly necessary critique. When we read about operational incompetence or corruption within agencies like the Forest Service, the first thought shouldn't just be about politics—it has to be about the safety of the people on the front lines. Our wildland firefighters and field crews face enough natural dangers as it is.
ReplyDeleteFrom our perspective on the occupational safety side here in California, systemic failures within leadership directly trickle down to compromised safety standards on the ground. When protocols slip, the reliability of medical response and emergency safety equipment becomes thin. Frontline workers deserve uncompromised accountability and top-tier resources. If the institutional safety net is wavering, it becomes even more vital for local sectors to ensure that their field teams are equipped with independent, reliable first aid setups and protective gear. The lives of our responders depend on it. Thanks for raising these tough questions."
— The Medi-Nova Team (First Aid Kit Supplies in Pomona California, USA)