Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Bush Declares Parts of Arizona Major Disaster Area
US President George W. Bush declared on Monday parts of southern Arizona a major disaster area hit by a wildfire which erupted last month, according to official sources.
US President George W. Bush declared on Monday parts of southern Arizona a major disaster area hit by a wildfire which erupted last month, according to official sources.
Federal aid will be provided to help local governments cover the costs of rebuilding public facilities, debris removal and emergency services related to the fire, Michael Brown, director ofthe Federal Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement.
The blaze, known as the Aspen fire, began on June 17 and was the first major blaze this season in Arizona and the western United States.
Fires were also active in Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico and Utah,and so far this year, wildfires burning in the western United States has blackened just more than 1 million acres (404,694 hectares) of land, compared with 3.2 million acres (about 1.3 million hectares) a year ago, the National Interagency Fire Centerreported.