2,000 more guardsmen for Calif. fires

Body found inside destroyed home; Washington state also sees outbreak
MSNBC staff and news service reports
updated 4:03 p.m. CT, Fri., July. 11, 2008

PARADISE, Calif. - With crews exhausted by hundreds of wildfires and the season only beginning, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday ordered 2,000 more National Guard troops to prepare for fire duty.

/quote

The somewhat encouraging part of the additional NG troop deployment is the statement:

"...once these new troops are trained and certified, they will be ready to pitch in at a moment's notice throughout the fire season."

While it doesn't actually say that the necessary training and certification will precede sending (some of them?) to the fire lines now, that certainly seems to be implied.

The full report at the link indicates some reduction in the number of individual fires, but still many places in harm's way. Almost a footnote, new fires and damage in Washington state are reported.

John