Uphill task for US fire fighters

Blazing fires force US authorities to seek overseas help

By David Willis in Idaho

State fire and forestry officials say they are not only losing the battle against the fires spreading across 11 US states, but fear being overwhelmed by them.

A helicopter carries a barrel to water to douse a burning forest in Pinesdale, Montana

Overall, more than 60 fires, which have now been raging for nearly a month, have so far destroyed about 866,000 acres of forest, according to the National Interagency Fire Centre in Idaho.

In Montana alone, six million acres of land have been closed to the public.

More than 50 homes have been destroyed by the huge fires there and hundreds of residents have been told to round up their livestock and leave in many areas.

Overseas help

Idaho and Montana are among the states hardest hit this week.

Fire fighters will be busy for a long time to come

In Idaho alone more than 430,000 acres of land are burning and with communities coming increasingly under threat, the authorities are looking overseas for help.

Authorities in Idaho have recruited 80 fire-fighters from Australia and New Zealand, countries experienced in dealing with brush fires.

They will join groups from neighbouring Canada and Mexico.

An estimated 20,000 military and civilian firefighters continue to work round the clock to fight the blazes in Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Arizona, California, Wyoming, Colorado and Montana.

The Pentagon is sending another battalion of men to help in the national fire-fighting effort.

Already it is thought the bill for fighting these fires is close to $1bn.