Perry questions Obama’s lack of response for wildfire help
Perry questions Obama’s lack of response for wildfire help
29 April 2011
published by austin.ynn.com
USA — Gov. Rick Perry criticized FEMA for its slow response to his request for federal disaster recovery assistance in connection with the state’s wildfires during an emergency management conference in San Antonio Friday.
”We can’t always count on Washington to come running. It’s been two weeks now since I wrote President Obama requesting assistance to deal with these wildfires, Gov. Perry said. We’re still waiting on a response.”
Officials with the Texas Forest Service said the agency is currently working 10 major fires covering 562,000 acres.
Since the start of the year, more than one-and-a-half million acres have been scorched.
By contrast, a FEMA press release states it responded within 24 hours Thursday to a request from Georgia for help with a 1,000 acre fire.