OMAK, Wash. – On Monday, September 7, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will travel to the active North Star Fire, located approximately 12 miles north of Nespelem, Wash. While there, she will receive a briefing from the Incident Management Team on the North Star Fire and other activity within the state, meet with firefighters and tribal leaders, and hold a brief media availability.
Fire seasons are becoming longer and more intense. The Obama Administration has called for a new funding framework that would treat wildfires similar to other natural disasters. The budget proposal would provide greater certainty in addressing growing fire suppression needs while preserving funds meant for prevention and other non-suppression programs, such as fuels reduction and post-fire rehabilitation.
The North Star Fire has burned more than 205,000 acres, primarily on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and evacuations are in effect for approximately 3,000 single residences. More than 1,000 personnel, including state and federal firefighters, are working to contain the fire.
Who:
Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Kenneth Murphy, Federal Emergency Management Agency Region X Regional Administrator
Ed Lewis, Incident Commander, National Interagency Fire Center
What:
Media availability following Secretarial visit to North Star Fire in Washington
When:
Monday, September 7, 2015
11:30 a.m. PDT – Media availability
Where:
Incident Command Post
421 Stampede Drive E
Omak, WA 98841
Media:
Credentialed members of the media who are interested in attending are required to RSVP here.
Source: Department of Interior
