Al Qaeda threatens wildfires in US, fire officials ready (are fire officials kidding?)

abclocal.go ^ | 5-2012 | Montanez

[doug from upland]

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- An al Qaeda website is now calling for recruits to set wildfires in the United States. The targets of the fires are areas prone to dry conditions, like California.

Both Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service said they are taking the threats seriously -- but they're not worried, they said.

The agencies tell Action News they're ready for wildfires, no matter what or who causes them.

"Ever since 9/11 we've had a heightened sense of awareness for terrorism and we do talk about that," said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Julie Hutchinson. "In the last three to four years we have had an inkling that it's something that's out there."

al Qaeda's online magazine, 'Inspire,' provides instructions on how to set off the terror events. The magazine describes, in detail, how to follow weather maps to target the driest areas. It also calls for fires in remote, wooded communities.

"Fire season is coming up on us and this is just one more indicator that we need to be ready," said Sierra National Forest Fire Chief Joseph Reyes.

Reyes said his fire fighters prepare for just about everything, including arsonists.

[no-to-illegals]

Those certainly were the days. America is not a former shell of itself. Believe in Miracles (here) as did President Reagan, and have always thought, our best days are in front of us. Just some minor cleanup to do with those who desire Americans harm is all which needs doing. Americans have seen many Miracles (in our history). God always has a few more (Miracles) up in Heaven waiting to shower down (imho), when God decides to make it so.

[Pollster1]

That could work out. Apparently Al Qaeda is declaring war on Bambi and not just on our women and children. The far left doesn't mind when terrorists kill ordinary, decent people, but they could turn on the terrorists if wild animals are harmed. What would Ayman al-Zawahiri do without Code Pink, the mainstream media, and the Democrat Party supporting him?

Don't the terrorists realize that forest fires release massive amounts of CO2, potentially melting the ice caps and exterminating billions of endangered species?

[SandRat]

We've already been through one Fiery H*** here in AZ started by Illegals/Cartel in the Coronado National Forest .

So we're mad as h***, al-Qaeda tries it here they won't like the welcome they get.

[rickomatic]

If you shoot an islamist terrorist trying to start a fire in the woods and nobody is around to hear, does the falling body make a sound?

Yes.They sound exactly like a turd falling into the toilet bowl.

[Repeat Offender]

I was talking to a friend of mine last year and I brought up the possibility the fires (in AZ) might have been started by the cartels in order to divert attention from “precious” shipments (weapons, AQ terrorists etc).

[HereInTheHeartland]

The Japs tried this

[FreeAtlanta]

yep,

A fire balloon (風船爆弾 fūsen bakudan?, lit. "balloon bomb"), or Fu-Go, was a weapon launched by Japan during World War II.

[Jack Burton007]

No but the waste of a bullet and the laughing of the shooter will.

[JudyinCanada]

I think they have been doing this for awhile.

I have never heard of fires in the numbers that I have these past few years. You heard about the odd one, but I have no doubt the terrorists have already been lighting fires.

[Rockiette]

The deforestration has been caused by the Forest Service and their dangerous policies - besides the FS has directly caused two of Colorado’s largest fires. They should all be fired!

[Rockiette]

Blaming some of the fires on illegals may be true but the FACT is, here in Colorado, we’ve had the last two major fires started by The Forest Service!!!! They are the idiots along with the Secretary Salazar and his America-hating agenda.

[GSWarrior]

Are you saying the beetle infestation was caused by or has been exacerbated by USFS policy? Or are you saying the beetle infestation itself is a myth?

[Pearls Before Swine]

Burning witches at the stake was barbaric, but it might be the appropriate punishment for arsonists.

[Mister Da]

Doug, you really don’t expect bureaucrats to tell the truth, do you?

The last house standing in CA could be burning, yet the “officials” would still claim the situation “under control”.

[basil]

We are still a tender box here in the heart of Tx. Bastrop is about 30 miles from where I live. We have had exactly 2 1/2 inches of rain since those fires, and of course all of the rivers and lakes are either dry or extremely low.

Very worrisome, indeed!

[AuntB]

The illegal alien drug cartels have been burning up thousands of acres every year and that doesn’t seem to bother anyone, why should another group of foreign terrorists upset us?

One fire alone, the LaBrea Fire, proven set by Mexican cartels, burned up in 88,000 acres in Calif a couple years ago.