Congress passes fire aid bills
Fire prevention funds drop
More spent on firefighting after wildfires start
November 9, 2007

With images of last month's infernos in Southern California still fresh in
their minds, members of Congress have passed a $500 million aid package to
help pay for firefighting nationwide.

The measure was approved Thursday night. Itnow awaits President Bush's
signature.

But if the past is any indication of the future, only a small fraction of
the vegetation will be cleared before funding fizzles.

Congress typically spends emergency money for fire-risk reduction after a
high-profile inferno. The issue fades from view, however, as lawmakers soon
turn to other priorities such as paying for the Iraq war or helping a
hurricane-stricken community.

This was the case after the Cedar and Paradise blazes of 2003 in San Diego
County.