Nationwide, wildfires have burned almost as many acres in the first half of 2011 as were recorded by the National Interagency Center for all of last year. The agency reports that 3.1 million acres in the United States had been ignited by wildfires as of May 31st of this year, compared with a total of 3.2 million acres for all of 2010.
In Arizona, while wildfires continue to ravage the state, containment efforts have succeeded in many areas thanks to the hard work of fire fighters. Some of the thousands of residents that had been evacuated in weeks past have now been allowed to return to their homes. Many residents, however, still do not know the fate of their homes and property. Other areas of the state are still threatened by the wildfire, spurred by high winds, high temperatures, and low humidity. Rugged terrain, along with the unfavorable weather conditions, have made containment efforts difficult since the fire was ignited on May 29th.
HME Wildland Attack, HME Wildland, HME Interface Type 1, and the HME Minipumper represent a range of fire trucks and fire apparatus designed specifically for wildfire and interface applications. Their agility and stability in on-and-off road conditions make them the perfect weapons for fighting wildfires in remote locations.