Indianz.Com > News > BIA cancels consultation due to California fires

BIA cancels consultation due to California fires
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Filed Under: National

A woman watches her neighbor's home burn on the Rincon Indian Reservation in Rincon, California, Oct. 23, 2007. Lucy Nicholson - Reuters.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has canceled a consultation session on Thursday due to fires in southern California that have hit several tribes.

The BIA was going to meet with tribes on the Barona Reservation to discuss proposed regulations for gaming revenue allocation plans. But assistant secretary Carl Artman today said it was too dangerous to go and he expressed concern for the tribes affected.

"I have directed Bureau of Indian Affairs personnel to assist the tribes impacted by this emergency in their firefighting efforts. Indian Affairs also is participating with the National Interagency Fire Center’s efforts to mobilize federal resources and assistance from across the country to aid the affected communities," Artman said in a press release.

Starting with the Witch Fire, several blazes have ravaged the southern part of California, where over a dozen tribes are located. The Poomacha Fire burned through the La Jolla Reservation, the Rincon Reservation and the San Pasqual Reservation.

The tribal church at Rincon burned. "That's something we've all attended, that church, it's devastating to see that," council member Bo Mazzetti told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

About 59 homes and trailers burned at Rincon and 20 at La Jolla, the BIA said. The land where the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians keeps its bison herd also burned.

Residents of the Barona Reservation were encouraged to evacuate today. A small blaze on the Morongo Reservation was put out Sunday

In October 2004, more than a dozen tribes in southern California were struck by the Cedar Fire. Hundreds of families lost homes and millions of dollars in damages were sustained on reservations.

For up to date news on the fires, visit http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/breakingnews.

Get the Story:
Press Release: October 25 Consultation Meeting on Tribal Gaming RAPs Cancelled due to Southern California Wildland Fire Emergency (BIA 10/23)
S.D. Indian reservations damaged by wildfires (The San Diego Union-Tribune 10/23)
Mass Evacuations Ordered as Wildfires Spread in Calif. (The Washington Post 10/23)
Username: indianz@indianz.com, Password: indianz
More evacuations and new fires (The Los Angeles Times 10/23)
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Latest Wildfire Chars Slopes Of Mount Palomar (City Wire 10/23)
Witch fire roars across northern San Diego County (The San Diego Union-Tribune 10/23)
Morongo Reservation Fire Quickly Containd (KABC 10/21)