Office of the Secretary

For Immediate Release: May 11, 2000

Contact: Michael Gauldin 202-208-6416

Joint Statement of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman on the Los Alamos Fire

"We extend our deepest sympathies to those who have lost their homes in this tragic fire. We are thankful that no one has been injured so far.

"We are personally monitoring the situation very closely. Containing this fire is our top priority. Both the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and the Interior Department's National Park Service are dedicating all available resources to fighting this tremendous fire.

"We have sent both Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck and National Park Service Director Bob Stanton to Los Alamos to oversee firefighting efforts. Federal Emergency Management Agency director James Lee Witt is also on his way to the area to assist residents in recovery efforts.

"Although containing the fire is our first priority, we have ordered an immediate investigation to determine how this fire got out of control. We hope to learn enough from what went wrong in this tragedy to keep it from happening again."

-DOI-