The wildfires tearing through Colorado and Utah have claimed the lives of three firefighters. Sources confirm the victims were part of a strike team battling the blaze near the Utah-Colorado border. Their deaths bring the grim tally for this season to double digits.
I have obtained documents from the British High Commission showing an offer of specialist equipment to U.S. fire authorities. These include mobile command units and high-pressure hoses used in tackling peat fires. The offer was made through the National Fire Chiefs Council but remains unanswered.
Company records show the British equipment comes from a firm part-owned by a former defence minister. That minister now sits on the board of a shell company registered in Delaware. I have not yet established a direct link to the fire deaths.
The official line from both states is that the fires are being contained. But my sources say conditions are worsening with wind speeds gusting to 70mph in some valleys. Evacuation orders have been extended to four more counties in Colorado.
Families of the dead firefighters have been notified. The names have not been released pending notification of next of kin. What I can tell you is that all three were veterans of the job. One had served for 27 years.
The British offer of equipment may seem timely. But I have uncovered files indicating the same equipment was offered two years ago and rebuffed by the U.S. Forest Service. The reason given was that it failed to meet safety standards. I have seen the inspection reports. They make for uncomfortable reading.
As the fires burn, cash is flowing. I have tracked purchases of private firefighting aircraft to a holding company in the Cayman Islands. That holding company has no physical address. Its listed director is a man disqualified from running companies in the UK.
This is a story about more than a weather disaster. It is a story about money and influence. The firefighting industry is worth billions and the line between public service and private profit has been blurred to the point of extinction.
Two of the three firefighters who died were employed by a private contractor. That contractor has a history of safety violations. I have the documents to prove it.
The British offer will no doubt be presented as an act of solidarity. I choose to ask questions. Why now? Who benefits? And why has it taken the death of three firefighters to get attention?
I will continue to follow the paper trail. Expect more.
