Florida National Guard ready to respond to wildfires Published May 9, 2006 By Army Capt. Steve Alvarez American Forces Press Service ORLANDO, Fla. (AFPN) -- More than 8,000 citizen Airmen and Soldiers are ready to assist the state of Florida in fighting wildfires that have plagued the state for several weeks, Florida National Guard officials announced May 9. Guard officials said that more than 8,000 acres have burned in Florida, particularly in Volusia, Brevard, Hillsborough and Lee counties. The fires have caused portions of Interstate 95, a widely traveled roadway that links the state to the rest of the East Coast, to close periodically in recent days. Many residences have been destroyed. If the fires persist, they will threaten more homes and businesses, state officials said. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency when he signed an executive order May 8, directing the state's response to the wildfires. The order enables the Florida National Guard to provide emergency support to Florida's Division of Forestry and to the Division of Emergency Management if needed. Florida National Guard officials said aircrews are on standby and awaiting orders to deploy to fight the fires if the Florida Division of Emergency Management calls for help. They would work under the control of the Division of Forestry. Florida National Guard officials said state officials are tracking more than 50 active wildfires throughout the state. According to the Florida Division of Forestry, wildfires peak during May and June in Florida. Lightning strikes usually cause most of those fires during this period, but law enforcement officials in Florida have said some of this year's fires are linked to arson. Rain is forecasted for the next three days throughout most of central and northern Florida, but the National Weather Service indicates that the dry conditions here are creating wildfire dangers that will persist in the state for the next 90 days. Residents in the fire's path have been asked to evacuate, although mandatory evacuations are not being enforced. The governor's executive order also invokes the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, or EMAC. These agreements exist between Florida and other states and are implemented during times of crisis or disaster. They allow the coordination and allocation of resources from other states similar to the multistate response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 when several states mobilized their National Guard assets and sent them to help the Gulf States.