Burglars stole more than $60,000 in
equipment used to fight fires in Lassen
National Forest for public safety due to which some firefighters have to go
without radios temporarily.
On Wednesday, this break-in took
place in Susanville at the U.S. Forest Service radio shop.
According to Ted McArthur, the
Acting Lassen National Forest Supervisor - the theft of communication radios,
computers and other expensive fire fighting equipment could compromise fire crews’ safety.
Due to the agency’s slow replacement progress, there may not be enough radios
to go around.
Lassen
National Forest's Acting Public Affairs Officer Gregg Goodland said –
Information is so critical for responders when you're out there on the line.
“It can make a big difference in responding to changes in the incident."
According to forest officials, the
greater concern is fire safety, the loss of equipment could cripple progress of
other Forest Service projects.
Goodland said they are not sure how
long will it take to replace the equipment. They will have to go out to bid.
The original cost of the radios was around $2,500. Before replacing, those bids
have to evaluated and approved.
Goodland thinks the thieves may
have trouble selling some of the stolen items. He added "I could see how
they could unload the computers, but the radios? That's a pretty small market. We're
hoping the public keeps its ears open andlets us know.
For information leading to
an arrest of the people responsible for the theft, Lassen National
Forest is offering a reward of up to $1,000.
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