Salazar attempts to avert catastrophic fire season

The Denver Post reports that Colorado Democratic Senator Ken Salazar is trying to make someone take notice of the fact that much of the western United States is on fire:

"I look at Colorado as the Katrina of the West," Salazar said. "We are simply not doing enough." Salazar''s criticism came as senators from Western states scolded Bush administration officials for what they said was the slow pace of efforts to decrease the risk of catastrophic fires. So far this year, 4.5 million acres have burned in the West.

Where's the federal firefighting budget? Perhaps it's tied up in Iraq. That's where 11 of Colorado's 12 firefighting helicopters are.