Fire fee draws heat

When a devastating series of wind-driven wildfires ripped last fall through Southern California, manpower ran short and equipment even shorter. Patricia Farrrell Aidem in the Daily News,

In the end, more than 2,000 homes were destroyed. And the vast acres of blackened ruins drew the spotlight to an overextended state firefighting system that needs emergency help of its own, especially as a growing number of homes are built in fire-prone areas.

Faced with a $14.5 billion state deficit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed a surcharge on property insurance bills across-the-board to pay for more resources.