The New York Times
Bush Declares
Fires a Disaster
President Bush issued a disaster declaration on Tuesday for 12 counties ravaged by fires. The move makes federal financing available to individuals who have suffered fire losses since Dec. 1. Mr. Bush ordered federal aid to supplement state and local efforts. "We want to read the fine print and get all our questions answered before we are satisfied that the declaration is sufficient to meet Oklahoma's needs," Gov. Brad Henry said in a statement.