The Air Force has paid $160,000 in claims related to a 27,000-acre fire that began on the Melrose Bombing Range last year. The Portales News-Tribune reports that SSgt. Craig Seals, a Cannon Air Force Base spokesman, says the Air Force has received four separate claims so far. The prime complaint is soil erosion. Seals said that the service has not determined the cause of the fire, but it is still under investigation. The deadline for filing complaints is November 2007.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
