DEA TAKING OVER PINES FIRE CLAIMS

JULIAN -- Pines Fire victims' claims will be processed by the Drug
Enforcement Administration and ultimately reviewed by the Department of
Justice before any payment is made to them, authorities said Tuesday.

The announcement came as a surprise to fire victims and to county
Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who said families had expected the National Guard
to handle their claims. The National Guard started the fire July 29 while
on a drug surveillance mission and has been working with the families in
the days since.

The announcement of the process, which came Tuesday afternoon, was a
surprise to Pines Fire victims and to many involved, including the local
Drug Enforcement Administration office.

Donald Thornhill Jr., DEA spokesman for the San Diego office, said he was
told of the policy about 4 p.m. Tuesday and had to wait until Wednesday to
get information from the headquarters office in Washington D.C.

Yet Thornhill said he would like the victims to be assured that they "care
about these people and we're doing our best to get them paid."

Thornhill said the process is standard procedure as part of the Federal
Torts Claim Act and some claims were forwarded by the National Guard two
weeks ago. He said he's been told that headquarters is trying to expedite them.

"This will not be some long, protracted process," Thornhill said.

Jacob said the news yesterday caught everyone off guard. She said she is
trying to rally Washington, D.C., contacts to lobby the DEA to pay the
victims quickly.