They fear that if funding for thinning projects, particularly near homes, are severely curtailed, the United States will have more wildfires in the future.

"If we decide we don't have the time or the energy, money or personnel to do the fuel management work because we were too busy fighting fires, we are always going to be behind," Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, said on a forest subcommittee.

Several senators including Pete Domenici, a New Mexico Republican, favor adding about $1.07 billion in fire suppression to the fiscal year 2002 emergency supplemental appropriations bill which has already ballooned to nearly $28.8 billion. President George W. Bush said he will veto the bill if it exceeds the current level.

The U.S. Interior Department and the Forest Service plan to treat 2.4 million acres (971,246 hectares) in 2002 to reduce hazardous fuels.

Agriculture Department Undersecretary Mark Rey said Tuesday the agency was on track to meet this target, but said projects could be delayed if environmental groups oppose them.

Already an estimated 3.3 million acres (1.3 million hectares) have burned this year, nearly double the ten-year average.

After exhausting their funds, the Forest Service and Interior Department moved $200 million last week from other forest projects to help suppress 313,000 fires still burning.

"The Forest Service has a fairly poor track record paying these funds once money is taking out," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, a New Mexico Democrat. "This is unacceptable and we should not allow this practice to continue."

A lack of rain in many parts of the Southwest, Rockies and the East coast add to the risk of forest fires this year. Fires continue to rage in Alaska, Montana, Washington, Wyoming and other states.

In Arizona, the Chediski fire consumed about 468,000 acres (190,000 hectares). The Hayman fire in Colorado, 55 miles (88 km) southwest of Denver, burned 137,768 acres (55,750 hectares) and destroyed 133 homes.

"Let me assure you that no fire will go unfought this fire season due to lack of funding for suppression," said Nancy Dorn, deputy director with the Office of Management and Budget.

Republican lawmakers and environmental groups have each accused the other of contributing to the rash of fires.

The Bush administration has argued that green groups have blocked in court any plans to remove overgrowth of underlying brush and dead trees, which serve as fuel to spread wildfires.

But environmental groups contend efforts to thin the forests are merely an attempt to remove older trees, coveted by large timber businesses.

"We don't have the time or the luxury to spend hours worrying about who caused this management failure," warned Sen. Larry Craig, a Republican from Idaho.