Incredibly, Blackwater West Vice President Brian Bonfiglio says that Blackwater's planned mercenary training camp in San Diego County would decrease the risk of wildfires, even though the huge Blackwater facility would have live-fire exercises and ammunition dumps in the middle of a fire-prone canyon.

Click here to send your support to the people of Potrero as they battle back from this terrible fire.

http://www.couragecampaign.org/Potrero

An excerpt from Miriam Raftery's exclusive report on Blackwater West appears after the "Read More." See her remarkable full report at Calitics.

From Miriam Raftery's exclusive report:

Brian Bonfiglio, vice president of Blackwater West, said Blackwater remains determined to build its planned facility despite the wildfire's devastation. Those plans include 11 firing ranges for small and large caliber weapons, an emergency vehicular training track, bunkhouses for 200 trainees, additional training facilities and a large armory to stockpile ammunition.

"I see a tactical operation center for East County fires," said Bonfiglio, noting that Blackwater's proposal includes water tanks capable of holding 35,000 gallons. "Can you imagine how much of a benefit it would be if we were operational now?"

Opponents of Blackwater have suggested that live-fire operations could heighten the risk of fire starting in the box canyon where Blackwater seeks to locate and note that fires have been started by live-fire at military bases in the past. The Courage Campaign has mounted a petition calling on Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to oppose Blackwater's base in Potrero for reasons including the proposed facility's location in a "fire-prone landscape http://www.courageca....

Bonfiglio maintains that shooting areas will have berms, cleared surrounding areas, and a standby fire watch person with fire equipment on hand. No flares or explosives will be used, he said.

But even a fire started off-site could become an inferno, critics contend, if it were to reach the armory full of ammunition at Blackwater's site.