US FIREFIGHTERS have roped in Idaho cowboys as fire wardens using satellite phones.

Eastern Oregon suffers a lot from wild fires and if Firefighters do not move quickly the state could be ablaze.

Apparently ranchers who make their livelihoods in some of America's most remote backcountry have been given satellite telephones provided by the federal Bureau of Land Management and the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security.

The phones are connected to Iridium Satellite LLC's 66 satellites orbiting overhead which can put in a call even when the mobile phone tower on War Eagle Mountain is blocked.

While everyone is feeling safe, none of the ranchers have yet to use their new phones to report a fire. This is mostly because this year the weather has been so pants that, for first time in ages, there have not been any wildfires. µ

L'Inq
AP