US Oil Well Fire Crew in Colombia Face Rebel Threat as They Fight Huge Fir

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http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA6OWTUFJD.html

U.S. Oil Well Fire Crew in Colombia Face Rebel Threat as They Fight Huge Fires in Jungle

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA6OWTUFJD.html

PUERTO VEGA, Colombia (AP) - He has worked all over the world extinguishing oil-well fires, but David Thompson finds trying to control blazes that have been burning for weeks in the jungles of southern Colombia may be his most dangerous job yet.
As Thompson and his team prepare to fight the messy fires, rebels in the surrounding jungle attack the Colombian soldiers dispatched to protect the Americans and their equipment.

"We've been told this is one of the hottest war zones in the country," Thompson said as he stood near a well spewing oil-streaked balls of fire.

He and three other Americans from Cudd Well Control of Houston arrived in southern Colombia's Putumayo state after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, dynamited five oil wells near the village of Puerto Vega on July 22. snip

The explosion that blew up the well also rocked her house.

"I was so scared, I thought we were going to die," recalled Rosero, who had seen about eight rebels drive up to the well before the blast.

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