The Trump administration is facing calls for an investigation into allegations that a senior US Forest Service official sought additional firefighting resources for a blaze near his private ranch in Idaho, according to a report by The Guardian.Three Democratic senators — Ron Wyden, Amy Klobuchar and Martin Heinrich — have accused Michael Boren, the undersecretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment, of “inappropriate interference” in the federal response to the Cabin Creek Fire.In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the senators called for a full investigation into Boren’s alleged involvement.Boren, who oversees the US Forest Service, reportedly owns a 480-acre ranch in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.According to the Washington Post, several current and former Forest Service officials said Boren contacted agency staff multiple times in July to question why more aircraft were not being deployed to fight the Cabin Creek Fire.The fire began on July 12 after an unattended campfire and was fully contained by July 15 after burning about seven acres. Officials cited by the Washington Post said the response appeared to involve more resources than would normally be expected for a fire of that size, which did not pose a significant threat to lives or property.The Democratic senators said fires that were considerably larger during the record-setting wildfire season had received a much smaller share of firefighting resources.They said Boren’s reported actions could amount to a misuse of taxpayer funds and potentially divert resources from higher-priority fires threatening communities elsewhere.“The personal interests of political employees should not be a factor that influences the allocation of wildfire resources,” the senators said in their letter.They have asked the Agriculture Department to explain what safeguards are in place to prevent political interference or conflicts of interest in wildfire responses.The USDA said it would respond to the senators’ request through the “proper channels”.The department had previously denied that Boren pressured officials or ordered additional resources to be sent to the fire. A USDA spokesperson said Boren was expected to maintain regular contact with agencies under his oversight and had reported the fire because it was near property he owned.The spokesperson said Boren had not pressured agency leadership or ordered additional resources to fight the Cabin Creek Fire or any other blaze.