IRVINE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 07/17/2006 -- BlueFire Ethanol, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: BFRE) announced today the composition of its management team. The Company is led by Arnold R. Klann the founder of Arkenol and its cellulose conversion technology that has now been licensed on an exclusive and perpetual basis to BlueFire. This technology is the only commercially available, proven technology being utilized in the United States today for the conversion of waste materials, including wood chips, sawgrass and other waste materials into ethanol. The BlueFire team utilizes over 100 years of combined experience in project development, finance, engineering, design and construction.

The key members of the management team are:

Arnold R. Klann -- Chairman / President / CEO

Thirty years of experience in corporate management, project finance, engineering, design, construction, start-up, environmental permitting, and real estate acquisition. Mr. Klann is the Chief Executive Officer for BlueFire Ethanol and Arkenol. As cofounder of both companies, he has been responsible for the successful development or acquisition of over 610 megawatts of natural gas-fired cogeneration facilities, and been the driving force behind the research and development effort leading to the commercialization of the Arkenol technology. Prior to founding ARK Energy, he successfully launched three businesses and managed complex teams for project development and operation. Areas of technical expertise include cogeneration development using natural gas-fired and solid fuels technologies, ocean thermal energy conversion, and offshore oil exploration design and operations. As Vice President of Engineering and Product Development for GWF Power Systems Company, led technical commercialization, development and permitting activities for eight petroleum coke and coal-fired power plants. Specializes in frontier technology development. A.A. (electrical engineering) 1972, Lakeland College.

John E. Cuzens -- Chief Technology Officer / Senior VP/ Director

Mr. Cuzens is the Chief Technology Officer for BlueFire Ethanol and Arkenol, Inc. He has been with ARK Energy and Arkenol for six years and is the co-inventor on seven of Arkenol's eight U.S. foundation patents for the conversion of cellulosic materials into fermentable sugar products using a modified strong acid hydrolysis process. His career resume records the successful completion of tens of projects valued cumulatively at more than a billion dollars. He has more than twenty years of project management experience punctuated frequently with engineering or R&D management assignments. Mr. Cuzens has served a Director of Projects for Wahlco Inc. and Manager of Engineering and Project Management for Applied Utility Systems, both engineering and fabrication companies producing environmental mitigation systems. He also served as Director of engineering and manufacturing for Hydrogen Burner Technology, a leader in partial oxidation production of hydrogen for process and fuel cell technologies. He was the lead Project Manager for Ultrasystems Engineers and Constructors in the process and biochemical division leading multimillion dollar R&D pilot plant construction projects for Fischer Tropsch and landfill gas benefaction facilities as well as project liaison for ethanol from grain and cheese whey facilities. His experience spans the power production, petrochemical, biotech and fuel cell industries. Mr. Cuzens has a B.S. Chemical Engineering degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He is further a State of California, Registered Professional Mechanical Engineer, 1980, License No. 20891 and State of California, Contractors "A" License Responsible Managing Employee for ARK Energy, Inc. No.A700016.

Necy Sumait -- Senior VP/ Director

Ms. Sumait is Senior Vice President for BlueFire Ethanol and for Arkenol, Inc. She has extensive background in the development of energy projects from inception through financial closing, commissioning, and operations. She has broad experience in siting, regulatory compliance, governmental and community relations and legislative affairs. Ms. Sumait has played major roles in the successful development of several solar and natural gas power plant projects and has been an active participant in the state and national efforts to encourage the commercialization of biomass to renewable fuels technologies. Ms. Sumait obtained all of the federal, state and local permits required for the only cellulose to ethanol plant to have been permitted in California. Prior to joining the ARK/Arkenol group, she was Vice President of Project Development for LUZ Development and Finance Corporation. While at LUZ, Ms. Sumait led the efforts for the successful permitting of nine solar thermal projects totaling over 500 MW through the California Energy Commission. Ms. Sumait has a MBA in Technological Management from Illinois Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Biology from De Paul University. She currently serves on the Executive Board for the California Biomass Collaborative.

Chris Nichols -- Director

Chris Nichols is the Chairman and President/CEO of Advanced Growing Systems, Inc. He brings substantial experience in business growth and marketing. He previously headed Westcap Securities Private Client Group as the Senior Vice President in charge of sales and marketing. He brings 10 plus years of strategic investment/public market experience beginning at Dean Witter Reynolds in 1994. He has a broad range of knowledge from sophisticated derivative trading to offering Separate Account services to High Net Worth Individuals. He holds all applicable licenses including a Series 24 and Series 7. Mr. Nichols is a graduate of California State University in Fullerton with a B.A. degree in Marketing.

William Davis -- Project Management

Mr. Davis is Vice President of Project Management for BlueFire Ethanol, Inc. Over his 30 years of experience, he has served as advisor to the Governor of California for energy conservation and renewable energy policy; additionally he has worked for several fortune 500 hundred companies managing their energy development activities. While at the Office of Planning and Research, he spearheaded the concept of cogeneration at California State facilities. While there he pioneered the concept of the Standard Offer contract, which stimulated the IPP industry in California. Mr. Davis has been a senior executive of development for companies including Texas Utilities, Enserch Energy, Oxbow Power, Pacific Power and Light, and Diamond Generating (a Mitsubishi subsidiary). Mr. Davis has been responsible for the successful development of over 2,000 megawatts of generation throughout the world. He has been responsible for development activities that span the power arena from solar energy to fossil fuel. Mr. Davis is a graduate of the California State University at San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor and Masters in Architecture. He is a registered Architect in three states.

Kent A. Larsen -- Business Development & Corporate Finance

Mr. Larsen has thirty years of experience in power generation and energy conversion project and corporate finance, and power project development worldwide. Mr. Larsen has been a Vice President of ARK Energy, Inc. and has, for the last thirteen years, provided financial advisory services to and has successfully arranged multi-sourced and comprehensive project and structured financings on behalf of many of the major US and international independent power producers for power projects totaling more than US $5 billion in financing and over 7,000 MW. Mr. Larsen has been a co-founder and senior finance officer of three independent power companies, corporate treasurer of two US based, global engineering and construction companies, and a senior banking officer and managing director for project and international finance at two of the world's largest financial institutions. He holds an MBA-Finance from UCLA Graduate School of Business, and BS degrees in Civil Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Washington.

In describing the management team, Mr. Arnold Klann stated: "We have put together a very experienced management team at BlueFire that all our shareholders can be very proud of. Our management team has more hands on experience with the conversion of biomass to ethanol than any other company in our industry. We feel we have a lead in the coming explosion of the conversion of biomass to ethanol, which we believe is the technology of the future in the ethanol industry. With our patented technology and our management team, we will take the lead in bringing this technology to the United States and internationally. We are finalizing several exciting projects and joint ventures which we will be announcing in the near future, which will result in revenue recognition for us in 2007, which is substantially before any other potential competitor will achieve commercialization of their technology."

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About Us:

BlueFire Ethanol, Inc. is established to deploy the commercially ready, patented, and proven Arkenol Technology Process for the profitable conversion of cellulosic ("Green Waste") waste materials to ethanol, a viable alternative to gasoline. BlueFire's use of the Arkenol Process Technology positions it as the only cellulose-to-ethanol company worldwide with demonstrated production of ethanol from urban trash (post-sorted MSW), rice and wheat straws, wood waste and other agricultural residues. Our goal is to develop and operate high-value carbohydrate-based transportation fuel production facilities worldwide. These "biorefineries" will convert widely available, inexpensive, organic materials such as agricultural residues, high-content biomass crops, wood residues, and cellulose from MSW into ethanol. BlueFire intends to build a multinational company that leads the world in producing biobased transportation fuels. Its business will encompass development activities leading to the construction and long-term operation of production facilities while maintaining technological advantage and ownership of the process technology and all its improvements. Ethanol will be produced from biorefinery facilities opportunistically constructed on or near landfills, waste collection and waste separation sites. Each facility will deploy the proprietary technology, which uses all cellulosic waste materials traditionally disposed of in landfills as feedstock. www.BlueFireEthanol.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements about BlueFire Ethanol, Inc.'s expectations, including future revenues and earnings, and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as the term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. BlueFire's actual results could differ materially from expected results. BlueFire undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances. Should events occur which materially affect any comments made within this press release; BlueFire will appropriately inform the public.