FOREST SERVICE DIALS 911!

An article from The Associated Press reported that the US Forest Service is really getting worried about the worsening wildfire situation (Feds call reinforcements for wildfires) and considering calling in foreign firefighters, the National Guard, and other resources. With over 24,000 firefighters waging battles in nearly 20 states all over the U.S., the prospect that the federal, state, and local fire services could be overwhelmed is becoming a distinct possibility. One of the most telling statements was made by Helen Hankins, a spokesperson from the Bureau of Land Management, in another AP article (Nev. wildfires destroy more than 295 miles). She stated that there weren't enough aircraft available to perform direct attack against wildfires. This also means that there probably aren't enough aircraft to perform initial attack, thus robbing firefighters of their most effective weapon for early interdiction against a wildfire: Hitting them when they're small. No wonder so many huge wildfires have happened. How many of these could have been snuffed when they were relatively small if a full complement of heavy air-tankers had been available to relieve the SEATs (single-engine air-tankers), allowing these more maneuverable aircraft to tackle the spotfires? One can only wonder. If you want to do something about getting more heavies back in the air, go to my website at Firebomber Publications and take a look at "The Air-Tanker Crisis" info mid-way down the page. Let me know what you think at marcher47@firebomberpublications.com.