Yosemite blaze continues; U.S. fleet of firefighting planes depleted by years of neglect
As firefighters battle a spectacular blaze raging across Yosemite National Park, the Interior Department is trying to put out a fire of a different sort: criticism from Congress‘ main watchdog that officials have failed for years to plan properly for replacing the government’s decrepit, undersized fleet of 50-year-old firefighting aircraft.
The department has known for two decades that its fleet of air tankers — capable of dropping thousands of gallons of water or chemicals on raging fires — was in need of replacement because they date to the Korean War era.
But despite years of debate and budget requests, the U.S. Forest Service and Interior Department don’t know what aircraft to buy because they haven’t been keeping records of firefighters’ needs, the planes’ performance or necessary capabilities, the Government Accountability Office says.
“Air tankers are an absolutely vital part of the firefighting forces,” said Mike Lopez, a fire captain and 23-year veteran of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, one of the lead agencies fighting the Yosemite blaze. “Typically, they can reach fires quicker and more rapidly than the traditional fire crews.” . . .
Two fatal crashes occurred last year, both because the wings fell off in flight. . . .
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