The New Era - All about Sweet Home since 1929

Editor:

Here we are, at the beginning of what could prove to be worst wildfire season ever and the world’s best firefighting tool sits unused and not ready to go because of decisions made by the U.S. Forest Service and states not to use it.

Unfortunately, in 2002 two Lockheed C-130 Hercules airplanes crashed while fighting fires, one in California and one in Colorado. In 2004 the Forest Service made the decision not to use the large tanker firefighting airplanes, instead relying on helicopters and smaller planes.

The Supertanker would have really helped on these fires: The 2020 Oregon...