Debate over use of jumbo bomber as wildfires rage in West
Last edited Fri Jul 21, 2017, 11:28 AM - Edit history (1)
Source: Associated Press
Debate over use of jumbo bomber as wildfires rage in West
By KEITH RIDLER
Today
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A giant aircraft that can fly high above oceans on intercontinental flights instead jets in low and slow over a flaming forest, trailing a long plume that settles on the ground and creates a wildfire-stopping barrier.
The operators of the Boeing 747 converted from a passenger jet into a firefighting air tanker say it has proven itself battling forest fires in countries outside the U.S. The modifications allow it to drop more than 19,000 gallons (72,000 liters) of a flame-squelching combination of ammonium phosphate and sulfate mixed with water that comes billowing out in a red-colored line.
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Andy Stahl is executive director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, a watchdog group that describes its mission as holding the Forest Service accountable for responsible land stewardship. Stahl said air tankers were initially intended for early attack to prevent wildfires from getting large.
“That’s no longer how they’re used,” he said. “Air tankers now are primarily used on large fires that have escaped initial attack. It’s pork barrel spending in Western states.”
Limiting air tankers to an initial attack role could save the Forest Service money by reducing costs on the largest and most expensive fires where air tankers, Stahl said, are ineffective.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/31830d15270641c69c28c82a3f644acf/Debate-over-use-of-jumbo-bomber-as-wildfires-rage-in-West
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