CAL-FIRE AIR TANKERS ARE FLYING AGAIN

Update October 9, 2014, 3 p.m. --CAL-FIRE'S air tanker fleet is back in the air effective 11 a.m. today, CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Nick Schuler has informed East County Magazine, after inspections found no structural or agfe-related problems.

By Miriam Raftery

October 9, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Retired CAL FIRE Chief Chief Bob Robeson called East County Magazine this morning with additional details on the crash that killed a CAL FIRE pilot in Yosemite and grounded CAL-FIRE’s 22 S-2T air tankers including details on backup aircraft available through the federal government.

“These are vintage Vietnam era aircraft and the wings were made to fold up when they were on aircraft carriers,” said Robeson, who obtained details from a source at the Ramona Air Attack Base following a briefing provided for fire officials.  Robeson said planes were grounded to inspect for possible structural problems. "We don’t want a crack to show up from age and have three or four of them go down in a week.”

The good news, Robeson assures, is that “there’s a lot of aircraft from the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.” That includes DC 10 large air tankers.  “Fire seasons are calming down in the midwest so they move all of their tankers. It’s not as quick but they will be all over the place, especially helicopters,” he added. “The guard is compromised a little, but there’s still plenty of backup and it won’t affect our initial attack.”