Sen. Maria Cantwell questioned the acting head of the U.S. Forest Service, Vicki Christiansen, this week. Among the senator’s top concerns: There may not be air support for fires in the West this year.
Cantwell, D-Wash., said during a meeting of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that air tankers can catch wildfires before they grow into expensive catastrophes. Aircraft can douse wildfires with retardant or use water dipping buckets.
So, she said, the new Forest Service policy reducing the number of on-call planes from 20 to 13 this season doesn’t make sense. The agency is also giving air support contractors more time — 48 hours — to respond to a wildfire.