PHOTO: Turns out war has a silver lining. The withdrawal from Afghanistan has freed a whole load of water bladders that just might help save Payson in the homefront battle against wildfires.
Moreover, the federal infrastructure bill filled Gila County’s pockets with enough money to upgrade the bladder system used to support initial attacks on wildfires.
Since 2006, Gila County has used an innovative program using military grade water bladders in remote areas near Rim Country communities in the Tonto National Forest. The bladders give fire trucks and helicopters a place to get enough water to douse small blazes before they grow. This award-winning system has been snuffing out fires for 18 years.
But as time passed and bladders disappeared from the military surplus market, the ravages of the sun, dry environment and vandalism has taken its toll.