Congresswoman seeks answers as Forest Service plans to cut full-time air tankers by more than one third

Sinema passes plan to determine how armed forces resources can be better utilized to fight wildfires

Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema took two important steps to protect Arizona communities from wildfires, continuing her fight to provide Arizona with the resources it needs ahead of what is predicted to be a particularly destructive fire season.

“Arizonans know that when a wildfire threatens our communities, we need all hands on deck. That means we must ensure Washington red tape never stands in the way of keeping Arizona families safe.With experts predicting a particularly bad fire season in Arizona, it’s more important than ever to ensure we have the tools and resources to protect our families and our homes,” said Congresswoman Sinema.“I’m working across the aisle to put more air tankers over Arizona wildfires and more firefighters out on firelines. Working together, we’re taking steps to ensure we have every option available to protect Arizonans this summer.”

After learning the Forest Service planned to cut its fleet of full-time air tankers from 20 to just 13, Sinema led a bipartisan effort to push back on the Forest Service’s plan and questioning the rationale for the change. In a letter to the Chief of Forest Service, Sinema expressed concern that the Forest Service would reduce the number of air tankers in the midst of a potentially historic fire season. Air tankers are critical tools for fighting wildfires, helping to contain blazes and protecting first responders.

Sinema also passed an amendment to the defense funding bill to determine how the Department of Defense (DoD) can better utilize available assets to assist in fighting wildfires. The measure, which was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2019, recognizes wildfires as a danger to national security and requires DoD to consider how it can use National Guard assets to complement the efforts of federal firefighting agencies in tackling the toughest, most dangerous fires.

Sinema’s letter and amendment build on her work to make sure Arizona is prepared for wildfires. Earlier this month, she attached a provision to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bill to help cut red tape that was grounding very large air tankers (VLATs). Her plan requires the FAA to review and revamp its approval process for VLATs, an important step towards getting more of these valuable tools in the air fighting fires, not stuck on the tarmac.

SuperTanker, a VLAT based in Marana, is the largest air tanker by carrying capacity in the world. VLATs like the SuperTanker are critical tools to get large and unpredictable wildfires under control. While traditional air tankers can hold up to 5,000 gallons of water or slurry, the Supertanker can drop over 19,000 gallons of liquid on a blaze. Last year, the SuperTanker was grounded due to an inconsistent, bureaucratic, and lengthy government approval process that kept the modified 747 on the tarmac as wildfires tore through the West.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

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