Budget Cuts Force Cal Fire To Cancel Deal For DC-10 Supertanker

July 7, 2011 7:44 AM

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — California is about to lose one of its most effective firefighting weapons to state budget cuts.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is canceling a $21 million, three-year contract for a DC-10 supertanker.

The converted airliner carries nearly 12,000 gallons of fire retardant and is often used as the spearhead in the department’s attack on wildfires.

KNX 1070′s Mike Landa reports it’s a move that almost nobody wants to make.

“Fortunately, it does leave the integrity of our initial attack capability intact, but it does mean the reduction of the DC-10 that we have contracted with for the last couple of years,” said CAL FIRE spokesman Daniel Berlant.

Despite the cuts, however, Berlant insists California still has access to state-of-the-art air resources.

“We have the largest state-owned wild land firefighting aircraft in the world,” he said.

JW Ross

so Brown is showing his priorities, illegal aliens and unions first, poor and the forest can fend for their selves–itsso nice to have a cocialist Gov. Hey, isnt this the same guy that brought the union to State Employees like 30 years ago? Yeah, the collapse of education began with the calif teachers union then spread nationally——-Hey Brown, is the state flag gonna be replaced with a Hammer and Sycle?
KOBE

O yeah can’t afford to fight fires but janitors are making 90 thousand a year cleaning up restrooms at parks. Painters are making 150 thousand a year and their helpers are making 85 thousand a year.

UNREAL. CALIFORNIA IS EGYPT PEOPLE. WAKE UP.