Aerial fire fighting is a necessary tool to get to forest fires where few roads exist. An article in 1987 of Air and Space tells of how it was back then. I can assure you the system has been fully revamped with additional funds and can literally attack the fires in an offensive mannerism, when before it was about trying to control, then contain, then extinguish, then mop up. Constantly worrying about rekindling of hot materials in the canyons where it burns twice as hot and for a lot longer. As you remember there were some terrible fires over the last four years in NM, CA, NV, MT and AZ. Expect the same challenge this year, but expect an unexpected effort from our government as they have learned in the fires of 2000-2004 many things. Today we are getting better at fitting fires but phoschek, fire fighting retardant contains stuff that sterilizes the soil, kills vegetation (which would have been burned anyway) and later this causes flood damage due to the non-vegetation to slow water afterwards.

I have seen S-2s, B-17s, C-$114s, PBYs, DC-4s, DC-6s, DC-7s, TBMs, B-26s you name it anything and everything that could hold a load used in fire fighting, and many of these WWII vintage aircraft should be in museums but they are only flown about 100-200 hours a year. The rest of the time they are maintained and airworthy ready. Imagine getting parts for a PBY or TBM today? A rag tagged fugitive fleet of