FOXNews.com - Firefighting Fleet Grounded for Safety

This story is about the Federal Aviation Administration grounding several planes in the federal firefighting fleet. And here we are going into fire season. Ouch.

Aerial firefighting... has become the primary weapon in stopping brush and forest fires. Because of its size and history of devastating blazes, California operates its own fleet of helicopters, scouts and tankers.

Pilots are positioned at predetermined points around the state, within 20 minutes they can be airborne and on top of any fire — working to stop small fires from becoming big ones.

It is a dangerous job. Four planes have gone down in the past three years — their wings gave way under the fatigue and stress of a heavy, liquid cargo.

Lawmakers are looking for alternatives to the blaze-fighting fleet now that there are only nine federal planes available to fight fire in 50 states.

In the meantime, California will rely on its own fleet, while other states scramble to find helicopters and planes that can be safely converted before fire season begins.

The title link goes to a short written article and a video report by William LaJeunesse of Fox News.