By Associated Press – 20 July 2014
Authorities are bringing in two military air tankers from Wyoming to help fight wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere.
Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, say the tankers were activated to ensure that firefighters had adequate air tanker capability in the region.
Wildfires in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California and elsewhere in the West are taxing the current number of firefighting aircraft.
The tankers come from the Wyoming Air National Guard in Cheyenne. They will initially be based in Boise and are expected to be available to fly wildfire suppression missions beginning Sunday.
The two C-130 planes are equipped with special equipment that dumps up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant.
