Last week I spent four days live-blogging the California wildfires. One of the recurring complaints was the lack of fire-fighting aircraft and the delay in getting them airborne when they WERE available. (We won't even begin to discuss the possible effect on flight operations of George W. Bush's visit to the area last Thursday.)
Today we are treated to a story on the CBSNews website giving a little more detail about those aircraft. It turns out that the mess was even worse than we thought. Scroll down to see why.
After fires destroyed more than 2,300 homes in 2003, the governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission issued a report and recommendations to improve the methods of firefighting, including the use of aircraft. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told the citizens of California that his administration was working with the federal government to ensure that plans to use military helicopters and airplanes were "efficient and effective."
Then came the fires of 2007.
Firefighters on the ground have stated for the record that had air support been available from the beginning the amount of damage done would have been a fraction of what was finally totaled. They pleaded continually for more help from aircraft. What they got was indifference, delay and bureaucracies so intent on protecting themselves that they completely ignored their responsibility to protect the people of California.
From refusing to allow flights without state spotters aboard, to not outfitting the aircraft they did have with the necessary tanks, to delays in requesting fire-fighting planes from other states, the string of failures is eerily reminiscent of those in the wake of hurricane Katrina.
No, these two disasters are not the same. But the response to them is depressingly familiar. The string of failures, misunderstandings and plain old excuses leaves the average citizen to wonder if there is anyone in government who truly gives a damn.
Now we can look forward to endless reports of what can be done to improve things (again) along with excuses for the foul-ups that occurred. In the meantime, the Santa Ana winds are forecast to return this week.