Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) sent a letter to U.S. Forest Service chief Tom Tidwell expressing concern over the decision by the Forest Service to change six Type 1 firefighting helicopters from “exclusive use” contracts to “call when needed” contracts, including a helicopter based in Lancaster, California.
“As we enter peak fire season in Southern California, I would like to know the implications of this decision on readiness and speed of response in the event of a fire, since as you are well aware, the speed of response can be the difference between a destructive wildfire and a controlled event,” Schiff wrote in the letter.
Schiff’s letter was sent as half a dozen fires currently burn in Southern California. The fires stretch from San Luis Obispo County in the north to Camp Pendleton in the south and Riverside County in the east.
The letter can be read here.
