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P/CLOUDY Temp: 67 °F Wind: NW at 6 mph Monday, August 19, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend July 20, 2002 Air tankers shouldn’t be needed for Squire fire By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Looking forward to containment on the county’s wildfires later this weekend, Oregon Department of Forestry officials said they don’t anticipate the need for air tankers once the planes are able to fly. Related stories: � Home again, after crews bring the Squire fire to heel . � Firefighters turn to blaze near Lake Creek The nation’s fleet of heavy air tankers was grounded after a pair of crashes within a month. "The entire firefighting community is saddened by this news, so we’re taking a breath," said Paul Galloway, an information officer for the U.S. Forest Service in Medford. "The flight crews are taking the day off, getting some rest and inspecting their aircraft." Although they likely won’t be ordered on the Squire fire today, air tankers turned the tide when they dropped six loads onto the 3,000-acre blaze after it threatened to jump Sterling Creek Road Wednesday and make a rush for rural Ruch homes. "If they hadn’t been available, we’d have to speculate on where the fire would be today," said Dave Wells, a fire information officer for ODF. Water-dropping helicopters should be able to control any flare-ups until the Squire fire is fully contained, which is expected to happen Sunday evening, Wells said. Two air tankers — a DC-4 and SP-2H — have made 92 drops from the Medford base since last Saturday’s thunderstorm ignited fires around the region, Galloway said. The planes can carry a load of approximately 2,000 gallons of retardant, he added. The tanker base could receive $1.2 million needed to upgrade the facility if a bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday makes it through the Senate. Without the money, the Medford base would close and consolidate operations with a base in Klamath Falls, Forest Service officials have said. Wildfires raging in Southern Oregon reinforced the need for a Medford base, said Congressman Greg Walden, R-Hood River. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S