A New Guard for Fires

State and federal officials are to be commended for cutting through some of the bureaucratic red tape that has made it difficult for firefighters to receive the help of Air National Guard tankers in fighting wildfires.

The longstanding problem was dramatized in San Diego earlier this year when 64 Normal Heights homes were destroyed when a brush fire raged through the neighborhoods’ canyons for hours before California Department of Forestry air tankers arrived. State fire officials didn’t even bother to ask the Air National Guard for help because of the lengthy procedures required for approval. Although it takes only about two hours to prepare and load the military planes for firefighting missions, it has generally taken 12 to 24 hours to get permission to use them.

As a result of quiet negotiations between the state and federal governments, Air Guard tankers now will be available to fight California fires upon the request of the governor. This is good news for the tens of thousands of San Diego County residents who live in areas susceptible to wildfires.

State officials should continue to try to iron out similar agreements with other military services in an effort to further reduce the amount of time it takes to get help for what are often desperate situations.