California / IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : State Firefighters to Cut Air Tankers

State firefighting officials said they plan to cut their air force by nearly a third as a means of coping with a revenue shortfall. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention plans to reduce the number of retardant-dropping air tankers from 21 to 15, said Bill Teie, deputy director for fire protection. The reduction will leave the state with its fewest air tankers since the early 1960s, said Olis Kendrick, the agency’s air operations chief. The move will save $700,000, part of a total 8.4% cut in the department’s $300-million budget, officials said. One state air tanker will be deleted from each of the bases in Redding, Chico, Columbia, Porterville, Hemet and Ramona. The planes will remain in storage but could be activated on short notice.