Fighting fire from the skies

Re “Winds drive Southland wildfires,” Oct. 22

Another year, another terrible fire situation, another season when the authorities will not utilize the Russian IL-76 water bomber, one of the best firefighting airplanes. If you have lost property, have been forced to evacuate or are an injured firefighter, you need to ask the authorities why they continue to refuse to allow this aircraft to assist in combating the conflagrations in California and elsewhere.

Alan Dean Foster

Prescott, Ariz.

Wouldn’t it be common sense for Orange County to designate these canyon areas wildlife refuges and not permit development? Siting million-dollar homes in fire-prone canyons doesn’t make a lot of sense. I’ve lived in the area for 11 years, and I can’t remember one year when a canyon somewhere in Southern California hasn’t burned, threatening lives and property. Why not restrict development to those areas outside of fire-prone canyons?

Patrick Curry

Irvine