Dear Editor:
Already this season we have over 100 thousand hectares in flames, more than 10 times the 2013 total and the summer is just starting. We are evacuating communities and bringing in hundreds of firefighters from other provinces. Why? We have the largest water bomber in the world still in service on Vancouver Island. The Martin Mars can drop more water on fires in one day than all the other assets combined. Why is it not in service Money? It costs more to bring in 200 firefighters from other provinces than to fire up the Mars. Washington State is also hugely affected by forest fires and dozens of homes have been destroyed. We are also evacuating communities and still the largest water bomber in the world is just sitting idle while houses burn.
As long as parts are available to keep this massive essential plane running we should keep it in service.
People's houses shouldn't go up in flames while this plane is parked.
Leo Vanderbyl
North Vancouver
