Feds to Re-Examine Approach to Pre-Positioning Firefighting Aircraft in Wake of Texas Wildfires
AUSTIN, TX – The U.S. Forest Service testified that it will re-examine its approach to pre-positioning firefighting aircraft in the wake of the most devastating wildfire in Texas history.
“We are interested in lessons learned,” said Tom Harbour, Director of U.S. Forest Service Fire & Aviation Assets, appearing before a congressional field hearing of the Homeland Security Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, in Austin, TX.
The complex fire in Bastrop County, east of Austin, destroyed more than 1,500 homes startingSunday, September 4. While several smaller firefighting aircraft were deployed to fight the fires, one of two privately-owned DC-10 tankers was not flown in and operational until the following Friday and four Department of Defense C-130’s did not arrive until Saturday.
"By then Bastrop's gone. The Bastrop fire has done its damage and it's near containment,” Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Austin), the committee Chairman, told Harbour. “To me, I think that's something that could have been avoided had we had more of these assets prepositioned."
While the Forest Service claims crew rest caused delays for the DC-10, the owner of the air tanker maintains any delays could have been avoided had the aircraft been under long-term retainer contract. In such an agreement, multiple crews are on call and fire retardant loading systems, which took two days to truck in from California, are pre-positioned along with the aircraft.
“We certainly will look to the future and see what we might do,” Harbour testified.
Bastrop County was among the more than 21,000 wildfires in Texas in the past year that scorched 3.8 million acres, an area the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined, according to Nim Kidd, the state’s Emergency Management Assistant Director. Kidd testified that represents about one-third of what the U.S. Forest Service responds to in an average year nationwide.
Monday’s hearing also addressed voluminous paperwork required by FEMA for counties to be eligible for reimbursement. At times, volunteer firefighters had to choose between fighting fires and filling outpaperwork in order to meet stringent deadlines. Also addressed were delays in reimbursement, sometimes as long as three years, for counties whose equipment has been used on an ongoing basis and is need of repair or replacement.
“It's the ability to get all the information in order to properly validate what they are requesting,” testified Tony Russell, FEMA’s Region VI Administrator.
“I understand accuracy to prevent fraud waste and abuse but three years?” Rep. McCaul asked. “It’s way too bureaucratic. I think we can streamline the process so reimbursement can take place more in real time because counties can’t afford it.”
Congressman McCaul plans to work with FEMA and the National Forest Service to ensure improvements in pre-positioning resources and that less cumbersome application processes are in place for future disasters.
Complete Hearing VIDEO (Real Player Required)
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