Why is an Island-based water bomber sidelined as B.C. burns?

The Martin Mars water bomber sits idle on the shores of Sproat Lake, raising questions about why the massive aircraft isn’t being used to fight the flames ripping though the province — including in its own backyard. The short answer, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service, is the Martin Mars “is a retired aircraft that hasn’t been used in B.C. since 2015,” said spokeswoman Jean Strong. The service is contracting a fleet of smaller fixed-wing tankers and helicopters that can target fires quickly… (vancouversun.com) עוד...