Wildfire solutions

“Bad” fire seasons are the new norm. The ugly smoke has serious health effects that kills some. Detrimental impacts on our state economy - ditto the entire Western U.S. - costing billions annually. What are our “leaders” doing about it? Not nearly enough. Do this:

1. Use 0.10 percent of the Defense Department’s budget (almost $1 billion) to build or retrofit an Air Force of large fire bombers, DC-10 or larger. Hundreds of these planes that can “carpet bomb” the fires before they get too large.

2. Partner with Canada to lower the cost and share the fleet of planes. Southern Hemisphere countries like Australia can also be partners since they have the opposite calendar fire season.

3. Use Reserve and Guard pilots to fly them. It’s not combat, but it’s still adverse flying conditions that keeps their skills honed and cuts costs since they are paid to practice anyway.

Building these planes will create high-paying jobs in our state’s aerospace industry. Beats spending the money on the Great Wall of Trump. The Defense Department still gets 99.99 percent of its money. We will still be safe.

North Korea does not need to nuke us, just let us burn and choke on the smoke.

Mark Mullane

Spokane