Official asks for review of Forest Service's ban on nighttime helicopter water drops

Local Rep. Adam Schiff is calling for a congressional subcommittee to review the U.S. Forest Service's ban on using nighttime helicopter flights to fight wildfires. On Thursday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich praised Schiff's efforts while strongly criticizing the Forest Service's decision last August to keep helicopters grounded during the first hours of the Station Fire. "This issue is vital, absolutely vital for the people who live near the borders with the mountains and forest," Tony Bell, Antonovich's spokesman, said, adding the ban on night flights contributed to the Station Fire spreading to over 160,000 acres. Two firefighters died while fighting the Station Fire. Hillsides denuded by the fire triggered repeated mud slides this past winter that destroyed or damaged about 100 homes. And the county has spent more than $50 million on mudslide cleanup and storm preparations, Bell noted. Schiff, D-Pasadena, said in a news release Tuesday questions about the Forest Service's decision to keep helicopters on the ground as the Station Fire burned prompted him to call for the policy review. He asked the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies to include the review as part of its bill that includes funding for the Forest Service for 2011. Specifically, Schiff wants the subcommittee to look at whether the policy banning night flights should be repealed and how...more