Firefighting plane loses its contract

A World War II-vintage firefighting airplane credited with saving homes in Eastern Washington has fought its last blaze.

State officials say the 1946 Patrol Bomber Y, or PBY, plane – the last of its kind still fighting fires – housed at the Deer Park Airport is too old and fails to meet federal aviation standards.

They didn’t renew a contract with the plane’s owner this year and are searching for a replacement for this fire season. But it might not be based in Deer Park, and some worry that a higher lease cost could mean the replacement will be available less often.

“It could create problems for us,” said Ed Lewis, chief of Spokane County Fire District 4 in Deer Park. “It’s one of our front-line defenses of our homes in our greater Spokane area.”

The federal government in 2004 stopped using the PBY – which scoops water from lakes and rivers and can hold 1,500 gallons – to fight fires. The state Department of Natural Resources hopes to find a more modern replacement that can be used on both federal and state-protected lands, said Mark Kahley, resource protection division manager.

“It has served us well during its long history, but it just got to be time,” Kahley said.

Bud Rude, of Spanaway, who owns the plane, said the decision to stop using the plane surprised him.

“We operate and put retardant on the fire for pennies on the dollar compared to what other state agencies do,” Rude said.

Rude charged $250,000 for a 100-day contract, then about $600 an hour of flight time. Other planes cost much more, he said.

“There isn’t anything else available anywhere that would approach those rates,” agreed Joe Schramek, the DNR’s assistant division manager for fire control, aviation and correctional camps.

The replacement likely won’t be available for as long as the PBY was, Kahley said. And officials aren’t sure if the PBY’s replacement will be housed in Deer Park. It could be stationed in Moses Lake and come out when needed, Schramek said.

That worries Lewis, who wonders what to use during initial attacks on a growing fire if an air tanker like the PBY isn’t available. Firefighting helicopters and other equipment are available, but none has the storage capacity of the PBY, Lewis said. Plus, having the PBY stationed in Deer Park meant immediate access to the aircraft, he said.

“The key for us is rapid attack during initial growth of the fire, and that’s where it is so effective,” Lewis said. “And that’s what we’re going to lose.”

The plane fought 35 fires on 32 days from July 5 to Oct. 12 last year, according to the DNR. It sucks up about 100 gallons of water a second and, if a lake or river is nearby, can drop loads on a fire every four to six minutes, said Fred Owen, the plane’s chief pilot.

Lewis said he “absolutely” credits the plane with saving homes in the more than 20 fire seasons it has seen in the area.

The state is negotiating with neighboring states and Canada about a partnership on a new aircraft that could lower the cost to the DNR, Kahley said.

The decision to stop using the PBY wasn’t easy, Schramek said.

“This is definitely the end of an era,” he said.