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NPR's On The Media did an interesting piece on the use of aerial firefighting and the California wildfires. It turns out that the TV-friendly fire planes are sometimes deployed for the sake of public perceptions and political forces, not because they are the best use of resources.
Click above to hear story.
James Rainey of the LA times wrote a story Fire planes, supporting actors, get top billing where he drew a comparison between aerial firefighting and aerial bombing. "This week's coverage reminds me of the skewed perspective we get at the start of a Middle Eastern war. The airwaves brim with breathless video-fueled accounts of laser-guided bombs walloping a faceless enemy. We don't see so much of soldiers slogging it out on the ground or the ugly aftermath of combat." He added in the NPR interview, "I do think that there is a hope and sort of a dream that we can solve all these problems through technology "