Vancouver Island-based air tankers help with Southern California fires

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PORT ALBERNI (NEWS 1130) – A couple of Vancouver Island-based air tankers are helping fight wildfires in California.

Port Alberni’s Coulson Aviation sent one C-130 aircraft to the Santa Maria base and the other is working out of San Bernardino.

Wayne Coulson is with the Vancouver Island based Coulson Group.

“(We) just finished a contract with the State of California and they brought it back on when the fires started. And then we brought our second one on that was destined for the Australian firefighting season.”

Britton Coulson says one of the private planes was supposed to go to Melbourne, Australia this week.

“They’ve been having a lot of rain and a lot of cooler temperatures so the Australian Government allowed us to keep it over here and we’re working to help the state of California. They’re in pretty severe fire weather right now, so we’re there to support them in any way we can.”

He says the work being done is worth about $30,000 a day to Coulson Aviation, which has been helping fight fires in California for the past decade.

The BC Wildfire Service has not been enlisted yet to help out.

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