Set up plane patrols in forests
I woke up and found my two cars covered with ashes.
The front page of The Bee showed pictures of the incineration going on throughout the state. Hundreds of houses have burned to the ground in the northern part of the state. Our trees, General Grant and the Boole Tree, which are thousands of years old, are at risk. I have lived most of my life in Fresno, and this is the worst, and the closest I have been to impending danger from fires.
Petroleum-product emissions are no longer the only danger to our atmosphere and to global warming. It is time to pay more attention to forest-fire emissions in California also. We need to try and control our forest fires.
My suggestion is to have dozens of single-engine plane and helicopter patrols in the wooded areas during the fire season. Then as soon as they see a fire starting, notify the fire departments and all available personnel. Billions of dollars are spent yearly trying to reduce petroleum emissions. It is time to spend the same amount in order to control our forest fires.
Edward Martinez, Fresno
This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 7:35 AM with the headline "Set up plane patrols in forests."