Military To Station Two Air Tankers In Utah For The Summer

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AP) -- The military will station two air tankers here for the height of the summer fire season.

The two C-130s, equipped as initial attack planes for wildfires, will move from Williams Gateway Airport outside of Phoenix to Hill Air Force Base.

Hill serves as a central location for the tankers, which will continue to be available throughout the Western region, from Colorado to Oregon.

``Now, as we get more lightning and storms here, we want to be prepared,'' Rose Davis, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, said.

The retardant tankers are equipped to perform initial attacks and extended attacks to support ground firefighters.

Since May 28, the tankers have flown 252 firefighting missions in Arizona and New Mexico.