2009 marked the first time a giant Boeing 747 dropped a load of bright pink retardant on a fire in California. While the 747 is not currently an option for fighting fires in the state, another of these planes may soon be certified.
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(AP) - A wildfire burning for nearly two months on California's Central Coast has surpassed $200 million in firefighting costs, becoming the costliest to fight in U.S. history.
Forecasters say the threat of wildfires will remain high in Southern California and the Southwest in July and August because of persistent drought and because summer rains may not be as consistent as usual.
The U.S. Forest Service says 66 million trees are dead in the Sierra Nevada after four consecutive years of drought in California and a bark beetle infestation.
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