Wildfire-fighting plane is shut down as fire season begins

DENVER, CO (AP) — The world’s largest firefighting plane has been shut down just as Western states prepare for a wildfire season that fire officials fear could be worse than the average year.

Tara Lee, a spokeswoman for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, said Friday the state’s Department of Natural Resources was alerted to the shutdown of the Global SuperTanker.

The decision to cease the SuperTanker’s operations was first reported by Fire Aviation. The industry website reported an email sent this week to officials in Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the U.S. government that the investor group that owns the plane was shutting it down.