Why the hell? This sounds like the stupidest decision possible. The excuse is that “...contracts with the U.S. government and California did not produce enough profit for the company to continue the funding the tanker.”
Why aren’t multiple Western States funding it? Why just California? There is need for it all over the West and in BC and Alberta. A mutual aid program where it is funded by multiple western states could keep it flying.
This is going to be a bad fire year because it was a mild, dry winter in the west. This is not the time to take this plane out of the fire service.
Do the Feds and CA WANT massive forest fires?
Actually, this would incentivize states to clean up their kindling.