Three firefighting aircraft will cost $3 million during the fast-approaching San Diego County wildfire season.
Supervisors Ron Roberts and Bill Horn propose leasing two Canadian Bombardier SuperScooper air tankers and a spotter plane to direct helicopters and planes making water drops on wildfires.
Roberts says the leases, beginning in late summer, are "the most significant thing we could do to protect the people of San Diego County this year."
The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the proposal May 6.
The new planes would join two firefighting helicopters owned by the city and two owned by the county.
