Martin Mars firefighting seaplane goes home to Canada

Coulson Flying Tanker
Photo credit: California fire News - Robert O'Connor

The Martin Mars firefighting seaplane has left Lake Elsinore as quickly as it arrived.

One week after it docked for what city officials expected would be an extended engagement, the Vancouver Island-based crew packed up Friday and headed back to Canada without being used in one of this week's major fires.

Representatives from Coulson Flying Tankers, which owns the World War II-era plane, were unable to secure an on-call contract with either the U.S. Forest Service or Cal Fire and opted to return home and wait for deployment orders, city officials said.

Coulson representatives were unavailable for comment but one Lake Elsinore official expressed disappointment.

"I think they added a level of safety and security that was worth the investment," City Councilman Robert Magee said.

The air tanker drops 7,200 gallons of water-gel suppressant. It made five drops on fires in Southern California last year and attracted large crowds of spectators at Lake Elsinore where it was moored.

Forest Service officials said they did not know the Martin Mars had left, but said they weren't surprised.

"Certainly Coulson would keep the plane down here if any of the agencies wanted to pay them for daily availability," Forest Service Aviation Safety Manager Dennis Brown said. "But most of the agencies aren't prepared to do that because they are already contracted with a number of air tankers."

Coulson would have paid Lake Elsinore $5,000 a month to dock there.

Magee said the city would likely work with the forest service, Cal Fire and Coulson to secure a firm agreement that would ensure a longer stay.

"I think the only thing that brings them back this year is a catastrophe, and I am not wishing for that," Magee said.

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