"The US air force air tankers fighting some of the worst wildfires to have hit the western United States were grounded as investigators looked into what caused the deadly crash of a military cargo plane fighting a blaze. The decision by the military to put seven C-130s on an indefinite "operational hold" has left 14 federally contracted heavy tankers in use until investigators gain a better understanding of what caused the crash. "You've basically lopped off eight air tankers immediately from your inventory, and that's going to make it tougher to fight wildfires," said Mike Archer, who distributes a daily newsletter of wildfire news. The C-130 from an Air National Guard wing based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was carrying a crew of six and fighting a 6.5sq mile blaze in the Black Hills of South Dakota when it crashed on Sunday, killing at least one crew member and injuring others. President Barack Obama signed a bill last month hastening the addition of seven large tanker planes to the nation's rundown aerial firefighting fleet, at a cost of $24m, but the first planes won't be available until mid-August." - John (bird whisperer) from Bookmarklet