Another helicopter would be fire insurance

One of the most cost-effective insurance policies Northern Nevada could have this summer comes in the form of a Huey helicopter which needs $150,000 worth of upgrades to add it the state's measly fleet of firefighting aircraft.

State Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, has asked fellow lawmakers to allocate the money to the state forester's budget so the chopper will be ready to fly. It'll take more money for maintenance, insurance and operations, but having another aircraft - the state has only two for firefighting - is still a bargain.

While everyone knows the key to snuffing any fire is catching it early, the example of the Waterfall fire is seared into residents' memories.

Some people will always believe the disaster to 18 homes and a business could have been stopped short if more firepower from the air had been available earlier. Once the winds picked up, it was a losing battle.

It's true that federally contracted planes and helicopters were called to Carson City and did a great deal to counter the spread of the fire. At the same time, we know air tankers sat grounded by federal restrictions at the airport in Carson Valley, where frustrated pilots fumed at their inability to join the fray.

As we've noted before, no one can say with absolute certainty the effect added air strikes would have had. We'll always be left with the "What if ..." question. Could they have saved millions of dollars in damage?

Now, with an opportunity to spend $150,000 or so to provide Nevada with another quick-strike option against wildfires, we hope lawmakers don't hesitate to spend the money.

We'd hate to be asking another "What if ..." question this summer.