Capt. RK Smithley has helped drop over 175,000 gallons of fire retardant during more than a dozen flights in two days
LOS ANGELES — Capt. RK Smithley has been one of about a dozen aerial firefighters battling the Los Angeles wildfires, which have killed at least 24 people.
“This is kind of a historical event that we’re operating right now,” he said. “My gut reaction was it’s a nightmare.”
A Ligonier native, Smithley, 65, who lives in Tennessee, works for 10 Tanker, an aerial firefighting organization. He flies a DC-10 Air Tanker.
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