41.   More crews, air tankers and helicopters were expected Monday.

42.   On Monday, an air tanker carrying a firefighting crew suddenly broke up and plunged to the ground in Walker in Northern California, killing all three people aboard.

43.   Six bulldozers, two air tankers and three helicopters were sent to the fire in Escambia County, near the Alabama state line.

44.   The dead were believed to be the pilots from the two planes, as well as a passenger from the air tanker.

45.   The fire season turned deadly on Monday, when the wings snapped off an air tanker dropping retardant on a blaze in the Sierra Nevada.

46.   Three air tankers dropping red fire retardant and four helicopters making water drops were assisting the ground battle.

47.   Winds subsided enough Saturday night to allow two air tankers that had earlier been grounded to begin dropping slurry.

48.   Witnesses said a US Forest Service twin-engine plane appeared to hit the tail of a four-engine air tanker the service was using on contract.

49.   Japan has no air tankers to enable its fighters to re-fuel in the air and improve readiness against possible aerial attack.