McMINNVILLE — A giant aircraft tanker developed by Oregon-based Evergreen International Aviation to carry 20,000 gallons of water has been cleared to fight wildfires. The federal government granted the Boeing 747 Supertanker approval to fly during the upcoming wildland firefighting season.

Evergreen, which has supplied firefighting aircraft for decades, spent $50 million to develop the plane. The jet can fly 600 mph. The company says that’s twice as fast as any tanker currently used.

— From wire reports