REDMOND (AP) - Butler Aircraft is laying off 10 of its 25 employees after federal agencies canceled air tanker contracts for the wildfire season, citing safety concerns.

The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced last week they would no longer use a fleet of 33 large tankers to fight fires on public land. Instead, the agencies plan to use smaller tankers and helicopters, which carry slightly smaller loads over shorter distances.

The resolution came in response to an April 23 report by the National Transportation Safety Board questioning the safety of the tankers and requiring the U.S. Forest Service to take responsibility for their air worthiness.

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., and other lawmakers are trying to enlist the help of the Federal Aviation Administration to arrange an emergency review of the 33 air tankers.

Meanwhile, Butler Aircraft and nine other tanker contractors are faced with layoffs.

The tanker contracts were nearly 80 percent of the annual business for Butler, bringing in as much as $6 million per year. The contract cancellation wiped out jobs for mechanics, pilots, and even the office receptionist.

Some of the laid-off workers said Butler had been like a second family.

"If you ever have any problems, they take care of you," said mechanic Todd Linschied, standing with his co-workers in Butler's massive tanker hangar.

"If your car breaks down, they'll let you borrow a car until you get it repaired," he said. "If you get in dire straits and need to borrow some money, they'll loan you money."

To stay afloat, Butler plans on beefing up its fixed operations, like small plane maintenance, fuel sales and flight lessons. Management will transfer three of their tanker mechanics into the other divisions, but those workers' hours and paychecks will likely be cut.

"You have to take it on the chin," said Linschied, whose hours will be cut in half.

Former World War II pilot Cal Butler founded the company in 1946 as an agricultural spraying operation. Then, in the mid-1950s, company mechanics bolted water tanks to the bellies of bombers.

Butler took the idea to the Forest Service and aerial firefighting was born, according to operations manager Nan Garnick.

Then, in 1994, the wing separated from a C-130A Hercules responding to a fire near California's Tehachapi Mountains, killing three crew members. And in 2002, a C-130A Hercules and a P4Y Privateer broke apart over fires in California and Colorado, killing five crewmen.

The accidents led to investigations into the health of the aging tanker fleet by a blue-ribbon panel and the NTSB. Tanker contractors have since implemented several new initiatives to ensure the safety of their aircraft.

Dave Kelly, 76, a tanker pilot who is helping to carry out the shutdown at Butler, testified before the panel. He said that the problems that plagued the malfunctioning air tankers do not affect the aircraft operated by Butler.

"I think they have made a big mistake," Kelly said. "They have essentially condemned the entire fleet as if they were all the same."